Goodfellas Season Preview

This summer, Goodfellas will go as far as #1 pick and offensive superstar, David Spidel, takes them. He tore through the league in 2017 as he averaged over 30 points per game and led Team Hano to a 10-1 record in what was regarded as one the greatest NSL regular season performances of all time. Joining Spider is Matteo Greenberg, Eric Zhang, Cian McCormack, and Kiernan Stone.

Projected Starting Lineup | David Speidel, Matteo Greenberg, Eric Zhang

There aren’t really questions regarding the starting lineup as it seems to be the trio of David, Eric and Matteo getting the nod. However, that could change if Cian magically regains his Day Middle School starter form, ultimately pushing Eric or Matteo out. This lineup should work well together, as Eric is an elite defender and rebounder who brings great energy and toughness, Spider is a do-it-all offensive superstar who is basically unguardable at times and Matteo is a solid all around player who is capable of getting buckets. The one worry for this lineup would be if Matteo isn’t hitting jumpshots. Eric is already regarded as one of the worst shooters in the league, so if Matteo can’t space the floor, defenses can hone in on Spider and double him while a third defender can roam the paint. If all goes well, this team could be in a close battle with the Bears for the league lead in points per game.

Captain Impact | Yagev Levi

Captain looks to be one of the greatest strengths for the Goodfellas this year. Yagev is by far the best motivator among all the captains, and it isn’t close. He will know what buttons to push during in game decisions and will be active on the trade market trying to improve his squad. He should be able to get in the heads of both opposing players and captains, although two players he has a history rattling, Eric and Cian, are both on his team. The Goodfellas have some weaknesses, but captain is not one of them.

Top Storylines

Unselfish Spider?

Despite absolutely tearing through the league 5 years ago, one of David’s flaws has been his selfishness – just ask Hano who had his career worst scoring average during his time with Spider. Speidel’s scoring can carry this team to a top 3 seed, but I don’t think they win it all unless he moves the ball and raises the play of his teammates too. Matteo, Eric and Cian could all have career years offensively if David moves the rock.

The Return of Cian

One of the more shocking developments of this season has been the fact that Cian announced his return to the league. However, I’m not sure Yagev and Jon Hammer are expecting much out of the Irishman. Kiwi is an elite shooter (or so he says) but it’s anyone’s guess as to what kind of effort level he will bring - if he actually shows up. Another interesting aspect to this is the fact that Cian constantly shits on other league members saying he’s better, has major beef with Kenny Brown, and even has an intense rivalry with his captain over Isaiah Thomas and the Celtics. Buckle up.

Seattle Bound?

Yagev has recently accepted an internship with Nike this coming summer and as a result, he MAY be moving out to Seattle. This would be a massive blow to the Goodfellas as they wouldn’t be able to enjoy Yagev’s pregame speeches and his ability to rattle opponents mid game. This would be a huge loss not just for the Goodfellas, but the league as a whole.

Season Predictions

1. The Goodfellas finish with the number one seed

2. Eric finishes top 3 in the DPOY race and in RPG

3. The Goodfellas lose in the NSL semifinals

4. Matteo makes the all star game

5. Cian averages more ppg than Kenny Brown, less than Josh Cooke