The first is if you keep the ball to yourself. If you do this, you'll find your individual stats on the rise, and also build up a "status quo" that can either push you further or dwell you in controversy. But being selfish will affect your team's performance, and soon you could find yourself on a downhill run quicker than the Cavaliers following their mid-season shifts. However, if you play with your team in mind and pass the ball into open zones and setting up for good scores on others, the whole team's stats rise and your relations are kept to good measure. But doing this can also hurt your individual performance, possibly to the point that you're not superstar material. So choose wisely- maybe a mixture of both might be the best idea.

The game also allows you to build up a famed rivalry against a teammate, who may depart your team for "greener pastures" as a result. (Think Shaq/Kobe.) This means that your face-offs against this particular team could be much more heated than you expected, especially in the NBA Finals. The possibility of going toe to toe against this rival throughout the game is very much intact, and heightens the tension greatly.

But the game's not just built upon a field of drama- not at all. In fact, a lot of focus is going just as much on the general gameplay and looks as it is content. The game features much better realized player animation, not just some herky-jerky pieces of motion capture tied together. 989 realized the power of player movement, especially in the low post, and put together sharper animation that looks just like the real thing, right down to the simplest of fadeaway jumpers. The courts look just like the real thing, at least from what we saw with the Nuggets' own Pepsi Center. Glimmer off the floor, seating, and even little things like the huge Pepsi logo hanging over it all- it's all here.

As far as gameplay, it should be very satisfactory. Although not shown, the producers indicated that a dunking system would come into play to help gamers bring it to the hole with authority. The outside and general shooting engine works in a color-coded system. For instance, if you release the ball too early or late, it'll be colored red and won't last a second. Hitting it in a yellow-ish state gives the ball a 50/50 chance, but hitting it in green means you're golden. We had a chance to try it out briefly in one of the mini-games, and it seems to feel pretty solid in terms of timing and playability.

Ahhh, yes, the mini-games. There'll be a lot of these included in the final version of NBA 06. The main one we tried out during the presentation was Own the Court, made up of a number of "hot spots" all over the floor, ranging from one point to four. The goal is to basically hit more "hot spots" than your opponent in a two-minute time period, and the competition can get rather heated if you're facing off against a fellow sweet shooter. Other mini-games that will be thrown into the final mix include 21, a PlayStation Skills Challenge, and Top Rung.

To top it all off, NBA 06 will have a full customization feature that allows you to build your rookie from the ground up, either with the items already implemented into the game or with the EyeToy, allowing your image to be captured and thrown into the game. And those craving online gameplay and a full array of modes will definitely not be disappointed, as there's enough here to keep you busy well into the next NBA season.

NBA 06 still has a little bit ways to go before it can be considered the next great hoop dream, but so far it's showing accomplishment and appeal with its bold steps towards the real experience. Also noteworthy is the presentation and gameplay, both refocused and put onto a level that players can identify with. The time for Shootout is over, the real game's about to begin this fall.