A great week 1 is behind us, and there was much to take away from it. Let me first say I was 3/4 last week, and that one incorrect prediction came down to a missed buzzer, so I think I started off pretty well being that this is a draft season. Also, some predictions weren't as close as expected due to some missing players, but I will continue to assume all players will show up. Ok, enough blabber.

Dhaka @ Kabul :

Kabul is one of those teams that lacks an all-capable big, which could really hurt them vs Dhaka. Driving to the basket will probably be pretty difficult for Kabul's explosive guards, but in their favor, I don't think Dhaka's guards could really handle Ali and Shafic if they're both on the floor. I think that's what will keep this one competitive. Though Mana and Darwish can really have a field day on the boards. Some other thing to consider was Dhaka's trouble finding any sort of rhythm in week 1. If that continues, I'd take Kabul with ease, but with the absence of some key players, and with the presence of some very experienced ballers, I think Dhaka takes a turn for the better here in week 2. Briefly, Dhaka's sheer size will be the deciding factor here, and I believe they will have the creativity to have Kabul's attack do the most before putting the ball in the hoop.
Dhaka by 11.

Sana'a @ Lagos :

I feel like predicting Sana'a's matches are going to be very similar from week to week, and I'm already dreading that possibility. I will say I think Lagos has the grit, and the will to seriously slow down Abdelhadi, but then there's also Billal, Kareem, and...dare I say it...JEHAD, to worry about also. Oh and don't forget Mo Masri, still as lethal as ever. I see Lagos' defense going into utter chaos, butttt, the same will be said about the Sana'a defense. We saw it in week 1, and I believe we see it again here. This Lagos offense can be so overwhelming with the number of skill players they have. Again, and hopefully, I got it right this time, that overwhelming attack will keep Lagos in the game. I just think Sana'a's points will come easier than they will be for Lagos.
Sana'a by 8.

Islamabad @ Damascus :

Toughest game to predict this week, though I do lean in the favor of Islamabad. Zain will not have it as easy as he did in week 1, nor will anyone else on Islamabad. This matchup looks really nice, it forces one, or both teams to have to be creative. I lean towards Islamabad though because of their depth and capabilities. Players tire, and when that happens, Islamabad's reinforcements are certainly more "reinforcing" than that of Damascus'. Now what I mean by capabilities is, that I get this feeling that Islamabad will look to Amir this week to carry a heftier load, and he is certainly capable of doing that. Honestly, these types of matchups even force me to have to be creative. It got me thinking things like, "is Zain going to be able to keep up with Aymen? Then who's going to slow down Yaqob if he scores as well as he did week 1?", and down the rabbit hole I go. Well, for one, I do think Zain will keep up, and two, I'm overthinking things; though I will say Damascus' guards are "sneakily effective" so don't sleep on them, you'll see what I mean Islamabad. Briefly, Islamabad's depth will give them an edge, and Amir C will be the X-factor.
Islamabad by 4.

Jerusalem @ Kashgar:

A great defensive matchup for Jerusalem, their mobile guards and bigs are the perfect counter to Kashgar's best 5. That being said, Kashgar's best 5 are a really capable 5. Raza with the speed and facilitation, Malik being very capable in shooting and in transition, Amir proving he is capable of it all, Anas with some of the best scoring I've seen, and Raeid with inhumane strength and athleticism. Them 5 just need to be on the same wavelength for them to be really effective. I'm not here to give advice, but Anas and Raied can't be as ball dominant as they typically are, and they really need Raza to control their offensive tempo. It's hard to say we will see something close to that this week, but I can envision an offense similar to that of Pop's prime Spurs. Well, no benefit in hoping here in the predictions. For this week 2 matchup, I see Jerusalem's bigs having a field day, from Farhad to Ahmed, they will get theirs...I think.
Jerusalem by 15.

Don't forget to submit your own PICKEM votes, link below!
https://muslimbasketball.org/pickem/

Oh and btw, a great week 1 on the court, but the lack of feedback on the forum makes for a poor week 1 on the forum. I predict a stronger week 2 on the forum