Muslim Basketball

Having Palermo at #1 may be surprising to some, but they has been putting on a scoring clinic on teams. With only 2 losses to respectable teams, they are currently on a 6 game winning streak, and with the last two games being against under .500 teams, there is a high chance they end the regular season 8-2 with the highest point differential.

Suba is still the same powerhouse team they were last season. At 7-1, they are sitting pretty at the top of the standings, but the strength of schedule gives Palermo the edge in the power rankings. They finish the season against Mombasa and Baghdad. A loss to either team can shake up the seeding going into the playoffs big time.

Similar to Suba, Pat and team have two tough games to end the regular season against Medina and Mombasa. If you take away their game against Kashgar, the records of the teams they have played or about to play are 6-2, 5-3, 5-3, 5-3, 5-3, 6-2, 4-4, 6-2, and 5-3. This is one of the most competitive seasons in MB history, and Kazan has continued to hold their own and prove to be a top contender.

Comeback player of the year, Anas, and defensive player of the year candidate, Bilal, brought this “out of nowhere” team to life. Word around MB is Bilal is getting the KD treatment, and people are referring to him as a snake for leaving his family. What is more important, winning or loyalty? Bilal chose winning.

This team can shoot the 3 ball, and it starts with Amir. After dropping a 40 spot and going 8/14 from Curryland, the entire team is shooting close to 40% from 3. Combine that with having 4 players the team can rely on for scoring, this team is destined for a deep run in the playoffs.

Jeddah will most likely end the regular season at 8-2, taking advantage of the ease of schedule they had. If they end at 8-2, only 3 of those wins will be against teams above .500 (Dhaka, Tripoli, Islamabad). If they cannot compete against the top teams in the league, they are going to have a rough time late in the playoffs.

Dhaka is still Dhaka. They have not fallen off from the championship years; it’s just the other teams in the league got better. There isn’t one team in the league that Dhaka can’t beat, but unfortunately the same can be said for 10 other teams too. To me, the piece that brings them to very good to great is Farzad. Farzad is a career 15ppg guy who is averaging less than half of that this season. If he can find a way to turn this season around, look out.

This team can score, rebound, pass, and shoot. Their main focus needs to be on the defensive end. They are allowing way too many points per game (54.9 – 15th). Paul has been an absolute double double machine, and deserves to be mentioned in all MVP talks. They have two big games against Suba and Kazan coming up, and the outcome will decide whether they are ranked towards the top of the standings like usual, or middle of the pack.

No matter how competitive the league gets, Muj still finds a way to make a team a contender. Muj and Yousef obviously have great chemistry, and with Jean grabbing the boards and Visar contributing, they could give one of the top teams a run for their money.

The addition of Kenny has brought this team to a top contender in MB’s most competitive season. They missed Nick’s scoring last week, as Tripoli just got their number. Their record against over .500 teams is 2-3. Similar to Jeddah, they have to win the tough games.

Cordoba’s size is usually what gives them the advantage in most games they play. They are just towering, which is why it is surprising to see them only averaging 30 rebounds a game, good for 12th in the league. This team desperately needs an identity. What do they want to be known for? The team that plays great defense? The team that dominates in the paint? The team that never has a full roster? The ceiling for Cordoba is extremely high, and they have not come close to reaching it.

Zain is having a dominant year and solidifying himself as one of the best players in this league. They play great defense, and if they win the game against Lagos like they’re supposed to, you would probably see them ranked higher on this list.

This group of young ballers has flown under the radar all year. Nobody expected them to be where they are at right now. They have “Cinderella team” written all over them.

This team is missing one great player. In the offseason, Ahmad needs to find that piece without losing any of the key contributors. You can easily build around Moayad and Omar. I expect them to come back stronger next season and be a competitor.

The dream team that never dreamt. If you told me before the season that Steve, Ed, Malik, Joe, and Jason were all on the same starting squad, I would have them ranked pretty high. For some reason, they just never clicked. I fully expect this team to be blown up next season. Let’s see what captains can recruit from this team next season!

Maybe if they changed their name back to Sarajevo they will have some better luck this season. They lost Luke and Mike to Islamabad and Dhaka respectively. That killed them. Here is another team who has a lot of work to do in the offseason to get back to the competitive team they once were.

They had a pretty tough schedule. Let’s see if Kyseem can make some magic happen in the final two games heading into the “all teams make it” playoffs.

Welcome to Muslim Basketball fellas. I am not sure if this team has played together in other basketball leagues, but if it is their first time playing together, it will get better. Chemistry means a lot. Look at teams like Dhaka and Beirut who have been together for years. You’ll get there.

Will Goldberg be an unrestricted free agent again? After this disappointing season, I am sure he is leaning towards the free agency market again.

Will MB bring back...

… other divisions?