I remember the first time I truly understood the power of the pick and roll in NBA 2K17. It was during a particularly challenging game against a friend who had been dominating me for months. I'd just read about Alex Eala's whirlwind journey - her quick trip home to the Philippines, that breakthrough WTA 125 title in Guadalajara, and her learning experience at the US Open where she exited in the round of 64. Something about her progression resonated with me. Just like in tennis, mastering basketball's fundamental plays requires understanding both the mechanics and the mindset. The pick and roll isn't just a button combination - it's a dance between two players that, when executed perfectly, can dismantle even the toughest defenses.
When I started digging into the mechanics, I discovered that the basic pick and roll involves holding L1 for PlayStation or LB for Xbox to call for a screen. The timing is everything - you need to wait for your teammate to set the screen properly before making your move. I spent about 47 hours in practice mode just working on this single play. What most players don't realize is that the quality of your screen depends heavily on your teammate's setting. For instance, using a center like DeAndre Jordan gives you approximately 2.3 seconds of solid screening time, while smaller forwards might only provide 1.7 seconds. The difference may seem negligible, but in high-level play, those fractions of a second determine whether you get an open shot or turn the ball over.
The real magic happens after the screen is set. You have multiple options, and reading the defense correctly is what separates good players from great ones. If the defense goes under the screen, you can take the three-point shot. If they fight over the top, you drive to the basket. When they hedge or trap, that's when you make the pass to the rolling big man. I've found that against CPU opponents on All-Star difficulty, the defense chooses to go under screens about 68% of the time, making three-point specialists particularly effective in pick and roll situations. My personal preference is using Stephen Curry because his quick release combined with the space created by the screen is almost unfair.
Ball handling ratings make a tremendous difference in how effective your pick and roll game will be. Players with ball handling below 75 tend to get stuck on screens more often, while those above 85 can navigate tight spaces beautifully. I always look for at least an 82 rating in ball handling when choosing my primary pick and roll ball handler. The animation that triggers when your player has high ball handling stats is noticeably smoother - they'll execute tighter turns and maintain better control when splitting defenders. It's one of those subtle details that the game doesn't explicitly tell you, but becomes apparent after hundreds of hours of gameplay.
What surprised me most was how much real basketball strategy translates to the virtual court. The spacing, timing, and decision-making mirror actual NBA plays. I've watched countless hours of Chris Paul and Steve Nash highlights to understand how they manipulate defenses in pick and roll situations. Implementing those principles in NBA 2K17 raised my winning percentage in MyPark from about 45% to nearly 72% over three months. The key insight I gained was that the initial screen is just the beginning - the real play develops in the subsequent 2-3 seconds where you must process the defensive coverage and make the correct read.
The learning curve reminded me of that tennis journey I mentioned earlier - just as Eala had to process her US Open experience before achieving her breakthrough, I had to endure numerous frustrating losses before the pick and roll became second nature. There were games where I'd commit 8-10 turnovers trying to force the action. But gradually, the movements became instinctual. Now, I can run pick and roll plays in my sleep, reading defenses like they're children's books. The satisfaction of perfectly executing a play that leads to an easy basket never gets old. It's the foundation upon which championship teams are built, both in the game and in real basketball. Mastering this single aspect of NBA 2K17 can transform your entire approach to the game, turning you from a casual player into someone who genuinely understands basketball strategy.
