Well, it's almost that time of year again. The MLB season is in the midst of a playoff race, the NFL is in training camp, and the NBA season is on the horizon. Of course, with the dawn of a new NBA season, comes another entry into the NBA 2K series.

Due in late September on Xbox 360, and (most likely) at the PS3 launch, NBA 2K7 is so far shaping up to be another stellar entry in the great 2K series. Visually, the game looks noticeably better than last year's NBA 2K6. The animation is also way more realistic, not as jerky as previous installments. However, both of these things just add to the fact that this game makes you feel like you are at an actual NBA game. Lights from the jumbotron flash on the court. Advertisements on the sidelines change every so often. Cheerleaders only dance when their team does something good. Rip Hamilton claps when he draws a foul. All of this and more helps draw you into the NBA 2K7 experience.

Gameplay wise, a few changes have been made, and it looks like they are for the better. First things first, the right analog stick is once again utilized. In last year's version, I found it very useful when trying to pick off passes and dribble, and it's back this year in full force. 2K Sports is also getting the most out of the d-pad. Instead of have to press Start to change your plays and defense, NBA 2K7 allows you to use the d-pad to do all these things. This helps the game flow better, without having to pause constantly. Lastly, another big change that I saw was with the camera. It usually stays in the traditional side view, but in some instances, like when you are inbounding the ball, it will change to a behind the back view, which gives you a better view of the action.  

Seriously, the only thing I have seen that 2K Sports should change is Steve Nash's hair, since he recently cut it. I've been playing this series for years, but this is looking like it could be the best one yet. Be sure to check out our review when NBA 2K7 releases!