TDL Spring 2016 Playoff Preview (Semifinals)

(2) SPAGHETTI RAMEN vs (6) NYC GRITTY COMMITTEE

Comments Team Score Team Comments
Spaghetti Ramen is one of those teams that to look at them, you wouldn’t think they had won multiple franchise titles. Not until you play them do you realize how good they are. They are committed to initiating their attack on D with (F) Mark Hahn playing an insane Draymond Green meets Ron Artest style defense. Then the offense is carefully orchestrated by veteran SPR (G) Leuis Ng who can do it all. They play small ball, but they have a lot of versatile pieces that work together well. This is a veteran unit.
SPR
4-3

56-54


NGC
3-5
Whenever NYC Gritty Committee can sneak into the playoffs, they become a threat to challenge for the title due to veteran savvy alone. This team is no exception. This iteration will have the benefit of the biggest player in the league (C) Victor Chia. If they get him going early, SPR may have to make adjustments they don’t like. Which will open things up for NGC (G) Mark Lee. One of the best scorers in the league this season, he has a tough match-up with Hahn, but if SPR needs to go to zone, Lee will have room to work.
Key Player: (F) Mark Hahn
Ng is a constant, but Hahn is a wild card on offense. The dominant defensive effort is always there, but if Hahn can get any kind of offense going, it’s a big release valve for Ng. When Hahn is scoring, SPR is very hard to beat, particularly when he can knock down a few 3FGs.
Key Player: (F) Steve Chung
Chung is the third piece of NGC’s offensive attack, theoretically the shooter that spreads the D. Only his jumper has been erratic this season. But he’s streaky and can knock down multiple 3s at any point of the game. Likewise for NGC, if Chung gets hot, they’re almost unbeatable.

(1) GUARD ME MAYBE vs (4) NY DYNASTY

Comments Team Score Team Comments
Guard Me Maybe‘s three-pronged offensive attack has been D-3’s most potent this season with (G) Kento Kato able to create off the dribble, (G) Tommy Wong stretching defenses thin with his range, and (F) Jin Bae Kim‘s unstoppable slashing ability. Where they’ve had some weakness is on cohesion on D (not lack of effort). This is a young team, but if they play it right, they’re the favorite to win it all.
GMM
5-2

68-65


DYN
5-3
In many ways, NY Dynasty is the polar opposite to GMM. They are a veteran team with a short roster and limited offense. Granted, their 1-2 punch of (G) Ren Hsieh and (C) Steve Song is about is good as it gets, but they’re not athletic, and not particularly young. This is a team that plays efficiently, limits possessions, and outsmarts opponents in crunch time. This is not an insurmountable match-up for them.
Key Player: (G) Tommy Wong
When Wong is hitting 3FGs, this is a damn near unstoppable offense. His range and quick trigger just opens up the attacking lanes for the very nimble Kato and Kim. Wong is very capable of taking over the game with his shooting.
Key Player: (C) Steve Song
The versatile center for DYN can sometimes shy away from taking too many shots, but this may be self preservation as late in games, DYN has repeatedly gone to Song, and he has always answered. As much as Hsieh, he’s a late game closer.