The BEGINNERS GUIDE to ON BALL DEFENSE in NBA 2K24!

I went on ball on defense in one of the cheesiest game modes in NBA 2K24, to become better! Here's what I learned, and what I hope will help you become a lock in NBA 2K23!

[@j3cubed562]

Don't ever stop making content bro. I love the videos, they always help me a ton with becoming a better sim player instead of a spam player.

[@KevinCruz016]

No problem man! You guys keep supporting, and I'll keep making these!

[@tiffajessi6647]

Exactly. It's so boring watching ppl spam mashes and backdoor cuts. Glad we have someone doing something innovative. Also glad 2k said they're gonna nerf back cuts lol

[@Kenton112]

@@tiffajessi6647Watch blaq cobra too, one of the coldest realistic 2k players

[@DeltasportsEnt]

​@@KevinCruz016when Im in the charge position I don't get my foul call why is that?

[@ThinkingCap_]

Man I just discovered your channel and I am so thankful for the tips. I've been running lock all year and I've gotten very good at help D and lane steals, but I still suck at on-ball defense and I get exposed against screens relatively often. Any chance you could make a tutorial for how to guard opponents who are expert 3pt cheesers around screens? I play Rec mostly but I figure whichever mode would still translate

[@ZeesOnFire]

Also thanks for putting out a defense video not enough on this topic especially for the playnow/myteam community.

[@DeuceNoJuice]

I liked your video bro. I used to play competitive basketball years ago. Now I’m back into 2k on the new systems. I think this might be very helpful. Keep being real!

[@MrBashir758]

Bro I’ve been watching you since 2k23 you are a literal goat man keep up the good work always enjoy a video from you

[@KevinCruz016]

Thank you bro!!!

[@tiffajessi6647]

You're the best 2k KZbinr I've seen over the 5 or so years I've been playing. Wouldn't mind if you just upload more random good games you have, these tutorials are amazing tho 👍👊

[@KevinCruz016]

Thank you!!! I’ll be doing more of that in the coming weeks!!

[@jangz08]

So good to see someone making tutorials on how to play on-ball defense... To many people try to cheese with off-ball.

[@Jimyjonson]

Every1 gon think we rats for playing good defense

[@castromj23]

Defense so important on myteam this year 💯💯

[@jarvellwilson7394]

Good video! But this is my opinion you should only hold L2 an R2 only in certain situations I am on Xbox so my buttons are different also play Defense in a 45° angle not side to side this will keep you in front of your opponent I also use the right stick to stop driving Lanes If you move the right stick lift, your arms will go right if you move it Right your arms will go left this is how I play D it works also hold L2 while Doing the right stick arm Motion but remember only use L2 and R2 in certain situations

[@SlimReapah]

nice camera angle, what are the settings

[@Jade2k23]

What about a 1-5 pnr and you are in a bad position to go over or under? Do you still switch? Appreciate the content gang 🤘

[@Meazzy2k]

the sauce man 💪

[@KevinCruz016]

Appreciate you bro!

[@primeminister7885]

Also the Defense Assist slider is another issue. I’ve had mine on zero since forever but nowadays I am not so sure. What you think?

[@paulenesajulga370]

Thanks bro

[@CharlieBato-dh1pj]

Galing ni idol! ❤

[@AL-ok7qt]

Can we get team defensive settings

[@bigray618]

Can you do a defensive settings video

[@airgilas1427]

Much Needed Tutorial. Thank you Chef

[@KevinCruz016]

Welcome bro!

[@victorampo1137]

What defensive settings do you use?

[@balancetheprocessl.l.c7091]

Hey Chef, if you do not mind sharing, what help settings do you use? In my NBAera Online league, there's a guy who runs 5 out, and isos with Harden and Ja. I do not know how to make my center help on drives so i can rotate to the big. Thank you! great video

[@balancetheprocessl.l.c7091]

I am able to on ball nicely, but want my center to be in the paint to help on drive, so i can use my POA defender to run over to the big at the 3 pt line and attempt to intercept that first pass, without giving up an easy dunk or kickout 3.

[@KevinCruz016]

I am not a settings guy man. So i have everything on auto, though I should fix that in more competitive games. You want to look at drive help for those settings, and set the off ball setting for the worst shooter on gap to put them in a better position to rotate!

[@NonStopJayy]

Can we get combos fa shai? 🙏🏾

[@jacobconyers6422]

Great video

[@KevinCruz016]

Thank you bro!

[@gunline1186]

Do you adjust your Defense assist strength??

[@ZeesOnFire]

Any ideas on how to stop back door cuts?! I put the defense on gap and they still back door me. Back door cuts are OP Af!

[@KevinCruz016]

ITS GETTING A PATCH BRO!!!

[@isuckatlife7841]

I hope I finally make those left right cheeses rage quit😪

[@TJWest-if3ny]

Hey Kevin, what settings do you use? There are times where I’ll call for the manual switch, the defensive communication will show, but they don’t switch. I can’t figure out why. I’m sure it has to do with my settings though.

[@KevinCruz016]

Everything is on default, this happens to me too, and it usually happens if you switch too late. If you're at a point where you switch late, and the cpu defense has to recover, it messes up the switch logic because now they're in help defense mode. You can manually set this in settings to switch all when applicable, but I prefer to switch manually.

[@Brooklyn_Tzu]

Any tips for guarding the double square/x spin move? It almost feels like the unguardable canimations from 2k10. If you double, it's a kickout for a three and defending it with single coverage is pretty much a layup every possession.

[@anatomicalalex4737]

Made a defensive menace build on Myplayer just to practice this

[@WillyBoss567]

another kevin cruz banger

[@KevinCruz016]

Appreciate you bro!

[@leo72389ify]

1st 💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾 defense win games

[@Brooklyn_Tzu]

I'm definitely trying to get better. Do you use cpu defensive assist and at what level? Also any tips for guarding 5 out offensive when the whole team can shoot 3s?

[@KevinCruz016]

Defensive assist is on default, I want to play around with this setting to lower it as much as possible. Guarding 5 out is always tough, but the main thing is to stay in front of your defender (easier said than done), and switch the pick and pops all the time so that you contain the three.

[@AnnoyedPopcorn-ur8ix]

😂 TURBOOO!!!

[@siloamking2486]

Hands up defense is safer and more reliable than jumping to block the shot. Less likely to get a foul called on you. More likely to get a block.

[@KevinCruz016]

For contests, I definitely go to it more, but people don't really know when the right time to use it is. You shouldn't be moving around the perimeter with your hands up, unless you want to take away something like a fade or stepback! Even then, i'd still recommend just chasing

[@primeminister7885]

Coaching slider for Help Defense is my issue. What should it be set at?

[@Rjw42]

If you want your man not help at all put it to 0 i also recommend 15 and 25 I hope this helps u

[@primeminister7885]

@@Rjw42 ok I’ll try those settings out. Oh and thanks for responding to my question. 👍🏾

[@Rjw42]

@@primeminister7885 your welcome i had seen no ones reply to your comment so that’s why i reply back for u

[@josealfredo3362]

how do you stop those players who abuse stand still dunks in the post??

[@KevinCruz016]

Oh man, that's tough because standing dunks are so good now. Just got to stay in position and hope and pray your hands up defense, contact, and a well timed block and interior defense ratings and badges are good enough. I honestly don't encounter this enough to find a real counter.

[@chukwudifuagbasi4373]

I think the answer to that is the zone

[@broylmedia8230]

Ur not a rat for playing good defense

[@ireallydontbuild4119]

With team communication on being on defense when that thing says go under or over my problem my bum ass don’t listen to it 😂😂😂and i get away with it sometimes but sometimes i don’t i jus icon switch to the center to try and stop pick roll but now after watching this video imma definitely listen

[@KevinCruz016]

It’s definitely a read and react situation, but I find that not listening to defensive communication will impact your rotations! But sometimes I’m stubborn and I go under screens because I’m afraid of getting caught in an animation

[@stewiegriffinfan18]

The funny thing is that the best defense is just allowing the 94 ovr Ron Artest AI to guard ball and use a dominant center to do meter standing dunks. It's toxic, but it's the best way to win for people like me that are unskilled xD

[@ThatGuy-en2nn]

Yes cheesing is an easy way to win but that's not the point of the video. Also..I consider myself slightly better than unskilled and I don't what you do. Had to learn how to call plays and offball my AI to force players like you to play the game.

[@Km-rw4gj]

i know exactly how u feel lol@@ThatGuy-en2nn

[@shottahuncho]

Defensive settings?

[@j8basketball]

I’m in a my league how do I guard plays if I only can on ball

[@KevinCruz016]

That’s tough man, because you need to off ball with plays. If you’re gonna have that rule that its only on ball, you guys should ban excessive screen plays or something because that rule just tilts it to the offenses favor. Best bet would be to go fix your defensive settings. I’d recommend to switch off ball screens etc if you’re concerned about screen plays

[@LilGloryBoyZay]

Its no hope for me man I can have the perfect reads, start moving to the spot before they even start moving but every time they still blow right past me or make some very contested bs at the rim, every video says hold L2 but I’ve had better results without holding it idk wtf I’m doing wrong

[@KevinCruz016]

I would say that the toughest part about getting good at on ball defense is to know when to hold L2, when to hold L2 + R2, and when to let go of the triggers. It's a mix man, and it's not easy. Try playing against the CPU, and see how shuffling up those triggers gives you more responsiveness/less responsiveness. I would NOT hold L2 all the time, because it makes you slower laterally, I would not hold L2 and R2 all the time because it will speed you up and make you a target for change of pace moves. Use L2 and R2 to cut off fast moves laterally, L2 to get bumps, and release the triggers when going around screens and trying to measure your defender!

[@3pab3]

How to defend the post ?

[@KevinCruz016]

I don't get enough play against post-players so it's a little more difficult. But I'll break down post offense and discuss how you're supposed to think as a defender!

[@rolandomadrigal8910]

LVL Up sauce

[@KevinCruz016]

Thank you chef!

[@for3v3xyy0ung]

Hey @Kevin Cruz what’s your defensive assist

[@KevinCruz016]

Default, I have not played around with this setting this year.

[@for3v3xyy0ung]

@@KevinCruz016 thank you so much man

[@cbruffin]

👏🏿👏🏿

[@KevinCruz016]

Thank you bro!

[@cbruffin]

@@KevinCruz016 Already know my Bruce!☝🏿

[@jacobscott1854]

I have a big problem where I find my guy riding the hip and giving up driving lanes rather than staying right in front of the ball handler. Why is this?

[@KevinCruz016]

A few possible things: 1. Low perimeter defense rating 2. Low badge levels for Clamps and Fast Feet

[@Freesmoke420n]

@@KevinCruz016are those badges on silver good for defense

[@thakiid8568]

​@@Freesmoke420nyeah silver is mid tier basically

[@thakiid8568]

Bronze low tier, Silver mid tier, and Gold/HOF high tier

[@drewstream7243]

Too bad no one in my team actually plays on ball defense 🤣

[@KevinCruz016]

FACTS!

[@joenutz2738]

If you want to be successful in my team you can’t constantly guard on ball you have to constantly switch between your on ball and off ball defenders

[@drewstream7243]

@@joenutz2738 yea don’t have to all the time. But I mostly play TTO and play on ball the whole time. Ya they’re gonna get by you for an easy 2 a lot of the time but that’s the name of the game. You lose all respect and integrity when you just off ball with your center the whole game 🤣literally takes the whole fun and competitiveness away from the whole game. Show me your actual defensive skill and pick me up on ball😤I can tell you’re probably a wemby off baller tho

[@thehooper6499]

I don’t play online cause of the delay. It’s too important.

[@KevinCruz016]

I respect it.

[@jimmyb7828]

Get some time stamps bro

[@KevinCruz016]

I really should man, thanks for sharing this feedback

[@Thekeysoflight]

I'm just here because I keep getting whooped on Neighborhood games.

[@BruceHachikoMingay23]

Again it is easy or should I say, it's not that challenging to guard AI's. Please make a video of how to defend the L2 cancel moves, post hook, aggressive hesitation moves, and others. Playing on The Rec and Park are more realistic compared to AI's.

[@stewiegriffinfan18]

I agree with this comment. But post hooks are not hard to guard this year. I have always been a post scorer and hooks are so bad. I just back someone down, dropstep, and standing meter dunk instead

[@ThatGuy-en2nn]

I don't think anyone has a problem guarding ai so it's not worth mentioning how easy it is. Online and couch coop are a different story however and why the video is about online.

[@KevinCruz016]

This is online footage

[@BruceHachikoMingay23]

@@ThatGuy-en2nn For content purposes, this video is okay. But just like what you have said, it's not worth mentioning on how easy guarding AI's. That is why I asked this CC to make a video about what I mentioned above. It would help us a lot and is worth watching. Anyway, thanks for this video but no thanks.