Annnndddd we're back with the predictions. With this season being a draft, matches are definitely harder to predict, but np, I'll still nail them all on the head.
Feel free to post your own predictions in the form of replies to this post down below.

Dhaka @ Islamabad:
At first sight, I thought GM Mairaj drafted a top 2 team, but looking at matchups it's much closer than I had formerly thought. Dhaka is probably the biggest team, but that leaves all the speed to Towfeek, Mana, and Ameer, and none are particularly “speedy”. That is what has me leaning the other way. Islamabad has the shooting in Idris, Amir, Splash, and even Zain which works perfectly against Dhaka's size. Salim L has the speed and size to fight for rebounds, and don’t be surprised to find a flying Samna snatching his number of boards. I do believe Dhaka will be one of the better teams, offensively they’re as complete as it gets, but there are some holes I’m seeing defensively that I think Islamabad can take advantage of. That being said, I am predicting Islamabad, but I can easily see Dhaka’s size and power being too much for Islamabad, or any other team moving forward.
Islamabad by 3.

Damascus @ Jerusalem:
On paper, these two teams match up pretty well; I’m not seeing any clear advantages from either team. Looking a bit deeper into things, Jerusalem’s legs are definitely younger, and that should definitely be a factor. On the other hand Damascus is certainly more experienced, and with Mujtaba at the helm the sky is the limit for this team. Mujtaba can pull the best out of his teammates, or just take over games, but I have to say Jerusalem has the firepower to compete with anyone. Jerusalem is going to be a very dynamic team, and a very difficult one to predict, but their speed, hustle, and firepower is going to be tough to contain. X Factors are Hassan and Aadil, don’t sleep on them, they will give you a hard time.
Jerusalem by 6.

Kashgar @ Sana’a:
Easiest game to predict thus far. Kashgar seems to be lacking that player who has both size and speed to counter Mo Abdelhadi. Really tough matchup for Kashgar, and potentially everyone else. Abdelhadi + Billal + Kareem, mannn what a combo. We’re looking at a relentless effort on the boards, on the attack, and on that “in your face” defense. That combo spells disaster for the likes of Anas Zubi, up and comer Amir Hassan, and an aging Zeeshan Khan. Do I think Kashgar completely folds though? No, Raeid is capable of being relentless himself, and he’s going to need to bring that against Abdelhadi. Furthermore, Kashgar have the offensive firepower for that to be their greatest defense, but I think for that to work effectively against a tough Sana’a defense, Raza has to do his job playing the 1 perfectly, and I believe he is more than capable. I root for a perfect game and the underdog, but is it too much to ask?
Sana’a by 14.

Kabul @ Lagos:
Ali and Shafic vs Shaz and Singer, I wish it were that simple, that would be a fun 2v2 to watch. Unfortunately Kabul also got Sadat to facilitate, and some capable rebounders in Omari, Elias, and Dirty off the bench. I won’t overlook the other 2, let me say, very capable, scorers on Lagos, but the lack of versatility on this team could really haunt them. I don’t doubt Himey and Yusef will do their best to do their part on their boards and defensively, but there isn’t much versatility there for them to keep up throughout the game.
The same goes for the rest of Lagos, sure they have some of the most explosive skill players in the league, but here in week 1 they’re being challenged to expand their skillsets to match up against the full 1 through 5. Kabul has that here, they have everything they need to matchup against this Lagos roster.
Kabul by 8.
I think Lagos’ skill players keep them in it regardless.

Again, feel free to reply with your own thorough predictions.
And don’t forget to cast your own PICK’EM votes using this link:
https://muslimbasketball.org/pickem/

Edited by moderator Sunday, July 17, 2022 10:34:29 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified