These are two teams heading in the opposite direction. Last week the Wolverines lost a disappointing close game against the previously winless Desert Eagles. In the meantime, the Red Jaguars won a highly anticipated game against the Outlaws. On paper the Wolverines have the potential to match up well against any 5-man roster with great shooters, versatile swingmen, and good defense. In addition Alain Wehder has the potential to explode offensively. However the Red Jaguars are too deep and play too much teamwork to allow this to bother them for a full 40 minutes. Expect Dennis to break out of a mild offensive slump and lead the Red Jaguars to victory. Except the Red Jags to throw multiple defenders at Alain and make things difficult for him all afternoon. Prediction: Red Jaguars over Wolverines 60 – 49.
24/7 vs Outlaws
Without a doubt, this is the match-up of the week in the East. So far in the East this season, there has been the emergence of three elite teams (24/7, RJs, Outlaws). For the third consecutive week, two of these teams will play each other, which will help us map out exactly where each one of them stand. To add to the buildup, this matchup features the two most potent offenses in the East. Both 24/7 and Outlaws average a blazing 68.5 ppg, but they do so in different ways. The Outlaws rely on timely three-point shooting, great ball movement, and hustle. 24/7 has a run-and-gun mentality which wears opponents down, and a half-court game which boasts four pure scorers in Yassine, Jeff, Mohamed, and Jonathan. In the end we expect 24/7s depth and versatility to be the deciding factor. Expect a Yassine vs Tobin showdown with each team trading baskets often. In addition, we expect a back-and-forth game until the last minute. Prediction: 24/7 over Outlaws 79 – 73.
Primetime vs Desert Eagles
Both teams came off of huge Week 4 victories. Primetime won their second game in a row and people have started to talk about them as a potential top 4 team in the East. A lineup of Salman, Sultanul, Niraj, Khuram, and Stanley is comparable to any All-Star lineup. The only thing that this team lacks is a strong bench to put them in the top 3 category. Chemistry concerns appear to be behind them after this team pulled together to defect a difficult A-Team last week. The Desert Eagles won their first game of the season last week, beating a gritty, fully-loaded Wolverines team. In addition the Desert Eagles boast a top 3 that is contains bona fide All-Stars with Farhan, Walid, and Harvey. The issue has been the lack of a bench so far. Expect this game to be intense until the end, the difference being the depth of Primetime. Prediction: Primetime over Desert Eagles 58 – 52.
A-Team vs Force
This is an interesting matchup as both teams have puzzling so far. The A-Team has been a true enigma this year. Despite having 2010-‘11 East MVP runner-up Joshua Frazier seemingly healthy and playing most games this year, the A-Team has simply not found a way to win (except for a Week 1 Forfeit). Last year Joshua missed 5 games in a row due to suspension and was battling a strained hamstring late in the season, but the A-Team managed to roll all the way to the East Finals with ease. But on a positive note, the A-Team competed wire-to-wire against a strong Primetime last week. Things appear to be on the rise, but they desperately need a W to appease their confidence. Turning to the Force, everything depends on if newly acquired big-man Joe Fitt plays this week. Last week, the Force turned heads with a momentary 2nd half lead they had against a sizzling 24/7 team. Even without Joe Fitt, they came within a shot or two of pulling off the victory. However despite a solid and deep roster, the problem for the Force has been a lack of defense at critical times in the game, especially with teams that have penetrating guards. Lucky for the Force, the A-Team does not rely on penetration. Expect a battle in the paint all game long between Joe vs Josh and Rana vs Prince/Rahul. We expect the backcourt of Alex and Jones to be the difference offensively. Prediction: Force over A-Team 65 to 58.
Week 4 - Eastern Conference Recap
Wednesday, 07 December 2011
Wolverines vs. Desert Eagles
The Desert Eagles had only 5 people dress up but managed to pull this one off. They ran out to a huge first-half lead and had just enough gas to pull in a tight victory. Credit a huge game from Farhan Ahmad, who displayed a strong inside-outside game with 25 points, as well as Walid (who was 3 assists shy of a monster triple double) and Harvey. The Wolverines fought back ferociously thanks to timely three point baskets by Alain Wehder and Shergeel Saleem, as well as endless hustle from the rest of the team. At least temporarily, the Wolverines have solved their attendance issues. Look for both teams to take a lot out from this game going forward. Congrats to the Desert Eagles on winning their first game of the season 55-51.
Primetime vs. A-Team
Experts who predicted that this game would be a turning point for last year’s finalist, the struggling A-Team, were incorrect, at least on first-glance. Regardless, this game was probably the most intense game of the week. Both teams played exhibited extreme heart and hustle for the full 40 minutes. In the end it was a great defensive team effort by Primetime which was able to contain A-Team All Star Joshua Frazier. Khuram (17 points, 16 rebounds, 7 assists), Sultanul (13 points, 7 rebounds), and Niraj (11 points, 5 assists) paced the offense with great all-around performances each. Primetime pulled out with a 55-52 win and have now won two in a row. Due to their early difficult schedule, we would they that they are slowly but surely meeting their lofty pre-season expectations.
24/7 vs Force
In perhaps the most entertaining game of the season, this game featured amazing offensive firepower from both sides. 24/7, in true 24/7-fashion, won a close game despite being down 6 points late in the 2nd half. It almost feels like this team toys with their opponent week-after-week, until it’s time to get serious in crunch time. One thing for sure, 24/7 is a step above the rest of the East at the moment. The 4-headed monster of Yassine, Mohamed, Jeff, and Jonathan did not disappoint. New-comer Mohamed lead the way with 33 points for 24/7, who were also paced by Yassine and Jonathan with 18 and 15 points, respectively. The Force was missing new big-man Joe Fitt, but got solid efforts from Alex, Royce, and Biju. In addition, they were led by fearless PG Jones Thomas, who awoke out of a season-long slump with 21 points. Experts widely disagree on exactly how good this hard-working Force team is, but one thing is for certain – they will need some Ws to gain some hype. 24/7 pulled of the W in this one with a nail-biting back-and-forth thriller 81-77.
Red Jaguars vs Outlaws
In the week leading up to Sunday, many considered this the game of the week. Adding to the drama was that the other 3 games in the East were each decided by 4 points or less. This game certainly did not disappoint. The Outlaws ran out to a first-half lead and were even up by 7 points in the 2nd half before the Reds Jags were able to turn it around. The first half featured the Tobin Varghese and Nikil Kumar from the Outlaws devouring the Red Jags zone defense with three-after-three. The Red Jaguars were able to adjust and pulled off a ferocious comeback thanks to their depth down low with Sukhjinder and Ceon. The Red Jaguars, at least temporarily, appear to be the number two team in the East with solid depth at virtually every position. Next week’s 24/7 vs Outlaws matchup will be a great barometer as to where the Outlaws stand exactly and if their loss on Sunday was a fluke or not. The Red Jags pulled off the victory against the Outlaws 60 -53.
Week 4 Western Conference Recaps
Tuesday, 06 December 2011
Storm vs. NYC Warriors The much anticipated matchup of Mike McDuffie vs. Haron Hargrave wasn't able to come to fruition as Haron was unable to make the game. But this game didnt disappoint. Storm has now had back to back OT wins and none more exciting than this high octane matchup. Warriors did a good job containing Mike in the first half and found themselves up by 15 at one point. But Mike, Harp and co. woke up the next half and made some key baskets and timely possessions to slowly pull away. Mike is looking like a beast this year as evident by his play and with the talent of Harp, Chris and Sim around him, Storm looks like the real deal. NYC Warriors on the other hand have lost 3 straight and need their stars to show if they want to make some noise. Storm wins 76-70.
Titans vs. Ballers Anyone who watched this game would have guessed it was going to be a blowout. Titans start the game with only 4 players in regular Titans fashion. But somehow, they put together a fantastic game and with a few additional players showing up by the second half, they knock of the Ballers in an easy win. Daniel and Tom were knocking down 3's as they usually do, but this game was taken over byAnil Chinnan who had one of his best outings of the year. With the absence of Rex, Terrance and Kenneth, Anil played the paint and was able to be a dominant force that the Ballers were unable to stop. Ballers have now 2 in a row and need to make sure there full squad shows each week to keep the wins coming. Joe Pena has been MIA during their losing streak and his return could mean some wins.
SWAT vs. 7th Letter Entertainment / Tic Tavern SWAT just came off of an upsetting loss against the Titans and were looking to rebuild their confidence against the winless 7th Letter Team. The game was alot closer and competitive than the score indicates as Carl Lee was able to get to the basket and take advantage of the lack of size in the SWAT team. His team high of 22 points kept 7th Letter in the game, but was not enough for the amazing effort by Reyaad. Reyaad missed the last 2 games for SWAT and returned with the SABL's first triple double this season. He finished with a game high 33 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. We knew once SWAT showcased a full roster they would get back to their winning ways. Next week will be a huge game for them against Mike McDuffie and team Storm. SWAT wins 71 - 60
Hi Rizerz vs. RUKUS The official game of the week did NOT disappoint and was full of excitement. The last 2 undefeated teams squared off in an early season matchup and was primed for excitement. Vish, Rahul and co. against Mike Bravo and Sheehan. These were the marquee matchups the league was talking about in the week prior and the experts ended up calling the game wrong. Hi Rizerz proved they are the team to beat as they were able to sneak by RUKUS in a 9 point win. Hi Rizerz showed their depth and talent at every position and their overall athleticism as they were able to chase down offensive rebound after offensive rebound. Ditar was a lose cannon and seemed to be the guy RUKUS decided to sleep on. In fairness, RUKUS played an outstanding game and none better than Mike Bravo as he put together another MVP caliber performance. Perhaps the idea that he was robbed of the MVP award the last 2 seasons has given him the focus to play as he is playing right now. But at the end of the day, this is a team sport, and RUKUS was unable to move on as the undefeated team in SABL West. It remains to be seen if and when HR will lose this year. HR over RUKUS 91 - 82
Astoria Bulls vs. Panthers Panthers have quietly put together a fantastic start to their season and were able to move to 3-1 with their latest defeat of the new Astoria Bulls. Mandeep takes pride in bringing a very even team to the game each and every week and has managed to showcase a different player each week. Between Sammie, Jamal, Gurwinder or Juggie, this team has the talent to surprise or literally destroy any team. Although they dont showcase household names, Panthers are beginning to epitomize the word TEAM, and were able to showcase it against the Astoria Bulls. Making it known that the SABL West needs to be taken seriously. The Bulls on the other hand may have had some first game jitters, but will need to focus if they want to be the team to beat. They may be able to get their first win next week against 7th Letter Ent., but will need to realize that 1 player cannot win a game as proven by the Panthers. Panthers take this easily 69 - 53.
Interview with Tom Job of the Titans
Tuesday, 06 December 2011
Interview with Tom Job of the Titans: Tom gives us his view on the upcoming game against the Ballers and his experience playing alongside new team mate Daniel Chin
Western Conference Power Rankings
Sunday, 04 December 2011
1. Highrizerz (3-0) - Vish and Co. are still undefeated and riding high. Not 1 team has been able to challenge this squad this year and although their last game came via a forfeit, they are still standing as 1 of 2 undefeated teams in the West. Only reason we have them listed as #1 and not #2 is that experts say their bench makes up the difference right now. Although predictions have them losing a big game against RUKUS this Sunday, as of now they are the leagues best team.
2. RUKUS (3-0) - The only other remaining undefeated team in SABL West and they look flat out scary. Mo B. and team are handing out losses to each one of their opponents with ease. Doesnt look like RUKUS has lost a step this season and they are looking to avenge their finals loss to SWAT by demolishing each team this year. This weeks matchup is huge against HR as they can overtake the #1 spot and be the only undefeated team. Lets see how that pans out.
3. Titans (2-1) - This team showcases the deadliest 3 point tandem in the league right now with Daniel Chin and Tom Job. Nothing surprising here as they are generally in the top 3 at this point in the season as they have in years passed. Titans came off a huge 1 point nailbiter against SWAT and look to keep the wins going. As long as their players show up, Titans have no problems getting the win.
4. Panthers (2-1) - Very up and down team this season and not sure where to really place them against the best of the league. They started strong against SWAT but then had a terrible showing in week 2 followed by another strong outing last time against the Warriors. With a few more games under their belt we can asses this Panthers team a bit better but as of now, the #4 spot is very deserving for this deep and athletic team.
5. Storm (2-1) - Storm is slowly starting to develop chemistry as a team. With their star player Mcduffie pacing each game it has given his teammates Andy and Chadha some space to let the ball fly. With the addition of veteran guard and defensive monster Shaun Ramani and 2 other players who have not made it yet. Who knows how far this team can go but one thing you can count is a battle because they haven proven to come back from deficits as much as 15 down.
6. SWAT (1-2) - Defending champs Swat have arguably the most talented team but due to some attendance issues it has forced some of their players to play out of position and pick up extra slack. In weeks to come we will monitor their attendance issues and as long as their core shows up, they will be able to get back into the groove. One thing to remember is to never count a champion out especially with most of the teams returning.
7. Ballers (1-2) - Ballers showed so much promise early in the season, and although we arent counting them out yet because of their tough early schedule, they find themselves in the #7 spot. They have yet another tough matchup against the Titans this week and could serve as the game to get them back in the top tier but until then, the Ballers need to be able to close out games or they will be on the bottom for weeks to come.
8. NYC Warriors (1-2) - Warriors have tons of potential depending on their attendance issue but they do have the monster guard Haron who has torched the past 3 teams. They are 8th this week but they can easily move up as long as their supporting cast shows and helps Haron get the much needed wins. The schedule wont help as they have a few tough games coming up, so they must get it together before its too late.
9. 7th letter Entertaintment / Tic Tavern (0-3) - The rookie team have still not been able to get a win in the SABL. There was much talk early on about this team and everyone expected big teams. Captain Ganesh stresses that its a long season and too early to count them out. But until they find a win, they will be in the bottom of the pack. This team may not have expected the competition to be as good as it is this year, as evident by their record.
10. Astoria Bulls (0-0) - By default due to taking over SI record and haven't played one game yet but lets see how this Sunday works out for them.
First Episode of the South Asian Sports Network Show with Amir King Khan
