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One of the guys who worked on "NBA 2K9" was notorious around the office for only playing as the Rockets. But he wasn't dominating all comers because of Yao or T-Mac. This guy was beating everyone in bunches thanks to Shane Battier. When shooting from specific spots on the floor, Battier was almost unstoppable, and when he got hot from behind the arc, you might as well put the controllers down because the game was a wrap.

That's just how it was with "NBA 2K9." Forget T-Mac, Battier was the real star of that team.

The story reminds me of my obsession with the "Lakers vs. Celtics" video game series back on the Genesis. I used to play as the Bulls, but not because of Scottie Pippen, but because of a player named Ed Nealy. He was this plodding forward with a Grizzly Adams-like beard that all my friends used to make fun of, but then I figured out how to use him. Feed Nealy the ball just inside the free throw line and he would swoop in for a layup that was almost unstoppable. If a game was on the line, I was passing to Nealy for the sheer joy of watching this crazy looking bearded guy win the game with a layup over stars like David Robinson and Karl Malone while my friends who used to make fun of the bearded one, now shouted "Nealy!" every time he touched the ball.

I started getting some of those old Nealy feelings back as I've been playing "NBA 2K10." Everyone knows Kobe and LeBron and Melo are going to be great in the game and they are going to have some of the best highlights. But what I like doing is finding those diamonds in the rough. Those guys who might not be All-Stars in real life yet, who might not be those household NBA names, but who can win you some games on the virtual court.

Here are the six non All-Stars who I've had the most fun playing with so far in "NBA 2K10" (which by the way, is in my top three right now for Sports Game of the Year), along with some commentary from the game that describes their skills.

First: Denver's J.R. Smith »