Playoff Preview

Playoff Preview- 8/1

As the regular season comes to a close, each team in the King of Kings Summer Pro-Am looks to make a deep run into the playoffs. In a league loaded with Division I, II, and III talent, every team regardless of regular season performance has the ability to be contenders if each team plays to their strengths. Let’s take a look at what each team needs to do in order to have a shot at the title.

Upstate Swagger:

Upstate Swagger boasts a roster of local legends. They have three ex-professional players in Dave Golembiowski, Scott Morton, and Sean Burton. Upstate Swagger may not be the youngest or most athletic team on the floor, but they are certainly the smartest and it shows in their play.

What they need to do to win: Simple. Upstate Swagger needs to play their game. Even if they are not hitting their shots from beyond the arc (which is a rare occurrence) their ball movement can slice any defense apart. Speaking of defense, their zone can smother any opposing team. The key to the successful zone of Upstate Swagger is their ability to continually box out and rebound defensively, which is no easy task in a zone. With a full roster led by Burton at the 1, Upstate Swagger is poised to make a run deep into the playoffs.

The Gunnas:

Cousins Wesley Jackson and Deandre Preaster, two former standouts at Thomas R. Proctor High School, lead the Gunnas. The team also features local ballers Walkery Mills and Josh Henderson. After a disappointing regular season, the Gunnas look to make a run in the playoffs.

What they need to do to win: The Gunnas need to have the right players in the right positions. The offense needs to run through their best ball handler, Henderson, who can dribble out of any trouble he gets in. Jackson should be at the two/three, along with Mills at the two/three. Preaster needs to bang down low where he is most dangerous/versatile. His array of post moves and quickness is very hard to defend. The Gunnas also need excellent perimeter offense from Mills and Jackson in order to make up for the rest of their undersized roster, which can sometimes be exploited in man-to-man situations on defense. It will be interesting to see if things can come together in the postseason for the Gunnas.

Team Motivated:

Team Motivated (JD’s Finest) is led by the star studded duo of Brandon Triche and Dajuan Coleman, two Jamesville-Dewitt grads who will play at Syracuse in the fall. There are rumors that Michael Carter-Williams, who played in the team’s first game, will be returning for the playoffs. Throw in swingman Alshwan Hymes of JD and you have the most athletic, dangerous, high-powered offensive roster in the league.

What they need to do to win: In order for Team Motivated to win the championship, Triche, Coleman, and possibly Carter-Williams need to dominate their one on one matchups. No defense, zone or man, can match up with the strength and size of Triche and Coleman. By winning these matchups, the entire floor will open up for their teammates, all of which are highly capable of knocking down open threes or take the ball to the hoop. If Team Motivated’s stars can play to their potential, they become the heavy favorite to win the championship.

Syracuse Elite:

Syracuse Elite is a squad full of mid to upper twenties Syracuse based ballers. They are the defending champions of the league, and they don’t hold that title lightly. They play just as hard if not harder than any team in the league at all times.

What they need to do to win:

Syracuse Elite needs to play as a unit. Defensively, the team matches up pretty well with every team in the league. They switch between half and full court man-to-man, constantly putting pressure on the ball. The problem with Syracuse Elite is they don’t have that one star that can put the team on his back offensively when things aren’t going their way. This makes it that much more important for the defending champs to involve everyone on offense and move the ball. This team won’t kill you from behind the three-point line, but when they are moving the ball and getting to the basket, they become serious contenders.

Greater Grace (Utica Select):

Syracuse forward James Southerland and center Rakeem Christmas lead greater Grace. The mid season addition of Coastal Carolinas EJ Gallup, who seemingly hits every three pointer he pulls up for, makes Utica Select quite the threat.

What they need to do to win:

Utica Select needs step their game up defensively. They have proven throughout the year they can trade baskets with any team in the league. Their defense at times has been lazy. Utica Select frequently allows teams back into games through a lack of defensive intensity. With Gallup hitting shots, Christmas down low, and Southerland having the advantage in at least one category in every matchup he sees, it all comes down to defense for Utica Select if they want to contend for the title.

99 Problems:

99 Problems is led by former Syracuse University and Proctor guard Josh Wright and current Colgate baller Chad Johnson. The duo carries the load offensively for the team. Height wise they are a little under-sized, but their speed can easily make that up on the court.

What they need to do to win:

99 Problems plain and simple has a problem sharing the ball. Some of the players on the team most certainly feel the pressure from Wright to pass the ball to their best playmaker (Wright himself) instead of letting each player get involved offensively. In order for 99 Problems to be considered as contenders, Wright and Johnson need to realistically score 70 points a game combined, in addition to stepping up their defense and getting the rest of their players involved. It may seem like an improbable task, but it can be done, and it is necessary in order for 99 Problems to be considered as a threat in the playoffs.

Dream Chasers:

The Dream Chasers are led by Notre Dame grad and Colgate University baller Pat Moore and Lemoyne’s Brian Zapisek. The team looked befuddled for most of the season on the court, but came together in the last few weeks, finishing the season 3-4 on a two game win streak.

What they need to do to win: Shoot lights out. That is how they won their final two games of the season, and that is what they need to do in the playoffs. If Moore, Zapisek and Co. can get hot from beyond the arc, they can compete with anyone. They also have two centers at 6’8’’ and 6’11’’ that can alter any shot that comes in the paint. But no matter what, it all comes down to shots for the Dream Chasers, and if they hit shots, both open and contested, then they have proven they shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Bless Ballers:

Mookie Jones, who played for Syracuse University as well as last seasons leading scorer Cornelius Vines, who played his college ball at Hofstra, lead the Bless Ballers. The Bless Ballers offensively can compete with anyone in the gym. When they move the ball well, they can strike from anywhere on the court.

What they need to do to win:

The Bless Ballers offense has to go through Vines, who is by far the best ball handler on the team. That being said, Vines needs to relish his role as point guard and try to create less by himself and focus on getting his teammates involved. Another key for this squad is Mookie Jones. Jones, who was not known for his perimeter offense prior to this season, can light it up at times from beyond the arc. Jones needs to find the right balance of three point shots while not sacrificing his ability to get to the basket, which is key for his team. If Jones is making shots, that opens the floor up for Vines as well as the rest of his team to find holes in the defense. If Vines and Jones can share the ball effectively and score when they have the opportunity, then the Bless Ballers have a chance to make a deep run into the playoffs.