Ever since Isomotion has been introduced to the NBA 2k series I always wonder how I ever played without it.  Isomotion is what separates the superstars from the Hall of Famers.  If you don’t believe me give both lobbies a try and you quickly notice the efficiency at which people who play on Hall o f Fame, use and at times exploit the Isomotion moves.   For about a month now I have been receiving emails from various subscribers who have been asking me to post updated tutorials and tips for NBA 2k12.  As a result, Isomotion is the first of many to come.   This year I also thought I would kick it up a notch and record most of the video tutorials myself so that I can tailor them specifically to your requests (so if you need help with something don’t hesitate to send us an email).  Anyways, enough beating around the bush, without further delay here is the list of Isomotion moves (video to come later, so make sure subscribe for the updates) along with description and situations I have found it best to use them.  The moves below are catered towards the XBOX 360 and PS3.  If you can’t figure out the moves for other platforms, email us and we will be happy to send over the how to!

Size-up

This one is pretty much self explanatory.  In order to execute this move simply requires holding the left trigger and moving the left stick towards the basket (XBOX 360).  For PS3 you simply hold L2 and move the left stick towards the basket.  The sizeup is usually used as the precursor to another chained Isomotion move and more in line with show boating.  I find it perfect for when I start to talk my trash.  I’ll be bouncing the ball between my legs and explaining the play Ia m going to run and letting buddy know that there is nothing he can do to stop me.

Size-up Cross

From a standing dribble what you will want to do is begin like you do with the standard sizeup by holding the Left trigger (or L2 on PS3) and instead of pushing the left stick forward you want to move the left stick from your ball hand to your off hand.  Because I received many email asking for clarification on what the offhand is I will state it here.  Your off hand is essentially the hand that you do not have the ball in.  So if you are dribbling with your right hand you will wings the left stick to left hand.

Size-up Inside Out

As with the previous 2 you want to execute this from as stand dribble and while holding the Left Trigger (or L2) you want to do the opposite of the Sizeup Cross.  Instead of going in the direction off dribbling hand to off hand, you want to move the left stick in the direction of the ball hand.  So for clarity: if your dribbling with your right, you want to move the left stick to the right.

Size-up Escape

This move will probably be used by 10 people who play 2k.  However, in an effort of being thorough I will still cover it.  To execute this move from a standing dribble you will need to hold the Left Trigger (or L2 on PS3) and move the left stick away from the basket.

Hesitation

Probably one of the most commonly used moves in NBA 2k whether it be intentional or not.  By itself it’s more of a move for flash with a little pizazz.  But when chained with the below hesitation moves it becomes the perfect initiator for creating space or getting by your opponent.  In order to execute this move you simply tap (not hold!) the left trigger.  In doing so your player will do a somewhat hesitation like crossover.  This move works well sometime for a flashy end of quarter shot if chained with an immediate jump shot.

Hesitation to Go

The move is basically the hesitation chained with a drive to the basket.  In order for this move be effective your defender must have shifted to the side that you hesitated and left the lane not completely wide open but enough so that you don’t get the animation of bounce back.  This one I find is better executed from the baseline rather than the top of the key.  In order to execute this move it requires moving the left stick towards the basket immediately after performing the hesitation move.

Hesitation to Cross

This is probably the best chain to the hesitation. Essentially what it does is freezes your defender to one side with a hesitation and then you cross over to the off ball hand.  Hence, this move creates the necessary room for a jump shot or chain even further with a drive to the basket.  To execute the hesitation to cross move you will need to first start with the hesitation move and then immediately rotate the control in a quarter circle motions (starting at 12 o clock and ending at 3).  If the ball is in your right hand the motion is a little different, the quarter circle starts at 9 o’clock and end at 12 o’clock (and I didn’t feel like I had to put this here, but I am talk about the hands on the clock.  Please don’t email and ask if 9am or 9pm or asking me if you can do it at any other time in the day.  Some of you will laugh but you will be surprised at them emails we get).

Hesitation to Behind the Back

This move creates similar room as the crossover, but is just a little more flashy (in my opinion), and it can be used in a similar manner for chaining with a jump shot or a drive to the basket.  In order to execute this move you will start with the hesitation move and also rotate in a quarter circle motion but instead of rotating towards the defender you will want to rotate away from the defender.  So in a nutshell you want to rotate form 3’ o’clock to 6 o’clock.  However, if the ball is in the player’s player’s right hand the rotation is between 6 and 9.

Hesitation to a Spin

This one I find is great when chained with a drive to the basket (which I love to finish with a dunk or even better, the reverse layup).  This move allows you to hesitate and then lead into a spin off your opponent.  When practicing this biggest problem I had was animation of continuously bumping into the defender.  But after a few attempts you will find out the situation in which it will and will not work.  To execute the hesitation to a spin move, this involves as with the previous moves, starting with the hesitation and then moving the joystick in a clock wise motion from 4-6 or 6-8 when in the right hand.  But to be completely honest I found that it works fine if you just rotate the left stick in a complete circle.

Crossover

This is probably one of the basics behind NBA 2k but also probably one of the more common emails we get. Countless readers email us and are title of the email is “How do you do a crossover in NBA 2k12? “ Luckily for you and for me, this one is simple too!  To execute a cross over you simply hold the left trigger (or L2 on the PS3)  and move the left stick in the direction of you dribbling hand to you off ball hand.  So if you are dribbling with your right, you want to move the left stick to your left and vice versa.

Double Crossover

Say what!  You mean I cross him over, create space and then cross back over to where he is?  Yes and No.  If executed correctly you do not crossover back over to a ready stance defender.  If executed correctly the second crossover should catch defender in the recover motion of heading in the direction of the first crossover while you are coming back with the second however, if done incorrectly, you just wasted a perfectly good single crossover.  This move is probably one of the best moves Iverson had in his arsenal.  If you don’t believe me, ask Antonio Daniels.  This move can initially be hard to execute but even harder to be able to identify the situation in which it can be used effectively.  But I personally find that its best if not used on the break, great on one on one coverage and the effectiveness increased if isolation is called beforehand.   In order to execute the double crossover, you begin by holing the left trigger (or L2) and moving the left stick to the off ball hand, and just before it touches the off ball hand you will want to begin moving back to the initial hand, or in this case the current off ball hand.  I recommend starting the movement back to the initial hand just before the ball touches because I find it seems to work more often than not with perfect timing this way.  However, try it out and let me know if it works for you.  There has to be some sort of rhythm to the motion though so I kind of equate the motion swaying back and forth, you don’t want to jerk the control it has to be a flow to it so left to right , n right to left (I kind of feel like the Mr. Miyagi, ever kid born in the last 15 years is probably going, who is that?)

In & Out

Not really my favorite move.  For me it doesn’t really serve a purpose, when executed your options are limited in terms of what to do after short of starting another totally different Isomotion chain.  However, to perform this move, hold the left trigger (or L2 for PS3’rs) and move the left stick toward your non ball hand and immediately back to your ball hand.  Yes! I know its very similar to the above, however the difference is in the action performed and the animation that occurs.  When you are executing this move, it won’t have a rhythmic palm tree flow to it, it will be more like walking up from being asleep on the road and jerking the wheel back to the right side.  When this move is execute the ball never touches the off ball hand and hence is a one handed movement, some call it the one handed crossover (yes it is contradictory, but you understood what I was trying to say though didn’t you).

Spin

This move was heavily exploited in NBA 2k11 and rightly so!  If your timing was right it was unstoppable on the break and even worse on the baseline when chained with the dunk.  I have tested this out a few times and unfortunately this still seems to be the case.  So for all those out there who want cheese it up this how you do the spin move:  While dribbling (not standing) hold the Left Trigger (L2) and rotate the left stick in a circular motion.

Half Spin

Not a great move if you’re playing the computer!  From a moving dribble tap the Left Trigger (or L2), yup, that’s it, not half circle motion, just a tap of the good ole left trigger.  If you ask me a quick double tap should have allowed for the spin move, but yet I digress.

Behind the Back

This is about equally as effective as the crossover, but after a couple execution I notice that you receive a little more room and makes for a perfect move when chained with a  jump shot.  To execute this move Rotate the left stick in a circular motion from the ball hand to the off ball hand.  Yes this does sound very much like the spin move, the big difference is you do not hold the left trigger.

Step Back

This is possibly one of the best move when creating space for the jump shot.  It works like 90% of the time and can be very frustrating for defenders if you have a really good shooter.  To pull of f this move it involves holding the left trigger (or L2) and moving the left stick away from the direction that the player is headed.  This, move yanks your player back and keeps the defender going just enough to create the jumper room that you need.  This is perfect on the break when defenders are expecting you to drive straight for the layup.

Step Back and Go

This is even more beautiful on the break.  After you have don’t the step back enough time on the break the defender get hip to you playing style.  What this move allows you to do, is keep them guessing.  If you mix this up on the break a couple time you will essentially fake as if your pulling up for the jumper, have the defender freeze in their step of jump for the block and then be wide open for the drive to the lane.  To execute this move perform the step back and then immediately push the left stick in the direction of the rim.  Viola opens you for the throw down on the break.

Step back to Crossover

This one can be sued on the break too but I find is more effective in chain o moves on half court offense.  To execute this move perform the step back and then immediately chain with moving the left stick from 12 to 3 o clock, if the ball is in you right hand rotate from 9-12.

Step back to Behind the Back

This one can be used n a similar manner as the step back to cross over.  To perform this move start by executing the step back and then immediately chain with moving the left stick from 2 to 4 o’clock or if the ball is in your right hand 8 – 10.

Step back to spin

This too is a fancy chain that can be really effective on the break or even more so on the baseline.  To execute this move perform the step back and chain by moving the left stick from 3 to 6 o’clock.  Or if the ball is in your right hand 6 – 9 o’clock.

An there ends the Isomotion run through and tips.  For the complete break down and further clarification you can refer to the NBA 2k12 extended manual.  But for current tutorials, tips, and trick check out our other NBA 2k12 tips posts.  For future NBA 2k12 tips trick and tutorials, please do not hesitate to register here for the updates!

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