NBA 2K21: How to Make a Perfect Shot

You find yourself with the ball a lot in NBA 2K21, but sometimes it can be difficult to actually hit shots with any kind of consistency. This can be down to a few reasons; it could be the fact that your stats just aren’t good enough for the type of shots you’re taking (shot selection) or it could be that you just aren’t timing/aiming the shots correctly. This quick guide will teach you how to make a perfect shot in NBA 2K21.

How to Make a Perfect Shot

When you start your MyCareer journey, you’ll want to set your player up in a certain way so it matches how you, the player, likes to play basketball. If you’ve opted for a player who takes shots from mid-range or beyond the 3-point line then you’ll have to make sure that the timing/aiming of the shot is as good as it can be every single time.

This previous guide goes through the upgrading of your player’s stats. This is super important because hitting those perfect ‘green timed’ shots is going to be extremely difficult without at least a few points assigned to shooting the ball.

There are two main ways to shoot the ball in NBA 2k21; firstly there is the classic timed method, which relies on you holding down the designated shoot button until your player reaches the apex of their jump.

Thankfully, this is displayed on-screen with a timing mini-game of sorts; you’ll hold the shoot button down and a meter will appear, continue holding the button down until the line reaches the middle of an orange section of the meter.

If this is timed to perfection, the entire icon will go green and you’re guaranteed to make the basket (unless it’s blocked by an opposing player).

While the classic method of shooting is many people’s go-to, this year 2K introduced an aiming mechanic to shooting. Instead of relying on timing, this leans heavily on a player’s ability to aim the shot with the right stick. To begin shooting this way, just hold the right analog stick down.

Once the stick is held down the same meter will appear as with the classic method, only this time you use the right stick to deftly move the reticle to the center of the orange section. Again, if this is done with precision, the icon will turn green and you’ll make that perfect shot.

The best advice we can give is to head to the in-game gym with a knockdown shooter like Steph Curry and try both methods. I will say that the new aiming technique may be better if you’re playing in the Neighbourhood as it takes any kind of lag out of the equation.

That’s everything you need to know about how you can make a perfect shot in NBA 2K21. For more tips and tricks on the game, be sure to check out our wiki guide or search Twinfinite.