Week 3 goes down in the south this weekend, in Birmingham where four teams look for their first win, and in Atlanta where two former teammates will go head to head.
The weekend kicks off Saturday, July 6 in Birmingham, Alabama at the Birmingham -Jefferson Convention Complex - also known as the BJCC. There, at Legacy Arena, the action begins at 5pm with a matchup between Tri-State and 3s Company. Tri-State, perhaps the most talented league team on paper - is 0-2, having lost a close one in Indianapolis to the Killer 3s in week 1, and last week losing to the defending champion Power 51-43. 3s Company is also winless, losing 50-38 to Power in week 1 and last week getting trounced by the Killer 3s 50-32. 3s Company has been a shell of themselves so far, as they feel the absence of Baron Davis, who has yet to play due to a quadriceps injury. Without Davis, they don't have a point guard and lack a guy who can get a bucket at any time.
Tri-State, on the other hand, has the talent but has not put together a full performance thus far, having blown a 10 point advantage in week 1 and failing to close the game against Power last week. Jermaine O'Neal and Bonzi Wells continue to be out, so the onus is on Amare Stoudemire and Jason Richardson to carry the load. If Tri-State gets healthy, they have the best roster, talent wise, from top to bottom in the Big 3. They have struggled in the first couple of weeks in part due to their lack of depth, however they should be able to defeat a 3s Company team that will be outmatched. Desperate for a victory, expect Tri-State's Stoudemire and Richardson to have big games.
The second Saturday game sees the Ball Hogs play the Aliens, again a match up of two winless teams. The Aliens have not been able to handle two of the league's top scorers - as Joe Johnson, in week 1, and Rashard Lewis in week 2, scored 27 and 18 points, respectively, against their defense. Although wing guys have given the Aliens problems, the Ball Hogs' top scorer is a big, the 6'11 Will McDonald, and though he is averaging 22 points thus far, he doesn't have as favorable a matchup this week against the Aliens - who boast two 7 footers in Greg Oden and Ryan Hollins. Oden, in particular, could give McDonald problems. It should be a competitive game between two teams who desperately need their first win of the season.
The Saturday capper has the Enemies vs the Ghost Ballers. Gilbert Arenas, who was 4/12 in his debut last week, will look to play better after working off some rust against the Ball Hogs. Craig Smith, who had 19 points last week including 4 three pointers, has shown surprising range and shooting ability from the outside. Known primarily as a banger and rebounder during his NBA career, his ability to step out and hit the three has him second in the league in points per game at 22.5. If Lamar Odom, who missed last week's game, plays, the Enemies will prove too much for a Ghost Ballers team that has a tough matchup going against a bigger, more athletic team.
Sunday's opener, from Atlanta's State Farm Arena at 1pm, pits two former Atlanta Hawks' teammates against each other. Joe Johnson, a seven time all-star, leads the unbeaten Triplets against his former 'mate Josh Smith's Bivouac. This game could prove to be the best of the entire weekend, as Johnson is likely to see a lot of Smith, a 2010 all-defensive second team member, defending him. Each team also features sharpshooters, with the Triplets' Alan Anderson and Bivouac's Anthony Morrow. Bivouac's Will Bynum, who has 39 points through 2 games, will have a good matchup against the Triplets' Jannero Pargo.
Game 2 from Atlanta sees a matchup of unbeatens with the Killer 3s taking on the 3 Headed Monsters. Rashard Lewis and Stephen Jackson figure to go head to head scoring the ball, while Eddy Curry (Killer 3s) and the Monsters' Reggie Evans will battle in the paint. Evans leads the league in rebounding so far, so it is imperative that the 3s keep him off the glass. The match up between the Monsters' Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and the Killer 3s' Franklin Session will also be one to watch. Session has a great handle and can get to the basket, but Abdul-Rauf, at age 50, has a great stroke and can't be left open.
The weekend finale has the undefeated Power going up against Trilogy. Power's Cuttino Mobley has been the league's best player so far, averaging 25.5 points per game through the first two weeks. Power present Trilogy with an issue in that they have two big men, in Glen Davis and Chris Andersen, who are both really good athletes, something Trilogy doesn't have in the paint. Andersen can block shots and is super active, while Davis, despite his size, has very quick feet and great finishing ability at the rim. Although Trilogy has the league's leading shot blocker in Patrick O'Bryant, he has a tough task ahead of him in trying to deal with both Andersen and Davis. If Trilogy is to have a shot in the game, they'll need better play from Jason Terry. The Seattle, WA native has just 5 total points on the season and is 1/3 from three point range.
Game Picks
Saturday: Tri-State, Aliens, Enemies
Sunday: Triplets, 3 Headed Monsters, Power
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