Muslim Basketball

They hung in there with some good teams, played some very good very good defense, and almost always won the rebounding battle. I was looking for Hosam to carry the load offensively, and while 9.6 points and 7.8 rebounds is a solid line, he is capable of doing much more, especially as the main offensive threat. We’ll see how much they’ve grown, as they take on Dhaka in a week 3 rematch, one they lost by 25.

Younglings had a chance to upset a very good team, but got cold when it mattered most. Should be taken as a confidence booster and a lesson learned. They can compete against many top teams for short periods of times – when they can sustain that level of play they’ll be viewed much more favorably.

They were able to get their second win against Suba, not something to brag about, but a win nonetheless. Muhannad Darwish had an impressive 12pt 11rb game against a decent big in Ryan Ayton. Things won’t be as easy this week, they face a very strong Lahore squad.

Hosam had his third double-double of the year, but it wasn’t nearly enough for Damascus. They played okay on offense, but just could not keep Ed from shooting. They play Suba next week, maybe Damascus will snap their own six game losing streak.

Played well in the first half, could not maintain it for twenty more minutes. Someone needs to step up (looking at you Hosam) and take control of the offense. It is far to frantic and inconsistent to win them games. They should not get discouraged though, they have a winnable game against Fez coming up.

They lost to a terrific team who was short a couple guys, but it is no easy task to stop Raza and Weiss. Hosam Karkis had the type of game we’ve been waiting for from him, Ahmed Sehwail also had a solid game, but it just wasn’t enough to sneak a win by Mombasa. These boys can rebound, but they’ll need to get some more baskets to fall to turn close games into wins. The heart this team has is admirable though, they play hard and show a promising future.

First off, I want to sincerely apologize to this team for what may have come off as harsh comments. Nothing here is meant to offend anyone, it is simply a take on what’s going on around the league. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, they’re going to have a hard time winning games in this league. Most of them are very young and lack experienced in organized basketball. When they go up against good team, they will be out played solely due to experience. That’s not a knock on them at all, but they were just not ready to face a team like Dhaka a couple weeks ago – there is no team in the league that is ready to face Dhaka. What Damascus showed this week was that they will challenge anyone who leaves the door open. That is a testament to the older guys, supporting the younger guys on this team. They deserve love for a tough fight against an underperforming Granada team. Hosam Karkis finally came alive, showing what he can do as a leader for his

Ouch. They weren’t ready for Dhaka just yet - they weren’t even ready for shorthanded and distracted Dhaka team. Dhaka spent more time trying to get Ammar Zidat to outscore his brother than trying to get good looks at the basket. Dhaka looked like they were just playing in the park and just breezed by Damascus with their talent alone. Damascus needs to realize that they must run an offense and string together defensive effort because they just lack the overall talent needed to be successful. Hosam showed a glimpse of what he can do – played a couple possessions of terrific defense against Farzad and tried to force his will on the offensive end. I said it and I’ll say it again, he has to do more for them to even have a chance.

They dominated most of the game, but could not finish it. Got started on offense early with two 3s from Danny, but the rest of the team struggled to get much offense going. They played a defensively sound Jakarta squad, but Damascus found a way to out rebound them. Muhannad Darwish followed up his solid debut with another strong rebounding game. If this team looks to move up from the underdog role they will play almost every week, they need Hosam Karkis to get going. He is the one guy who can carry a heavy load on offense. He has not been able to show that yet, which has been disappointing, look for him to take on more responsibility running this team. Unfortunately for Damascus, they will play a Dhaka team who can and should obliterate them – no disrespect to Damascus, but they need a couple more weeks (maybe seasons) and some more experience before being able to contend with a championship team.

Okay young fellas...Damascus put the league on notice, warning their opponents that they will not be a cakewalk. Muhannad Darwish dominated the paint and Hosam Karkis showed off some of his scoring and dishing ability. They have a very difficult game next week against an experienced and disciplined Jakarta team, who will be motivated to get their first win of the season.

 Some new, young faces. Osama Zidat and Ahmad Sehwail will need to guide this team and keep them in check. Hosam Karkis is a load on offense and will only get better as the season goes on. May not be their year, but they should prove to be a competitive bunch who will have to be taken seriously by their opponents week in and week out.