Salaam everyone, we back for predictions before the final week of the regular season. I always like to start the predictions with a strong reminder. Currently, a ceasefire has been established and news is somewhat stagnant compared to the past 15 months. Remember, this situation did not start 15 or 16 months ago but has been going on for decades and even since the beginning of time. A time will come again where calamity will strike and the faith of the believers will be tested yet again and in much more difficult fashion. Our job on this Earth is to struggle, and we must do so everyday to achieve success - spiritually, physically, mentally and more. There are lessons to be learned from deep struggle and the struggle of the Palestinian, specifically the Gazan in this time, should cause us to see our struggles as minute. Continue to struggle and continue to overcome struggle. Tough times don't last, tough people do.

And now onto the predictions

Haifa - Nablus:

Both of these teams would like to close the season out with a win to improve standings and get into the playoffs on the right foot. It was a bad loss last week for Haifa against a hungry Yaffa squad and they really missed the expertise of Mo Abdelhadi. Without Abdelhadi or any of their excellent players, this team is too thin to compete with the best in the league. However, at full strength, you really can't bet against them. Nablus has started to slip a little since the beginning of the season and I can't put my finger on why that is. I will say, my opinion may not be the best because I am not watching every game but from what I see, this team is too dependent on 1 or 2 guys. There are very few scenarios where one player can be pivotal enough for a team to run the show solely and take that team far. My quarrel with this team will always be how difficult it is for them to mesh and come together, whether on the defensive end or offensive end. These guys are no stranger to one another, and they should have some sort of recipe or gameplan week in and week out that they can go back to and rely on. The team they are going up against has that and that's why I take them at full strength.

Haifa by 10


Areeha - Al-Bireh:

This is an exciting game because both teams sit at 4-2 in the standings. I really like how Areeha consists of a team with a core that has experience together and they have added solid pieces around Singer and Mahrooz. For me, the most impressive component of this team is their defense. This stood out to me when they held Jakai to just 14 points which I attest to Mahrooz and Sal being the anchor in the back. Now, they didn't pull through in that game but by the looks of it, their defense is what kept them in it. This week, they go up against the hottest offense in the league, Al-Bireh. Just as we thought, this team has weapons all over the court and because of this, it is tough to stay honest defensively. However, cheating over in help will not fare well against this team. They are athletic, can switch 1-5 pretty much and can outrun and outshoot you. For me, Areeha can take control of this game by forcing a slow, methodical tempo which will cause Al-Bireh to work for their buckets. If Al-Bireh can find points easily by swinging the ball and not having to create shots for themselves, I don't see Areeha having the firepower to keep up. I think this is an interesting matchup for sure.

Al-Bireh by 5


Lod-Jenin:

I am hearing a lot of high praise for this Lod squad, and rightully so. I mean, when you go off of stature alone, this team has no business competing with the teams in the league that have a well-rounded squad with a combination of bigs and guards. Nonetheless, these guys have found ways to compete week in and week out based off of proficent shooting alone. and I mean PROFICIENT. I lose track of who has what statline shooting percentage wise for this team because they all can light it up and they know how to put eachother in good positions. They are smart with the ball and make you pay for gambling, similar to Al-Bireh. On the Jenin side, they have kinda flown under the radar, with missing pieces week in and week out. Stylistically, this matchup feels similar to the game above, and I think Jenin steals this game by running the offense inside out and creating slow-building, half-court opportunities. Jenin does have a fast guard in Adam and a solid playmaker in Sohaib, but their bread and butter is cutting to the basket, finding points in unconventional ways and making life difficult on the other end where they can manage a lead. This is kind of a story of which style will beat the other, and after last week, I have to say Lod's style seems like the more dangerous one.

Lod by 3


Isdud - Yazur:

I really feel for Yazur. They come to compete every week and leave their heart on the floor, but they are missing the go-to guy that puts it altogether, as I mentioned from the start of the season. Although they are newcomers, I know them very well and I know that with an offensive leader on the court, things would fall into place for this team. Anyways, we are now in Week 7 and predictions can only be made based on the rosters at hand and I just dont think they have enough to compete weekly at this moment. Now on the other side, let's discuss a team that has completely flipped the script. Great contributions from role players, a young star in Andrew and the return of both Ali and Muj all coming at the same time is just what this team needed. Yes, they started 0-4 but it almost seems like none of that matters at the moment. I was high on this team to start the season and they are peaking at the right time to make a deep playoff run. Will be interesting to see how far they can go.

Isdud by 12



Ramla - Jerusalem:

Shout out to Ramla for knocking off the undefeated, I really see that as a staple win for their season. It almost seems like every game they've been in has been a battle and all their games have finished in close fashion. Now, they are 3-3 which means it's been a 50/50 chance statistically. That also means that while they can hang with the best, they also don't seem to separate themselves from weaker competition. Regardless, they go into week 7 with the chance to end the season with a winning record, which is a small accomplishment for a team with big aspirations. Jerusalem got a win that was expected and i really think this team has a chance to "upset" Ramla this week. They have a big that can make life difficult for Mana and they also have consistent offensive contributors in Omar Abbassi and Ali Suiafan. I think this team will go as far as these guys can take them because without them being efficient and productive, this team will have extremely tough times scoring the basketball. I can see this being a low-scoring game with a go ahead bucket late.

Jerusalem by 1



Bethlehem - Gaza:

This is a great matchup between two teams that have been consistently great all season, both in their own fashion. It's a classic tale of young vs old in this matchup and it will be interesting to see which style will end up on top. On the one hand, Bethlehem likes to play fast-paced by using the pressure of their on-ball defense to generate easy baskets and put pressure on the opposing team. On the other hand, Gaza uses the dominance of their two stars to run the engine that has powered their dominant season. I think this game comes down to whether or not Bethlehem has what it takes to slow down Michael and Farhad. I can see them going zone to get this done as Isdud did last week and came out on top. Although I think Bethlehem will play more as a team and a better brand of basketball, I can't predict Michael and Farhad losing two straight to close out the season.

Gaza by 6



Qibya - Yaffa:

Second to last game of the week is between 2 teams near the bottom of the rankings. Yaffa has had an unpredictable and inconsistent season, showing flashes of the team everyone though they would be. A few issues have combined which has resulted in the record they have, close losses and not coming prepared to play for 40 minutes, which are 2 indicators of the integrity of the team. We know they have the talent to be considered one of the best teams, but it will all come down to whether or not they can stay focused and make winning plays for 40 minutes. For Qibya, it seems that this situation has become a broken record. I think the most important factor to being competitive in this league is structure and I feel this team is lacking that at its core. I don't see a personality on this team that will stop a player like Ali Mahin from taking the shots he wants when he wants, or Omar Hussein or Nader or AK. These guys should be working together to make the job easier for eachother to score but they have consistently chosen to take turns trying to make plays which has resulted in below average shooting performances and inefficient basketball. I can't count them out because you never really can, but this will be a chance to see if Yaffa can end the season on a positive note, or if the two of these teams are pretenders rather than contenders.

Yaffa by 8


Beit Jala - Sabra:

Easily game of the week and how fitting that it is the last game of the regular season. 2 of the top 3 teams go head to head in a game that features, in my opinion, the runaway MVP this season in Jakai Irby. He has been the catalyst for this team all season and the guys have rallied around him in a consistent fashion to give this team multiple ways of scoring and making plays when the attention is on Irby. This team definitely outsizes the YM avengers but what we can' see is the size of the hearts of Beit Jala. In my opinion, they lost that game last week more than Ramla one and feel that they should be 6-0 going into tomorrow night. I will say though, they will need to come with a gameplan to contain Irby and if they are unable to do so, they will have to match his buckets and play making with consistent offense of their own. I'm going to be honest, I think Shahzaib is capable of displaying a similar scoring effort, but it will be a question to see if they do not get worn down by the size of the Sabra team. Both these teams are on top of their game, and this could be a preview of a very deep playoff matchup in the weeks to come. I will have to go with who I think will show up when it matters most as they did last week in a nailbiter.

Sabra by 4


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