Basketball GM tips: how to build a dynasty
RetroGM Basketball GM is a free basketball general manager game in your browser: a 30-team league, 82 games, the play-in and playoffs, the draft lottery, trades, free agency and the salary cap, with live games on an animated court. This guide covers the decisions that build a dynasty.
Your first season: read the desk
The GM desk shows what needs you now, your season goals and the next game; anything you leave alone, the assistant handles. Ratings run from 0 to 100: around 45 is a role player, 60 a starter and 70 or more a star. POT is what a player may reach; players past 30 decline.
The rotation
The coach sets the starting five and the minutes by himself, best players first. Change them only when you have a reason: a young player who needs minutes to grow, or a veteran to rest. Each player has an archetype (Floor General, Sharpshooter, Slasher and others) that shows what he does best; a rotation with shooters around a creator plays better than five of the same.
The game plan: man, zone or press
Choose your defense: man-to-man, zone or a full-court press. They meet the other team's offense: a three-point shooting team beats a zone (about 61% wins against 55% normally), while a team that attacks the paint struggles against it. The press works against teams that handle the ball poorly and is neutral on average. The scouting report of the next opponent suggests a plan with its reasons; the assistant can pick it for you.
Tip: Runs matter: eight straight points give a team a lift for a few possessions, bigger at home. The other coach calls a timeout to stop it.
The salary cap, the tax and the mid-level exception
The salary cap limits what you can spend on free agents. Over it, you can still re-sign your own players, trade, sign minimum deals and use the mid-level exception once a season. Above a second, higher line, the luxury tax charges 1.5 times the excess at the end of the season. A roster must have 13 to 15 players.
Trades and free agency
Put players and draft picks from both sides on the table; the bar shows whether the other GM would accept. Proposals asks the league for offers. The trade deadline is in February. In free agency players want money and a role, and answer within days; good facilities and a winning team help.
The draft lottery
The worst teams draw for the top picks. Your scouts reveal prospects' true ratings; order your board, or let the assistant pick. A rebuild built on two or three lottery picks, with cap room to add veterans when they are ready, is the classic way to a dynasty.
Chemistry, hype and money
Chemistry is the mood of the locker room, moved by your answers to the players; good chemistry gives a small edge on every shot. Hype is how excited the city is: it fills the arena and the books. The training center (three levels) adds half a point of growth per season for players up to 25, and your staff (development coach, conditioning coach, chief scout, rated 25 to 95) can be upgraded in the staff market.
The playoffs and your owner
The 7th to 10th teams of each conference play the play-in for the last two playoff spots. Your owner judges each season on wins, the playoff run, profit and your goals; too many bad seasons and you are fired.
Quick checklist
- Let the coach run the rotation until you have a reason to change it.
- Match your defense to the opponent: zone against poor shooters, man against shooters.
- Use the mid-level exception every season you are over the cap.
- Avoid the luxury tax unless you are a contender.
- Trade veterans for picks before the deadline in a losing season.
Play it now
RetroGM Basketball GM is free in your browser, on a phone or a computer, with no account and no download. Your save stays on your device and the game works offline.