NNJ Summer 2026 Week 3 Predictions

Another week of great matchups, check yours below to see what to look out for…

Cairo vs Jerusalem

Jerusalem’s offense has been good and they will continue to give Mike high shot volume. The more Jay Wiggins can force Mike outside without help, the more success Cairo’s defense will have. This will be a great individual matchup, but if Mike gets the upper hand, Cairo can still hang on with the right defensive rotations. The only weakness for Jerusalem is you know where the ball is going.

Cairo has the offensive depth to run up the score in a hurry but teams have been able to slow them down in the past. The key for Jerusalem is to stop drives down the middle and give up nothing easy at the basket. Fares has good length but we need to see if he can position himself to contest everything around the rim. Cairo relies heavily on Trey when they go cold and that matchup may fall to Fares as well.

Players like Afay, Fares, and Mahrooz can play very efficiently with this offense. Jerusalem has the higher floor but defense will determine the ceiling.

Jerusalem by 4

Amman vs Dhaka

This has not been the start Dhaka envisioned regarding availability, discipline, and margin of loss. Their strength will always be the scoring of Ian and Ty but Amman may be able to collapse the paint and take it away. Dhaka would benefit from slowing the pace and getting players like Muhannad and Mujahed, who play big minutes, involved without asking them to create on their own.

Amman is a nightmare to guard for any team, especially Dhaka who are not built to excel defending in transition. If Adeeb continues to be on fire from three, Dhaka’s defense could feel too stretched out. The focus on defense has to be to apply pressure on the perimeter and contest with multiple bodies at the rim, which will take a team effort.

Dhaka still has to play better as a team and find a formula to stay competitive.

Amman by 10

Damascus vs Islamabad

The Islamabad offense showed real balance last week against a team with strong individual defenders. Damascus has to be focused and well positioned to both close out and stay in front of the guards that thrive on the move like Shahzaib and Raj. They’ll also need a high motor to keep up with all the extra passes, though Singer will surely bring the energy if he shows up.

With Singer in the mix, Damascus’ offense had more ball handling to get into the paint but they still struggled to score with efficiency. Deep will lead the back line for Islamabad and if he can anticipate the aggressive dribble drives and step in, they should have no problem containing this offense. The focus should be on ending possessions on the defensive glass.

Islamabad has the better depth and chemistry to play consistently throughout the game.

Islamabad by 7

Istanbul vs Beirut

Beirut share the ball well, especially after beating the initial man on the drive but if they don’t hit their 3s, defenses can settle in the paint. Jojo is off to a slow shooting start but Istanbul doesn’t have a great defensive matchup on the wing as they are mostly a collection of guards and bigs. Nick and Muhanad should focus on protecting the paint.

There’s potential for Istanbul to build on a strong game from their bigs, as Nick and Muhannad should have success down low if Khalid doesn’t show up again. Beirut’s focus should be to deny those entry passes into the paint and make the guards win on the outside, either driving or shooting.

Istanbul is better than an 0-3 team but Beirut is due for a good 3pt shooting game which will make them very difficult to stop.

Beirut by 6

Mombasa vs Lahore

Great win last week for Lahore, who will look to keep it going in another tough matchup. The rookie trio of Julian, Adham and Chase gives them different options to initiate offense in the halfcourt. Mombasa has Elias as a big but no frontcourt partner to match the size of both Aadil and Adham. How they help will be key but Zubair and Mustafa can make them pay from three.

Mombasa leads the league in threes, allowing them to stretch the defense and score points very quickly. The trio of Ali Hassan, Sal and Dean are forcing defenses to dig deep looking for perimeter defenders. Lahore has played some zone which will help contain the drive and kick but if Mombasa hits 3s over the top, they need to be ready to mix it up and pressure them out of rhythm.

If Lahore can win the rebounding battle and points in the paint convincingly, it may be too difficult for Mombasa to overcome shooting jumpers.

Lahore by 5

Kabul vs Gaza

Gaza’s offense can be hard to guard when they play fast and spread the ball for quick threes. When the shots aren’t falling, though, they can go 8-34 from three like last week. Fursan can be a secondary option in the post but Kabul has lots of size. With Stal and Mike, Kabul has the ability to prevent paint drives but they haven’t shown the ball pressure to stop Gaza if needed.

After losing a 20 point lead in Week 1 and forfeiting Week 2, it’s reasonable to question the mentality of Kabul right now. However, they’ll lean on their experience and chemistry to bounce back. It seems like Kabul will be top heavy offensively, so Safad should try and make them play against a set defense led by Fursan, Brandon and Big O.

Gaza's offense is too boom or bust against a good paint defense that will make it difficult for Fursan.

Kabul by 6

GAME OF THE WEEK: Granada vs Tripoli

Tripoli has lots of options offensively and are willing to share the ball. Usually that’s enough to give teams problems but against Granada, they’ll need more. They need to create good catch and shoot threes. Elias, Moad and Moayad have to make them pay early. Granada can focus on defending the paint until they prove to be a threat from three.

Strong start to the season for Muhammad Elhindi which will be a huge boost for Granada this season. With Zain in the post and Elhindi stretching the floor, Granada’s offense gets very efficient shots as they look to defend their title. Tripoli has lots of size with Mana and AK, so they should deny Zain deep post position and make Granada win over the top.

Granada's selection of shooters gives their offense more balance, which gives them a slight edge in a game between two good defenses.

Granada by 3