Here’s How to Shoot in "NBA 2K19" (Because They Finally Fixed the Shot Bar)

Sweet relief!

For the third year running, the team at 2K Games has changed the shooting function on their flagship NBA game.

(Honestly, memorising how to shoot between NBA2K instalments is as pointless as buying a Carmelo Anthony jersey in the offseason.)

Thankfully, for NBA 2K19, the shooting function has been changed for the better.

If you’ve never played NBA 2K before, you should know that you need to hold and release the Square button on PS4 or X button on Xbox One, or pull back and release the right thumbstick, if you want to put the ball in the basket.

But NBA 2K is never just that simple. You need to know much more than the correct buttons to mash if you want to successfully outscore your opponents, be they the all-All-Star Golden State Warriors or the decimated roster of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

However, before you progress, you must listen to this classic selection from the 2K19 soundtrack, curated by Travis Scott. Ultimately, it'll teach you more about balling than any article ever could.

How It Used to Work:

Last year, we lamented the replacement of 2K17’s 'Stamina Bar' with the 'Shot Bar' in 2K18, because it resembled an ivory tooth—or a hovering, all-white comma—that blended into the background.

It was significantly smaller and shorter than the 'Stamina Bar', and it required peeled eyes and sharp reflexes. You still had to hold down 'Shoot' to get a perfect shot—demonstrated by your 'Shot Bar' flashing green—but it was no longer based purely on timing your release, as it was in 2K17.

Shooting success was now based on how you’re positioned on the court, your posture and your defensive pressure, combined with accurate timing. If your bar seemed full, but didn’t flash green, it meant you had miscalculated in one of those other areas. After shooting, you got a report at the top of the screen based on your 'Release' (which could be a variation on 'Early' or 'Late') and your 'Coverage' (which reflected how heavily contested the shot was). 

Sound complex? It was.

How It Works in NBA 2K19:

Alright, most of the above is still true, with one major difference.

When your player takes a shot, the 'Shot Bar' will emerge next to the avatar’s head (though, now, it’s called the 'Shot Meter'). However, it’s no longer a hard-to-distinguish 'white'. Rather, the bar/meter flashes your team colours, and is generally just easier to see.

Playing for Philadelphia? Blue and red. Rockets? Red and white. Celtics? Green and white. GSW? Yellow and blue. You get the idea.

This may not sound like a big change, but it does wonders for your shooting ability. Once again, when you've perfected the timing of your shot and have similarly found an open space on the court, your 'Shot Meter' will flash green. (There is no photo evidence of me achieving that, because, well, do you know how hard it is to make a perfect 2K shot while also trying to take photos of the TV?) You can still score even if you don't get the green flash, but it's better for your ego if you do.

There’s also another addition that could improve your aim, but you’ll need to have pretty incredible eyesight to do anything with it.

See, the bar/meter lets you learn from your mistakes. Look closely at its arrow; if facing upward, you’re shooting too early, and if it’s facing downward, you’re shooting too late.

Also, the game will let you know if you’re on fire or ice cold (in a bad way), thanks to snowflake and fire icons based on how many shots in a row you’ve sunk (or failed to sink).

It’s worth noting, if you’re only interested in posterising, the 'Shot Meter' won’t appear for dunks. As a rule, run into the paint and yank the right thumbstick or hold down the correct button at the basket. Then: Boom-shaka-laka.

Overall, the key to scoring remains 'shot selection'. You need to think about when and where you decide to take a shot, not simply how you can dominate the controller.

Want to know more? Once again, check out OG Almighty’s always-helpful YouTube tutorials:

Read More:

How to Get Bonus VC in NBA 2K19

Here’s How to Dunk in NBA 2K19 (Because You Came to Play)

Here’s How to Defend in NBA 2K19 (Because Admitting You Need Help Is the First Step)

NBA 2K19 is now available.

Header Image: 2K Games