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Writer's pictureJohnny Besecker

Week 5 Preview (Javion's Edition)

Week 5 of the BBAL season is upon us and we have a lot to look forward to! This includes post week 4 trades, rumors stirring, and more! 


First on our schedule is the 8 Balls and the Gremlins. I’m sure the only people that believe in the Gremlins at this point are themselves and maybe not honestly. They have done nothing to prove they can compete and talent on other rosters completely swallows them… no diddy. Facing off against an arguably better team than the Lanc Show, we expect nothing more from the Gremlins than they’ve already given us. Whether the 8 Balls are 100% or not, they clearly clear the charts in talent compared to the Gremlins. Assuming the 8 Balls will be at full strength, they've been playing great basketball and it is definitely some of the most flawless basketball we’ve seen. Transition buckets and defense is their identity, so the only thing they will have to worry about is knocking down their shots from the perimeter but with the way they play, that’s a bonus and making sure Jason stays out of ejection territory. For the Gremlins, there isn’t much to offer. That team is so out of sync I couldn’t even stir up a winning formula for them. Andrew Williams is their #1 option to me but frankly, he won’t be enough. Miracles can happen and if the Gremlins want any shot at a taste of victory, that’s what they’ll need.


Next up, a game that should be electric between the Lanc Show and WoodPeckers that might be changed in time due to the magnitude of it but, we’ll see! The Lanc Show through 4 weeks have proven resilience and to me, they give me a 2022 Philadelphia Phillies vibe.. If they get hot, it’ll be scary but, will they finish the job? The WoodPeckers have been on the same boat but now they both are dark horse contenders. The Lanc Show being one of the best rebounding teams in the league will have to trust their ability to crash the glass and attack the perimeter despite the Peckers having one of, if not the tallest big man in the league, Elijah Eberly. Lanc Show have the ability to do so with their perimeter threats but more importantly they will have to compete with the Peckers shooting ability which can be just as lethal. Lanc Show defensively will have to contain Devin Atkinson but honestly they will have to pick their poison and hope for a ugly Peckers shooting night with Devin consistently scoring double digits and leading his team in assists. In contrast, the Peckers will need to continue to trust Devin and let him lead the charge with his finesse play style and dishing ability. The game will ultimately come down to who gets stops and who capitalizes off the turnovers. The Peckers 3 ball threats are part of that. Getting Aiden Sands, Aleer Gonzalez, and maybe even Danny Bomberger back and in a rhythm from beyond the arc should be their key to victory.



CherryPickers and Dragons are bound to a battle worth watching while on paper it may not seem that way. Many, including myself, are stoked for a new era in Cherry land with Tyler Crespo landing in a guard exchange for John-John to the Tropics. John-John’s loyalty is second to none despite winning a title last year but, a new era was due with a fast paced guard like Tyler Crespo who possesses a new persona. The Dragons have proven to be legit contenders judging off last week finally being at full strength. Them being full strength, they have guys like Terry, Dre, McCracken, Ricky is a threat without the offense running through him and more that can score and defend effectively. The Dragons will need to continue with intensity off the bench, specifically the “clumsy janitor” and they will need to quite frankly not give up. This team certainly has potential and has stars but they came out on top last week due to coming up big when it mattered most. They know what they play for while they play for each other and so much more. Personally, I felt that they left it all out on the floor last week and played for much more than their record but to prove a point, much like the “Heat Culture” throughout the years. As for the Pickers, hopefully this new dynamic turns into wins sooner than later but, they will need to be consistent offensively as all the top teams have this year and their defense won’t be up to par without their offense. Long story short, do what all the top teams have done to prove themselves, turn defense into offense and win games. 



Tropics and Huskies scheduled to deliver our 7 o’clock as the Tropics new era with John-John suiting for a new team in over a year and a half! Huskies however, will continue to look to keep the wolf pack howling after a record-breaking performance last week. The Tropics struggled last week and hopefully John-John will fix that with him being a perimeter threat although defense was their main issue last week. With Tyrell Melendez gone to the Bullies in a trade, I don’t see much potential in this team as of right now. They will have to prove me and others wrong because come playoff time, I would definitely be fearless to play these guys. Brad Atkinson needs to step up. We’ve seen him be a certified bucket getter in years past and that just hasn’t been the case this season. However, defense has proven to be their issue this season as they’ve given up 163 points combined against teams above .500  this season. The Huskies need to certainly take advantage of this and make guys that are struggling this year like Brad beat them. I don’t see a world where a fully healthy Huskies team loses to the Tropics with such rough defense but again… miracles can happen. Will there be a sunny tropical forest or will the wolf pack keep howling?




Last but not least, the likely prime-time game as scheduled is between the Titans and Bullies. The Titans have a lot on their plate after a tough landslide losing back to back games, last week being a shocking upset loss to the Dragons despite not having Ant-Man. If both teams are healthy including Marquel making his season debut, this game will most likely feed families… The Titans without Ant seemed to miss a step last week as I’m every team in the league would without their star player. In actuality, the Bullies came across the same issue with not having Kobe, sure Marquel being out hurts but they were undefeated without him. Kobe is their leading scorer and already is a serious MVP candidate. For both, the Titans and Bullies both guys are seriously tough shoes to fill that their team couldn’t fill. Putting these two powerhouses when healthy on the same court is almost guaranteeing some fantastic BBAL basketball! For the Titans, they will have to do what they’ve been doing all season when healthy, that is fast offense being out in transition, taking care of the ball, and finding the hot hand early. The Bullies are going to also be out in transition, defend well like we’ve seen in the past, and they will need Liam Besecker to compete with Ant on the glass. This is probably his toughest challenge as he squares off against probably the league's best big man. We’ll see who comes out on top and solidifies themselves as one of the top teams in the BBAL!


We all know week 5 won’t disappoint and we hope for more close games, upsets, and maybe even record-setting performances! You should all be stoked for another week of BBAL basketball! Catch y'all on the Sport Court!




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