5v5 Draft

Commentary by JAMIL & NATE THE GREAT...

PRIMETIME 3.0 52  You Got Tibbs'D 72

Danzig leads You Got TibbsD to a blowout victory over PRIMETIME

The outcome of this game was a bit unexpected and surprising for me. I did predict a win by You Got Tibbs'D, but the 20-point thrashing on a night where AJ really struggled shooting the ball says a lot about the talent level on this You Got Tibbs'D. 

Getting to the game, Ben Danzig played phenomenally and absolutely dominated every defender they attempted to guard him. He would contribute 28 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals on the night. 

Harry and Tibbs, indicated he would be an absolute steal in this draft and he’s already paying dividends as You Got Tibbs'D achieves their second win of the season against a very good PRIMETIME 3.0 squad.

As previously mentioned, AJ struggled offensively, but his impact defensive (4 steals) and as a facilitator (7 assists) cannot be dismissed. 

Other notable contributors were, Ben Shamah, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals continues to make his presence known on both ends of the court in his pursuit of the coveted DPOY award. Jackson Eckenrode, 8 points, 14 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block continues to do all of the little things that lead to wins. Can’t forget about my boy X, who has played well all season. He totaled 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 steal. 

PRIMETIME 3.0 was led by Kevin Gillooly and Louis Cole with 13 points. They really struggled with David Thompson, not being in attendance, and the lack of a true point guard. Despite having a ton of talent, this team really struggles with overall ball movement and transition defense. 

Nick Keramaris continues to be underutilized. I love the combination of him and Michael Schrader. For this team to be effective, they have to develop a more balanced offense that doesn’t completely rely on three-point shooting.

I have watched Muccio-led teams for the past 4+ seasons and the only thing I’m certain of is they’ll be better as the season progresses. 

Co-Players of the game: 

• Ben Danzig - One word to describe Ben in this game is “Unstoppable”. 
• Kevin Gillooly - Played a super efficient game offensively and led his team in scoring. Huge shoutout for staying late and covering my game. I really appreciate you, bro. 

The Robel Effect 83  Team Tegridy Farms 70

The Robel Effect avoids Team Tegridy Farms upset attempt

Shitty weather and traffic resulted in Robel Effect playing 4 on 5 for a majority of the first half. To my astonishment, the combination of Patrick, Motha, myself, and the “Splash King” Rich Disola we still managed to hold a slight (14 - 13)  advantage over Team Tegridy Farms before Iyobel and Tes would arrive and check in. 

This matchup can only be described as a game of runs, as the momentum would swing back and forth between teams as the game progressed. Team Tegridy Farms led by Devin Quinlin got out in transition whenever possible and this worked very effectively for them early on. Not only did it lead to easy baskets, but it also lead to transition 3-pointers.

Matty J, Alex B, Devin, and Matty Moffitt were the primary benefactors as they would combine 8 threes on 17 attempts, which is a 47% clip from deep. 

Tes and Iyobel made an immediate impact on both ends of the court. Tes was Tes, scoring in bunches and leading The Robel Effect in easy transitions buckets and being active on defense. 

Iyobel who is continuing to recover from his injury gets better and stronger week by week. I cannot say enough about his grit and defense intensity. I’m really excited to see what he can do come playoff time. 

Chris Jenco (13 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block)  got it going in the second half, after a pretty quiet first half. His team really feeds off his intensity and energy. He continues to be a late-round draft steal Andre and company. 

Isaac's stat line may not jump out at you, but he played a pretty well-rounded game with 6 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. Despite being his team's primary big man, he does a fantastic job facilitating for his team. 

The “Splash King” Rich Disola would close the game in epic fashion. “Can I cook? Can I get 20?” He would stuff the stat sheet for the 4th consecutive week with 20 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists,  4 steals, and 2 blocks.  He also achieved his 3rd 20+ game through 4 weeks of the season, as he continues to lead the lead in scoring.

Despite a hard-fought effort by Team Tegridy Farms, they would fall short in the upset effort as The Robel Effect would connect on every single free throw attempted to down the stretch and managed to come up with some timely force turnover. 

Co-Players of the game: 

• The Ref - For tolerating all the bitching and complaining. 
• Kevin Gillooly - Huge shoutout for staying late and covering our game, dealing with the complaining, and doing a fantastic job. I really appreciate you, bro.
• Motha - Jeff had 10 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 assists (probably more) and played a fantastic game on both ends of the court. Without Jeff, we do not win this game. He held down the paint defensively and really helped facilitate the offense and kept us under control.

Locks & Keyz 45  Geeks & Sneaks 59

Tola leads Geeks and Sneaks to easy win

My initial prediction was pretty darn close! “Geeks & Sneaks 60 - 48 in an easy win against the undermanned Locks & Keyz. Remember fellas, the top seeds get to choose their opponents, so the regular season records matter.”

This game was pretty hard on the eyes, but not due to a lack of effort. Both teams played extremely hard, but without Nate Mendes Locks & Keyz just didn’t have enough firepower. 

Jacob Held (19 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks) did his best to pace Locks & Keyz offensively, but they had no answer Tola, Aaron King, and Miguel. 

Tola was in absolute attack mode. Whether it was going around and through defenders, it just didn’t matter, as he was super motivated to do work. 

Aaron, not to be confused with Dylan was fired up and chirping at defenders on his way to 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists. He continues to have a stellar season on one of the top teams in the league. 

Miguel showed up at halftime, and despite only scoring 7 points 8 rebounds, and 3 assists he was the difference in the game. He continues to be a matchup nightmare for every team in the league. 

Todd Dowrey, Chris Blakeley, and Tim Donnelly's inability to make an impact on the offensive end really contributed to Locks & Keyz's struggles.

Despite the loss, I expect both teams to be major factors in the postseason as neither team has not a shortage in talent.

Co-Players of the Game: 

• Tola Balogun - Was in attack mode all night and the defense has no answer for him. 
• Aaron King - Played well on both ends of the court and scored within the offense.

Angels in the Backcourt 71  OJ and Friends 66

Angels in the Backcourt out last OJ and Friends as time expires

Angels in the Backcourt 71  OJ and Friends 66

Despite projecting a blowout, OJ and Friends vs Angels in the Backcourt did not disappoint. Angels in the Backcourt led by Dan Schwartz and Mike Garolfalo defensively did not disappoint. It was a back-and-forth affair. 

On a night where the stars (Guzzi, Mike Jones, and Guy Robinson) struggled mightly with their shooting, the spectacular defense was on full display. For OJ and Friends, Ryan collected 5 steals and 1 block, Nate Guzi contributed with 2 steals and 5 blocks, and last but far from least Jorge Morel finished with 2 steals and 4 blocks. 

Angels in the Backcourt defensive standouts were Mike Garolfalo, Kola Olugbade, and Dan Schwartz. Not only did they rebound the shit out of the ball, but the level of physical in which they played eventually wore down OJ and Friends in a super close game. 

Guy Robinson (17 points) and Mike Jones (23 points) struggled mightly going a combined 5 for 21 from beyond the arc, but still managed to score when their team needed it the most.

OJ and Friends really struggled offensively, but rookie Sean Snively and Jore Morel really stepped up for them in a big way. I can’t forget Tommy Big Guns NG 7 points! 

The game would come down to the final minutes, but Guy in true Guy Robinson form hit a clutch free throw after clutch free throw to halt any momentum/comeback attempt by OJ and Friends. 

Co-Players of the Game: 

• Mike Garolfalo - 17 points, 14 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Super efficient game and played hard the entire time. 
• Dan Schwartz - His offensive rebounding created numerous second chance opportunities to that led to easy baskets for his teammates.