Building comparison
head to head
NBA 2K14vsNBA 2K16
Neither is harder. They score identically on all four axes, so the difference between them is in kind, not degree.
NBA 2K14
Execution · Competitive PvP
Shot timing and play selection against opponents adjusting to your tendencies.
NBA 2K16
Execution · Competitive PvP
Shot timing and play-calling against opponents who scheme around your habits.
NBA 2K14 leans Execution (Competitive PvP); NBA 2K16 leans Execution (Competitive PvP).
NBA 2K14NBA 2K16
Axis by axis
Execution6 vs 6
Same score on execution - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
NBA 2K14
Shot release timing and dribble chains gate scoring
NBA 2K16
Shot-stick timing and dribble moves gate every possession
Reads5 vs 5
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
NBA 2K14
Online opponents counter your favourite plays
NBA 2K16
Online opponents adjust defensive schemes against your tendencies
Variance2 vs 2
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
NBA 2K14
Shot RNG sways close possessions
NBA 2K16
Shot RNG and card packs add bounded randomness
Optimization5 vs 5
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
NBA 2K14
Playbook knowledge and roster management reward study
NBA 2K16
Playbooks, rotations and roster building reward deep study
A matching score does not mean a matching test. Two games can both sit at 10 on execution and demand completely different things of you - which is why the reasoning above matters more than the number beside it.