The George C. Goodman League on July 31 hosted a big primetime game between it’s Lincoln Park Goodman League team and a visiting team from New York. The team from New York didn’t know what hit them.
Lincoln Park destroyed Team NYC by 40 points, beating them by such a large deficit that the final score was unlisted. Commissioner Miles Rawls warned Team NYC that they were about to receive an “a** whooping” right before tip-off, and that’s exactly what it was.
The funny thing is before the game started, two of NYC’s players were having their own dunk show. It was impressive but amounted to nothing during the game.
Lincoln Park is still undefeated and remains as one of the favorites to play in the Goodman League Championship game. Dele Ojo and Baby Shaq make them a very tough team to beat. Baby Shaq is probably the hardest player in the league to guard, while Ojo is the top candidate for this year’s MVP crown.
In the first half against Team NYC, Baby Shaq only missed one shot and scored 18 points to help build Lincoln Park’s 49-17 lead. Baby Shaq didn’t play the second half, but Ojo, Super Coup, and Pierre made sure that hefty lead didn’t diminish.
It’s easy to see why Ojo is the leading candidate for MVP. He averages 20-plus points but his impact isn’t limited to just offense. He is the prototype for a guard that plays both ends of the court. He can shoot, finish at the rim, but also plays the passing lanes like a cornerback on defense and can strap down guards in one-on-one situations.
The playoffs are set to start next week and it’ll be tough for other teams to defeat Lincoln Park. But there are a few teams capable of making things interesting. The Drew All-Stars, Team Madness, the Show Stoppers, Funkhouse and Team Ariyuan (my sleeper pick) are all teams that could challenge Lincoln Park—but it won’t be easy.