TDL Summer 2016 Playoff Preview – First Round

3rd Division

(2) DORIS FROM REGO PARK vs (7) LEGO

First Round – Thursday (8/25) 8pm at Murry Bergtraum HS

Team Notes Team Score Team Team Notes
Doris From Rego Park has been one of D3’s strongest contenders this season, losing only to the defending champions. (G) David Weiss has played mostly on an MVP level this season (16.7 ppg, 3.9 apg) and (F) Kyle Wilson has started to find the 3-pt range again. (G) Zach Koerber gives the team another versatile option, and he’s relatively big for a guard at this level. If they can keep their momentum going into the playoffs, they can win it all.
DOR
6-1

62-54
LEG
3-4		 After a 3-gm losing streak, it didn’t look good for LEGO, but they found a way to make the playoffs with solid guard play from (G) Jon Chiu, (G) Ivan Hui and (G) Chris Lee. Rookie (C) Danius Giedraitis has also given them a defensive presence in the paint, and he’s the league’s top rebounder at 11.4 rpg. If Chiu and Lee can attack DOR’s interior D, it can open things up for Hui from 3. That may be their best chance against a DOR team sure to play man D.
Key Player: David Weiss

Weiss is as good a PG as you can get in this division. Though sometimes TO prone, his physical strength and stamina give him an advantage over most other guards in D3. When his shot heats up, he is very capable of carrying his team offensively.
Pos: G
16.7 ppg
4.9 rpg
3.9 apg
 Pos: G/F
15 ppg
5.8 rpg
1.2 spg
 Key Player: Jonathan Chiu

Chiu is a do-it-all utility man for LEG but he’s also their best scorer. They’ll need a big game from him to have a chance. Passing is not his strength, he needs to focus on attacking the DOR defense and creating openings for his teammates with his activity.

(4) STINKY TOFU vs (5) NY FREEMASONS

First Round – Thursday (8/25) 9pm at Murry Bergtraum HS

Team Notes Team Score Team Team Notes
The last D3 season, Stinky Tofu made the championship game only to get blown out by SPR. Call this the redeem team. They haven’t looked quite as dominant in that first season, but (F) Carson Yiu is as filled with rage as ever, still one of the most aggressive players in the league. And (G) Paul Savino has stepped in nicely, giving TOF more depth at guard. This season TOF is a bit smaller than last, but it’s a faster team with the veteran savvy to make another title run. TOF
4-3

58-54
FRE
4-3		 The NY Freemasons are a bit of a surprise this season. After losing (F) Albert Hei and (F) Neil Dumadag, they had some big shoes to fill at skill positions. But rookie (G) Steven Wong has done just that. With (G) Johnny Lee and (F) Mike Lee, along with Wong, providing an aggressive defense, FRE can surprise a team that sleeps on them. Wong can get hot from the perimeter, and that defense will never stop attacking the passing lanes. 
Key Player: Carson Yiu

Nobody can say they go harder than Yiu. Admittedly, it can be hit or miss sometimes, but his team goes as he goes, and when Yiu gets it going, particularly out in transition, TOF is a very tough team to beat.

 Pos: F
18.7 ppg
8.1 rpg
2.4 spg		 Pos: G
15.4 ppg
7.7 rpg
3.1 spg
 Key Player: Steven Wong

Wong is a strong, physical guard that plays with confidence and uses his body well. He can step back and hit the 3, and finish around the basket. Perhaps more impressive is his equal contribution on D.

 

(1) SPAGHETTI RAMEN vs (8) MYPC

First Round – Thursday (8/25) 8pm at MLK HS

Team Notes Team Score Team Team Notes
This is the team to beat. Spaghetti Ramen is not only the defending champion, but they also just won the PAAG ’16 Intermediate Division with a slightly modified roster. This is to say the team is red hot and very confident going into the playoffs. There really isn’t much more to say.
SPR
6-1

65-51
MYP
2-5		 There is some raw young talent here on MYPC‘s roster. (F) Steve Shin leads the way but (F) Jim Yang and (C) Ju Zhang will also be key to the team’s success. They give MYP a big presence in the paint, and if they can both contribute on offense then MYP might have a chance… at making this a single-digit game.
Key Player: Leuis Ng

There’s no question, Ng is bound for the TDL Hall of Fame when he is done playing. There is no player who means more to his team, and there is no more decorated. And he could very well be MVP again this season. Ng is as key a player as you can get.
Pos: G/F
19.7 ppg
6.3 rpg
3.8 apg
 Pos: G/F
16 ppg
5.8 rpg
2.3 apg
 Key Player: Steve Shin

Shin is the veteran of this team, but still young with some rawness to his game, but he has a knack of getting into the paint and finishing tough, acrobatic shots. He’s really the only 3-pt threat they have, and not a strong one. MYP will need him to shoot efficiently in this one.

(3) NY DYNASTY vs (6) SKILLSHARE

First Round – Thursday (8/25) 9pm at MLK HS

Team Notes Team Score Team Team Notes
This may be the most even match up of the first round. Their regular season game went down the wire but  NY Dynasty prevailed. The same core is there with (G) Ren Hsieh at the helm, but the addition of (C) Dan Tak has bolstered their defensive presence in the paint. (G) Tran Truong had given them another 3-pt threat until his injury. His replacement (F) Chris Chao has been a great energy player. If they can get hot, DYN could be a contender. DYN
5-2

55-54
SKL
4-3		 Supreme Team has come a long way and now they’re in their first ever conference finals after a big win over NGC that proved a lot for this team. BSH might instill fear in a lot of teams with their size on the front-court, but not SUP. They’re one of only two other teams that can go toe-to-toe with their bigs. And that goes for size and all out heart. Nobody plays harder than the duo of (F) Joseph Choi & (C) Max Choi. And again, like BSH, their guards are tough and scrappy and they’ve finally figured out how to win close games.
Key Player: Ren Hsieh

The truth is, the only player that can really create offense on this roster is Hsieh. He’s also their best set-up man which puts him in a quandary of balancing set up and scoring. The veteran guard is used to it, though, and if he gets hot, he can carry this team a long way.

 Pos: G
14.6 ppg
2.6 rpg
3.8 apg		 Pos: G
14.3 ppg
4.8 rpg
6.5 apg
 Key Player: Elliot Curtis

Curtis has to deal with the same, Best set up man, best scorer. Both he and Hsieh have kept their respective teams happy, and Curtis, with younger legs, has been the better of the two. But knowing them, it won’t come down to a 1-on-1 battle. It will be who adjusts their team’s offense better.