A guide to the Season Simulator, single-game and series modes, and what the numbers mean.
The Season Simulator generates a full 82-game regular season, builds standings, runs the play-in tournament (for 2021 and later), and lets you simulate the playoffs one round at a time.
Click Simulate Series to run a best-of-7 playoff series between the two selected teams using the standard 2-2-1-1-1 home schedule.
Home court advantage applies per game, not per series. The hosting team gets +4 OVR for that game only — it doesn't carry over or accumulate across games.
Every player has four ratings that drive the simulation. Higher is always better. Ratings can be negative for weak players in a given category.
Controls how often a player makes shots inside the arc. Also raises free throw percentage alongside 3PS.
Controls how often a player makes three-pointers and influences how often they attempt them relative to twos.
Used for steals, blocks, and reducing the shooting percentage of the opposing player matched up against them.
Determines how often a player secures a missed shot. Also factors into the jump ball at the start of each period.
Free throw chance is derived from ratings, not stored directly: 50 + (2PS × 0.4) + (3PS × 1.0), capped between 1% and 90%.
Each possession starts with a 6-sided die roll to determine the type of play. Time is consumed by rolling multiple 6-sided dice, so the clock varies naturally each possession.
| Roll (d6) | Event | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steal attempt | Each defender rolls against their DEF rating. If anyone succeeds, the defense gets the ball. If no one steals, the possession re-rolls as a 3–6. |
| 2 | Foul | A 10-sided die decides offensive vs. defensive foul, and whether it's a shooting foul. Shooting fouls send the fouled player to the line for 2 or 3 free throws. |
| 3–6 | Shot attempt | A shooter is selected weighted by offensive rating. Whether they take a 2 or 3 is decided by their 2PS/3PS ratio. Their shot chance is compared against the matched-up defender's DEF rating. |
A missed shot triggers a rebound cycle — each player on the court gets a chance to grab the ball, with defenders getting a bonus on the first cycle. If the offense rebounds, they immediately get another possession.
At the start of each quarter, 5 players are selected per team using a weighted random draw that favors higher-rated players but isn't guaranteed to pick the top 5. The same applies to substitutions during the game.
Position is assigned by each player's position value (PV): a higher REB pushes a player toward the 4 or 5, while a higher 3PS pushes them toward the 1 or 2. A pure shooter with low rebounding will line up as a guard; a high-rebounding big with no three-point game will play center.
Substitutions only happen at foul stoppages. A made basket can queue up a substitution (the probability scales with how many points were scored), but that sub won't go in until the next foul stops play. Players can also be forced off the court for foul trouble or fouling out.
The position shown in the box score reflects where the player spent the most time during the game.
Scoreboard & Linescore — The final score and a quarter-by-quarter breakdown. Overtime periods appear as OT1, OT2, etc. if the game goes to overtime.
Play-by-Play — Every event logged during the game, organized by quarter. Each entry shows the game clock at the time of the event. Scoring plays include a running score in brackets. Click a quarter to expand or collapse it.
Box Score — Standard per-player stats for both teams. MIN is minutes played (rounded). +/- reflects how the score moved while that player was on the court.