Dallas vs Seattle Matchup Preview (S3 Week 2)

by WeRBadGamers

Dallas Flying Stallions vs Seattle Orcas Matchup Preview

THursday - 8:30 PM ET

Written by Joey Phillips

GSB S3 | Week 2

Two winless teams will square off as the Seattle Orcas host the Dallas Flying Stallions on Thursday night. Seattle is looking for their first win of the season after a difficult divisional loss to rival Portland. Dallas suffered a shocking defeat, to upstart San Antonio, as their new campaign failed to get off on the right foot. Which team will respond in week 2?

KEYS for Dallas

The Flying Stallions' loss to the Stampede in week 1 was clearly not due to offensive failures, but instead due to an inconsistent defensive structure that allowed San Antonio far too many open shots. The biggest killer for the Dallas defense was their inability to run the Stampede off the three point line -- San Antonio hit a whopping 16 threes on 59% shooting from beyond the arc. Respectively, Seattle did not shoot nearly as many threes in their first regular season game, but the Dallas defense still need to respond on the perimeter if they have hopes of solidifying this defensive system. Dallas will also need to commit to controlling the paint against the Orcas as over half of Seattle's points have been coming from the lane to start the season.

KEYS For Seattle

The Orcas are just as hungry for victory as they fell in a narrow defeat to Portland. The Orcas offense spearheaded by Nick Hill and Quan Wulong-Chi will look to replicate the perimeter shooting that the Stampede managed in week 1. Defensively, Seattle will continue to rely on strong perimeter pressure as they have in seasons past to limit three point attempts by the opposition. Finally, the Orcas must control the glass against the Stallions as their 12 offensive rebounds in week 1 led to 7 second chance points.

Key Matchups

Toby Knerr vs Nick Hill

The Stallion offense was led by Toby Knerr (as they were for much of seasons past) as he torched San Antonio for 24 points. Nick Hill will have his hands full on the defensive end as even limiting Knerr should be enough to give Seattle the edge in what is expected to be a tightly contested matchup. Hill also showed his ability to distribute the ball in week 1 with 5 assists and only 1 turnover. Who will take the edge in this matchup which should largely dictate the offensive success of both teams?

Predictions: Dallas 91 - Seattle 87