A team with a slow start and better recent results is set to face a squad with a great start but, more recently, less positive performances as Trefl Sopot is scheduled to play MKS Dąbrowa Górnicza at home in a game valid for the twelveth round of the Polish national league.
After earning only 2 wins in the first 6 games of the tournament, Sopot delivered an open streak of 5 wins in the last 5 matches played, eventually sharing second place in the standings with Wilki Morskie Szczecin, Legia Warsaw and Start Lublin, with a record of 7 wins and 4 losses.
With 5 wins in the first 6 games of the league, Dąbrowa Górnicza, on the other hand, suffered 5 losses in a row in the following 5 matches played, eventually decreasing their record in the standings to 5 wins and 6 losses.
The game will offer a confrontation of two different basketball philosophies. On the one hand, Sopot head coach Žan Tabak wishes his teams to adopt a defense-first approach, with solid ball control and good presence under the tables.
Not casually, Trefl is Poland League’s best team in terms of turnovers committed per game, with an average of 12,3, the second best squad with respect to rebounds per match, with an average of 38,8, and the sixth best defense of the league, with 106,3 points conceded per 100 possessions.
Under the lead of head coach Boris Balibrea, who will be missing the game due to personal reasons, MKS, on the contrary, proposes an offensive, fast-paced basketball based on a ‘run-and-gun’ philosophy aimed at scoring one point more than the opponents, preferably from the perimeter.
Consistently, Dąbrowa Górnicza is Poland League’s most efficient offense with 121,9 points scored per 100 possessions, as well as the best scoring team from beyond the arc with 10,9 three-pointers made per game, and the best team with respect to ball circulation, with 22,6 assists per match.
Váradi, Best and Zyskowski vs. Persons, Cabbil and Horne
From and individual standpoint, the game, in addition to a confrontation between Žan Tabak and Boris Balibrea, is expected to provide a series of interesting duels on the court, mainly in the backcourt.
In the point guard spot, Benedek Váradi of Sopot, with averages of 11,7 points, 5,4 assists and 2,2 triples made per game, is likely to clash with Tayler Persons of MKS and his 16,5 points, 9,8 assists posted per match as writing.
Guards Aaron Best of Trefl, Lovel Cabbil of Dąbrowa Górnicza are also expected to duel as the former poured in 11,2 points, 2,2 assists per game, and the latter delivered 12,5 points, 4,2 assists and 1,5 three-pointers made per match.
A further battle between forwards Jarosław Zyskowski of Sopot, Jeriah Horne of MKS is likely to add further interest to the game.
The Polish international, in fact, put in 13,7 points with 1,5 triples made per game rebus sic stantibus, while the US athlete ‘responded’ with 12,8 points, 5,9 rebounds per match.
Trefl Sopot vs. MKS Dąbrowa Górnicza – Thursday, December 7 at 8:30 PM CET, Hala Stulecia, Sopot.
Projected starting fives*:
Sopot – Benedek Váradi, Aaron Best, Jarosław Zyskowski, Andy Van Vliet, Mikołaj Witliński. Head coach – Žan Tabak.
Dąbrowa Górnicza – Tayler Persons, Lovell Cabbil, Dominik Wilczek, Jeriah Horne, Nico Carvacho. Head coach – Boris Balibrea.
Matteo Cazzulani
@MatteoCazzulani
@matejkatsouranis
*based on assumptions.
Matej Katsouranis Basketball 
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