Guides & articles
Guides and articles on Swish & Dunk, the free online basketball manager game: game mechanics, strategy and tips for running your club.
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Anatomy of a modern basketball manager game
What a basketball manager game needs in 2026: why old browser managers faded and how mobile UI, cards and pack opening work without pay-to-win.
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Drop Coverage: how it works, how Swish & Dunk simulates it and which players it needs
Drop coverage explained: the big stays near the rim on the pick-and-roll. How the match engine simulates it, why it needs a real center and which skills matter.
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Full-Court Press: how it works, how Swish & Dunk simulates it and which players it needs
The full-court press explained: pressure from the inbound, steals and a faster game. How the match engine simulates it, what it costs and which skills it needs.
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Half-Court Trap: how it works, how Swish & Dunk simulates it and which players it needs
The half-court trap explained: organized double teams on the ball handler. How the match engine simulates it, what it costs and which player skills it needs.
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How to analyze basketball stats: a match analyst's method, tested on three Swish & Dunk games
Read basketball stats like an analyst: possessions, offensive and defensive rating, Four Factors and shot profile, with three simulated games broken down.
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Man-to-Man Defense: how it works, how Swish & Dunk simulates it and which players it needs
Man-to-man defense explained: one player, one assignment, no hiding. How the match engine runs it, which skills it needs and why it has no bad matchup.
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Match-Up Zone: how it works, how Swish & Dunk simulates it and which players it needs
The match-up zone explained: a zone that guards players like a man-to-man. How the match engine simulates it, which offenses beat it and which skills it needs.
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No-Middle Defense: how it works, how Swish & Dunk simulates it and which players it needs
The no-middle defense explained: keep the ball out of the middle and push it to the sideline. How the match engine simulates it and which skills it needs.
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Pack Line Defense: how it works, how Swish & Dunk simulates it and which players it needs
The pack line defense explained: a wall in the paint, few fouls and the best defensive rebounding. How the match engine runs it and which skills it needs.
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BuzzerBeater, fantasy football and Ultimate Team: the three games behind Swish & Dunk
Swish & Dunk mixes the depth of BuzzerBeater, the simple interface of fantasy apps and the pack opening of Ultimate Team, without pay-to-win.
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Players of the Month: September 2026
The best Swish & Dunk players of September 2026: a PG, SG, SF, PF and C for each of the 10 divisions, picked on that month's games, with cards and stats.
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Switch-Everything Defense: how it works, how Swish & Dunk simulates it and which players it needs
The switch-everything defense explained: no open shooters, but a weaker rim. How the match engine simulates switching and which player skills it needs.
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Center (C) Skills Guide in Swish & Dunk: What Makes a Great Big Man
What a great center needs in Swish & Dunk: the skills that matter for a C, how much height counts, rim protection, rebounding and 3,000 simulated games.
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Point Guard (PG) Skills Guide in Swish & Dunk: What Makes a Great Playmaker
What a great point guard needs in Swish & Dunk: the skills that matter for a PG, ideal height and athleticism, mental attributes and 3,000 simulated games.
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Power Forward (PF) Skills Guide in Swish & Dunk: What Makes a Great Four
What a great power forward needs in Swish & Dunk: the skills that matter for a PF, stretch fours, rebounding, height, fouls and 3,000 simulated games.
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Shooting Guard (SG) Skills Guide in Swish & Dunk: What Makes a Great Shooter
What a great shooting guard needs in Swish & Dunk: the skills that matter for an SG, ideal height and athleticism, mental attributes and 3,000 simulated games.
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Small Forward (SF) Skills Guide in Swish & Dunk: What Makes a Great Wing
What a great small forward needs in Swish & Dunk: the skills that matter for an SF, ideal height and athleticism, small-ball traps and 3,000 simulated games.
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Swish & Dunk Cards and Pack Odds: Tiers, Backgrounds and Probabilities
How Swish & Dunk player cards work: the 10 rarity tiers, national team cards, award badges and the exact odds of every pack, consumable and arena.
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Swish & Dunk Economy Guide: Salaries, TV Rights, Tickets and Merchandise
The Swish & Dunk economy with real formulas: player and staff salaries, TV rights by division, ticket pricing, merchandise and arena expansions.
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Swish & Dunk Player Skills Guide: All 49 Basketball Skills Explained
Every one of the 49 player skills in Swish & Dunk: what it means, how the match engine uses it, how much it weighs on Overall and which ones win games.
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How Rewards Work in Swish & Dunk: Money, Tokens and Consumables
Every reward in Swish & Dunk with real numbers: TV rights and win bonuses by division, tokens per win, daily reward, promotion and cup prize money.
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Swish & Dunk Training Guide: How to Develop Young Players and Reach Their Potential
How training works in Swish & Dunk: daily sessions, age and potential, what each training type and focus improves, OVR jumps and developing young players.
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5-Out Offense: how it works, how Swish & Dunk simulates it and which players it needs
The 5-Out offense explained: spacing, drives and kick-outs, how the Swish & Dunk match engine runs it and which player skills make it work.
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Motion Offense: how it works, how Swish & Dunk simulates it and which players it needs
The motion offense explained: pass, cut, screen and read the defense. How the Swish & Dunk match engine runs it and which player skills it rewards.
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Pace and Space: how it works, how Swish & Dunk simulates it and which players it needs
Pace and space basketball explained: fast tempo, wide spacing and the most threes in the game. How Swish & Dunk simulates it and which player skills it needs.
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Princeton Offense: how it works, how Swish & Dunk simulates it and which players it needs
The Princeton offense explained: backdoor cuts, a passing center and patience. How the Swish & Dunk match engine runs it and which player skills it needs.
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The new match engine: basketball that plays like the NBA
We tuned the Swish & Dunk match engine against real NBA stats: faster pace, modern shot selection, true positions, stars who take over and closer finishes.
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Run and Gun: how it works, how Swish & Dunk simulates it and which players it needs
The run and gun offense explained: fast breaks, early shots and the highest pace in the game. How Swish & Dunk simulates it and which player skills it needs.
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Small Ball: how it works, how Swish & Dunk simulates it and which players it needs
Small ball basketball explained: smaller, faster lineups, threes and fast breaks. How the Swish & Dunk match engine runs it and which player skills it needs.
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Spread Pick-and-Roll: how it works, how Swish & Dunk simulates it and which players it needs
The spread pick-and-roll explained: one two-man game, three shooters, and the roll or pop read. How Swish & Dunk simulates it and which player skills it needs.
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Triangle Offense: how it works, how Swish & Dunk simulates it and which players it needs
The triangle offense explained: sideline triangle, post play and reads, from Tex Winter to Phil Jackson. How the match engine runs it and which skills it needs.
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How sports manager games have changed in the last 20 years (and why Swish & Dunk takes a third way)
From the browser managers of the 2000s to mobile games built on tokens, packs and in-app purchases: twenty years of the sports manager genre.
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The rise and fall of Charazay Basketball Manager
What Charazay was, how many people played it, why it collapsed and how it went offline in 2017: the full story of the classic browser basketball manager.
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Swish & Dunk Season 1: the complete recap
Swish & Dunk Season 1 in review: every division champion, the Cup final, Spain's World Cup, MVPs, stat leaders, record trades and player grades.
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The main basketball tactics explained: how they work in Swish & Dunk
All 8 offensive and 8 defensive tactics in Swish & Dunk explained: how the match engine runs them, which players they need and which tactic beats which.
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How the NBA has changed since 1996: a statistical analysis
A data-driven analysis of 30 NBA seasons, 1996-97 to 2025-26: scoring, pace, threes, mid-range, efficiency, turnovers, rebounds and home-court advantage.
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Swish & Dunk: The New Free Basketball Manager, No Pay-to-Win and with Pack Opening
Swish & Dunk is a free online basketball manager game with no pay-to-win: AI-generated player cards, pack opening, arena, staff, draft and daily games.
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The best basketball manager games on web and mobile: the definitive guide (2026)
The best basketball manager games of 2026 for browser, Android and iOS: 14 games ranked and compared on depth, simulation, longevity and monetization.
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How the match engine works
Every Swish & Dunk game is simulated possession by possession. How ratings, fatigue, fouls, clutch time, momentum and injuries decide a basketball manager game.