FSB 2 Basics

If you already have a good foundation in FSB 1 I believe you can transfer some of those skills into the sequel. Freestyle Street Basketball 2 is somewhat the same game as before but there are a few differences in mechanics here and there. The things I talk about here are from my experience playing the game. You might see and do things differently and if you are succeeding with your ways then by all means continue what you’re doing. 

By the way, I don’t intend to spend any real money in FSB 2 so all of my guides are made with that goal in mind.

DEFENSE

What am I most frustrated about when playing with random people in this game? Their defense is usually HORRIBLE! This is more geared towards the perimeter defender not the rebounder; if you want to learn about rebounder defense, then I suggest you read that guide.

Rotating: remember how in FSB 1 the game would line you up against random positions (SG across from the C, SF across from the PF, etc…) and you would have to rotate to the correct person to guard at the beginning of each play? Well, FSB 2 took out this part by putting the person you are supposed to defend right in front of you at the start. Your job is to follow this person like you are his/her shadow. Don’t go chasing the ball, don’t leave your man to double team (unless it’s required), never lose sight of your man, etc…

• There are times where you and your teammate will be forced to switch the person you are guarding. This usually happens when there is a screen, the other team did a crisscross pattern, or you/teammate jumped for a fake. When these things occur, make sure to communicate to your teammate to make sure the switch happens successfully. You don’t want both of you to be guarding one guy and leave the other wide open.
• An example of a good defensive rotation: let’s say you fell for a pump fake and jumped. If you are playing with a competent player, he/she will leave the person they’re guarding to go get your man. This will prevent an open shot because of your mistake. As for you, as soon as you land from your jump you should immediately run to cover the guy your teammate left. This is just a very simple example of defensive rotation, a lot of times you will need to use your own judgment to see what kind of defensive switching is needed or if one is needed at all.
• As far as double teaming goes, I only do this when you have a CLEAR ball hog on the other team or if you are playing against a strong pillar team. If you see a player on the other side who won’t pass and will shoot everything? Double him! Take advantage of the opponent’s weakness. If you are playing against a team who is made up of a PF/C/SG and you noticed that all the PF does it go into the paint and dunk? If it was me, I would let my rebounder deal with that pillar combo and go double the SG, remove him/her from the game. The majority of the pillar teams rely on passing out to the guard for the 3pter (I don’t know why it’s like this but it’s just what I have noticed… even when they have pillar they still rely on the 3s).

Face up: if you can master how to face people up to stop them from A-dribbling then you can shut down the majority of scorers in FSB. Unfortunately I am bad at this so I have to do other things when playing defense. I don't recommend always walking around in face up mode when on defense because it slows you down A LOT and you can also get stuck behind a screen.  

Steal: so… how do I begin this section? SPAMMING STEAL ≠ PLAYING DEFENSE! Is that clear enough? Nothing annoys me more than watching someone spam steal over and over only to let his/her man run off for an open shot. As far as I know, in FSB 2, there is only one scenario where you should even attempt to steal. If you managed to stop someone’s A-dribble using face up to where they are stuck in place, then and ONLY then do you press the steal button. Do this correctly and you will have a high chance to knock the ball out of their hands. Other than this situation, SPAMMING STEAL ≠ PLAYING DEFENSE! Technically you can also steal if you caught them pump faking but I really don’t recommend this either because of how FSB 2 is. They still have a high chance to make the shot by shooting right after pump faking… pretty dumb in my opinion. The thing with stealing is if you fail, one bad swipe… the person you are guarding can press the TURBO button and they get an open shot. Once again, SPAMMING STEAL ≠ PLAYING DEFENSE!

Block: you want to show others that you have good defense? This is the area that you should be focusing on. I rather get a block than a steal any day. In my honest opinion, I think it’s easier to block on FSB 2 than the first one.  

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Sometimes I think it’s easier to play defense in FSB 2 because they took out kukgi and it’s easier to block jumpers and dunks… as soon as I start to think this way I will face some cheap A-dribble jukes or some dunk moves that requires impossible timing and angle to block… so I’m just going to say defense in FSB 2 is “different”. What I can say is not only do you have to know your own abilities; you have to guard each person differently depending on what their style, tendencies, and habits are. For example, I know I am not a good face up person so I don’t tend to go that route (I usually get beat by the simplest A-dribble when I try to face someone up). What I do is I just walk/run in front of them, if I know they  A-dribble a lot I just back off and let them finish the juke then I go back in. I shadow them like crazy, I never let them get open, I follow them all over the court… basically I try to make it as difficult as possible for them to get off a clear shot. I read my opponent and try to go for the block. That’s my way to play defense. They key point(s) I'm trying to make is: ALWAYS play defense and ALWAYS get back on defense. Want to be a good defender? Learn your opponent. Exploit weaknesses. Oh yeah… SPAMMING STEAL ≠ PLAYING DEFENSE!

OFFENSE

So sad… there is no kukgi in FSB 2… but, I STILL REFUSE TO SPAM A-DRIBBLE! I’m not going to make a guide on my style for scoring points because even I think it’s too streaky… maybe one day when I expand upon it some more, I will make a guide (and yes, I still only use SF if I want to play a scorer).

What I want to say in this section is what I have learned from playing FSB 2. The shot gauge that comes up when you take a shot, the bar that has multiple colors on it? You don’t have to hit it right on the green for the shot to be good… I usually shoot red except when it’s a wide open shot. Yes it will have less of a chance to go in but I prefer a speedy shot over anything else. I know this goes against your nature but just try it out, you’ll be surprised how many times the shot will go in. I’m still talking about good shot attempts here… don’t be throwing up red shots in double coverage and expect for it to go in.

Another thing that I have noticed time and time again is as soon as people get the ball their finger automatically goes to press the A-dribble button… WHY?! Sometimes they will get the ball, be wide open, and still proceed to A-dribble… just take the shot! This is why I say you can take a “red” shot, if you always attempt to get that “green” shot you will most likely get blocked because there just isn’t enough time for you to set up a perfect shot every attempt.

Screen: I'm not the biggest fan of the screen because it clogs up the lanes and if you mess it up you are stuck there out of position. Sadly sometimes screens can be useful because apparently FSB 2 let you shoot behind a screen and still have a high chance to make the shot. If a screen is executed successfully it can create a good open shot... but that's a BIG "if".

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Move the ball around. Passing is the key to a good offense. Ball hogging doesn't win games... remember that.

Spread out. You have the entire court to work with... why bunch up in some corner? Spread out, create more movement space, and stretch the defense. If you don't spread out all you will do is bring in another defender... not good when you are trying to score points.

Read the defense. If you find yourself getting blocked time and time again by going inside for a dunk/layup... why keep doing it? Just stick to jumpers. The defender likes to jump at pump fakes? Keep exploiting that weakness.

Know your position and the main way that position scores. This means that if you are a SG, don't focus mainly on dunking or laying up... you shoot jumpers. If you are a PF, don't be trying to shoot 3pters all the time; go into the paint. Some people keep forgetting that FSB isn't real life basketball... it's not even a simulation... it's an arcade game; so please don't try to play the game like it's real basketball. I have seen so many PG's try to go inside for a layup and get blocked multiple times in a row and yet they keep doing it... yes, sometimes the whole go inside and pass out thing will work but a lot of the time you will get rejected. If you are still not clear, let me spell it out for you:

Center: inside scoring. I prefer a rebounding and blocking center more than scoring.
Power Forward (PF): inside scoring with minimal outside shooting.
Small Forward (SF): 2pt shooting, average 3pt shooting, average inside game. Overall the most balanced scoring position in the game.
Shooting Guard (SG): 3pt shooting, 2pt shooting, minimal inside scoring. You live and die by your jumpers.
Point Guard (PG): average 2pt and 3pt shooting, minimal inside scoring. Just pass the ball... 

DO NOT STOP MOVING, EVER! Never stand still, ALWAYS be on the lookout for open space and good positioning. I have seen some people just stand still when their teammates take a shot... that is a dumb move. What if the shot missed? Your teammate can get the rebound and you just missed a chance for a good shot because you were standing still. Either get back on defense or continue to find a good shot attempt. NEVER STAND STILL, KEEP MOVING!