Season XV, Season Finale - Gold Division

[Commish]

YEAR 4
Season XV - Winter 2010
5 DIVISIONS
"GM of the Season"

Week 8 – Game Previews
March 20, 2010

By: Ken Ngarayawongse
Contributing Writer

The longest season of the year comes to an end as Winter 2010 says goodbye to the Regular Season. There is no clear favorite to win the title in any division and the field is wide open as it has ever been. A lot of questions remain unanswered – will -_- PG Jordan Ramos break the assists record? Will Gunnaz finish the season with an undefeated 8-0 record? Which team will win LeBronze Division?

A*Team vs. Gunnaz
GOLD DIVISION

A-Team takes on the undefeated Gunnaz. If any team can cause a blemish on their record, expect it to be A-Team.

Both teams seem evenly matched up and only the final buzzer will tell us whether A-Team can bring down Gunnaz. Gunnaz love to shoot the three ball averaging a whopping 9.6 threes per game. They rely on it heavily and have been successful thus far into the season. "O" the leading candidate for Rookie of the Season and Richard Busaka have been lights out from downtown, knocking in 25 and 21 respectively.

A-Team will need to control the perimeter or the game could turn into a blowout. With all the talk of Gunnaz shooting the three ball, people tend to forget how successful A-Team has been with the three ball, averaging 8.5. Expect high octane offense from both teams with the final score in the ball park of 180 to 200.

Jokes aside, no one thought Kassah Kantiok would lead a team to an undefeated record thru the Season Finale. He sat out the first two weeks because of injury and even then, he was met with a wave of critics saying his team would fall as he sat on the bench. Could Kassah once again silence the critics with a perfect season?

Bad News Ballers vs. Got Em
GOLD DIVISION

The former Lebronze team Bad News Ballers come into the final week looking to close out a successful season in Gold. The first of a double header puts them against a veteran gold team in Got Em. The veteran team has had its share of good and bad moments. A win or loss here would still essentially guarantee both a spot in the playoffs; it will just be a matter of ranking for these two quality teams.

Bad News Ballers have made notable additions and they all have paid big dividends. Although they showcase a starting lineup that is capable of getting 20 plus points on any given night, Kenny Ali has been the focal point. He leads the way with 16.8 points, 4.8 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. With Gold getting so competitive, Got Em made moves of their own in the offseason, picking up Rahsaan Reyes(15.6 ppg, 2.3 spg) and Rob Da Silva(8.9 ppg, 9.0 rpg).

Rahsaan provides an all-star caliber guard while Rob provides a solid inside presence. This should be an interesting matchup between two teams capable of taking home the championship. Look for Rahsaan Reyes and Kenny Ali to go point for point and expect a high scoring affair in the final week.

Bad News Ballers vs. Flight School
GOLD DIVISION

In the second set of a double header, Bad News Ballers takes on Flight School. Both team shared the same record coming into the final week but both could slip and rise in the rankings.

Flight School can consider this a successful season thanks in large part to Victor Mitchell. He has dominated Gold averaging 26.8 points, 5.8 assists, and 2.5 steals. David Marquez has played sidekick averaging 16.8 points 2.2 steals. The X-factor for Flight School will be Daniel Corral. He has been a double double machine this season and he will have to control the glass against the bigs in John Spaniol and Ronnie Johnson. The duo combines for 35.6 points and 21.0 rebounds. With so many weapons on both sides, this game should be an explosive game from start to end.

Encore vs. Wedahshitudaflys
GOLD DIVISION

Encore looks to rebound from a loss in week 7. They take on Wedashitudaflys, a team trying to make a late push for playoff positioning. Encore is led by Alphonso White and Allen Brown. Alphonso is averaging a team high 16.1 points while Allen has been lights out from downtown with 22 threes on the season.

Allen provides an outside threat while Alphonso provides for the electrifying dunks. Wedashitudaflys play a more fundamental game and rely heavily on their inside game. They have three players nearly averaging a double double. Alex Ivezaj leads the way offensively with 18.6 points per game and Richard Ramirez leads the way defensively with 10.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. With so much emphasis on their inside game, it should be a tough game for encore to find a rhythm offensively. Encore is faced with a tough matchup but are already a lock for the playoffs.

Bullies vs. The Rock
GOLD DIVISION

The Rock and Bullies have had disappointing seasons. They know the feeling of success as both teams have enjoyed Top 5 rankings seasons before this.

The Rock is led by Mike Ashanti and Raymond Henry. The duo combines for 28.8 points and could provide matchup problems for the Bullies. Dale Barnes will also play a crucial role in week 8 as he provides a solid post presence, averaging 8.8 points and 10.5 rebounds.

Bullies are led by Brandon Jones and Jay-R Gomez. They combine to average 33.8 points and will take on The Rock’s duo. Although both team have go to players, they rely on their role players to play a big part in the offense. Expect a close game, giving Bullies a slight advantage

Bullies vs. Brotherhood
GOLD DIVISION

Bullies showcase a disappointing record of 2-4 coming into week 8. However their record doesn’t give the correct impression as the team has the talent to contend.

Brotherhood is also a team struggling to make a mark this season, they could make the playoffs should they win both games in week 8. They will need to get past Bullies if they want the second game of their double header to have any meaning.

Brotherhood will be led by Shaun Miller and Mike Von Borstel. Shaun Miller has played at an all-star level averaging 16.0 points and 14.0 rebounds. Mike is draining from deep averaging 3.2 threes on his way to 13.8 points per game. Chad Fune(7.5 spg) and Andrew Hacker (14.0 rpg) will need to contain Shaun Miller in the post if they want to take a home a win. Expect Brandon Jones(16.8ppg) to handle the offensive load while the bigs try to contain Shaun and Mike.

Premier vs. The Rock
GOLD DIVISION

Premier has stumbled in the latter half of the season, losing two straight. They need a win in week 8 to solidify their playoff spot. While Premier is looking to make a push in the playoff standings, The Rock is simply looking for a way to crack the final playoff spot.

Premier is led by Victor Arellano, averaging 15.2 points and 6.8 rebounds. He provides much of the offense but also contributes heavily on the defensive side with 6 steals and 6 blocks on the season. He will need to come up big on both sides if Premier wants to pull off a win against a Hungry Rock team. He will have the task of containing Raymond Henry who is averaging a team high 15 points while looking to find his offense against a solid defender in Dale Barnes (10.5 rpg). Expect a close game in the finale.

Blitzburgh vs. Upper hand
GOLD DIVISION

The Upper Hand takes on Blitzburgh in the season finale. Upper Hand showcases several players capable of scoring 20 plus points on any given night. However David West has always been consistent offensively and defensively for the team since he entered the league. He is averaging a team high 14.5 points, 2.8 threes, and 3.5 steals. It’s surprising to see such a talented team with sub 500 records. They should however return to .500 after they finish up their double header in week 8.

Blitzburgh currently sitting on the 12^th spot is likely the most balanced team in the league. They can score, distribute, rebound, and defend with ease. Mike Epps leads the way offensively with 25 points per game while brother Chris Epps defends with 17 steals on the season. Josh Rendon has played facilitator all season averaging 5.2 assists per game. Both teams love to share the ball and will be an interesting matchup.

Bullets vs. Brotherhood
GOLD DIVISION

In the second game of their double header, Brotherhood takes on the lowly Bullets. Their first game against Bullets will determine whether this game is relevant or not. Brotherhood is favored in this matchup but Bullets could play spoiler in the final week.

Bullets is led by Jose Perez and should be a lock for the all-star game. He is averaging 13.5 points and 8.3 rebounds. He will go head to head against all-star Shaun Miller. He is a double double machine with 16 points and 14 rebounds. The winner of this individual matchup should determine the outcome of this game.

Green Light District vs. Upper hand
GOLD DIVISION

Upperhand takes on the 1-4 Green Light District. Upperhand has a considerable advantage in week 8 with 6 players in double figures while Green Light only showscases 3 players in double figures.

Justin Dang will look to increase his average of 13.7 ppg considering he has three games in week 8. Upper Hand will not have stats in mind, rather just looking for a way to make playoffs.

A*Team vs. Dynasty
GOLD DIVISION

Dynasty has been on a downward spiral, losing three straight. They look to salvage their season, needing to win both their games in week 8. They have a tough matchup in their first game against A-Team.

The team showcases 4 players in double figures, with Alan Jones leading the way. Alan is averaging a team high 18.8 points and 8.0 rebounds. With Alan Jones already creating potential matchup issues; Dynasty will also have to take into account former MVP Sam Yeung, All Stars Victor Lee and DJ Jones. With so many weapons on A-Team they should wreak havoc on Dynasty as they have struggled to find offense.

Jesse Romero and Thomas Cruz have been consistent all year and both will need a huge game here to pull off an upset. Jesse is averaging 22.4 points and 11.6 rebounds while Thomas is the team’s second leading scorer with 13.3 points per game. A win here is crucial for Dynasty and could mark the end of their season should they lose.

Dynasty vs. Green Light District
GOLD DIVISION

Green Light District has had a tough season much like their opponent Dynasty. However Green Light District has only played 5 games coming into the final week. If they could reel off three straight wins, they should have a spot in the playoffs. Although the team doesn’t showcase any players averaging over 15 points, they rely on a team oriented offense.

They play unselfish and once they get more time under their belt they could be contenders. Justin Dang and Paul Porter will need to step up their game if they want to be successful against Dynasty. Justin will need to provide much of the offense while Paul will need to contain Dynasty’s center Jesse Romero. He is averaging a double double with 22.4 points and 11.6 rebounds. Both team seem to be evenly match and could be an interesting final game of the day and season.

Flight School vs. Kings of Krunk
GOLD DIVISION

GM Ryan Rulloda requested this match-up and on the final weekend of Winter 2010, it looks like Kings of Krunk is finally favored on the scheduled.

They take on Flight School after the second set of a double-header and Kings of Krunk should easily cruise for the win. They are 4-2 thanks to Chris Encines who is averaging 11.0 ppg. Brandon Papez leads the team with 19.4 ppg while Alex Sanchez is averaging 9.0 ppg. With Jonathan Gibson choking for New Mexico this weekend, look for Kings of Krunk play with passion as they try to win one for their former franchise player.

Bullets vs. Kings of Krunk
GOLD DIVISION

Bullets are 0-6 and while this seems like a mis-match, Bullets have the recipe for an upset. Most of the players from Kings of Krunk play for Buckets, a winless team in Diamond Division. They’re playing just an hour before this match-up so look for Kings of Krunk to be fatigue in the contest. Chris Encines won’t be available due to this coaching schedule so look for Kings of Krunk to be short-handed.