COLORADO: The Decision vs. Hard Work | Who Would Win?

Both leagues in Colorado are at the midway point of the season. There are a total of four undefeated teams in the state, but I want to examine what would happen if two of those teams played each other. I'm talking about Hard Work from Westminster and The Decision from Colorado Springs.

These two teams are similar, but they're also different. The Decision has been a part of Ultimate Hoops for quite some time, competing in multiple national tournaments (winning the national championship last year) while the majority of Hard Work's players have played Ultimate Hoops, but the team is only in it's second season; both teams get contributions from every player on their rosters, although The Decision's roster is significantly bigger than Hard Work's; each team has arguably the best player in their respected league (Shondell Lee of Hard Work and Anthony Byrd of The Decision); both teams like to dictate the pace of play and do so by running a full court press (The Decision throws multiple looks at their opponents while Hard Work uses primarily a man press); both teams look to get the ball inside on the offensive end, but have the ability to knockdown the perimeter jumper; and Hard Work hasn't lost in 2015 while The Decision hasn't lost...well...ever.

Since these comparisons haven't really solved anything, I want to take a look at these teams from a few different angles.

Backcourt - both teams have great guard play, and, more importantly, great leadership from their point guards. When Hard Work is at their best, they run a double point set with Carlos Matos and Ruben Rivas. Matos is better offensively, but Rivas is the second coming of Gary Payton. He locks down the man he's guarding with the best of them. The Decision's GM, Ryann Little, runs the point, and he is a very vocal leader. He always makes sure his guys are in the right place and you can hear him from the other side of the gym. When Little isn't running the show, Jamal Dickerson is the primary ball handler. He isn't quite as vocal as Little, but Dickerson looks to score a bit more, as opposed to Little, who looks to set up his teammates. This is a pretty close matchup when comparing the point guards, but the difference is Carlos Matos is the best point guard in Colorado.
Advantage: Hard Work

Frontcourt - both of these teams have a lot of size and welcome contact in the paint. Allen Rice and Willie Starks refuse to let any opponent grab an offensive rebound and when they have the ball, can step out and hit the mid-range jumper, while Ranell Green acts as the slasher for this team. For Hard Work, Rashawn Williams and UH newcomer Reggie Jackson man the paint, and the Energizer Bunny himself, Tom Pane, is running around the court like a mad man. Again, this is close but I have to go with the experience on this one.
Advantage: The Decision

Anthony Byrd vs. Shondell Lee - as I said above, these could very well be the two best players in the state of Colorado. Both are long, athletic players that are the MVP's of their teams. If you look at both of their stats, neither jump off the page, but there's no doubt they could both put up huge numbers if they wanted. If you had to point out the differences between these two players, you could say that Lee might be just a little more athletic and Byrd might have a higher basketball IQ. But even then, I'd be knit-picking. Either way, both of these guys are superstars, and you can't go wrong picking either one of them.
Advantage: push

Bench - unlike the other areas we looked at, this one isn't close. When healthy, Hard Work brings three guys off the bench while The Decision can do a full line change with five guys. I mentioned the health aspect because Hard Work lost their best bench player, David Bustamante, to two knee injuries, and his return is TBD. Roger Lester is a UH veteran that can come off the bench and knock down a three pointer, play some solid defense and provide some leadership to his squad. For The Decision, Emanuel Salas can come off the bench and run the point; guard Phillip Valdez will hit the open three if you give him any space whatsoever; and forwards Maurice Gale and Jacob Mitchell can do a little bit of everything on the offensive end, but make their marks on the defensive side of the ball.
Advantage: The Decision

Chemistry - when it comes to chemistry, Hard Work's gets better each and every week. This is their second season together, and you can see them getting more comfortable playing with each other by the game. Having said that, I highly doubt there is a team in the nation that has as much chemistry as The Decision. There has been a little turnover with the roster, but for the most part, the core has been in tact for quite some time now, and it shows on the court. You can tell that both of these teams genuinely enjoy playing with each other and for each other, which is why both of these teams are nearly unbeatable.
Advantage: The Decision

When all is said and done, I think The Decision would beat Hard Work in a tightly contested game. The combination of having a deeper bench and how well they play together would be too much for Hard Work to overcome. Hopefully, there will be a state tournament in the near future so we can settle this debate once and for all...