*: Clinched Playoffs
1. Big Falafels (8-2)*: Although Too Smooth wasn't at full strength, Big Falafels showed no mercy, as they double-teamed Sheraz Kari and took advantage of the 4-man roster Too Smooth brought in last week. Torin Asefie and Karim Ahmed did the heavy lifting, and Big Falafels made sure to send a message that they won't lack any effort, regardless of the situation. Going into Week 11, Big Falafels will retain the #1 seed in D2 unless they lose to Cereal Killers, which is not likely. It will be a show to see this team in the playoffs, as Humza Mela and Zaid Dadabhoy have shown their capabilities to flip the switch throughout the years, and they will look to do the same this season with Big Falafels. Also, Ibrahim Ellafas in the playoffs is a defender that reminds me of Dahntay Jones, a strong defender that loves to get on the player's nerves. This team fell short last Summer, as they lost in the Finals, so they are looking to avenge that loss and leave this season with the championship trophy.
Although Big Falafels has the #1 seed, this season's title for D2 is up for grabs for every team that reaches the playoffs, as the competition this year has far exceeded that of recent years in MBL.
2. Too Smooth (8-2)*: Let's just take that loss in Week 10, and put it behind us. It's a shame; a whole Too Smooth team against Big Falafels would have been a potential finals preview. Sheraz Kari tried to get things going, but he saw two defenders almost every time he touched the ball. This prevented him from playing his usual game, costing Too Smooth. However, they were without Yaser Yousef and Ahmad Khalaf. The good news, both of these all-stars will be returning for the season finale against Wet Like Book, which will be a show for those in attendance. Not only are these two powerhouse teams, but Wet Like Book can move ahead of Too Smooth in the standings with a win, so expect Too Smooth to be ready to do what it takes to win this game. This will be a high-energy matchup and potentially the game of the season, and both teams are ready to give it their all to send a message. I suspect there will be a massive crowd in attendance that will shake the building. I hope to see you there as a part of that!
Another thing to consider is this team will feature a matchup with two of MBL's greats, Yaser Yousef and Abdul Yousef. Who will win this matchup? Only one way to find out.
3. Most Hated (8-2)*: It seemed like we were about to see an upset last week with Apollo8 nearing a defeat of the talented Most Hated. In this game, Mehr Khaliq suffered an ankle injury that took him out of the second half, and this loss cost this team a good amount of offense. However, Waleed Khaliq, Anthony Newman, and Ayoub Berhanu stepped up and got the ball rolling, and in the end, Alvaro Valenzuela hit clutch time free throws to get Most Hated in the lead. In the end, the game depended on the jump ball's winner, and Most Hated was able to win the possession, capturing victory in a close game with Apollo8. Mehr looks good to go with his injury, and in the season's final matchup, we have a treat as the Big 3 of Most Hated will be taking on Bruce Haidrey of Side Bets. This will be a spicy matchup, as both teams love to "bring the smoke," and expect there to be a newborn rivalry once this one is said and done.
Mehr Khaliq quoted leading into playoffs, "We're focused and ready. It's time for the playoffs; we don't care bout the trolling or trash-talking but don't get it twisted; we are not shying away from anything. We know our goal & we all trust each other. OTW."
4. Wet Like Book (7-3)*: What an energetic game we had last week as Wet Like Book defeated Only the Family in a gutsy, crunch-time victory. Going into this game, Wet Like Book was without Radwan Yahya and Abdul Yousef, and that fact alone already had OTF convinced they would win this game. Being counted out, Wet Like Book came in with urgency, and Yusuf Hashim gave us a show. The Sixth Man of the Year candidate scored 22 points while capturing a clutch layup late in the game over Ismail Famous and Kyle Hamilton. Alongside him, both Ahmeds performed, as Ahmed Khan delivered a crucial double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Ahmed Chawla, the floor general, dished five assists and collected 11 rebounds. Irfan Anwar looked like his "Flash" self, blowing by defenders and getting to the bucket for key layups while hitting critical free throws down the stretch. Finally, in the play of the game, Kyle Hamilton decided to go for a poster dunk in the final two minutes, and Emad Yahya wasn't ready to let that happen. Instead, Emad met Kyle at the rim and sent that dunk back, silencing the crowd. What a win for Wet Like Book, as they showed resilience and trust as a unit. When this team is hitting, they're hard to beat. Can they stay poised and continue their Spurs-style basketball in the playoffs?
To a specific unmentioned player in the league, coach Amir (for the first time on record) has one thing to say: "You can run, but you can't hide."
5. Only the Family (7-3)*: A tough loss down the stretch, as this team had a strong lead at the beginning of the game but saw it crumble as they underestimated Wet Like Book. Kyle Hamilton and Ismail Famous were the two players looking to take control, as the rest of OTF was out of the picture, aside from Zain Aslam, who hit a couple of three-pointers. Things seemed to be going well for OTF towards the end of the game when Ismail Famous threw a lob to Kyle Hamilton, who dunked it, setting the crowd on fire. He then tried to do it again on Emad Yahya, but if you were there, you know what happened. This team has shown its capabilities to win against the stronger teams in D2; they are a tough matchup for any team. Mohammad Shafi will need to retain his position as the team leader, while other X-factors such as Ishaq Khan and Ammar Khan needs to get involved. It can't solely rely on the hands of Ismail and Kyle to decide if Only the Family will win or not. So let's see how they fare in the playoffs because they will be a tough matchup to face in the first round.
6. Side Bets (6-4)*: "vacation over." - MBL Summer 2022 Most Valuable Player: Bruce Haidrey (those reading this get an early notice)
7. Brick City (5-5): Some may say if Kareem Madkour had continued playing, this team would be higher in their rankings. However, they've made the best of the situation. Brick City has competed every night and earned a shot at securing the seventh spot this week. The catch? They play against the other team fighting for the playoff spot in Goonda Squad, who have the same record. It doesn't end there; if Brick City loses this game, they face a chance of falling out of the playoffs because Apollo8 is playing The Zone, which will result in a most likely victory. That being said, it will rely on point differential to decide who makes the cut, but Brick City won't have to worry about that if they can defeat Goonda Squad. Instead, expect a strong performance from Jason Noble and Ibrahim Hamade; they will need to lead this team from the start. Salman Bickiya and Momen Bany-Mohamed will need to step up as X-Factors. In the end, if they reach the playoffs, they will be a team to watch, and maybe Jason or Ibrahim can give us a dunk or two.
8. Goonda Squad (5-5): This team will fight to reach the best position they can in the playoffs and won't let it go easily. They were counted out at the beginning of the season, but the efforts of Waqas Anis, Abner James, Anosh Ali, and Mehdi Baig have proven to be a potent group. As a result, Goonda Squad is a team to avoid underestimating. If they win this week's game against Brick City, they will take the seventh seed, and if they lose it will most likely result in the eighth seed since they have the head-to-head matchup over Apollo8. We should see this team in the postseason, but it will depend on how this matchup against Brick City fares.
Outside Looking In:
Apollo8 (4-6): Need to win Week 11; Need Brick City to lose
Apollo8 needs to win against The Zone to see a chance. A Brick City loss puts them in consideration through point differential; however, if Brick City wins, Apollo8 will not make the playoffs since Goonda Squad holds the head-to-head.
IE's Finest (4-6): Need to win Week 11; Need Apollo8 and Brick City to lose to be considered through point differential.