Sorry for the delay on the predictions this week, but I hope you all can enjoy nonetheless.

Kashgar @ Damascus:

New look for both of these teams here, gives me week 1 vibes. I think it’ll help if I write it out. Kashgar got two bigs that I’m sure will look to encourage a half court offense, and in a half court offense we could be looking at a multitude of offensive rebounds and second chance points. Damascus went ahead and acquired the legitimate shooter they needed to complement the drive they’ve already been great at, and some very capable rebounders. Regardless, the addition of Big O and Muhannad were crucial for at least this matchup. Kashgar’s bigs should have an easier time down low than that of Damascus’. With all the attention potentially being aimed down low by this Damascus defense, it seems this could be the game our own Malik Zubi shows out, and we can’t forget Amir could score from anywhere. Now, although Damascus seems to be going up against a rough matchup here, I still think they come out on top in this one. I’m going with my gut here, Kashgar definitely improved, but we haven’t seen this team show any type of chemistry, and I think that will be hard to solve in one week. Yaqob, Yo Shah, and Sal are really going to have to step up as a unit to win if Kashgar shows they got it right away.
Damascus by 1.

Dhaka @ Sana’a:

There were some signs of life from this Dhaka squad in week 2, and I think that will only grow moving forward. Though this matchup seems like the worst one to have going into week 3 for Dhaka, there’s a lot of opportunity, but not in the way one might think. Mana is going to have a very tough night if he thinks that same old playstyle will do right by him, but that’s where the opportunity strikes. This is the game Dhaka really gets together and work as a team, and to some extent, put up a fighting effort. With that being said, the Sana’a offense is going to be impossible to stop, and the Sana'a defense will make it difficult for Dhaka to get going, especially with the new addition of Ramzy Saleh. I do hope Dhaka takes that opportunity, and that will reflect in my prediction.
Sana’a by 7.

Lagos @ Jerusalem:

Am I hearing, game of the week? It seems this Jerusalem defense could match up with almost anybody, and Lagos doesn’t seem to be an exception. Even with the addition of Aymen, Jerusalem does have the facilities to step up to the challenge. The numbers alone tell you Jerusalem has the edge, but a healthy Lagos squad is not one to scoff at. Time and time again I will attest to the explosiveness of Lagos, but their challenge yet again will come defensively. I believe Aadil has yet another great game, and Hassan will continue to complement as he’s averaged 7.5 assists through 2 games. I’m curious to see how new addition Yahya Gordon is implemented here at Lagos, he could be an X-factor himself. Singer, Shaz, Moe Rayyan, and Aymen are really going to have to click and bring the best they got to each and every play to stay in it, and I don’t doubt they will.
Jerusalem by 5.

Kabul @ Islamabad:

This has to be the game Shafic Itani explodes, his team is going to need it. Salim L will give Ali a harder time than he might like, and Zain will play a major role in stopping the drive Ali loves so much. Ali Omari will really need to step it up on defense, and keeping the likes of Mana at bay in the second half last week proves he’s capable of it. I feel like the Islamabad offense will begin to feel overwhelming for Kabul over the course of the game though. I’m rooting for Kabul (the underdog), I think they can pull it off, but it seems they will be going into this one having the disadvantage, and having to exert more effort than Islamabad will to win. Idris is bound to shoot the lights out one of these games, so be sure to bring an umbrella until the storm clears. I will say the grit Kabul showed from the start to the end of the last game had me impressed, and that only means they’re here to win, regardless of what’s thrown at them, it simply becomes a question of if they could.
Islamabad by 6.

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