22 Dec.2016– Zouk will witness a showdown of skills when Tadamon host Riyadi later on today.
Tadamon are still unbeaten at home after 4 rounds and they will be put to the test against defending champions Riyadi.
For most of us, the battle of point guards will be our main focus. Jad Khalil and Wael Arakji are going head to head, each one trying to get an edge over the other. Both very skillful, fast, great ball handlers and have a great vision on court. Wael may have a slight advantage as he is more experienced having played in competitions like the Asian Club Championship which adds a lot of maturity to a player’s style of play.
Another matchup to look forward to is the one between Earvin Morris and Jahmar Young. Young was able to take his last chance against Byblos and prove he belongs in this team. Today he can build on that and try to stop an enigmatic, fast and tricky Morris. Earvin can run the floor at blazing speed, cut to the basket, take his outside shot and even find teammates at the same time. Young has his work cut out for him.
The main focus for Riyadi tonight should be looking for their 2 towers under the basket. Alade Aminu and Ali Haidar could be the answer for the defending champs today as they have size and length advantages over Jonathan Holton and Maurice Kemp. Tadamon’s big guys might be athletic and fast but against a physical duo who can play the low post very efficiently they can face problems as they did against Majok and co when they faced Homenemtmen.
Matchups are not going Tadamon’s way as size is definitely in Riyadi’s favor. Having players like Branko and Jean on the wings, both tall and fast cutting to the rim, playing man to man might be a bad idea. Even playing zone defense is a gamble because every player in Riyadi can take the outside shot. It’s a tricky situation but coach Caughter has shown throughout the years he can take the bunny out of the hat. Maybe playing a matchup zone with continuous switches is the best option for Tadamon and directly run on the fastbreak before the opposition’s defense gets settled as they showed in their first 4 games that they have a fast tempo offense with few passes to get to the basket.
Both teams have players coming off the bench to reinforce the squad. Tadamon can rely on Rony Fahed to drain crucial shots to take the lead in dying moments or at any time. Ice in his veins. His prodigy is on the other side of the court. Amir Saoud is one of the best shooters in our league, no doubt about that, but fans are still waiting to see shades of the old prince they got used to.
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