WABA U16 Asian Championship Qualifier: Top Forwards

After providing you with the Top Guards in the West Asia Basketball Association we’re back providing exposure to the Top Forwards in the WABA and they are GOOD!

#23 Mohammad Nassereddin

Nassereddin is one of the best players if not THE best player in this competition. Despite his team’s disappointing outcome and missing a chance at playing in the FIBA Asia Cup, Nassereddin came out as a pleasant surprise for the Jordanian side. To claim that he is a bucket is a major understatement. Nassereddin will give you buckets at every level. He’ll play bully ball and dominate bigger opponents with his back to the basket skills, he will attack the rim off the dribble going downhill, and he will knock down open and contested shots from deep.

Despite his big size and bully ball style down low, he is agile and light on his feet and has an all-around offensive package. No team had an answer for Nassereddin’s explosive offensive showing. Looking forward to seeing more of Nassereddin and hopefully watching him play overseas in Canada or United States sometime soon.

#72 Ray Abousleiman

WHAT A BEAST! Ray is the best defender in this whole competition. He will lock up players both on the perimeter and inside the key. His defensive mindset sets the tone for the Lebanese side game after game. He has no problem picking up a player full court and then running back for the chase-down block. The best thing about Ray is that he knows his role on the team and performs it to perfection. He has a high motor and never quits on a play he gives his team a major energy boost every time he is on the floor.

#7 Ali Al Muwasi

Ali played all 40 mins of basketball in all 5 games, never relenting or getting tired. Ali has a lot of upsides and he can score inside and from beyond the arc. At times he does have questionable shot choices, but he never gives up on a play. Surprisingly for his size, he is a great ball-handler that can get to his spots with ease. He is a great rebounder fighting for every missed ball on both ends. Ali has a clean shooting form and is best off the catch and shoot. Despite Iraq missing out on qualifying, Ali is their golden boy and all eyes should be on him moving forward.

#13 Sarem Jaafari

Once Seram gets hot he will rarely miss. What is more amazing is the ways he can score and how smooth his shooting and scoring are. Another forward that is adept at scoring from down low, mid-range, or beyond the arc. Despite his scoring prowess he can sometimes go into a scoring funk and will force occasional shots to get out of his slump. With that being said he is very good at playmaking for other teammates and has good vision. Seram is one of the better rim defenders and you can depend on him to bail you out from the help side and deny easy buckets. Seram should be one of Iran’s rising stars soon and can’t wait to watch him perform in the upcoming Asia cup.

#5 Jean Al Shami

Jean is a coach’s dream. He does all the little things you need from your team leader. He acted as Lebanon’s rim defender and is highly active around the rim. He brings both energy and composure to the Lebanese side. He knows his role and plays it to perfection chasing every missed shot on both sides, setting hard picks, and creating havoc for scorers down low. Jean was a huge key for Lebanon’s defence and when he sat out it caused a huge gap for the Lebanese defence. Another player we will be looking forward to watching how he performs in the more competitive Asia Cup.