2018 BIG3 season preview: Analysis, projections and picks

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LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 12: Lee Nailon (L) poses with captain Mike Bibby of the Ghost ballers team after he was picked No. 6 in Round 1 of the BIG3 2018 Player Draft at Fox Sports Studio on April 12, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /

4. Ghost Ballers (2017 Record: 4-4)

When attempting to figure out how the Ballers might perform this year, we must ask of ourselves one pertinent question: how much does it matter that Mike Bibby is an absolute beast now? I’ll be honest; after seeing the newly-ripped Bibby last week, I’m quite excited to see if the added muscle will effect his performance on a basketball court. At any rate, he’ll likely still be a solid shooter and passer, and now, he could prove to be far more physical in one-on-one matchups. After those photos of Bibby surfaced, he immediately became one of the biggest storylines of this season.

That being said, he’s not the only draw here; three years removed from his NBA career, Carlos Boozer joins the fold looking to show he’s still got it. In his last few NBA seasons, he was still a solid offensive presence but his defense had fallen off so far that he was essentially unplayable. The big question here is how much Boozer has kept up with conditioning over the past three years, and how much the half-court format will prevent him from getting tired on the other side of the ball. Boozer is a clear x-factor for this team; if he’s the matador defender we saw in his disastrous final NBA season with the Lakers, other teams will walk right over him. That said, he was once a dominant scorer, and if he can combine that with even mediocre defense, look for the Ballers to be a significant threat.