By Mike Bandieri
6PM: BOOM-SHAKALAKA (4-2) vs HALFWAY CROOKS (4-2)
Boom-Shakalaka is a big, physical team with the tools to out rebound opponents, and make teams work for every basket. The Halfway Crooks are going to have to try and use their depth to wear down Boom-Shakalaka. These two teams are pretty evenly matched, and can score from behind the arc as well as inside the paint. In their previous matchup in Week 1, Boom-Shakalaka routed the Halfway Crooks, 110-56. Boom-Shakalaka displayed a balanced scoring attack, with three players scoring over 20 points in that contest, while the Halfway Crooks only had one player eclipse that mark.
The first matchup between these two teams ultimately came down to rebounding. Boom-Shakalaka out rebounded the Halfway Crooks 57-25. If that narrative doesn’t change, we may have another blowout on our hands. However, if the Halfway Crooks can up their physicality and grab some boards, they just might get revenge from Week 1.
Players to Watch: Jared Hanson (Halfway Crooks), Matt Camara (Boom-Shakalaka)
- Hanson: Averaging18.5 ppg on almost 50 percent shooting on the season. As the floor general, he also plays tough defense and plays with a desire to win, or what I call a “Mamba Mentality”.
- Camara: The team’s best deep threat (averaging 20.0 ppg this season), and most consistent player on both ends of the floor
Potential Breakout Players: Joey Zocco (Halfway Crooks), Marc Bellville (Boom-Shakalaka)
- Zocco: After scoring nine points last week in a victory over Big Baller Brand, he got called out in a postgame interview for being a weak link on his team. I expect a strong outing from Zocco in Week 7
- Bellville: Always solid on both ends of the floor, as well as a deep threat with the potential to stuff the stat sheet
Legacy Leagues Picks:
Greg: Halfway Crooks
Mike: Boom-Shakalaka
Tyler: Boom-Shakalaka
7PM: BIG BALLER BRAND (0-6) vs THE ALLIANCE (6-0)
Every week it gets a little more difficult to try and come up with a scenario in which The Alliance loses. Unfortunately, I don’t believe this is the week for an upset. The Alliance has too many weapons, and smothers opponents with their full court defense. I expect them to hone in on Brett Cody and Matt Simmeth, and demand that somebody else on Big Baller Brand step up. In the first matchup, The Alliance walked away with the victory, 108-76. The Alliance had almost every player score in double figures in that game. Defense will definitely be something The Alliance focuses on from week-to-week, and steals will be the stat to keep an eye on.
Players to watch: Brett Cody (Big Baller Brand), Max Matroni (The Alliance)
- Cody: Leading scorer on the team (averaging 23.2 ppg) and the emotional leader, they go as he goes.
- Matroni: Leads the league in scoring (34.2 ppg), always a lot to handle for opposing defenses
Potential Breakout Players: Ryan O’Neill (Big Baller Brand), Greg Holt (The Alliance)
- O’Neill: Tough defensive player who always shows a lot of hustle. He does a lot of little things that do not always show up in the stat sheet
- Holt: A solid overall player who flies under the radar on a stacked team. He is quietly averaging 5.5 points, 5.5 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game while also notching just under three steals per game.
Legacy Leagues Picks:
Greg: The Alliance
Mike: The Alliance
Tyler: The Alliance
8PM: WEREWOLVES (2-4) vs SKYHOOKERS (2-4)
This is going to be a close game because of how evenly-matched these teams are. I expect Brendan O’Donnell to continue to do his thing as a sort of player-coach for the Skyhookers. He is the captain of his team, and everyone listens to the adjustments he makes throughout the game. On the other side, the Werewolves have a one-two punch in Brian Heston and Gino Forte that is equally tough to stop.
In their previous matchup, the Skyhookers proved too much for the Werewolves, beating them by just seven. That game came down to the last few possessions, and some clutch free throws to seal the win. The Werewolves definitely still have that in their mind going into this game, and are looking to get revenge while snapping their losing streak.The Skyhookers were out rebounded by the Werewolves in their Week 5 matchup, proving that rebounding will not necessarily dictate who wins this time around.
Players to watch: Gino Forte (Werewolves), Terrance Paris (Skyhookers)
- Forte: Second on the team in scoring (14.2 ppg), and will look to build on his 17-point performance from Week 6
- Paris: A player who can score in bunches, and will look to help O’Donnell in the scoring column once again after dropping 20 points in Week 6.
Potential Breakout Players: Matt Borden (Werewolves), Leo Baessa (Skyhookers)
- Borden: Coming off arguably his best game of the season (14 points, nine rebounds), he’ll look to continue his strong play on both ends of the court
- Baessa: Third on scoring on the team (12.4 ppg), Baessa always plays hard on both ends of the floor. He is a threat inside and out, and looks to open up shots for his teammates.
Legacy Leagues Picks:
Greg: Skyhookers
Mike: Werewolves
Tyler: Skyhookers
