in regards to my player
my overall strategy when im on the floor is to make sure that the highest percentage shot gets taken on offense, and on defense, to make sure to at least box out because its free skill points that dont require you to raise anything that is also very easy to master.
when starting out, you basically pick something to be good at. i dont like any of the "balanced" playstyles, because if you kinda suck at everything, you're never getting off the bench. running a point guard is hard ; i dont recommend starting one until you really have an understanding for your plays. i dont even suggest using plays at all at first. just make sure you got 1 good shot and raise it to 99 and then support it. speed and quickness should be maxed almost asap because its the easiest way to help you get that shot. take that standing jump shot over and over until you crack the starting lineup and abuse it to get skill points to raise everything else. you want the ball more? pick the obvious answers in press conferences that a teammate would like, get your chemistry high, and they'll let you have 50 point games errday.
whats great about myplayer is that by raising each skill you learn to appreciate every facet of the game. basketball is team enough to appreciate good teammates, and talk you into forcing a trade to new jersey cuz brook is amazing at snagging your bricks and finishing them off. but its individual enough where you can completely take over a game too. after maxing your speed, your shot, i would recommend you pick either dunk or layup - or just layup then dunk - and max that out too. learn how to try to blow past defenders. the only way your team is going to beat the miami heat is if you can consistently cash in and the closer you are to the bucket the better chance you got at putting it down. so take the paint and back down if you have to. but still try to push the ball up, this will either result in easy shots, fouls, or breathing room from the outside. and with all the jukes and fakes you get just by holding the left trigger, let alone once you get some experience with the shot stick, its not hard to get yourself space.
you wont get dunks straight out the gate, the game will make you do a layup alot of times unless you get a completely straight on approach to the hoop, and even travis outlaw can redirect you enough to come in slightly off. you still want dunks, but, the way the animations work, they cant be a huge priority.
on default sliders, the other team will score on you. just learn your off ball defense to keep the ball away from your assignment, box out, and let the odds play themselves out. take higher percentage shots and force your opponent into lower percentage shots. its simple math, and its what makes basketball brilliant: its deliciously complex but also pretty simply when you really break it down.
stealing is also really easy to master and can result in 4-5 posessions a game for free if you are anything taller than a point guard. if you dont like steals, try blocking shots, but ill be honest the finesse between goaltending and a killer blocked shot is something i havent mastered so i like playing smaller guys. if you want to block shots, you need to be tall, or be willing to invest in alot of skills, raise those skills caps, and even change your shoes. stealing you raise one stat and look for passing lanes, you dont have to master all the possible shot animations, many of which are distinct to players/positions.
ill post more thoughts as they roll in but im up to 120 hours playing the game, in my second season, playing in the nba finals, its been a really great investment and lots of people before me in this thread said they sucked so maybe some of this can help them.