How to alley-oop in 'NBA 2K17' and use the move as a weapon — tutorial and video guide

The alley-oop is one of the prettiest plays in basketball, and its beauty is apparent in NBA 2K17 as well.

While it can be used to earn style points, the play can also be used as a real weapon on the virtual court. Here's how to alley-oop in NBA 2K17 and use it as a powerful move against your opponents.

How to use the alley-oop as a weapon in NBA 2K17: The obvious lob-city scenarios

Everyone knows about the lob opportunities that come along in transition situations. When you're on a 2-on-1 fast break and your teammate without the ball is a high-flier, simply double tapping the triangle or Y buttons gives you a great chance to throw one down.

How to use the alley-oop as a weapon in NBA 2K17: Using advanced lobs to score in the half court

Here's where it can get complicated, but also even more effective. The pick-and-roll is easily the most effective play in basketball, and you can use it in a variety of ways in NBA 2K17.

Yes, the lob pass is one of them. This works on the PS4 and Xbox One. Here's how to do it. (The initial button commands in this tutorial will refer to the PS4, and the second will be for Xbox gamers).

Call for a screen from anyone, but it's easier if you use one of your bigs. When you press L1 or the LB button, the closest big man will set the screen.

You can pick a specific teammate to set the screen, but that might be a little too complicated once you see what you have to do to execute the lob we're about to describe.

As soon as you press L1 or LB and your teammate starts to come over to set the screen, pass him the ball with the X or A button, but don't let it go. Hold it down.

This will allow you to run a normal give-and-go play, which is also very effective. As long as you're holding the X or A button down, you'll remain in control of the man who initially passed the ball.

You'll only remain in this state for a limited time, so you have to move fast.

Fake out your defender and cut to the basket. Once you've created a clear lane for yourself with a fake or two, press the square and R2, or X button and RT buttons, while still holding the X or A buttons. 

If the original passer has a clear path to the lane, the big who was going to set the screen will lob it to him for the slam.

Here's the catch: You have to have a point guard or original passer that is athletic enough to slam it home in this scenario.

If not, your original passer will just attempt to lay the ball up, which is much easier to block.

Does this sound a little confusing? If so, check out Sam Pham's tutorial on the play. He calls it the Katana, and he breaks it down very well for those who are more visual learners.

It's a relatively advanced maneuver, so it'll probably take some practice to execute.

However, once you have it down, it can become a vital part of your offense in NBA 2K17.

More sports games news and updates

Are you a sports gamer? Check out more content from Mic, a tutorial on the creation of Charles Barkley as a MyPlayer, a guide to unlocking almost all the badges in NBA 2K17, some Ultimate Team predictions for new signees in the MLS, Madden 17 Ultimate Team NFL Playoff updates and WWE 2K17 DLC news.