IGN has the tips, tricks, and strategies you need to succeed in NBA 2K20. This is a massive game with fully realized MyCareer, MyTeam, MyGM, and MyPlayer modes. And with so many newly implemented features, it can be a little overwhelming for a new or beginner player.

What are some basic rules of thumb for MyCareer? What's an Evolution card, and how do you get one? Explore the answers to these questions, plus more, below.

Tips and Tricks for NBA 2K20 MyCareer

Upgrade and play to your MyPlayer build's strengths. This year, it's much harder to "break" the game and create a massive, strong center that also swishes 3-pointers. Accept that you're not going to be good at everything. If you attempt a cheese build from NBA 2K19, it's not going to turn out well.
In the Finishing category, prioritize your Consistent Finisher badge. This will make the release timing on your layups more forgiving.
In the Shooting Category, prioritize your Flexible Release badge. Unless you have frame-perfect timing, most of your jump shots won't be "green." This badge increases the release window for an accurate shot.
In the Playmaking category, prioritize the Dimer badge. This gives a jump shot boost to whoever catches your assist. If your team has a shooting guard with a Catch and Shoot badge, you're in luck.
In the Defense/Rebounding category, prioritize your Pickpocket badge. This will greatly reduce the likelihood of reach-in fouls on steal attempts.
The NBA Combine is very difficult, but fortunately, it also matters very little to your draft position. The Summer League games and your team tryout games, which follow the NBA Combine, are much more crucial to your placement.
It's easy to get gassed in MyCareer; your stamina drains very quickly. Stick to your default speed unless you're on a fastbreak or chasing down a block. Your team will wait for you.
To access the Jump Shot Creator, attend the Team Practices before the games. After enough of these drills, the builder will unlock.Figure out which combination of movements coincides with your natural rhythm.
Using Team Practice will also unlock the option to choose your drills during practice.
Don't play hero ball. When you're starting out, only shoot the ball if you have a wide open opportunity. A 60-rated player can't do much except pass. But smart passing and spacing is enough to raise your Teammate Grade to a respectable level, especially if you get a couple of assists. Stay in your lane, and focus on making the rest of your team look good.
The sponsorship contract negotiations are more generous this year. You can increase your incentives by forgoing your store discount, without reducing your event payoffs.
When choosing which teams you want to be drafted by, look at the in-game rosters, and figure out what each team needs. The Houston Rockets, for example, already have James Harden (96) as shooting guard. But they could use a small forward or power forward to balance out their defense.
The easiest, most risk-free way to contest a shot is to put up a hand by holding the right stick up. If you press the block button, you'll do a full jump. If your opponent faked you out, you've just given him a wide open look.
Don't get into foul trouble. The coach will pull you from the 1st quarter if you commit two fouls, and he'll pull you from the second quarter if you commit four fouls.
The easiest way to rack up fouls is to overcommit on defense. Don't lunge at the ball by pressing the Steal button unless you see a clear opening; it'll result in a reach-in foul. Manipulating the right stick is safer.
Know your team. Study their playbook to figure out how you fit into their offense.
Know what your teammates are capable of, especially the bench players. Can this guy shoot the three? Can this guy set a good screen? Work with what you have rather than doing it all yourself.
When in doubt, default to the pick and roll. If you're in the frontcourt, set a screen. If you're in the back court, call for one.
Until you get into the starting lineup of your NBA team, increase the quarter lengths. Otherwise, you'll be subbing for too few minutes to make headway.
2KU is a must. There are hundreds of different move combinations in this game, and the tutorial is both visually friendly and thorough.
Experiment with using the right analog stick on offense. You can also press the Shoot button, but the analog stick will give you finer control over the type of shot or layup you use.
Always remember to spin the prize wheel in the Neighborhood, which you can do once every 24 hours. You can get anything from Gatorade boosts to free tattoos to VC.
You'll have to answer reporters' questions after every game. You'll be prompted to choose one of two responses. A response that celebrates your abilities will earn Fans. A response that celebrates your team or coach will earn Team Chemistry.
Unlike in prior games, you can now increase your teammate grade by scoring off assists. Your teammate grade will also not be deducted for missing free throws.
Haircuts are free.

How To Use Evolution Cards in NBA 2K20 MyTeam

Most cards that you acquire in NBA 2K20 MyTeam are static; they arrive from their wrappers as emerald cards or sapphire cards, for example, and they stay that way; the stats and badges for the players are locked. You can apply a shoe to artifically inflate a card's stats, but you can't permanently change the card on a fundamental level, or change its color.

Evolution Cards, however, can do just this. By fulfilling specified benchmarks (a specific number of points in a game, or a certain number of blocks over the course of several games), your Evolution Card can upgrade its color and skill ratings, as well as earn badges. Some Evolution Cards can be upgraded once or twice. Others can be upgraded up to five times. It all depends on the specific card.

When you first start MyTeam, you'll get one of five Evolution cards: Tracy McGrady, Derrick Rose, Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Carter, or Hakeem Olajuwon. The Olajuwon card below has been upgraded once, from Emerald to Sapphire; it can be upgraded one more time to Ruby (as shown by the empty star on the left). The best Evolution Cards can have up to five stars (five levels of upgrades).

You can learn a lot from looking at this menu, which is viewable under the My Team tab, where you select Card Evolution. In the center are the Evolution Requirements, which show how many rebounds and points I need to evolve the card. To the right is a sneak preview of what the card's boosts will be when it's finally evolved.

Some Evolution Cards will earn badges when you evolve them. For example, the one below for Cedric Ceballos will earn two gold shooting badges once he's upgraded to Ruby. When deciding whether to dedicate time to develop an Evolution Card, make sure the end-product is worth the hassle.

Evolution Cards can be unlocked for free by winning games in Triple Threat mode; 50 wins will net you a ruby Darius Miles, for example.

The easiest way to acquire Evolution Cards is to play Domination mode. If you play a game on All-Star difficulty, you'll receive an Evolution Card for winning it. Definitely prioritize unlocking Alex Caruso (19 Gold badges), whom you get for beating the Lakers, and Terrance Ferguson (18 Gold badges and 2 Hall of Fame badges), whom you acquire after beating Oklahoma City.

How To Dribble, Size-Up, and Break Ankles in NBA 2K20

For NBA 2K20, the developers spent considerable time overhauling the dribbling mechanics. Here's what you need to know to excel at handling the ball. To try out these moves, use 2KU tutorial mode in the Features menu and practice.

First, here's a list of basic dribbling maneuvers:

Sprint	Hold R2/RT + move Left Stick in any direction.
Signature Size-Up Chains	Experiment with flicking the Right Stick to perform standing dribble moves. Perform standing dribble moves in rapid succession to trigger special signature size-up combo moves.
Hesitation	Move Right Stick right then quickly release when dribbling with right hand.
Crossover	Move Right Stick left then quickly release when dribbling with right hand.
Between Legs Cross	Move Right Stick down left then quickly release when dribbling with right hand.
Behind the Back	Move Right Stick down then quickly release.
Spin	Rotate Right Stick clockwise then quickly release when dribbling with right hand.
Half Spin	Rotate Right Stick in a quarter-circle from right to up then quickly release when dribbling with right hand.
Hard Stop / Stutter	Tap L2/LT while driving for a quick change of speed to break a defender off and set up an open shot. It's also useful for freezing them for a stop-and-go blowby to the hoop.
Hold Off Defenders	Holding L2/LT allows you to use your body to shield off defenders while dribbling. Use it against trailing defenders to prevent them from getting around you, making it easier to finish at the rim.
Hold Off Defenders	Holding L2/LT allows you to use your body to shield off defenders while dribbling. Use it against trailing defenders to prevent them from getting around you, making it easier to finish at the rim.

Once you've mastered basic maneuvers, you can use R2/RT as a modifier, to do a more intense version of the same move. Thus:

In and Out	R2/RT + move Right Stick up then quickly release.
Hesitation Escape	R2/RT + move Right Stick right then quickly release when dribbling with right hand.
Cross to Hesitation Escape	R2/RT + move Right Stick left then quickly release when dribbling with right hand.
Behind the Back Wrap Escape	R2/RT + move Right Stick down then quickly release while stand dribbling.
Stepback	R2/RT + move Right Stick down then quickly release while driving.

Experiment with combining these moves for devastating results. Most 2K players won't progress beyond flicking and mashing the right stick at random. Flicking it deliberately, for a specific, desired move takes a lot of practice.

Watching real NBA players can actually teach you when to use these different moves contextually. The stepback, for example, is one of James Harden'a favorite weapons; he uses it to drop back behind the 3-point line and hit the open shot. You might want to experiment with using the stepback in similar circumstances.

Lastly, there's Triple Threat dribble moves. What is a Triple Threat? When you first catch the ball from a teammate, don't press anything. You won't dribble; instead, you'll anchor your left foot and pivot on it while holding the ball. This position is known as Triple Threat, because at this point, you can shoot, pass, or dribble; your opponent doesn't know which he needs to look out for, which makes this the perfect time to fake him out. Below are the moves that can be done from the Triple Threat position:

Side Jab	Move Right Stick right then quickly release (with left pivot foot established).
Front Jab	Move Right Stick up right then quickly release (with left pivot foot established).
Quick Jab	Move Right Stick up then quickly release.
Mid-Stepover	Move Right Stick up left then quickly release (with left pivot foot established).
Full-Stepover	Move Right Stick left then quickly release (with left pivot foot established).
Pump Fake	Move Right Stick down then quickly release.
Side Hesitation	R2/RT + move Right Stick left or right then quickly release.
Attack Hesitation	R2/RT + move Right Stick up left or up right then quickly releas
Start Dribble	R2/RT + move Right Stick up then quickly release.
Stepback	R2/RT + move Right Stick down then quickly release.
Spin-Out	Rotate Right Stick clockwise then quickly release (with left pivot foot established).
Cross Spin-Out	Rotate Right Stick counter-clockwise then quickly release (with left pivot foot established).

Use sudden shifts in movement to your advantage. For example, the best time to crossover your opponent is when you're driving towards the rim. The sudden change in momentum will make your opponent lunge in the wrong direction, allowing you to pull up and score with a jumper.

Remember to mix up your moves, whether pivoting in your Triple Threat stance or sprinting with the ball. If you use the same moves over and over again, your opponent will stop falling for it and may even attempt a steal.

How to Score in the Post in NBA 2K20

Here are some strategies for scoring in the post in NBA 2K20: how to back someone down, hop step, drop step and hook your way to a high percentage field goal attempt.

Admittedly, post play has been dying a slow death in the NBA. But there's still something appealing about running an old school NBA play: feeding the post, forcing a double team, and kicking the ball out to a 3-point shooter. A lot of the changes to gameplay come down to trend, rather than viability. And the modern NBA simply has a higher number of talented point guards than centers. These things tend to move in cycles; the big man will always be viable, even if the future demands that his gameplay to be more flexible and athletic.

When you first receive the ball, you need to need to hold L2/LT to enter the post-up position, with your back to the basket. You'll remain in this position as long as you hold the button down; release the button to exit the post-up position.

If you're in the post-up position, here are some basic movements you can do with your feet to fake and out-manuever your opponent:

Post Pivot	Press and hold L2/LT to post up. Move Left Stick in any direction then quickly release (while holding the ball).
Dropstep	Hold L2/LT to post up. Move and hold Left Stick left or right toward the hoop then tap Square/X.
Spin or Drive	Hold L2/LT to post up. Then, rotate Right Stick to either shoulder.
Switch Facing	Hold L2/LT to post up. Move Right Stick up then quickly release.
Avoid Steal	Hold L2 to post up. Move Right Stick down and quickly release (while holding the ball).
Post Hop	Hold L2 to post up. Move and hold Left Stick left, right, or down then tap Square/X.
Post Pump Fake	Hold L2 to post up. Move Right Stick in any direction then quickly release (while holding the ball).

You can also use R2/RT in conjunction with L2/LT to make a drive towards the basket or a dramatic fake:

Drive to Key	Hold L2 to post up. Hold R2 + Left Stick toward the key then quickly release L2.
Drive to Baseline	Hold L2 to post up. Hold R2 + Left Stick toward the baseline then quickly release L2.
Spin or Drive Stepback	Hold L2 to post up. Hold R2 and move Right Stick left or right then quickly release.
Jab Stepback	Hold L2 to post up. Hold R2 and move Right Stick up then quickly release.
Straight Stepback	Hold L2 to post up. Hold R2 and move Right Stick down then quickly release.
Aggressive Backdown	Hold L2 to post up. Hold R2 + Left Stick toward the defender.

Lastly, there are different ways you can shoot the ball in the post position. Mix them up and use plenty of fakeouts to avoid being blocked:

Post Layup	Hold L2 to post up. Move Left Stick toward the hoop + hold Right Stick up left or up right.
Post Hook	Hold L2 to post up. With Left Stick neutral, move and hold Right Stick up left or up right.
Post Fade	Hold L2 to post up. Move and hold Right Stick left or right away from the hoop.
Post Shimmy Hook	Hold L2 to post up. With Left Stick neutral, hold R2 + move and hold Right Stick up left or up right.
Post Shimmy Fade	Hold L2 to post up. With Left Stick neutral, hold R2 + move and hold Right Stick down left or down right.
Post Up and Under	Hold L2 to post up. Use Right Stick to pump fake, then let go of L2 and quickly move and hold Right Stick again before the pump fake ends.
Post Dunk Attempt	Hold L2 to post up. Hold R2 and move Left Stick + Right Stick up.

Studying real footage of NBA centers in the post can help put these moves in context. Otherwise, it can be overwhelming to try and do everything at once.

For example, there's lots of footage of NBA Legend Hakeem Olajuwon doing his "Dream Shake." Watch highlight videos to see how you can also post up, and spin into a pump fake before scoring with an up and under.