14 DAY TRIAL // NBA Live 15 is the challenger when it comes to the battle for supremacy in the world of basketball simulation experiences, and the development team at EA Sports seems determined to upend some traditional fan beliefs by putting Blake Griffin at the top of the ratings when it comes to one of the most spectacular moves in the sport, the slam dunk.
The official announcement from the studio shows the Los Angeles Clippers player with a rating of 98 and explains that “Griffin won the 2011 Slam Dunk Contest by jumping over a car, and has done the same to many of his fellow NBA players. What goes up must come down, and Griffin comes down hard no matter who is in his way.”
Second place in the rankings is occupied by Deandre Jordan, another player from the same team who is rated just one point lower, and the reason for his position is the 245 dunks he has managed to score in the 2013 – 2014 season.
Dwight Howard of the Houston Rockets occupies the final place on the podium, rated at 96, and it seems that injuries might have been a factor in his smaller than expected presence in NBA Live 15.
LeBron James, who many see as the most complete player in the game at the moment, is in fourth place with a 95 dunk ability, and EA Sports states, “While James has never entered a Slam Dunk Contest, players know to move out of the way when he's coming down the lane. Look for a new, slimmed-down James to finish tons of outlet passes from new teammate Kevin Love.”
The top five is completed by Gerald Green from the Phoenix Suns, who is rated at 93 and managed to compensate for his lack of physical presence with his fast-paced play style.
NBA Live 15 versus NBA 2K15
NBA Live 15 is set to be launched at the end of October on the PlayStation 4 from Sony and the Xbox One from Microsoft, and the game needs to deliver enough quality both in terms of graphics and gameplay to delete the bitter memories that the series has been creating during the last few years.
It will face tough competition from NBA 2K15, which will be launched in about one week and aims to also offer improved realism, better graphics and a bigger focus on the most impressive performers in basketball, with Kevin Durant on the cover.
