NBA 2K21: How To Defend Better - Off-Ball Defense, Post Defense, Full Controls, Tips, Tricks And More!

The highly anticipated NBA 2K21 demo is now downloadable and playable for players all over the world.

This may be your first time checking out a 2K game and there is a lot to learn.

Knowing the in's and out's of defending is a vital aspect to 2K.

Here are all the controls for the different types of defence!

Basic Defensive Controls

Along with shooting and passing, defending is one of the most important basic components of basketball and 2K.

So much so that knowing the basic defensive control is where you are going to want to start; before moving onto the more advanced moves.

Here are the basic defending controls for 2K21 thanks to usgamer.net.

• Player Swap - Press X to control the defender closest to the ball.
• Intense D - Hold left trigger to get into a low defensive stance.
• Block - Press Triangle to block when near the shooter.
• Steal - Press Square when near the dribbler or when in the passing lane.
• Crowd Dribbler - Press and hold left trigger, and move the left analog stick towards the dribbler.
• Fast Shuffle - Hold down both left and right trigger, and move the left analog stick in any direction.
• Hands Up - Move while holding the right analog stick up.
• Hands Out - Move while holding the right analog stick to the left or the right.
• Shot Contest - Move the right analog stick up, and then quickly release.
• Onball Steal - Move the right analog stick down, and then quickly release.
• Vertical Contest - Hold the left analog stick away from the shooter, and press Triangle.
• Swat Block - Hold the right trigger and press Triangle.
• Take Charge - Press and hold O.
• Flop - Double tap O.
• Chuck - Tap O when near the ball handler.
• Post Pull Chair - When being backed down, move the left analog stick away from the post ball handler, then quickly release.
• Icon Swap - Press the right bumper, then the icon of the desired player.

Off-Ball Defence

If you are trying to guard your opponent while they do not have the ball, here are some handy controls you should get familiar with, courtesy to usgamer.net again. 

• Box Out Opponent - Hold left trigger when near an opponent, after the ball has been shot.
• Rebound - Press Triangle after the ball hits the rim.
• Bump - Hold left trigger while impending the path of a player.
• Chuck - While standing still, tap O and move the left analog stick towards the offensive player.
• Grab - While running, tap O and move the left analog stick towards the offensive player.
• Deny Hands Out - Move and hold the right analog stick in any direction when near an opponent.
• Deny Engage - Hold left trigger while near an opponent, while outside of the perimeter.
• Off-Ball Foul - Hold both right trigger and O when near an off-ball opponent.
• Post-Up Engage - Hold left trigger when near an opponent, while on the inside and near the basket.
• Dive for Loose Ball - Repeatedly press Square or Triangle while chasing down a loose ball.

Advanced Defence

The remaining defensive controls are only useful in certain scenarios, but they can be useful when used right! 

Usgamer.net has provided the following scheme for the advanced controls: 

• Intentional Foul - Press and hold Square when near the ball carrier.
• Double Team - Press and hold the left bumper.
• Icon Double Team - Press the left bumper, then press the corresponding player icon.
• Team Intentional Foul - Press the middle button to have the entire team attempt to foul the ball carrier.
• Call 2-3 Zone - Swipe the middle button from top to bottom.
• Call 3-2 Zone - Swipe the middle button from left to right.
• Call Man to Man - Swipe the middle button from bottom to top.

Tips and Tricks

Defending can be one of the trickier components of 2K to master, but with time you should be able to grasp some of the basic and even advanced features of defence. 

Some of the best tips we can give you for defence are: 

• Practise makes perfect! Finding when to use certain defensive moves and how to read your opponent will prove vital down the road
• If you are playing as PF/C; post-defence can be tricky at first but you will eventually figure it out