Why is it So Hard to Shoot in NBA 2K24? "You Probably Need to Hit the Practice Gym"

Just like every year, the arrival of NBA 2K24 has immediately challenged players to readjust and get their shot timing back down to sink perfect green buckets all day long. While some adjustments are always being made, there's also some harsh reality in the form of official developer advice.

After the shooting system began to get early criticism, NBA 2K24 Gameplay Director Mike Wang provided new details on Reddit defending this year's changes and telling players there might be another culprit.

NBA 2K24 Gameplay Director Mike Wang says 'take better shots'

With consistent improvement and refinement of the gameplay year over year, it's no surprise that players are having the usual amount of trouble adjusting to shot timing in NBA 2K24. That criticism seemed to reach a particularly loud volume, and it turns out it was loud enough to draw the attention of official Gameplay Director Mike Wang.

Also known by his username Beluba, Mike Wang took to Reddit to address a post asking "is shooting really that big of a deal or is it just the loud minority?" This isn't the first time Wang has responded to player criticism directly, as he also has a tendency to reply or quote tweet with clarifications on Twitter.

In this case, Wang explained that "one of the goals for shooting this year was to get the shot percentages more in line with NBA averages, definitely lower than what you've seen the last couple years. So if you're shooting 40-50% from 3, you're doing really well. If you're in the 30's, you're still hitting targets for a decent shooter. Just want everyone to adjust their expectations that averaging below 60% is normal and by design."

While there are bugs and issues that still need to be addressed, it's a fair point from Wang as players have a tendency to expect 'video game numbers' rather than something properly representative of the sport. A similar push for accuracy has happened in MLB The Show through recent years as they aim to keep the game as close to real-world averages as possible.

Wang did have a final bit of advice for NBA 2K24 players complaining about their shot timing, saying "if you're a 85+ rated 3pt shooter and averaging below 20 percent, you probably need to hit the practice gym or take better shots." It's a cold reality, but even NBA 2K24 requires practice to really excel. Sometimes you just need to build up the muscle memory.