(1) YUNG NO FLY ZONE vs (3) FINANCIAL VENTURES
Eastern Conference Finals – Saturday (6/18) 2:15pm at MLK HS
| Team Notes | Team | Score | Team | Team Notes |
| For the first time in 3 seasons, No Fly Zone has a nearly full roster intact for the playoffs. So anything short of a title for the most dominant team in D1 for the past 2 seasons will be a failure in their eyes. (F) Michael Reding, D1’s top scorer, will lead the charge, but (F) David Farnham has proved to be a very capable 2nd scorer this season. Both have the ability to score from deep and off the dribble. This is primarily a finesse team so they will rely heavily on whether their jumpers are falling. That can be a sucker bet, but this is also the deepest shooting team in the league, with reliable shooters up and down the lineup. |  NFZ 7-1 |
62-58 |
 FVG 6-2 |
Financial Ventures Group has the distinction of being the only team to beaten NFZ through the past two reg seasons. NFZ had won 13 straight until FVG halted their streak, and the reason is their size. FVG’s best offense comes from versatile (F) Kev Chang, made even better when (G) Jason Chin is hitting 3FGs, but their ability to beat up NFZ in the paint on post-ups and on the glass tends to tire out their finesse players. FVG is a brutish, physical defense that grinds games to a halt. If they dictate the pace by slowing the game down, and limiting possessions, they have the veteran presence to close it out. |
| Key Player: (F) Michael Reding
He is their best scorer, often times their best play-maker, and their best rebounder. Everything starts with what Reding brings to the table for NFZ, but it can be when he tries to do too much that he struggles. Reding doesn’t sit much so fatigue can be a factor, and in this game he’ll have to guard a bigger player as well. But if his jumper is on, there won’t be anyone on the FVG roster who can match-up with him. |
 Pos: F Ht: 6-3 Wt: 185 22.3 ppg 14.7 rpg 3.9 apg |
 Pos: FHt: 6-0 Wt: 175 20.2 ppg 7.8 rpg 2.3 apg |
Key Player: (F) Kev Chang
The same could be said of Chang, he is FVG’s best one-on-one match-up, best defender, and best creator off the dribble. He doesn’t quite have the stroke of Reding or the height, but he is crafty off the dribble, and finishes better than most in the paint. And if his jumper is falling, Chang is even harder to guard. If they can get him in isolation situations, especially in crunch time, Chang is the type of player than carry FVG to a win. |
(2) SHAWTY LIKES THE WAY vs (4) SK WAR DOG
Western Conference Final – Saturday (6/18) 4:15pm at MLK HS
| Team Notes | Team | Score | Team | Team Notes |
| As mentioned, Shawty Likes the Way I Ball Out is like the D1 version of baseball’s San Francisco Giants. They tend to win every other season they play. That’s because this is a very good team. And though the addition of (C) Marco Viti didn’t pay off with a title last season, it could very well do so this season. Paired with go-to (F) Jack Latta, SHA has a very big frong-line with great defensive length in the paint. The rest really depends on whether their outside shots are falling. If NFZ has the most shooting depth in D1, SHA is right there, especially with new add (G) Deric Kung. |  SHA6-2 |
68-67 |
 SKW 7-2 |
After a couple of seasons as the WC powerhouse, SK War Dog slowed just a little this season as age caught up with (G) Dave Wong. He hasn’t been as consistent a scorer as in the past, but (G) Kash Miah & (G) Pat Youreneff have had no fall off. (F) Sean Zhang can still get hot from 3 better than any big man in D1. Age can be a factor, and they don’t always get off to good starts, but they have a front-line that has no fear of tussling with bigger guys, and their guards are as mentally tough as they come, staging a 20-pt comeback vs LMA last round to get here. This should be one helluva game. |
| Key Player: Jack Latta
Latta is what they call a load in the paint, much heavier and stronger than he looks. He is smart and versatile on both sides of the ball. He can have sluggish games where the offense just isn’t there, but he will contribute in a meaningful way even if it isn’t on the scoreboard. His size alone makes teams have to adjust their strategy. |
 Pos: FHt: 6-4 Wt: 195 17 ppg 8 rpg 1.3 bpg |
 Pos: GHt: 5-10 Wt: 175 19.5 ppg 4.3 3pg 6.3 rpg |
Key Player: Kash Miah
If there’s any team well suited to playing vs size, it’s SKW. That’s because Miah is a 3-pt shooting dynamo. It doesn’t matter if he misses his first 10, he might make his next 10, and he just won’t stop shooting. Both he and Youreneff are crafty enough to live at the FT line as well.. When Miah is on, the whole team’s offense opens up. |