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With the NBA 2K League now entering week four of remote play, we’re able to see how teams are looking early on in the season. Some surprises have caught us off guard like season two runner ups 76ers GC having yet to win a series. Perhaps there will be more surprises in store this week. These are the games you should be watching if you want only the best and most important games from around the league. Below is the NBA 2K League’s week four series to watch.
All games can be watched live on Twitch, Youtube, ESPN.com and the ESPN App. More NBA 2K League games will be shown on ESPN2 this week as the channel covers matches Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday this week.
NBA 2K League week four: Blazer5 Gaming vs. Bucks Gaming
Blazer5 Gaming are playing only their third game of the season Tuesday, and they’re going into it undefeated. Bucks Gaming are also heading into the match on a two game winning streak, though sit at 2-2 overall.
The Bucks this season look like they have a better chance than ever to win a championship, but first they’ll need to get to the playoffs. Beating the team with the most regular-season wins in the league is a great way to make their first big splash as an organization. To do that they’ll need to put their new weapons to work and avoid costly turnovers. Keep an eye on Regg, the Bucks’ newly drafted point guard, to drive to the rim and keep defenses from crowding the three point line, which the Bucks grazed on last season.
Having entered the playoffs last season as the number one seed, Blazer5 are inherently expected to do well this season. Having added Hood to their roster through the draft, expectations for the organization definitely include finally winning a playoff series. With so few games played this season, it’s difficult to determine how well Blazer5’s new roster is working out. If Hood can settle into his fourth team in three seasons, Blazer5 could take the league by storm.
Mavs Gaming vs. T-Wolves Gaming
Two strong contenders that have only lost one series each this season face off Tuesday.
Mavs Gaming comes to the matchup with one of the league’s best coach-assistant coach duos in Latoijuin “LT” Fairley and Lance Sessions, respectively. Having dropped their last match against Hornets Venom GT, the dream of beating last season’s 10-0 league-record start has crumbled. Expect the Mavs to feed off of that loss and come out with energy against T-wolves Gaming. The Mavs should show off a nice mix of offense as Dimez and PeteBeBallin work on the pick-and-roll, and Mo shoots the ball from beyond the arc.
T-Wolves Gaming has high expectations this season as well, having entered it as the defending champions. The team’s versatility is key to their success, with the team being able to change their playstyle depending on the opponent. The team feasts off the pick-and-roll, however, so keep an eye on how the Mavs defend against that. Any player on T-Wolves Gaming has the potential to be a threat offensively, so teams will have to be equally as versatile to take down the reigning champions.
T-Wolves Gaming vs. Gen.G Tigers
An expansion team gets their first shot at the defending champions this season, as Gen.G Tigers and T-Wolves Gaming go head-to-head.
As an expansion team last season, T-Wolves Gaming has put plenty of pressure on the two team’s entering the league for season three. The Gen.G Tigers, the only team in the NBA 2K League without an affiliated NBA team, have a chance to test how well that may go this week. With their coach, Len Griffey, having the background of both a player and an analyst, his new position is a new kind of challenge, but one he seems to have the skills to excel at. Gen.G is hoping to get their first winning streak of the season started with this series. Look for ex-T-Wolves Gaming player TurnUpDefense to shoot threes from the corner of his old team’s court.
The T-Wolves need to treat this just like any other game. The Tigers have a lineup of good shooters, but their defense is more of a question mark. The T-Wolves need to focus on keeping those shooters contained and avoiding sloppy turnovers for this series.
NBA 2K League week four: Bucks Gaming vs. Gen.G Tigers
Two teams that both look like they could be fringe playoff teams go up against each other Thursday.
Look out for the Bucks to try and take advantage of a less experienced squad on offense. Expect plenty of threes to rain down when the Bucks have the ball. Keep an eye on Plondo to make impossible passes and excellent blocks. This team can get it done on both sides of the court. If they’re powering on all cylinders for this match the Gen.G Tigers will have to pull out all the stops.
There’s no denying Gen.G has great players, but this early into the season for an expansion team, the team chemistry may not be at its peak. If Gen.G wants this win they’ll have to play around a tough Bucks Gaming defense that can easily switch what players they’re defending. Expect a lot of pick-and-roll plays and corner threes from TurnUpDefense from Gen.G for this series
Jazz Gaming vs. Blazer5 Gaming
This is the league-designated “Game of the Week,” and features 2019’s number one draft pick going up against the 2018 NBA 2K League MVP and Defensive Player of the Year.
Blazer5 Gaming’s success revolves around Mama Im Dat Man, who led all point guards last season in points per game, made 3s, and true shooting percentage. Acquiring Hood in the most recent trade will force defenses to spread out from Mana Im Dat Man and cover another threat. Despite holding the league record for the most regular season wins, Blazer5 has never been great at winning a series of games. To do well in remote play, they’ll have to win series and not just single games, of course. Watch out for Blazer5 to force turnovers all night when they play to make that happen.
Jazz Gaming missed the playoffs last season after finishing an even 8-8. With the number 10 overall pick in this year’s draft, they’re hoping to break into the postseason this year. Expect great things on offense as that pick led the team to draft Splashy, who shot 67 percent from three-point range in the combine with a 94% true shooting percentage. The team is also able to mix up their lineup and reposition players depending on their opponent, so look for Jazz Gaming’s versatility to be a threat to competitors throughout the season.
George is a freelance writer based in California who likes to focus on video games. In his free time he likes to bake, go to Disneyland, and unironically take long walks on the beach now that he's out of the Midwest. A Mizzou journalism grad, George hails from Minnesota and will remind you it's better than where you're from until his dying breath, despite being perpetually disappointed by its sports teams.
