NBA 2K21 Drops the Ball With Franchise Mode on Current Generation

2K Dribbles it Off Their Leg and Out of Bounds

NBA 2K21 has finally released and is in the hands of thousands, if not millions, around the world. As many, including myself, expected, the franchise mode is a bare-bones copy and paste of NBA 2K20. In other news, water is wet, the sky is blue, and Trey Daubert hates Russell Westbrook. So is it even news?

First, the game does not allow you to start in the offseason, which means that you cannot participate in the 2020 NBA Draft or sign free agents. Players that have an option in their contract, such as Anthony Davis, automatically accept their option rather than try to get more money. Other players that were supposed to be free agents get a one-year deal worth whatever money they were making this past season. For instance, Fred VanVleet is still with the Toronto Raptors on a one-year, $9 million contract.

What a joke. I don’t understand why 2K will not allow players to participate in an offseason. If the excuse is that the offseason hasn’t happened yet, then why is it an option in the game? It’s been in every other 2K as long as I can remember. I personally never use that option as I just like rebuilding with current teams, but that feature could come in handy right now. It should be reasonably easy for 2K to change this. Hopefully, they do it soon.

The no rookies in the game make no sense either. I’ve seen a “rookie” win Rookie of the Year, averaging 0.4 points per game. Why? Because there are no other rookies in the game, and he missed last season with an injury. No offseason kills the vibe. The development team did not think this entirely through. The only new anything added to franchise mode is the ability to simulate the season without having to scroll down to the bottom of the calendar. Yay?

NBA 2K21 Is Not Worth Buying On Current Generation

Don’t Reward Laziness

There are a plethora of other problems with the game. Shooting abilities have gone by the wayside as players with 90 or above three-point ratings are shooting 0-20 from beyond the arc. NBA 2K21 on the current generation is a joke. I am not thinking about touching this game until the next generation of consoles. Everyone else should be encouraged to do the same. We cannot reward companies for being lazy with their products. The next-generation version of 2K will cost $70. For that price tag, we deserve a better game. I will hold judgment for the next-gen until we see more on it. Until then, I am socially distancing from 2K.

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