Swish Kebabs vs. Ashak Attack

 

Down to the finals boys! Let's start off with the roster impacts. Swish has a full squad, as of now no one is missing from their team. From Ashak Attack's squad, they're missing Baram and Ajmal. Both are key players on their team. Ajmal for a late round pick has great control and understands the fundamentals to contribute. Baram is the hulk, he would've caused issues down low for Swish. Anyways, I believe Elias B has been approved to play for Mahdi's team. This should be interesting to see how he'll mesh with the rest of the team. Let's get into the details, I'll start with Swish Kebab. They played a hell of a game last week with Raza controlling the pace and tempo. He played extremely well, even with my DPOY candidate Dean covering him all game. This team feeds off Raza making plays and penetrating the defense. The supplemental players just need to get the ball in his hands and get themselves into positions to score. If Raza draws doubles, he'll always find the open man. He'll have Mahdi guarding him which is a great matchup to see. Watching those two go at it is really fun to see. Sameh has really stepped up this year, the teams going to need him to be efficient and score some buckets. Weiss has been playing his role very effectively, he spreads the defense and has a good sense of positioning. Defensively they'll just need to lock down Mahdi and Sajad. If they can stop those two from scoring and come up with a defensive scheme to do that and execute they'll limit the scoring on the other side. Now to Mahdi's team. They're not playing at full strength, but that's the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. Mahdi will need to take the offense into his own hands and trust his teammates. Like I mentioned before Raza is a tough defender and nothings going to be easy. I think Sajad should have a good matchup if he can consistently finish around the rim. I think the team has to play through him to open up the offensive scoring. My pick to win in the final game is going to be Swish Kebabs. I think they're too poised and smart to let up a lead. They've been playing great all season and just have one last hurdle to overcome.

 

Swish wins by 8

Ghoul Squad vs. Swish Kebabs

 

Juicy matchup here. This team met in Week 1 and Swish took a second half lead with injuring Ghoul's star player. Dean had to leave the game because he got hit in the nose if I recall correctly. During that period, Swish took the lead and never looked back. This was a fast paced game, and it's tough to stop Raza in transition. That boy's got an engine built to last, no pun intended. Omari's still hurt, but the team looked very effective with him on the court last week. Weiss has a hurt nose. So how do I see this game playing out? Well, Ghoul needs to stop the transition and force Raza and team to play in half court sets. If they can do that, then I can see this game being pretty close. I'll assume that Swish is going to play zone defense, so they'll need to keep tabs on Dean and Ghoul will need to rely on their team to hit some shots and break the zone. This games going to be an experience. Grab your popcorn folks! Swish Kebabs wins by 7.

 

Tund Team vs. Ashak

 

I don't see Ashak losing here. Mahdi is going to be tough to stop along with his two bigs. I don't think that Ashak has the size or the speed to deal with them offensively. Elias is going to have to go crazy this week and just drain everything. Mahdi is going to be a pest defensively and I feel like he's going to make life difficult on Elias. I'm happy that Tund Team made it this far, you guys get an A for effort, but Sayar needs to go back to the drawing board and figure out how to get Elias some better supporting players. Ashak is looking like they have an easy trip to the finals and whomever they play on the other side of the bracket will be a great matchup to conclude the season. Ashak by 15.

Afghanimals vs Ghoul Squad

 

Ghoul squad coming off back to back losses missing their star player Dean and missing captain Ali Omari. From Ali recovering from injury to Dean missing last few weeks this team is going to have a tough time finding their rhythm and reestablishing their identity. If they want to win Dean needs to have a huge game and guys like Elias, Ali Shoaib, Fardeen have to step up. Jamil and Ali W need to give key defensive minutes and give life to this team off the bench. Realistically their fighting a uphill battle. Afghanimals on the other hand after the trade have gotten some juice. Slay and Aryaa coming off their best games of the season. Both look like they actually have passion and playing hard basketball now. Very limp on the other team. Adding Matteen to the mix its hard to say how they’ll blend but I think their my dark horse to win if the top two seeds don’t win. Have Aryaa and Matteen who can go off any game and then Slay, Fawod, Sajjad make them very balanced on the defensive end and the glass. Not to mention Farhad and Amir Hussein adding to scoring options from deep. Scary team on paper. Captain Muj fleeeeced Yaqub. Could go either way in a nail biter but I think if they make it hard on Dean and force the other guys to beat them Afghanimals by 10.

 

Safayducks vs Tund Team

 

I also like Safayducks after the trade team seems to be playing much better. Addition by subtraction. Yaqub Reshad and Ali Rameen play well together. Reshad and Rahim make this team much more dynamic. They can push the tempo much better and are capable of a lot more. Wahdat and Ali Akbar very smart and take good care of the ball. Really comes down to them stopping Clark Kent. Someone on Tund Team lie and tell elias someone was talking shit so he goes ham. Or offer him a carlos alcaraz card for winning the chip. Their gonna need a 30 20 game from him. If Zabi can stay hot from deep the rest of the boys play super hard defense they have a shot. If they can put together a defensive scheme to clamp up Jake the snake they can very much win. Limiting him will be key because in the half court they don’t have many other shot creators. Their probably going to throw 3 guys on elias though and end up winning this one. Safayducks by 7.

Afghanimals vs. Ghoul Squad

 

Afghanimals coming off a big win to end the regular season. This team still hasn't fully played together with Mateen being out the last two weeks. Arya put the team on his back and now this team looks to go into playoffs with a very well-rounded roster. The real question is how they'll mesh together and what is their identity? Personally, this team is really well-rounded. They have Arya to create and just go get you buckets, Farhad is your corner 3pt threat, Slay just exists, Fawod is a veteran presence, and Mateen can penetrate and finish around the rim. If this team gel's together and captain Muj has a solid game plan this game has all the hype to have the crowd at the edge of their seats. On the flip side, Ghoul is coming off a poor finish of their regular season missing their star Dean, and their second rounder Omari. They'll be at full strength and match up very well with the competitor. If they can get back to the basics and find ways to get their stars open then the last remaining piece is their supporting cast has to finish the open looks. This games coming down to the wire and the winner's going to be the team that minimizes their mistakes. Note to Slay: Baba Yaga is coming for you.

Ghoul Squad wins by 3

 

Tund Team vs. Safayducks

 

Interesting matchup here. Jake and team played very well last week, they seem to have better chemistry. I like their odds here, Rahim and Reshad have fit in well in this system and adding great value to being Jake's supporting cast. Tund team is starting to catch rhythm, I don't see Elias going 0-9 from downtown again. Doctor Zabi was on fire last week and is playing way smarter with the ball. He's showing that an OG can still have an effect on the game. I would like to see some more of Mobasher, if you find him open he can usually knock down some buckets and he plays defense like a NFL linebacker. Overall, I think Jake's team is more talented and will advance. They just need to get back on defense. Tund team needs to run quick transitions if they want to stay in this game.

SafayDucks wins by 11

W

Ghoul Squad vs. SafayDucks

 

Well, the teams have been shaken up a bit here and SafayDucks has a completely new look acquiring Ali Azimson, Rahim, and Reshad. Last week they were missing two of their new players, hopefully looking to be at full strength this week. We'll have to see how this team plays with Jake. Ghoul Squad is coming off a loss missing their top 2 players last week. This week it looks like they'll be missing them again. Tough for Ghoul Squad to match up with them. Elias will need to play some solid defense down low and not allow any in the paint scoring. Scoring from Ghoul Squad will need to come off of patience and taking good looks. Last week they missed a lot of open layups and opportunities that they need to execute on. Look for Fardeen, Shoiab, and Elias to execute on the offensive side.

 

SafayDucks wins by 11

 

Ashak Attack vs. Swish Kebabs

 

GAME OF THE NIGHT! I heard Weiss might be out this week, he's a key player on Swish Kebabs getting some in the paint points and beasting on the boards. I think Swish Kebabs should come out with a pretty good game plan to stop Sejad, that's going to be their difficulty. Sejad just needs to be more efficient finishing around the rim, but hey if he gets the board and puts it back in no harm done right? They also have Baram, this guy needs a good nickname, might just start calling him "hulk smash". I've seen him turn green a few times. Watching Mahdi and Raza match up should be really fun, both guards and quick on their feet with great IQ. Swish Kebabs needs to see some RAZzle Dazzle tonight, hope the fireworks continue after July 4th for him. Sameh and Mahdi need to be big contributors in order to win tonight. Overall, without Weiss I think the paint presence is going to be the difference maker.

 

Ashak Attack wins by 8

 

Tund Team vs. Afghanimals

 

Ok, so easy one here. Afghanimals has Arya, Mateen, Fawod, Slay e fitna, and Farhad is a mean starting lineup. Arya and Mateen will be the primary ball handlers, Fawod and Slay should look to screen and get guys open. Slay needs to learn how to set some better screens to be impactful on the offensive end. One more comment Slay, please don't dribble up the court after getting a rebound, look for your outlet. You can start doing that when you have some Jokic-esque handles.I have to say Sahil might be my favorite 6th man. Last week I remember seeing him give Raza a hard bump in the beginning of the game. Followed by a brotherly smile afterwards. This kids got grit and heart on the court, love to see it. The Tund boys had a great game last week, they played well together it's unfortunate that Nawheed disclocated his finger. Get well soon champ! Elias is going to need to attack the paint and draw some fouls, get the other team in trouble. Force Slay to play good defense down there and I think that's the best course of action. If they're in a zone come up with a game plan to break it and force them into man.

 

Afghanimals wins by 14

Swish Kebabs vs. Tund Team

 

Do I really need to say anything here? Swish Kebabs is going to blow this team out of the water the same way that Ghoul Squad did last week in the first half. Swish Kebabs starting lineup is very well rounded with a lot of shooters, and let's be real Raza is super quick and tough to stop him getting to the basket. Now, if Tund wants to neutralize this team. They'll need to get back and stop the transition firstly. If i was them, I would probably just man Raza and have everyone else sit in a zone. You'll have to live with Hafiz, Mahadye, and Sameh taking their shots. I don't know if they can man up, but hey that's the other option. Offensively, you're going to have to give that handsome guy Elias the ball and let him dominate.

 

Swish Kebabs wins by 15

 

SafayDucks vs. Ashak Attack

 

Gritty game here, I would not want to get caught in the paint with these guys. You have Sejad, Ali Rahmin, Jake, Slay, Baram all banging down low, pause. I pray for everyones safety in this matchup, but this is likely to be an emotional and high intensity game. Now, what do the SafayDucks have to do to win? Find the mismatch! Play team ball, move it around, someone should have a mismatch. If they leave Slay open, let him hit his open shots. If i'm you guys, I'm attacking Murtaza and forcing him to to make the defensive stops. If he's on Farhad, then screen for him and find ways to get him open looks. If you get their defense scrambling it'll open up the game for everyone else and they'll have to adjust. If they're in a zone, break down the zone by feeding the free throw line and looking for baseline guys or kicking out to your shooters. Keep it simple. Ashak Attack has been good offensively, Mahdi distributed the ball very well last week and was finding his men with open looks, they just need to keep capitalizing and playing through their star.

 

Ashak Attack wins by 7

 

Afghanimals vs. Ghoul Squad Battle of the Aminyar's, Dean vs. Mateen! The brothers match up head to head in an exciting game. Afghanimals have been struggling offensively with teams throwing double teams at Mateen and daring the rest of the team to score. Afghanimals needs to finish their easy opportunities and hit some shots. I think this team can be good but they need some confidence and shoot at a better percentage. Coach Muj has been deploying some great game plans, interested to see what he comes up with this week. On the flip side, Ghoul Squad had a full team last week and welcome back Fardeen who was a great addition on the court. The team was clicking on all cylinders last week, as long as they keep playing through Omari and Dean, this team will continue to shine.

 

Ghoul Squad by 10

1. Ashak Attack (2-0) -

 

Madhi didn't need to score this game, he was seeing doubles all game, stilll hit a middy with a man in his face and went 3/3 from downtown. Murtaza has been a stepping up his game, we'll continue to see him be an x-factor down the stretch. I mentioned this in my Week 1 Power Rankings, but if this kid can knock them down he'll this teams looking at a chip. Sejad has been a great supplemental player to this team, getting boards and finishing down low. I'd like to see more of that out of him, he should be the second most utilized player on the team.

 

2. Swish Kebabs (2-0) -

 

Another efficient game from Raza, it annoys me how he doesn't take any bad looks. Like dude, just have a bad game once in a while. Weiss is inching in on that double/double, it's loading. Mahadye and Sameh both need to be more efficient from the 3pt range to make this team dangerous. Looks like an off night for them. I didn't get to watch this game but I'm assuming the quick transition was too much for the White Ducks to handle.

 

3. Ghoul Squad (1-1) -

 

Great all around team game, their defensive scheme was on point. Dean Aminyar made it hell for Elias to try and cross anyone up from the outside. Dean is making a case for DPOY with his smothering defense and sticky fingers. Fardeen was the missing element the prior week, he made a difference opening up the offense and not allowing any double teams. The thing is, when Fardeen and Shoiab are present, they're the knock down shooters so you either deal with Omari/Dean heads up or you double and let the other two burn you. Jamil had a few travels, let's just say his frequent flyer miles might be maxed out. Ali Wahide with a 3 pointer this week might have been the showcase of the night, he definitely treated himself to a triple double heart attack style cheeseburger. Omari looked like his usual self, playing in rhythm and hitting his shots, quietly having a double/double.

 

4. Safayducks (1-1) -

 

Missing Arya was a big hit to this team, looks like they couldn't get anything going shooting a whopping 25% from the field. That percentage can't win you games. This team needs to be more efficient and only having 5 assists isn't helping. Please guys, move the ball, figure it out. You guys need to play like a team and move the ball and work together. Also been saying this teams needs to offload their size, won't work with that many bigs.

 

5. Afghanimals (0-2) -

 

Mateen needs some help on this squad, he was getting doubled and a great deal of defensive attention. You could see the frustration in the second half. Ali Azimson has been rebounding great, clearing on both the offensive and defensive side. He just needs to finish those easy put backs. The cumulative team needs to hit shots when Mateen draws the double. Muj had a great game plan going into this defensively but it didn't hold up in the second half. The team can start clicking at some point this season and move up to the #4 spot, let's see if it happens.

 

6. Tund Team (0-2) -

 

Elias is still a beast putting up great efficient numbers, but who's helping him out? One thing I'd like to see from Elias is his vision when he's taking the ball inside and has men collapsing on him. I think this team needs to make a trade whether that's offloading Elias for two good pieces or better surrounding players. Tund shot 1/26 from 3pt, and that is never a recipe for success. Team needs to put Elias in positions to carry his squad, whether that's screening or hitting open shots. The team hasn't jelled yet or figured out how to win games.

SafayDucks vs. Swish Kebabs -

 

Arya is missing this week, so the team will need to lean heavily on Jake, Farhad, and their bigs. These teams don't match up well at all so curious to see how these teams decide to strategize their defense. I don't think SafayDucks will be able to contain Raza and Sameh, especially in their quick transition offense. They should both have another explosive week. Both teams are at 1-0, but someone's going to have to take a loss here. If Weiss and Hafiz can control the paint defensively, I think that Swish Kebabs will be win over the SittingDucks.

 

Swish Kebabs win by 10

 

 

2. Ashak Attack vs. Afghanimals -

 

New acquisition in Reshad, should add some help to Mateen and the rest of the team. I don't think they have what it takes to stop Mahdi and his team. They have a pretty well rounded team and without Muj, well, they're a middle of the pack team. I expect Mahdi to have a bounce back game. I don't see Azimson being able to contain Baram on the boards. Coach Muj is going to have to come up with a very good game plan to stay in the mix here.

 

Ashak Attack wins by 7

 

 

Tund Team vs. Ghoul Squad -

 

Tund needs to get their offense situated, Zabi needs to realize he's an older guy and not try driving to the rim. Doesn't work man! The team needs to get Elias the ball and let him create and score. The supplemental players also need to finish their buckets when they get open shots. I'm expecting a big game out of Dean, there's no one on the other side of the ball that can guard him so I'd imagine he could have a big game between buckets and assists. 

 

Ghoul Squad wins by 11

1. Swish Kebabs - As of now, this team has shown guts and glory with a very difficult matchup for the season opener. Swish Kebabs trailed for most of the game behind ~6-8 points, but they wouldn't lay in the casket. This team fought tooth and nail, and maybe I should mention nose? Knocking Dean out of the game for a ~5 minute stretch caused a swing that they took advantage of and once they had the lead they weren't looking back. Raza was his normal self, facilitating and playing great team basketball while still quietly scoring a whopping 23 points. Weiss is making good use of his Peloton, if he keeps winning bets on that thing he'll continue to be a great contributor in the post and might even have a double/double this season. The main man of the night was Sameh, he put the Swish in the Kebabs from downtown.

 

 

2. Ashak Attack - The dumpling squad was on full on attack mode, Baram finally made an appearance dominating the boards, Mahdi had a cool 19, but he'll need to get that shooting percentage up, when he heats up from 3, the rest of the league is in trouble. He did a great job facilitating and finding his guys. Sejad was the most efficient player scoring another 19. This team is solid all around and they have all the pieces to make a run. If Murtaza can hit some of his jumpers more consistently that'll open up the floor for the rest of the guys, this young buck has the opportunity to make some waves.

 

 

3. Ghoul Squad - Hard fought game, but ultimately took a loss to a top team in the league. Ali Shoiab went 4/8 from the 3 pointer, hitting some clutch shots. Dean looks to be a star, as we all expected. He played great basketball finishing at the rim and facilitating like a true point guard. Elias B was doing great on the rebounds and finished his open looks being a great supporting cast. Omari needs to find ways to score more, this week he took a step back to facilitate and find an open man. The supporting players need to finish around the rim and learn how to break down the zone defense. First game together, they took care of the ball and limited turnovers and had great ball movement. I expect this team to only get better going forward.

 

 

4. Safayducks - For now, I'll put this team at #4, but they could easily slide behind Afghanimals. They should have won this game with ease, and instead it went into double OT. Slay had some crucial turnovers in the game, he needs to clean that up and stop trying to cross people up dribble up the court, not your job bro! Farhad was a BUCKET and hit a clutch 3 to bring the game into OT, he's still a sniper, don't leave this guy open. Jake, Jake, Jake, when he draws the double he needs to kick the ball. He's a great player but just needs to take what the game gives him instead of forcing his way into the paint. When Jake sat in the first half, the ball started to move and everyone got involved. That's how the game needs to be with Jake on the court. The team also needs to get on the same page and not be so heated in the huddle and stay composed. They have the most potential, it just needs to be unlocked. Arya had to force a lot of his looks, I mentioned this in a previous post, but they need to find ways to get him open and shooting.

 

 

5. Afghanimals - No Muj/Fawad. Missing their first and third rounder. This game would've been a walk through if they were at full strength. Mateen put the team on his back scoring 19 and getting his players involved. Rahim was a surprising new player, his shot looks like a knuckleball but he can be a great contributor on this team. Once they find out Muj's diagnoses, they'll have more clarity on what the team looks like going forward. Also with Fawod, that'll bring a veteran presence with a guy that can do it all. He'll be a great combination and help Mateen out.

 

 

6. Tund Team - Can't say I didn't call this one, Tund lost by 18. Elias had his usual double/double, He needs some help and his supporting cast needs to make their buckets. This team's going to have a tough season, but they need to figure out what works for them or hit the trade block.