The standings are starting to take shape as we've officially entered the stretch where teams are building their identity.

If they haven't by now…. time is running out.

Welcome to week 5, the officially halfway mark of our Summer Ball season.

As we do every week before jumping into the matchups, let's keep our hearts and duas with the people of Palestine and all those across the Ummah facing hardship. May Allah grant them strength, victory, and relief.

Let’s get into some predictions !!

Deir Al- Balah (3-1) vs Bir Seb’a (4-0)

Our first game of the week looks like a good one. Newly acquired Shaz had a strong debut last week and already seems to be a perfect fit for this Bir Seb’a squad. Must be nice being 4-0 in a week's time

I’ll be honest, I thought size was going to be a problem for them, especially after moving on from Hassan, but they looked solid out there. Props to Malik Abunasra, who stepped up and played well.

Now, back to the matchup at hand, Deir Al-Balah is coming off their first loss of the season, though they were missing their floor general, Elias. I’m not sure exactly why he was out, but they’re going to need him this week, not just for his defense, but for how well he’s been running the offense. Having another true ball handler on the floor frees up Mana to do what he does best: establish himself in the paint and dominate inside.
This game has GOTW written all over it. It’s going to be a really fun one to watch, especially seeing how Bir Seb’a plans to deal with Mana down low.

I’m also hoping for a bounce-back performance from Ehsan, who has been the 1A/1B for Balah so far this season. I expect him to respond well.
It’s going to be close, but I’m taking Balah in this one, handing Bir Seb’a their first loss of the season. And a “bold prediction”, Mana goes for 20 and 20.

Al Balah by 5

Safad (1-3) Vs Khan Yunis (2-2)

I’m not sure what the vision is for Safad after the blockbuster trade they pulled off last week, but they’ll need to figure something out quickly because they’re slipping further down the standings with each passing week. That being said, their size advantage should definitely come into play this week as they go up against a Musa Yanes-led Khan Yunis, and having multiple guys to throw at Musa is never a bad thing.
I caught some of the Khan Yunis game last week, and they looked sharp. Muhammad Assaf came out on fire, which proved to be too much for their opponent to handle as Khan Yunis built a double-digit lead in the first quarter and never looked back. While Big Moose is always capable of giving you 25+ points on any given night, it’s been nice to see this squad getting production from others to take the load off. Ghazi played well, and both Moayad and Muhammad added 11 points each.
Switching gears back to Safad, Hassan and Islam are going to need to bring their A-game if they want any shot in this one. I’m not exactly sure who this team’s true primary ball handler is — I’m assuming it’s Islam, but personally, I’d rather see him play off the ball more. Unfortunately, with how this roster is built, that may not be an option.
That being said, I won’t completely count out Safad. If they can get big performances from multiple players, they’ve got a shot. But realistically, I’m still rolling with Khan Yunis to get the win.

Khan Yunis by 8

Haifa (1-3) Vs Baysan (3-1)

Heartbreak after heartbreak for this squad…
Three losses this season by a combined four points. What looked like a secured win — up 15 in the first half and still holding a 4-point lead with 20 seconds left — somehow slipped away, and Haifa falls short yet again. As we’ve mentioned in power rankings, predictions, and even on the podcast, this team could easily be sitting at 4-0 right now. But closing games has been their kryptonite, and until they figure that out, they’ll keep finding themselves in these frustrating positions.
Baysan, on the other hand, is also coming off a tough loss, though unlike Haifa’s storyline, this one wasn’t close. Even without Adeeb, an 18-point loss is unacceptable. No one shot well, and if that trend continues against Haifa, it could be another rough outing, especially considering Haifa is a team that tends to start games hot. From what I’ve heard, both teams will be missing key starters this week. That means it’s on the role players, the guys not named the main guys, to step up and make an impact.
I’ve been waiting for Haifa to finally give us a convincing win. Every time it feels like they’ve got a game wrapped up, it somehow falls apart. Both teams desperately need this one. A Haifa loss drops them to 1-4 heading into the bye week, while Baysan is looking to avoid back-to-back losses after their 3-0 start.
I’ll give Haifa one more shot. I believe this is the week they finally hold onto a lead and close out with a solid, much-needed win
Haifa by 7

Rafah (2-2) vs Nazareth (2-2)

The team is finally starting to click, and the wins are starting to show for it. Rafah picks up another close victory and is now riding a two-game win streak. POTW Jojo and Hassan led the way, especially with an impressive defensive showing in the second half — and talk about a comeback!
I’m still waiting for Zubidi to have a breakout performance. He tweaked his ankle early in the game but did come back and finish, so hopefully, that doesn’t hold him back moving forward. It’s also great to see Jojo back to his usual self — this team needs him at his best to help carry the load alongside Hassan.
Credit to Captain Mustafa, who made some roster adjustments that seem to be paying off. Hashem has been a solid pickup, and when Habi shows up, he’ll likely be just as valuable to this squad.
I didn’t pay too much attention to Nazareth last week, but it’s good to see them back in the win column. No surprise here, it seems like they play better against teams with size rather than squads that push the pace and play fast. Unfortunately for them, that doesn’t bode well this week as they face off against one of the quicker teams in the league. Shafic vs. Hassan will be a fun matchup to watch, but Rafah is hot right now, and I expect them to extend their win streak to three in a row.
That said, I do want to see more from others on this Rafah squad outside of just Jojo and Hassan. This is the perfect game for some of those role players to step up and make their mark.

Rafah by 4

Jenin (0-4) Vs Jerusalem (0-4)

Luckily for them, one will finally erase that 0 in the win column this week.
Jerusalem surprised a lot of people last week, jumping out to a 10-point lead in the first half against Gaza… but as has been the story all season, they couldn’t hold on, eventually losing by 10.

Muhanad had his first rough game of the year and will need to bounce back this week. I’m also still waiting to see more from Malik, who should be this team’s best shooter. Yes, his touches have been limited, but he hasn’t looked like himself so far.
On the Jenin side, it looks like the injury to Anas Najib is more serious than initially expected, as he missed another game. I don’t have any inside intel on his status, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s held out until after the bye week to get right.
Towfeek made another guest appearance last week and nearly dropped a triple-double — shoulder looks just fine to me, lol. If he suits up again alongside Ali Hassan, Jenin is going to be tough to beat. That said, I’m not exactly sure how the guest player rule works in this situation.

Size is what makes Jerusalem appealing, especially against one of the smaller teams in the league. I think this is finally the week they pull it off and secure their first win, but it’s going to be a close one.
Trust me, no one wants to be the squad sitting at 0-5 heading into the bye.

Jerusalem by 3


Gaza (4-0) Vs Areeha (4-0)

Although both of these teams come into this week undefeated, one of them definitely feels a little more convincing than the other.

Gaza is looking like the best team in the league up to this point, but I’m not sure I can say the same for Areeha. Yes, they’re sitting at 4-0, but I’m not exactly sold on the strength of their schedule. That being said, I love being proved wrong, and this is the perfect game for them to show me otherwise.
The matchup to watch? Mahdy vs. Nick, the best offensive team in the league going up against the best defensive squad.

As I mentioned before, Gaza found themselves in a double-digit hole early last week, but great teams always seem to find a way to fight back, and that’s exactly what they did. Another impressive outing from Mahdy, with Elias coming up with some big-time buckets when they needed them most.
On the Areeha side, you can’t ignore the individual performances they’ve been getting. Splash has been fantastic to start the season, and Sej has been quietly consistent and solid.

I hope Areeha proves me wrong this week, but until Gaza gives me a reason not to pick them, I’m sticking with them. I’ve picked Gaza every week so far, and I’m not changing that now.
Give me Gaza to stay undefeated.

Gaza by 8


Sheikh Jarrah (0-4) vs Yaffa (2-2)

I’ve been disappointed with this Sheikh Jarrah squad to start the season. They’re sitting near the bottom in just about every statistical category, and while Mahrooz has been playing well, I still need more from him. It doesn’t help when Mo Masri has been as underwhelming as he’s been so far.

Let’s be real — Mo is easily one of the best shooters in this league and has been doing it at a high level for a long time. They desperately need him to step up because the lack of outside scoring has been a huge reason for their struggles.

Now they face a Yaffa team that, to be fair, isn’t exactly lighting it up from deep either — but they still find ways to score consistently. Deep (no pun intended) has been playing really well over the past two weeks, and Omar Sehwail looked like an absolute dawg last game. Dropping 16 and 10 after missing the previous week is a great way to respond.

Aside from a sloppy Week 1, Amir has been quietly consistent. He’s shooting 55% from the field, not counting Week 1, and getting to the line 7 times a game.

This Yaffa squad is definitely underrated and still flying under the radar for most of the league, but they’ve been quietly putting it together. They should be able to take care of business here and improve to 3-2.

Yaffa by 4


We do have a bye week next week due to the 4th of July, but until we see a game, BrokenOne out!
#OpenTheVault
#StriveForAchiness