It’s crazy just how fast this season has flown by. Only four weeks remain before the postseason begins.

Coming off arguably the most exciting tournament the league has ever seen at THE TICKET, the stretch run figures to be a memorable one.

Keep an eye on these eight storylines as the remainder of the regular season unfolds.

Are Warriors Gaming Squad the odds-on title favorites?

Well, there’s no reason they shouldn’t be at this point. WGS have won the past two tournaments, proving their resolve in the single-elimination format with big money on the line.

As head coach Tommy Abdenour said on Twitter this week, “Offense wins games. Defense wins championships.” Defense has certainly been Golden State’s calling card, buoyed by Type protecting the paint and Gradient locking up opposing point guards. Add in the scoring of Bsmoove, the steady play of CB13 at the point and the do-it-all nature of Jin, and this squad is as deep and balanced as they come.

Blazer5 Gaming and Mavs Gaming might have something to say about being the favorites themselves, but neither has performed up to expectations in tournament play this season.

Pick against WGS at your own peril. They’ll try and do what their NBA counterparts couldn’t this season and bring a championship back to the Bay Area.

Will the shot-creating post scorer be the new league-wide meta?

Last season saw the rise of the shot-creating slasher at small forward, with a handful of players perfecting the nearly unstoppable archetype. This season has recently seen the rise of the shot-creating post scorer, with Dat Boy Shotz experimenting with it early in the season, to Ramo and Hotshot using the build as a one-man wrecking crew during THE TICKET.

We’ve seen that it’s a copycat league, with teams following the patterns of success laid out by others. Which means we’re likely just seeing the beginning of the impact the post scorer will have down the stretch.

As powerful as the build has been at times, Warriors Gaming Squad proved it’s not unguardable as Jin found a way to slow down Ramo in their win over Pacers Gaming in THE TICKET’s championship game. It’ll be fascinating to see how teams both utilize it and game plan to stop it the rest of the way.

Which midseason acquisitions will have the biggest impact?

The in-season trade deadline added a new element this season, giving teams the opportunity to shake things up in order to improve their rosters. With the trade window now over, we saw a handful of quality players change area codes.

Of the players who were traded, those who have already made major impacts include: JMoneyRep817 (T-Wolves Gaming), Sick x 973 (Raptors Uprising GC), All Hail Trey (Cavs Legion GC) and ToXsiK (Magic Gaming). The common theme? All four are making contributions to teams in the thick of the playoff hunt.

That’s without mentioning the likes of Hood, MrStylez, MOAM and Lotty, each of whom also switched teams and are more than capable of being difference-makers over the next few weeks.

Which of Blazer5 Gaming and Mavs Gaming will finish with the league’s top record?

Mavs Gaming set a new league record with 10 consecutive wins to open the season. Blazer5 Gaming have since matched that mark on their current streak. Both teams are now tied with identical 10-1 records in first place with five games apiece to go. Barring an epic collapse, one of the two will finish with the No. 1 seed heading into the playoffs. Here’s their remaining schedules:

Blazer5 Gaming

Week 9: Pistons GT and Jazz Gaming

Week 10: Grizz Gaming and Mavs Gaming

Bye Week

Week 12: T-Wolves Gaming

Mavs Gaming

Week 9: Warriors Gaming Squad and Celtics Crossover Gaming

Week 10: Magic Gaming and Blazer5 Gaming

Bye Week

Week 12: Nets GC

The two squads face each other in a Week 10 matchup that likely will put the winner in the driver’s seat to finish in first place. Mavs Gaming’s schedule appears to be a bit more arduous than that of their Blazer5 Gaming counterparts. Regardless, it’s going to be a fun battle to watch play out.

How will the cluster of teams fighting for the playoffs shake out?

Here’s what we know so far: Warriors Gaming Squad have punched their ticket to the postseason, with Blazer5 Gaming and Mavs Gaming seemingly all but having wrapped up spots at the moment. So that leaves five remaining berths up for grabs. Good luck predicting who those five teams will be.

Beginning with Kings Guard Gaming in fourth place and ending with Heat Check Gaming sitting in 18th, only three games separate those 15 teams. Even diving deeper, there are eight teams within one game in the standings of the eighth and final playoff spot.

As we saw last year, the final day of the regular season had major implications on the playoff bracket. It’s hard to count out any team that’s in contention right now with so much parity across the league. Buckle up, because it’s going to be a hectic finish.

Who will surge ahead in the tight Rookie of the Year race?

We recently took a look at the ROY contenders, with PeteBeBallin (Mavs Gaming), Bp (Kings Guard Gaming), Reizey (Magic Gaming) and Plondo (Bucks Gaming) leading the pack in a tier amongst themselves. Not much has changed in past weeks, with these four remaining the favorites for thue award.

Figuring out how to separate them come voting time could be tough, depending on what people value the most. Right now, Pete and Bp would be playoff-bound, while Reizey and Plondo are on the cusp of making it as well.

Reizey and Bp could potentially get slight nods over the two big men for playing a more demanding position at an extremely high level. Yet Pete has arguably been the most consistent of the four since Day 1, while Plondo has put together some huge performances.

If the voting was today, I’d rank them this way: Reizey, Pete, Bp, Plondo. But there’s plenty of time for that order to be rearranged.

Will Mama Im Dat Man hang on to win the MVP Award?

The Blazer5 Gaming point guard has been the front-runner for the award for a bulk of the season, with Radiant of 76ers GC serving as his biggest challenger. They have been the two best players in the league, based both on individual and team accomplishments, while playing the most vital position in the game. Here’s how they stack up heading into Week 9:

Mama Im Dat Man, Blazer5 Gaming

23.5 PPG (1st in league)

11.3 APG (2nd)

1.7 SPG

Team is tied for best record in the league

Radiant, 76ers GC

20.0 PPG (4th)

9.5 APG (3rd)

1.4 SPG

Led team to THE TIPOFF title while being named MVP

Mama is trying to make it back-to-back MVPs in Portland after teammate OneWildWalnut grabbed the inaugural honor last season. If he continues playing at the same high level, it’ll likely be his award to take home this time around.

Which team will finish with the best odds for the draft lottery?

Three teams are currently in the running to finish with the league’s worst record: Pistons GT (1-10), Lakers Gaming (1-10) and Knicks Gaming (2-8). The bright spot being that the team that does finish in last will see the lottery odds tip in its favor.

When playoffs are out of the question, it’ll be a small consolation prize for one of these three to possibly head into next year’s draft armed with the top pick, where the next Dimez or Ria could await.