On the Backburner: Five Most Fun 2k11 Teams

First off, I'd like to thank Mr. Becker for allowing me to become a guest writer on his blog. Matt - I hope you don't regret adding me that I can add a unique perspective on NBA basketball. Best of luck to you in North Carolina. I'm really looking forward to reading about Bulls basketball from a group of friends, for a change, instead of just internet randoms. I already know Tapan will bring style, Kevin passion, Becker hunger, Romano savvy, and Vineeth wisdom. Am I missing anyone? Whatever. Enough with the soapy introduction. Let us talk basketball.

It’s my Pro Basket-blog debut, which means one thing: time to talk NBA 2k11. Why? I breathe this game during the fall and winter. There’s no better way to learn the league than by playing the video game. Heck, I based my whole argument to sign Anthony Morrow to 5 years/30 mil on his 2k10 three-point rating. August has struck, which means most decent rotation players have found a home, so it’s a good time to examine 2k11’s landscape. Fellow bloggers, I present to you the five most fun teams to play with, and, of course, the five most pitiful teams in this Fall’s title.

Note: The Miami Heat do not count in these rankings. Protocol should be to match-up the Heat against a historical draft class, the international team, or an all-decade team.

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1. Golden State Warriors

That’s right folks, you should look no further than Oakland to find the most euphoric virtual basketball team around. It starts at the point. Last year Monta Ellis’ dunk rating was off the charts. So much so that I’m pretty sure he could dunk over a 2k2 Dikembe Mutombo…which is pretty much incomprehensible. I mean, Allen Iverson was the cover boy and there was no stopping those two and Aaron McKie in the east. Then you have Stephen Curry as your combo guard. C’mon. With these two in the backcourt you can close your eyes, inbound the basketball, hold down turbo, and something good will result. In the paint? What’s more fun than the rebounding/shot-blocking duo of David Lee and Andris Biedrins? Without Anthony Morrow and Lamar-Odom-clone Anthony Randolph, the bench is pitiful. Smooth shooting Charlie Bell should see his rating come down since 2k9 developers were clearly stoned when they built his shot-rating. Jannero Pargo isn’t even the best baller in his family. The team picked up two guys with the initials D.G., and I’ll give one-hundred bucks to anyone who can guess their names in the next 24 hours. Damn Romano, I didn’t realize you knew all about Devean George and Dan Gadzuric. The Brandan Wright project is just that – a project. But all is good when you have Ekpe Udoh, right Vinny?

2. Dallas Mavericks

Mark Cuban is running one hell of a 2k operation. Oh no, I’m just like all other basketball bloggers who start every single write-up on the Mavs by mentioning Mark Cuban. I digress. Mark Cuban continues to put together entertaining 2k teams. Okay seriously, spread the floor and let a Jason Terry – Rodrigue Beaubois – Caron Butler – Dirk Nowitzki – Tyson Chandler lineup go to work. Or how about a Jason Kidd – JJ Barea – Shawn Marion – Tim Thomas (cough) – Brendan Haywood lineup for the second quarter? Beaubois is “that guy” whom every NBA analyst will be deeming their breakout/sleeper player, when in fact he is the furthest thing from a sleeper because everyone picks him to be one. Yeah, I'm looking at you, dopehead. Happens every year in every sport– I hate it. But I love this team.

3. Milwaukee Bucks

Can you fit more swingmen on one NBA roster? I think I may just play online with a lineup of Chris Douglas-Roberts, Carlos Delfino, John Salmons, Corey Maggette, and Jerry Stackhouse. Off the bench: Darington Hobson, Michael Redd, and Ersan IIyasova. I’m exhausted just thinking of it. Poor Scott Skiles, I can already see a chronic migraine problem by Christmas Day. Not that he needs more coal in his stocking. Let me be blunt. This team is loaded, at least in the virtual universe. Brandon Jennings glides by defenders in his poorly marketed, but fly kicks. Andrew Bogut is one large, finely tuned machine in the post. And if there's one position you want to be stacked at? Pun intended, Jerry.

4. Sacramento Kings

The most underrated pick-n-roll team in NBA 2k11. Not that it will translate to real life. From DraftExpress:

Evans is capable of hitting the open man, but is looking to score first and pass second. The sheer amount of time that the ball is in his hands and the number of occasions he takes the ball to the rim guarantees him a degree of success as a playmaker, and to his credit, he’s done a better job recognizing when to give the ball up as the season has gone on. That’s not necessarily a knock against Evans—that’s just the way today’s NBA works

Last year I texted Becker that Tyreke is the second coming of M.J. I don’t know if I can stand by that statement anymore, but I think he will be a better version of Gilbert Arenas - not that one - before it’s all said and done. Well, he’s already working on his street cred, so who knows? Sac-town boasts a three-headed monster of Jason Thompson, Samuel Dalembert, and DeMarcus Cousins. Carl Landry is saying “don’t forget about me!!”. Oh, and David Stern’s proud child a.k.a. Omri Casspi is pretty good at scoring…and participating in uncomfortable NBA sponsored events. Somehow, this all equates to a #4 spot in my rankings.

5. Toronto Raptors

I’ve got that ‘98 nostalgia when looking at the ‘11 Raptors. Let me explain. McGrady & Carter…cousins. Sonny Weems & DeMar DeRozan…BFFs. What do both combinations have in common? They dunk, really, very, hard. I mean HARD. Now that my sources (yahoo!) are telling me Ed Davis is a CB4 clone? Not worried about that gap. It’s not like Bosh was their franchise player or anything like that. I’ll take Toronto and you can have anyone in the east except Miami, Chicago, Boston, Orlando, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Charlotte, Philly, New Jersey, New York, or Detroit. Game on.

Still to come: Five least fun 2k11 teams, and in September I will rank teams 6-25.