Luckily, the longer I spent with NBA 2K21 MT the new shot-stick mechanic, the greater NBA 2K21 began to distinguish itself. The new shot meter, which requires preparing shots rather than just time them, is used completely with the right analog stick. It requires a straight pull down (or upward, when pushing toward the basket) and then centering the rod inside the sweet spot on the meter. Not only did I find that this new shooter meter vastly harder, it also fixed a handful of other problems I have had with NBA 2K for years.
First and foremost, I never have to worry about accidentally hurling a shot up when I am attempting to make a dribble move. Pulling back on the analog stick and holding it there'll result in a shot, while some flicks or other quicker motions will result in a dribbling move. The brand new shot meter opens up the right-stick for use entirely for dribbling moves, which contains the ability to size-up or use escape dribbles. Everything feels a lot cleaner, and it is a great change for a series where things were starting to feel overly cluttered to restrain.
The shot-stick mechanic feels like a direct response to issues with latency online. Even though the demo doesn't feature the capability to play online matches, it's easy to find a future where most online players will be using the aimed shot meter rather than the older timed meter (that remains available via the square or X button). Instead of trying to guess how much latency there'll be with each jump shooter, it should be a lot more efficient to pull back on the analog stick and aim the shot rather.
However, aiming shots is unquestionably the more difficult of both options as things currently stand. I am eager to have a fresh ability to learn, but it's very good to Buy 2K21 MT have both options available.