The lifeblood of the game is playing the role of GM. You are responsible for roster management including trades, player contracts, free agents, managing the salary cap, the draft, the summer league roster (including drafting players for it as well as assigning your team's youngsters to it), the developmental team roster and call-ups, and the hiring and firing of team coaches. The very solid AI, as well as some limitations due to your ability scores, impacts your success. Computer-controlled teams are smart trading partners that consider the talents and contracts of the players in the negotiation. In addition, future draft picks can be traded, and the computer lets you know if your trade offer is salary-cap legal.

Finding the right coaching staff is also important. Coaches impact player development and dictate the style of play for your team. If you put together a team designed to shoot quick, press often, and crash the boards, you need coaches with similar philosophies to maximize the talent you've assembled.

As fun as GM mode is, it would be nice if the players themselves had more distinct personalities. If a player isn't getting enough time on the court, he should either call you or complain to the media. If a player wants to be traded, his agent should call on the cell phone. The newspaper should detail trade rumors, contract negotiation progress, player reactions, commentary on the status of the coach or recent team performance, and similar items as a means of providing useful league information. This is oddly missing from DDSPB, and it would add life to the game. Little is done to provide a real connection between you and your team, other than the numbers provided regarding ratings, contracts, trades, and the like.

Every team also needs scouts and the game does a great job in providing multiple takes on a player's skill level. Players are rated in several offensive and defensive categories. They have both a current rating and a potential rating, and the ratings fluctuate over time. Most improvement occurs after training camp, as you would expect. Your abilities impact the accuracy of these ratings, as reports from the DDSN scouting service may differ from yours, which is another nice touch.

The game provides multiplayer support, with the ability of a “commissioner” to import files and generate HTML reports. At this stage, the online league community appears to be a bit limited, so testing this part of the game was difficult, but the potential is certainly worth mentioning if you have a group of players lined up.

Overall, the game does a very good job of simulating the life of a GM in the NBA, and to a lesser degree, the life of a coach. With a little more depth and overall polish, DDSPB can compete with the “big boys” of text sims such as Out of the Park Baseball and Football Manager. It's not quite to that level yet, but hardcore hoops fans could certainly do a lot worse than to spend their $35 on this under the radar gem.

Note: Draft Day Sports: Pro Basketball can only be purchased online at http://www.wolverinestudios.com