"You will be able to use button controls like last year [in NBA Live 10]," series producer David Littman told GameSpot as noticed by Kotaku. However, he added that "you won't want to when you see the freedom that the new controls give you" and explained:

The left stick is your feet. The right stick is your hands. You will have complete freedom to dribble (RS side-to-side, RS rolls for spins, behind-the-backs), shoot (RS up), and play defense (RS down to steal, RS up to jump, RS to the sides for arms up and to block passes). Dribble moves really matter. Doing a hesi with an explosive first step can beat a defender. Doing a behind-the-back or between-the-legs dribble can protect the ball against a steal attempt. Spin moves can leave a defender in the dust.

It seems that the company learned its lesson from Fight Night Round 4, which saw EA SPORTS patch the game to include traditional button controls after fans complained of being forced to use the then-new analog-centric "Total Punch Control" system.

Developed by NBA video game veterans EA Canada, NBA ELITE 11 hits PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in October, with the company claiming that it will "evolve the interactive basketball experience in a way the category hasn't seen in a decade."