As always, I start these predictions with a reminder about the state of our ummah and the greater reason for us coming together every week. Although it may seem redundant, the least we can do is remind ourselves of the difficulties that our brothers and sisters around the world face on a day to day basis. We are blessed to be able to come together and play basketball, blessed to have the health and freedom to do so. These are just a small example of the luxuries we get to enjoy compared to our brothers and sisters around the world. Please remember them in your dua, do not stop the conversation on uniting the ummah and let's do everything we can to build brotherhood through basketball.

We are finally at the last week of the regular season. This season has been extremely competitive and this final week will have major implications on Week 1 Playoff matchups. The top four teams will receive a bye to begin the postseason. Teams 5-12 will play to advance to the next round.

Let's see what this week has in store for us.

Al-Bireh - Ramallah:

First game of the week is a great one on paper but these two teams have completely opposite records. Al-Bireh has been lackluster to say the least, and Towfeeks' slew of trades have not paid their dividends to this point. It was surely not predicted that Al-Bireh would end the season 3-7 but that's what seems to be the case. Ramallah has definitely been a dark horse all season and they proved themselves against Yaffa, making them arguably the best team so far. I can't see a way Al-Bireh contains the Ramallah bigs as they lack true size. Combine that with Ramallah's ability to hound the ball handler, led by Jay Mustafa and this seems like a lopsided affair. I am continuously high on Al-Bireh because I feel they do have talented players, but things have just not seemed to click. Jojo's sporadic play, Towfeek's inability to spread the court, Amir's shying away from big situations and Nader's hesitance have not shaken away as the season progressed. Also, Ramallah seems to play a system that puts their guys in the best situation and I don't think playing a zone does much to stop them as they have savvy vets that can make the right decisions. Al-Bireh will come out of the gates with aggression, but I don't see them being able to pull out a win.

Ramallah by 10

Al-Balah - Qibya:

Two teams that are 2-7 and two teams with superstars from an MB perspective. Qibya is a solid team with some good pieces, but it seems that these guys don't play winning basketball for 40 minutes. There are definitely flashes of great things, but overall, they have not been able to get multiple guys going and put together significant defensive performances, which are two things that talent doesn't bring. Al-Balah has had a roller coaster season and has been hit with many injuries, but they also have a solid squad that could make some noise in the playoffs. Hassan had an uncharacteristic performance from a usage perspective last week but in playing Ramallah, it was probably tough for him to have his way at the basket. Hassan Farhat was great from 3 last week, and this team will need the shooting of he and Idris to hit the next level. The three guard combo of Hassan, Ishaq and Elias will have to use their slashing ability to create shots for their shooters and offset the defense. I think Idris will take the responsibility of guarding Farhad with Hasssan F taking on Aadil. I think Al-Balah takes this game through their guard play as they have more speed which could open up the lanes and make the Qibya defense scramble. Should be a fun one.

Al-Balah by 6

Safad - Nablus:

First 8:30 game is between two teams that struggled early on but have been passionate enough to pick up a few wins in the past few weeks. Nablus comes off of a great performance from Ali Hassan and Humza Shah, which will be necessary when the postseason comes around. If Humza Shah can provide that secondary scoring, that will give Ali and Mana a bit less of a load to carry which would be huge. Safad is what Safad is. They will play hard, they will hang around in games where they shoot well, but they don't have a guy that can go and get them a bucket at any moment, which is necessary in the playoffs. Omar has assumed that role throughout the season, but his game is predicated on others setting him up for him to gain confidence. As always when matching up against Nablus, the goal is to stop Ali and Mana. Ali will face some savvy defenders which may not allow him to have another 40 ball, but I think Mana could take advantage of the lack of size and quickness from Deeb and Koyas. On the flip side, if Deeb and Koyas could spread the court with some shooting, it would go a long way for Safad's halfcourt offense as they are lacking consistent off ball shooters, especially with Omar handling the ball so much. Malik Zubi, whats gooooddd.

Nablus by 8

Al-Quds - Bethlehem:

This is game of the week for me. Both teams have great lineups filled with guys who have had their fair share of success in MB. Shafic, Ali Sufian and Mahdy lead the way for Bethlehem and they have done a great job of meshing together well. On the other side, Mahrooz, Zain, Omar Hussein and Moayad have sort of come along well with some breakout performances. I find this game interesting because these teams don't really match up well. I'm assuming Ali will guard Zain, which will be a big test for Ali. Mahdy and Mahrooz match up should be fireworks, although both guys have compeltely different styles. I want to say Moayad will take the role of guarding Shafic but I don't know how passionate Moayad is at this point. If he does come with a mindset of shutting Shafic down, I think he could really slow him down. Ahmad Chaabane will look to stop Omar Hussein, which should be fun to watch as well. Both teams have oppposite play styles and I think the team that dictates the pace of the game more will end up coming out with the W. after checking the standings, the 4 byes have been locked in, so Al-Quds will only be playing to have the top seed, which may not mean much once things shake out. I think Bethlehem sticks to their play style better and have started to click which will probably give them the edge at some point in the game.

Bethlehem by 3

Qalqilya - Khan Yunis:

I would like to say this is a good matchup. However, what I've seen from Khan Yunis in recent weeks has not been the definition of winning basketball and they have fallen from an elite team to more middle of the pack. The issue definitely boils down to availability, and I think they have missed a few different pieces in the last few weeks. If their whole team is there, they should be able to keep this one interesting. Qalqilya is great at moving the ball and playing at a pace that most teams can't keep up with. Shahzaib, Ish, Kareem and Deep can all create for themselves and shoot the ball well, which makes it tough for a lot of teams to guard. Although it seemed that size was an issue, they've found a way to get by and Omar Sehwail has been the anchor down low leading the way. Omar gets a new test in Yazan and Obada, but I think he can hold his own and make them pay on the other end with his spot up shooting. Even with a full squad, I give the edge to Qalqilya because I think they are willing to really hone in defensively to make life hard for the Khan Yunis guards, which may not be the same the opposite way.

Qalqilya by 12

Yaffa - Al-Wehdat:

Last game of the regular season between 1st pick and 2nd pick teams in the draft. Al-Wehdat's trade has not paid off, mostly due to attendance issues and it's hard to say what they could be with a full team. They are a solid squad that has a well-rounded roster, but I don't think they will come prepared to beat Yaffa with 40 minutes of sound basketball. They will also have a tough time stopping Musa and Elias who are quick on their feet as bigs which Al-Wehdat lacks.

Yaffa by 10

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