I simulated the rest of the 2019-20 season on NBA 2K20 25 times — here’s what happened, with a special focus on the Philadelphia 76ers.
Believe it or not, it has been less than two weeks since Adam Silver and the NBA decided to suspend its season. Every sport has followed suit and now we are left with March — usually one of the best months for sports — without the Madness. March is peak basketball season with the NCAA Tournament and the NBA Playoff race. While we wait for COVID-19 to subside and sports to return fans have been stuck watching old games.
I decided to take a different route. NBA 2K has been a staple in the sports video game world for years now. With the season on hold until possibly the middle of the summer — I decided to finish the season on 2K to see what MIGHT happen.
The details
The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Detroit Pistons 124-106 on Wednesday March 11, just hours before Adam Silver’s decision came. I began the simulation on the 10th. Each team that won on the 11th received credit for their win, the Sixers included. The games that were not played on the 11th were simulated.
Injury situations were kept the same. Philadelphia was without Ben Simmons, but did have a healthy Joel Embiid. The Brooklyn Nets two superstars, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, were deemed out for the season but now there is speculation Durant could return depending on how long this break lasts. Regardless, the Nets were without Irving and Durant for each simulation. New injuries did occur during the course of the simulations — the important ones are noted.
For each simulation I kept track of all of the awards won — including MVP, ROY, DPOY, Sixth Man, MIP, COTY and each All-NBA teams. I also noted the seeds in each conference for the playoffs along with the eventual champion and paid special attention to how the 76ers faired.