The NBA 2K League Notebook is back after an unforgettable trip to Vegas and a fantastic week of league action in the Big Apple. We have another great week lined up and every matchup brings intrigue, so read up on the games and positional battles to look out for under our Week 5 notes.

Wednesday (Night 1):

1. Worthingcolt is one of the toughest matchups in the entire league. Even with his dominating rebounding ability, his best skill is how he gets under his opponent’s skin and get them to beat themselves. Being vocal is one thing, but knowing how to use competitiveness as a tool is a whole other thing.

2. Hood and Heat Check Gaming go together like two peas in a pod. Hood’s playing style and personality fit very well with the rest of the team and his 2K IQ mixes perfectly with their head coach. There may be a few bumps in the road initially, but they should be smoothed out by THE TICKET powered by AT&T.

3. On the other side of the trade, T-Wolves Gaming were very impressive with their new PG, JMoneyRep817. Their communication on the defensive end helped them immensely in their game against Pistons GT and he gives them a fun wrinkle on offense. However, Bear playing off-ball that much could hurt them in the long-term if he can’t find his stroke.

Thursday (Night 2):

1. Writing an entire section full of notes about Warriors Gaming Squad would be fitting. They’ve been maybe the best team in the league over the past month or so, but their play speaks for itself. It would be a huge surprise if any team was able to hold another scoreless in an entire quarter again this season.

2. One more note about the Warriors. Offense around the league has been incredibly pick and roll heavy, but the Warriors seem to be zigging while everyone else is zagging. They run PnR like everyone else, but their ability to create open shots on the perimeter through ball movement and off-ball screening has been a devastating addition to their arsenal (not the player). Credit to coach Abdenour for some atypical game planning and actually using every player on the court to score.

Friday (Night 3):

1. Break up Grizz Gaming! A lack of energy on the defensive side of the ball has held this team back on occasion, but they BROUGHT it last week. With the trade for KelMav bringing some extra firepower, perhaps Lang Whitaker and co. can go on a run.

2. Here comes the take-off indeed. This week was owned by Wizards District Gaming, who not only won their first 2 games of the season, but finally looked like the team we all expected coming into the season. Dayfri finding a home at the PF spot with Gilly at C gives them a ton of tenacity down low, while the combo of Demon JT at PG and ReeseDaGod at SF balances them out. Their energy and willpower was thrilling to watch grow throughout Friday night.

3. Shout out to Ronny Turiaf for coming to the studio and hanging out!

 

What To Watch For In Week 6:

1. Must-See Game:
   1. 76ers GC (3-2) vs. Warriors Gaming Squad (5-2):
      1. Time: Friday, 6 pm/et
      2. Best Match-up: Radiant vs. Gradient
      3. Summary: The rematch of THE TURN Finals will be must-see TV. The 76ers are hungry for revenge and have yet to play a game since their fateful loss only two weeks ago. Gradient did a fantastic job defensively on his closely-named counterpart and this matchup should again decide the winner.

1. Game Flying Under The Radar
   1. Mavs Gaming (7-0) vs. Bucks Gaming (4-4)
      1. Time: Wednesday, 7 pm/et
      2. Best Match-up: PeteBeBallin vs. Plondo
      3. Summary: Desperation meets history as Mavs Gaming looks to break Blazer5’s undefeated start from last season, while the Bucks are angling to get back on the right track. Elite matchups across the board lead to a riveting confrontation.
2. Elite Position Battles For Week 4
   1. Point Guard:
      1. oFab (21.5 ppg, 12.0 apg, CLTX Gaming) faces off against Mama Im Dat Man (league-leader in ppg & apg, Blazer5 Gaming).
      2. CB13 (10th overall pick, Warriors Gaming Squad) takes his hot streak with him against the revenge-seeking Radiant (76ers GC).
   2. Shooting Guard:
      1. Chaddynick (Bucks Gaming) has a great battle coming up against Sherm (Mavs Gaming).
   3. Small Forward: 
      1.  Mo (1st round pick, Mavs Gaming) has a huge challenge on his hands against Arooks (21.6 ppg, Bucks Gaming).
      2. ProFusion (CLTX Crossover Gaming) and King Peroxide (Blazer5 Gaming) are both on fire from behind the arc recently, with both hitting over 50% of their 3s in their last 2 games.
   4. Power Forward: 
      1. None stick out this week, however teams have been experimenting with new lineups and PF is going to continue to become more important as the season goes on.
   5. Center:
      1. OneWildWalnut (Blazer5 Gaming) returns to the NBA 2K League Studio powered by Intel to take on Sick x 973 (Raptors Uprising GC) is his debut following his trade from Cavs Legion GC.
      2. Plondo (Bucks Gaming) has two tough matchups this week, first against PeteBeBallin (Mavs Gaming), then against arguably the hottest player at the position, Type (THE TURN MVP, Warriors Gaming).
      3. Steez (76ers GC) has an under-the-radar good matchup against Hotshot (Heat Check Gaming) coming off his first Intel Player of the Week award.

Content You May Have Missed:

• These post game press conferences from Bucks Gaming keep getting better, even after a loss.
• If you haven’t seen the classy trade announcement video from Gizz Gaming, you’re missing out.
• BRRROOOOOOKLYYYYNNNN
• Happy Walnut Day everyone!

Scott Cole and Dirk Moment Of The Week:

We see you, @Dirk_JDR 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/xgijVXhfs5

— NBA 2K League (@NBA2KLeague) May 18, 2019

Keep up the good work, fellas.

This article represents the thoughts and opinions of the writer and not of the NBA 2K League.