NNJ FallBall 2025 Week 5 Predictions

Prediction Record Tracker: 17-15

I’m blaming last week’s 4-4 record on everyone that didn’t show up last week. Need a weekly MB injury report. Still misjudged a few teams but this week will get it back on track.

Al-Bireh vs Haifa

The pieces are there but Al-Bireh has yet to put together a complete game offensively. Khalid’s length driving in the paint and Adeeb’s versatility on the wing are two of the league’s biggest weapons. Positioning should focus on giving these two space and I think Hamza has proven he can be a reliable shooter. Defensively, I think Haifa will need to lean on Mo Raj’s physicality down low and anticipate Towfeek driving on kickouts.

The last couple weeks, Haifa has been able to beat players off the dribble easily with Amir and Shahzaib. They also haven’t played a big during their win streak whose length can affect their looks at the rim. I’d like to see them lean on their shooting to force Khalid to play the PnR up close and drag him out of the lane. If I’m Al-Bireh, I’d try and be physical early to get non shooters on the floor Khalid can help off of.

Haifa by 2

Bethlehem vs Tiberias

Leading the league in points and FG%, it probably feels like Bethlehem is impossible to stop on offense. So far they’ve leaned on having 5 strong starters to pick on weak defenders and using their athleticism in transition. To their credit, it has worked, but defenses need to focus on shrinking the floor against them. Tiberias might be able to with their zone if they clog the paint while focusing on shooters Trey and Omar Hussein.

Another team that likes to get out and run, Tiberias might look to turn this into a shootout. If you don’t have a body on Andrew anywhere a few steps past halfcourt, he will rise up and hit it. Together with Ali Hassan and Sal, the guards all attack closeouts well so you really have to stick to them early in the play, which takes focus to do for a full game. If he takes on the task, I think Jay can guard Andrew as good as anyone has this season.

Bethlehem by 4

Gaza vs Safad

If Gaza wants to continue running the offense through Ian Felix, the focus should be getting him going downhill, where he gets to his best spots. They should be more intentional about which defenders they involve in picks and how much ground they make them cover. Based on the evidence, I’m not sure they will remain composed enough to strategize. Safad has defended well all year and all they have to do is keep Ian contained.

The offense has flat out been below average for pretty much the whole season, and Safad has arguably made no changes at all to adjust. There’s no go-to shot that the offense works towards, resulting in poor percentages but also high turnovers. Aadil’s mid range floater and Fursan in the deep post could fill that role. If Gaza stays locked in, they can take away these looks and test Safad’s outside shooting.

Safad by 6

Jenin vs Areeha

It has been a grind for Jenin, working very hard to create space and having to hit high difficulty shots to keep the offense going. If they have a full lineup this week, I believe everything will seem easier and the points will come flooding in. Having Wajdi will be huge in allowing Akrum to get to more favorable spots off the ball. Areeha needs to lock in and stick close to Akrum early, especially after they let Andrew get away from them last week.

On paper, this feels like a good matchup for Areeha offensively. One of the strengths of this team is that they have so many options amongst their starters and Jenin has struggled defensively off the dribble and in transition. However, their most efficient options have been Mahrooz and Ali Suiafan and it seems like Jenin has some potentially good answers to match up with Akrum and Raied.

Jenin by 2

Baysan vs Tulkarem

Offensively, Baysan has done a good job maximizing the talent on the roster. Getting a couple threes each from basically the whole roster is a big deal, and an advantage when other teams struggle to reach 5 or 6 total. They just need to keep this up, but there’s even more room for improvement if Shahaan can be consistent. Taking away the three point line is very doable but Tulkarem really needs to stay engaged the whole game.

Over the course of the game, the athleticism advantage will seemingly play in Tulkarem’s favor. Between Mana, Elias and Moayad, Baysan will have their hands full trying to stay in front of their man on the fast break and in the halfcourt. Last week was not the most promising sign, as Baysan gave up countless buckets off quick outlet passes. They will also need to be fully committed to the defensive gameplan if they want to pull it off.

Tulkarem by 8

Yazur vs Jerusalem

A lack of three point shooting means the floor is never spaced for Yazur, which is also making their looks inside the paint more difficult. With Alaa running point and Marawan down low, they could opt for more shooting lineups with Hicham, Ali Mahin, and Abdulrafay when they are struggling to score. Jerusalem is a strong rebounding team and can limit Yazur’s second chance points, which should be enough the way they’ve been shooting.

Despite seemingly all the shot attempts being taken up by Mike and Nick, Jerusalem moves the ball well in the halfcourt. However, they push the pace and get out in transition or take early shots often, but that could be an advantage for them after Yazur struggled to contain Aadil on the fast break last week. Yazur’s zone could sneakily give Jerusalem some problems but they need to slow the game down to give themselves a chance.

Jerusalem by 8

Rafah vs Al-Khalil

With so many scoring options, Rafah has been able to feed the hot hand and take turns in isolation or pick and roll. There’s no reason to change it up this week. It seems like the lack of length to really disrupt Zain and the size disadvantage of the guards vs Anas Najib may be the advantages to exploit this week. Al-Khalil will need really strong communication and help defense to limit movement in the paint.

Rumor has it Al-Khalil may be without Mahdy this week, which would be a huge blow to the offense. If true, it’s difficult to see where the scoring will come from and they may need to slow the pace and lean on shooters like Elhindi to keep pace with Rafah. If he is available, they can continue as they usually do. Rafah will look to limit Elhindi from 3 which should clog the paint and make it difficult for others.

Rafah by 10

Nazareth vs Yaffa

Some things are starting to become clear for Nazareth. Sameh is heating up with an impressive 4 and 5 threes in his last 2 games. His positioning could give Luis space to operate. Muhammad Assaf needs to be more selective about which shots he is taking. Playing fast might benefit Nazareth in getting easier looks but not shooting threes the moment you see daylight. Yaffa’s bigs could struggle to keep up with Luis.

It’s hard to imagine Yaffa can count on another 36-piece from Jojo, which means others need to step up. Malik is starting to get more involved and adding Derek back into the mix with a more Jojo-centered offense could be another scoring boost for Yaffa. Would love to see Jojo rise to the challenge of putting up another strong effort in consecutive weeks. Muhammad Assaf is a strong defender for Nazareth and can help slow him down.

Nazareth by 6