NBA 2K14: Breaking Down Signature Skills for Elite Players and Specialists

Signature skills don’t make a player a star in NBA 2K14; they simply identify an area of expertise. The skills work to individualize players in the aspects of the game that make them elite and/or keep them in the league.

All signature skills aren’t created equal, however. Being a Scrapper isn’t quite as valuable as being a Closer in the grand scheme of things. Hustle is great, but at the end of the day, you need a star to get tough buckets in the fourth quarter.

Many role players have one or more signature skills. Players like Kyle Korver excel at one thing, and his signature skill helps to identify that. Korver is deadly accurate on three-point attempts in the corner. Per NBA.com, he made 47 percent of his threes from those sections of the floor.

His Corner Specialist skill helps to ensure his baseline marksmanship translates realistically in the game.

NBA 2K14 adds six new signature skills into the mix (see below). That list, plus returning skills and breakdowns of each, are per 2K Sports Tumblr and 2K Sports on YouTube.

The new skills:

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Flashy Passer

This player is known for accurate flashy passes. When throwing a flashy pass the penalty enforced will be reduced by up to 60%.

Pick Dodger

A player that does not get caught up on screens very easily. He counters the Brick Wall signature skill, and when hitting a screen set by a regular player the screen often fails to be effective.

Tenacious Rebounder

This player is known for his relentlessness when going for rebounds. During rebound situations he receives up to 50% increase in winning boxout battles and poking balls loose on rebounds.

Screen Outlet

A player who excels as the receiver in pick & roll/pop game. If this player shoots immediately following a screen he set he receives up to a 4 point boost to his shooting attribute.

One Man Fastbreak

A player known for his ability to take the ball coast-to-coast on a fastbreak. Speed, Quickness, and Ball-Handling attributes are boosted six points if this player takes the ball from one end of the court to another on a fastbreak following a change of possession.

LeBron Coast to Coast (Pre-Order Bonus Exclusive)
Takes the ball coast to coast and finishes through contact. Speed, Quickness, and Ball-Handling attributes are boosted four points and the shot penalty enforced for hitting a defender is decreased when taking the ball coast to coast on a fastbreak following a change of possession.

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Most superstars are littered with signature skills. No player is allowed to have more than five, but the LeBron James and Kevin Durants of the world are certainly maxed out. Possessing five signature skills isn't exclusive to the game's superstars, though. Some second-tier players also have the right combination of specialized skills to carry five.

This video shows the signature skills for every player currently on an NBA roster in the game.

Take a look at the players who have all the signature skills they can carry. Notice the varied overall ratings on the list. That number still tells the overall value of a player; however, if matched with the right team, a player with the right signature skills can be ultravaluable.

You may notice players like Jamal Crawford on the list of guys with five signature skills. While Crawford is an effective offensive player, not many people would consider him a star. Still, if you’ve watched him play in his career, it is hard to dispute that the man with the Twitter handle @JCrossover doesn’t deserve the signature skills he’s been given.

If I had a beef with any of his signature skills, it would be his designation as a Pick Dodger. If that means he avoids picks because he never attempts to defend aggressively enough to be caught on a screen, then I’m down with the concept.

However, any reference to his defensive prowess will cause me to raise an eyebrow. The eyeball test proves defense isn’t Crawford’s forte, but the numbers support the point as well. Per Basketball Reference, he has allowed more points per 100 possessions than he’s scored in all but two years in his career.

This wasn’t totally ignored in the game. To account for his lackluster defensive abilities, 2K Sports gave him a 69 rating in steals, 29 in defensive rebounding and a 58 in defensive awareness. That sounds like a near perfect way to replicate his imbalanced effect on the floor. 

Balance is the key term in NBA 2K14. The new and returning signature skills help to bring that out.

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