Play-Off X Factor: The Big 3
After a dominating regular season, the Springfield Storm are sitting pretty with the #1 seed in the conference and Home Court Advantage throughout the playoffs. Reliant on strong defense and rebounding, the Storm posted a 19-3 record on the season. Springfield Storm bigman, Marek Kutrzeba was named team MVP after finishing with 16 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 assists per game while shooting nearly 60% from the field. He was the team's best interior defender and ranked #3 in the league in rebounds. He propelled the Storm to the league's best defense and best rebounding team. After coming over late last season, Kutrzeba and the Storm were bounced from the playoffs after just the first round. Although, Marek Kutrzeba's impact can't be overstated. The Storm are an astonishing 23-5 in games that Kutrzeba posts a double-double [(including cup and playoff game(s)]. The other co-star down low, Ian Kosta, has been a mainstay in the paint for Springfield for a number of seasons. He's considered an unspoken leader and the most consistent player on the roster, as he has averaged double digit points and rebounds in 7 STRAIGHT seasons. The young gun, Denis Radzevich reached a whole new level this season, and appeared to get better as the season went on. He didn't turn the ball over in the last 9 games of the season. He led the team in scoring, with 20 points per game, to go along with his 6 assists and 6 rebounds per game. Together the Big 3 averaged 50 points, 33 rebounds, and 15 assists per game. If the Storm are going to get the elusive championship, the Big 3 is gonna have to be even better in the post-season.