10 Burning Questions Heading into PCTIEIGHT

1.       Can Dan continue his scoring uptick?

The reigning MVP had a coming out party on the offensive end last year. Averaging double digit points for the first time ever (he came in averaging 4.5 ppg in his career). His scoring did fall off the last 3 games, but if he is forcing the Pods to put a top defender on him, this would open things up for the rest of the team. Being the “Abe stopper” is a draining task. If he can do that and be the same threat as last year on O, team Bored will have the advantage.

2.       Can Abe and Ben play at their top levels at the same time?

It’s no secret that Abe and Ben can fill it up (1 and 2 in all time points). While they can both score in bunches, they both have similar styles of doing it. They are ball dominant players that use a combination of strength and skill to gain an advantage on most any defender. They also both have the same weakness at times and that is forcing the action too much and turning the ball over (also 1 and 2 in all time TOs). The biggest challenge is each team needs that guy that can create offense when the games go into the lull that happens every PCTI. For our team, Ben and Abe will most likely be that fill, while BC and Joe tend to fill that for their team. Which team will have the most mistakes during this time and which team will get good opportunities that turn into a run?

3.       How will Andy C. fit in to Team Pods?

New guy to PCTI is always a huge wildcard. He would have had much more of an advantage coming in on the other team since Dan and Rainbow (occasionally Sabin) play with him. Figuring out the flow of the game and how your new teammates play within a few hours must be very tough. I always look forward to seeing how people fit in both on and off the court and this year is no different. I hope Andy can bring some of his smoothness to the court.

4.       Can Sabin and/or Joe rebound from last year?

It was a less than ideal year for Sabin and Joe last year. Sabin shot well game 1 and 6 but not that well in the middle games. Joe average 6.33 ppg last year, about half of his career average. Don’t get me wrong, these guys bring a lot to the table. Sabin is solid on D and the boards (11 boards in game 5) and rarely turns the ball over. Joe creates havoc on D and uses his athleticism to get O boards and get fouls. While they bring a lot to the table, their team this year will need them to be the scoring forces of old and average double digits.  

5.       How will Spot, Smo and Bruiser come in to 8?

A bit of the unknown with these 3. 1 is coming from England, the other is coming from Spring Hill, and the third I believe still lives in Dallas. How will these guys come in physically to PCTI? Do any of these guys play basketball throughout the year?  Conditioning is usually a key in these weekend marathons and both teams need these key players to be ready. Will Team Pods get good shooting and timely back cuts from Spot? Will they get solid defense and easy put backs from Smo? Will Team Bored get solid post play and midrange jumpers and control of the boards from Bruise? All answers to come.

6.       Will BC win MVP?

BC is a top tier player. No question about it. He can score with anyone, gets to the FT line, is one of the top rebounders, solid defender in multiple positions, and is one of the best in the efficiency rating (1^st) and SPERM (3^rd). Some of his stat lines in games are just GAWDY (26-10, 26-14-4, 21-16). His team will need him to have a big tournament. If Team Bored wins, he is the heavy favorite to win MVP.

7.       Will Beas continue his defensive performance from last year?

Already touched on Joe’s offensive performance last year and many thought it had to do with Beas playing lock down D nearly the entire weekend. His scoring was down from previous years, but his assists and A/T were up. While still performing well offensively, many people walked away talking about his D and how much he owns Joe T (still do to this day). Will Beas be locked in again or will the Doc get his revenge?  

8.       Will Donley be a force or detriment?

Donley is one of those guys that can easily swing an entire weekend at PCTI. He is strong, athletic and can guard most anyone you assign him to. He also has the ability to score inside and outside. So why has he fell in the draft recently?  I looked at his numbers of his last 2 PCTIs vs the 3 that he played in before and cannot find any glaring discrepancies. His EFG is down (maybe Sabin can tell us what that may mean). In fact, there has been a small increase in boards, assists, blocks, and steals. There is one thing that popped out at me: after compiling 10-6 record from PCTI II-IV, he had to miss V and his teams in his return have gone 3-8. Did his team need a scapegoat or did his game not mesh with his teams?  Is he getting a bad rap or is it justified? Could Scotty Hustle break out of his slump and help get his team to a winning way?

9.       Can TP and Rainbow propel their team to another series win?

The two rookies from last year came in with a little hesitation and ended much stronger. Rainbow didn’t fill up that stat sheet but he was much more comfortable with our team and a greater threat by the end. TP’s game 5 has had plenty of documentation and may have swung the series completely. These two are back together again with Dan and BC to see if they can be the difference maker. I will say this to try and prep my team as best as possible: if we can’t keep TP off the glass, we won’t win. If we take Rainbow lightly, even with his funky passes, we could be in BIG trouble. Keep in mind, I played with Rainbow and DK in Dallas last year Bow was dominant on the offensive end.

(FYI, I was looking at Rainbow’s stats and I didn’t realize that the only shots he made were 3s. No made FTs, no made 2s. For some reason, I found this incredible.)

10.   Will AHop and Smo continue their reign as “winningiest” participants?

Did I make that word up? YUP. Did I ask this question just so I could make it look like me and Smo are more valuable than we are? Of course. I am the leader in PCTI history for most overall wins. Of course, I have an advantage against some because I have been able to play in all the PCTI series. Some say it’s because of luck, or that I buddy up to really good players. I have some theories but mostly have gotten lucky with my teams. I have 2 guys in DK and BC that would love to de-throne me this year. Smo on the other hand is 4-1 in PCTI series. His one loss was the massacre in Dallas. Outside of that, his teams are 16-7. The only explanation is that his killer instinct he brings to his team pushes them over the top in PCTI.

Pumped to see everyone in a week!