As a long time fan of the NBA Live series, I can honestly say that I purchased the PS2 almost only to play this game.  NBA Live 2000 was so good, with the challenges and the unlocking hall of fame players, that I expected this game to blow my mind.  Unfortunately, it only blew a hole in my wallet.
First off, the gameplay is sluggish and staid.  Player movement seems barely a step faster than slow motion video.  Power forwards like Elton Brand are treated as 2nd class players, not able to score and rebound.  The post up moves are a big yawn, given the game's focus on guards.
Secondly, they eliminated the 'fantasy draft' option whereby all the players are stripped from their team and reordered based on your and the computer's picks.  This option was made even better in NBA Live 2000 as when you unlocked the classic players you could thrown them into the draft too.  We had Wilt and Karl Malone as our back court for example.  In this game, none of that is possible.
Finally, the graphics are subpar.  Not only are the faces unrecognizable, but if you notice, all the ears of every player have this white 'glint' in the middle of the ear, making the ear look misshapen, like the slave race that served the Shape Shifter Dominion rulers in Star Trek Deep Space 9.  In addition, no one has tattoos.  I care little for them myself, but given that almost every NBA player has one, what is the point in not doing it here?
To be honest, I was so disappointed in this game, I considered returning my PS2.  If you have any desire to get an EA sports game, get Madden NFL 2001, that is an example of what the PS2 can do, and an example of how EA could have done their NBA franchise.
As a long time fan of the NBA Live series, I can honestly say that I purchased the PS2 almost only to play this game. NBA Live 2000 was so good, with the challenges and the unlocking hall of fame players, that I expected this game to blow my mind. Unfortunately, it only blew a hole in my wallet. First off, the gameplay is sluggish and staid. Player movement seems barely a step faster than slow motion video. Power forwards like Elton Brand are treated as 2nd class players, not able to score and rebound. The post up moves are a big yawn, given the game's focus on guards. Secondly, they eliminated the 'fantasy draft' option whereby all the players are stripped from their team and reordered based on your and the computer's picks. This option was made even better in NBA Live 2000 as when you unlocked the classic players you could thrown them into the draft too. We had Wilt and Karl Malone as our back court for example. In this game, none of that is possible. Finally, the graphics are subpar. Not only are the faces unrecognizable, but if you notice, all the ears of every player have this white 'glint' in the middle of the ear, making the ear look misshapen, like the slave race that served the Shape Shifter Dominion rulers in Star Trek Deep Space 9. In addition, no one has tattoos. I care little for them myself, but given that almost every NBA player has one, what is the point in not doing it here? To be honest, I was so disappointed in this game, I considered returning my PS2. If you have any desire to get an EA sports game, get Madden NFL 2001, that is an example of what the PS2 can do, and an example of how EA could have done their NBA franchise.