Photo: Twitter/HeatCheckGaming
Perhaps no NBA 2K League team was more gleeful after the 2018 expansion draft than Heat Check Gaming. Despite Heat Check Gaming making it to the NBA 2K League Finals in August, none of the four expansion teams poached a player from that Miami core. Consequently, manager Derric “youFamousEnough” Franklin leapt at the chance to forfeit a second-round pick in order to retain 2018 third-round pick Dropoff.
The Montreal native emerged last season as a key cog for Miami both on and off the court. After becoming the only player in the season-one combine to average a triple-double, Dropoff took on more of an ancillary role for the Heat, averaging 13.2 points per game and playing multiple positions as the team migrated to a Hotshot-focused offense. Dropoff’s versatility and creativity played a key role in the team’s run to the Finals. But it wasn’t enough to put Miami over the top, and so Dropoff took the time to tell DIMER just how energized he is to take the next step in season two.
DIMER: What does it mean to you to have been retained by Heat Check Gaming?
Dropoff: Being retained by Heat Check Gaming means everything to me. It’s the best feeling in the world when you put all your energy into something and have the team believe in you and want you back. I wouldn’t want to be any place else.
DIMER: You guys fell heartbreakingly short last year. What are you personally doing to make sure that doesn’t happen again?
Dropoff: We did fall short last year—I personally felt like it was a choke. This off-season I took a different approach, taking time away from the game because as we all know the league build is not the same as the retail version. So what I’ve been doing is taking it easy. Because as soon as we’re all in Miami with our new teammates, we will be grinding 24/7. So I’m just not draining myself and waiting to prepare on the right mode rather than get used to the retail version.
DIMER: What was your favorite moment of season one?
Dropoff: My favourite moment in season 1 was the Boston [Celtics Crossover] game. After the game, me and Sharpshooterlos went on stage and let out all our emotion. For me that was our moment to really show we are here for real and not going anywhere, because coming up to that point we were a win-loss win-loss type of team. After that, we just started streaking and playing with fire and passion.
DIMER: How has this offseason changed your mindset going into season two?
Dropoff: This offseason hasn’t changed my mindset too much. I just can’t wait to go back to Miami and grind with my team.
DIMER: What’s the story behind #OneManArmy?
Dropoff: The story behind the One Man Army was this. We were in the lobby of the hotel, and Tifeworld from Jazz Gaming was talking a lot, saying that we were just a one man army and I was Hotshot’s only soldier. We knew we weren’t a one man army. We were a unit that allowed our best player to operate at a high level by giving him a lot of space. A lot of teams tried the shot-creating slasher but the teams didn’t buy into allowing one player to have all the shine. At Heat Check Gaming all we cared about was winning, not about stats.
DIMER: How has the NBA 2K League changed your life in a way that you never anticipated?
Dropoff: The NBA 2K League changed my life by giving me the opportunity to travel to another country, learn a new culture, build a new family and make friends I didn’t think I would have, as well as just making sure I was going down the right path.
