Hello again, its time to dust off the Crystal Ball and get back into a brand new season of predictions. Last season was filled with highlights, upsets, and a bunch of excitement. I'm sure this season will be much more of the same. As we know, this is a draft format season which means familiar faces are teaming up in ways we haven't seen before. That just means more fun and games that are harder to predict.

Before we start, let's continue to remember our brothers and sisters suffering around the world. Please continue to make dua for those that are less fortunate than us. We have seen many efforts in exposing the genocide in Palestine, and there has been a slight shift in narrative. Nevertheless, the situation of those in Gaza is more dire than ever before, which means there is a lot more work to do.

Now, lets get into the fun:

Yaffa - Nablus:

First matchup of the season begins with Ali Hassan and Co vs the Yanes Brothers. Pretty surprising that the Yanes bros were able to reassemble through the draft and this time they bring Saif Abdalla and Elias Shahsamand with them. Looks similar to years past, but we'll see if their offense will take a hit. On the other side, we have Nablus with Ali Hassan and JoJo. These two did not have a great season last time they were around, so they definitely got something to prove coming into this one. Nablus also boasts a healthy dose of role players that are selfless: Himey, Khaled Sehwail, Hosam and Humza Shah. I think Nablus has a bit more size overall, but they are missing true bigs which is something Yaffa has. Regardless, the Crystal Ball predicts Ali Hassan and JoJo coming out with a bang and leading Nablus to victory, as Yaffa looks to work its new pieces in.

Nablus by 4


Al-Wehdat - Al-Bireh:

Next 7:30 game is highlighted by Mana vs Mahdy matchup. Haven't seen these two go at it before, so it will be interesting to see if Mahdy will take that responsibility as he has the size. Mana will probably not come out to the perimeter to do the same though. Al-Bireh is a much deeper team, courtesy of GM Towfeek giving up his first overall to create a well rounded squad. He gets a backcourt mate in Nader, his brother on the wing, and Amir Hassan who he has played with for a while. Ahmad Chaabane, Omar Marachli and Deep Patel have a lot to prove as many believe that this team does not have enough firepower to compete seriously. They get their first chance at upset in Week 1.

Al-Bireh by 10


Ramallah - Khan Younis:

For the first 8:30 game of the season, this matchup will be highlighted by two premier backcourt duos. On the one hand, we have the best backcourt duo of the season Joe Shiesty and Amir C. On the other hand, we have two newer names, one making his long awaited return in Anas Zubi and the other, Jihad Mustafa who had a great breakout rookie season, making him a first round pick. The biggest factor in this game will be the bigs though. Khalied Saleh and Sal are traditional dump off guys with probably the most size in the league, while OQ and OBD will have to man up against them. Although I give the nod to the Khan Younis backcourt duo, I think the size of Ramallah will be a problem. It will be on Ana’s and Jihad to exploit that though. I don’t think they’ll mesh well enough this early, so I got the Amir C/Joe Capone combo to pull it out.

Khan Younis by 6


Qalqilya - Qibya:

Our second 8:30 season opener, seasoned vet Farhad leading Qibya up against Shahzaib and the rest of the Qalqilya guys. I’m guessing Ameer Koyas will be tasked with guarding Farhad, which will be tough but I think he can handle it. For Qalqilya, it will be interesting to see how Kareem, Raza and Shahzaib mesh together as they are all guys who like the ball. It will take selfless play for them to have success. One big question mark for Qibya is how Medo Zubi will perform as it looks like he could be the primary ball handler, alongside Aadil. This may turn into a situation where Farhad takes control of the offense completely and tries to get everyone involved through his playmaking ability. Then again, he isn’t getting any younger and you wonder if he might be thinking about picking his spots rather than going full takeover mode as we’re accustomed to. Qibya also has shooting that could come in handy, with Raj, Ali Mahin, and Muntasir Saleh and ai think they compliment Farhad well, if they accept their role as spot up guys, or take a pass first and set each other up approach rather than putting the ball on the ground. I think this is the closest matchup of the week, and I think Qibya takes it

Qibya by 2


Al-Quds - Safad:

Early season favorites got to be Al-Quds, mostly due to the tandem at the top with Mahrooz and Zain. Both these guys went under the radar in the draft and the Crystal Ball thinks both were selected too late in hindsight. Regardless, this benefits the both of them as they get to play with each other. Then you add Omar Hussein and Moayad, who are both consistent scorers that have had their fair share of success in this league. I think the challenge for this team is buying into winning together but I think they all respect each other enough to defer, so it will be fun to see how they work together. On the other side, the Abbassi brothers have reunited, which is a nice thing to see as they are all passionate about winning and winning only. They also have some good complementary pieces in Malik Zubi, Deeb, and Num Num. There was some chatter that lil O would have to orchestrate things but I think Islam and Fursan can do just fine sharing that responsibility. The two older Abbassis will just need to choose their shots wisely and not be too trigger happy, so they can get their weapons warm. They get a super tough test week one, but I think they will come out with more fire and more chemistry to start the season.

Safad by 6


Al-Balah - Bethlehem:

The last game of week 1 is an interesting matchup with two interesting squads. Ahmad Saleh decided to take the best available twice which pairs Singer and Hassan. Both guys are great players, but I feel that they play very similarly. I wonder if they will take turns doing work, but I know Hassan likes the ball in his hands and Singer the same. On the other side, Shafic is tasked with being the orchestrator, a role he has gradually grown into. I also feel that he will have to lead the rest of the group and kind of put them in the spots that will help them succeed as a team, as things could get crowded and discombobulated quickly. Nevertheless, he did a good job considering he had no first round pick and a Jake and Ali S combo is nothing to pout about as both guys can score at will. I think the biggest beneficiaries from the Al-Balah side are Idris and Ahmed, and a lot of the success will rely on how well of sharpshooters they can be, as they have been streaky in the recent past. Although Al-Balah has some things to work through, I think they have better defense, which will make all the difference in this one and is why I give them the nod.

Al-Balah by 5


As always, this ain't Lavar Ball, this ain't Lonzo Ball, this is the Crystal Ball