Video games have gotten near ridiculous. When I was a youth (I like that term – a “youth”), it was basically all about good graphics. I remember what an advancement I thought the original Playstation was. Then the PS2 basically blew my mind.
And now with the PS3 and XBOX, good graphics isn’t enough. Video games want to make you feel like it’s the real deal. When it comes to sports games, playing with Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook’s skill is fun and having players that look and play just like them is cool. But you’ve got to be able to play entirely as the Thunder. And in order to play like the Thunder, naturally you’ve got to be able to run their plays.
In this video from NBA 2K11, it showcases a number of Thunder sets. I specifically remember Oklahoma City running “Double 12″ for Thabo against the Lakers in Game 6. Durant was a decoy as he faded off a pick and Thabo was all alone under the basket.
(Of course this made me wonder if you can call the Thunder’s end of quarter plays as well. Which I’m guessing is called, “Dribble for 15 seconds, nobody move and let’s get a really bad shot or even possibly, a turnover. Dribble 15 Bad Shot, here we go!”)
My dad used to always gripe about me playing video games because it meant I wasn’t outside throwing a ball against a wall or I wasn’t learning something. Well, with the way games are now, they’re pretty darn educational. That is, if you want to learn a basketball set or two.
