I enjoy the upgrade to the 2D gameplay, but I'd like to add my 2 cents on it.
I feel like the jerseys need to be bigger. I play on a laptop, so I don't expect the graphics to wow me, and I dunno how much better it is on a bigger screen...but I can barely read the player numbers or names. You basically need to make the # outline the same color as the # or it looks like a mess. The LA Waves Road jerseys are a great example of the messiness. The Utah Blues road jerseys are a great example in the other direction. There's a good amount of dead space in the display (mostly the corners and sides of the court). I think the play by play could be condensed and moved to the top of the court by the crowd. If you pay attention to the PBP, you won't need to see 3 actions ago. You only need to see about 2 actions or so at a time. You could have an extended PBP that comes down with a click too if you wanted to quick look back on some plays. The crowd only matters when Play is hit, so i think covering them when not in play could be advantageous. Also the Area where the Team Stats/Current Player Stat is shown could be modified for size. Free-Throw Percentage could be put next to the 0-1. Nobody needs Free Throw Percentage spelled out on a second line. Blocks and Steals could be fit on the same line too. The Player Picture and Name size is perfect I think. But the specific stat line could be a bit smaller or fit better within. 2 Points 1 Rebound doesn't need to be as big as it is, IMO.
As far as the animations are concerned, It'd be great to see a hoop light up when a bucket is made. Maybe even different colors for different scores (Blue for Dunk, Red for 3Pointer, Yellow for Layup, Green for regular shot). Maybe even a light up under the player who takes the shot. Also, fast breaks would be great to see a clear separation between those involved in the break and those still near the previous basket.
The new court setup looks pretty damn sweet. And I like the Team menus. Also the ability to see the player card during the game.
Keep up the good work and I know the first rendition of the visual upgrade won't be perfect, but those are my suggestions to make it a better experience.