Yardbarker
x
BIG3 Week 6: Should we begin the MVP discussion as we head to Dallas?
Trilogy's Rashad McCants has the edge in the BIG3 MVP race. Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

BIG3 Week 6: Should we begin the MVP discussion as we head to Dallas?

As the games move to Texas, we’re starting to get a real clear picture of what the playoffs are going to look like. Trilogy clinched the first playoff berth in the league’s history while 3 Headed Monsters and Power could officially join them with wins in Dallas. The Ghost Ballers are sitting in postseason purgatory with a 3-2 record and a meeting with the nearly unstoppable Trilogy.

No matchups are particularly interesting, but it might be time to start thinking about who is the first-ever BIG3 MVP. After Rashad McCants dropped 27 in Trilogy’s fifth win of the season, he’s showing that he’s clearly the best player on the best team, but Rashard Lewis leading the league in scoring while playing a huge defensive role for the 3 Headed Monsters could make this an exciting race down the stretch.

It’s going to be hard to not give it to McCants if he continues to perform and Trilogy finishes undefeated. However, if Trilogy drops just a single game, the pendulum swings mightily into Sweet Lew’s favor as he has more points, blocks and steals than anyone in the BIG3 right now. This race will be fun to watch down the stretch — and there’s a chance Cuttino Mobley or DeShawn Stevenson could steal the award with huge performances in the final three weeks of the season.

Killer 3s (1-4) v. Ball Hogs (1-4)


Stephen Jackson and the Killer 3s have had a rough go of it. Jeremy Brevard/USA TODAY Sports

A game between two of the league’s bottom feeders leads off Week 6 in the BIG3, and suffice to say, this is a must-win for both squads. The Killer 3s lost a devastating game in Chicago, leading 40-30 before the Ghost Ballers went on a 20-6 run to close out the game, giving the Killer 3s their fourth loss of the season. Stephen Jackson’s game-high 22 points just weren’t enough to put the Killer 3s over the top, and now they’ll have to win out the rest of the season just to have a shot at the playoffs.

It was more of the same for the Ball Hogs, who after five weeks look like the league’s worst team by a wide margin. After getting down early to Power, the Ball Hogs were able to tie the game at 20, but the game was never close after that. The Ball Hogs have a huge scoring problem. All of the teams over .500 have either three scorers in double figures or the league’s leading scorer. The Ball Hogs’ leading scorer is Rasual Butler at an OK 15 points per game — and they just traded for him this week. With no one out there to get consistent buckets, it’s going to be hard for them to win any more games this season.

Prediction: Killer 3s win 50-39.

3's Company (1-4) v. Power (4-1)


Power player Cuttino Mobley has been solid for his team. Jeremy Brevard/USA TODAY Sports

3's Company got lit up last week by Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf for 19 with the BIG3’s leading scorer Rashard Lewis adding 16 of his own. Add in Kwame Brown’s double-double, and you’re left with a 19-point loss for Allen Iverson’s squad. Things got real ugly last week and might not get any better when they face off against Cuttino Mobley, DeShawn Stevenson and Jerome Williams as a part of a Power team that’s really in a groove right now.

For Power, Mobley and Stevenson continue to lead the team on the offensive end of the floor, but Williams continues to be the team’s heart and soul. Williams leads the league in offensive rebound rate and is second in defensive rebound rate while finishing in the top five in both plus-minus and net rating. There might not be a role player who means more to his team than Jerome Williams, and as long as he continues to play at a high level, Power is going to continue to roll.

Prediction: Power obliterates 3s Company 50-31

Trilogy (5-0), Ghost Ballers (3-2)


Kenyon Martin's Trilogy is dominating the BIG3. Aaron Doster/USA TODAY Sports

This is the only match up of the week that features two teams above .500, and a lot is on the line in this one. Trilogy looks to keep the good times rolling. The team is undefeated, and knowing the personalities on the team, they’d love to finish the inaugural season without a loss, setting a precedent that no one is going to take from them. Kenyon Martin came back and fit in seamlessly, and Rashad McCants showed off why he was the No. 1 overall draft pick, scoring from distance, mid-range and on the block. James White picked his game up with Al Harrington having an off night. Trilogy continues to look nearly unbeatable.

The nearly part is what the Ghost Ballers are going to need to figure out. Mike Bibby and Ivan Johnson had huge games in their comeback win last week, but they can’t expect to get down big to Trilogy and see the same results. The Ghost Ballers aren’t playing for history but are playing to keep a two-game lead over the four teams sitting at 1-4 after this past week. A loss would mean that at least one team will only be a game out of that fourth playoff spot with two games left to play. A win could all but seal a playoff berth — but that’s easier said than done when your opponent has been perfect all season.

Prediction: Trilogy continues to roll with a 51-41 win.


Tri-State (1-4) v. 3 Headed Monsters (4-1)


Rashard Lewis is hot on Rashad McCants' heels in the BIG3 MVP race. Jeremy Brevard/USA TODAY Sports

Tri-State followed its first win of the season with a drubbing by the hands of undefeated Trilogy. Mike James dropped 22 points on 19 shots, but no one else was able to score more than six for Tri-State with Jermaine O’Neal sitting out. The team shot 29 percent from the field, 25 percent from three. There wasn't much of an answer for Trilogy, and it doesn’t look like Tri-State will be able to find any this week facing off against a very good 3 Headed Monsters team.

Rashard Lewis recorded a pedestrian (for him) 16 points in Week 5 but still remains the BIG3’s best scorer heading into Dallas. Kwame Brown also continues to impress, as he’s now in the top five in eFG% (4), oRB% (3) and dRB% (4). Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf dropped a game-high 19 in the win over 3's Company as they moved to 4-1. To get to 5-1, not much has to change as they look ahead to the struggling Tri-State — a team that really won’t have an answer for Lewis, who not only leads the league in total points, but blocks and steals on the season.

Prediction: 3-Headed Monsters coast to a 50-38 win

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

+

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.