Tag: Power Rankings

Win ’20 Week 6 Power Rankings (Sundays)

2ND DIVISION

⬆️ 1) United Nations (5-1): Five straight wins and the defending champs are back atop the D2 power rankings. (G) Marcus Cook is the presumptive back-to-back M.O.P.

⬆️ 2) Spaghetti Ramen (5-0): Still haven’t played a Top 5 team somehow, but (F) Michael Reding is having a resurgent season as the team’s only resemblance to a big.

⬇️ 3) The Lizards (4-2): Liz have been 4-1 since an embarrassing season opener. With all their depth and size, they’re holding position as a top contender come playoff time.

⬇️ 4) X-Clan (4-2): Despite 1-2 in last three, Clan still dangerous.
⬇️ 5) 50 Shades of Klay (4-2): Each loss by a possession, they’re right there.
⬆️ 6) Raining Rosebuds (1-5): (G) Daren Seto back. Buds a very interesting dark horse now.
⬇️ 7) No Fly Zone (2-4): Veteran unit needs (F) Kieran Brennan to get hot.
⬆️ 8) Thank U, Next (1-5): Looking better lately, need good showing heading into playoffs.
⬇️ 9) Keep That Same Energy (1-5): With all these 3s going up, they need to heat up asap.

3RD DIVISION

🔁 1) OMB (5-1): All seven players on the roster are almost averaging double figures. Anything short of a blowout championship win is an utter failure for this stacked, veteran squad.

⬆️ 2) TAP NY (5-1): With (F) Kenny Liu taking on a progressively bigger role, and (C) Jordan Calhoun coming on, TAP are arguably the hottest team in D3 having won five straight.

⬇️ 3) Swish Cheese (3-2): Big losses to OMB and TAP have been discouraging, but the Swish are still in the championship mix with (F) Michael Clifton emerging as one of D3’s top players.

🔁 4) Bucket Boys (4-2): All the pieces are there, this is your dark horse right here.
🔁 5) Ice In My Veins (4-2): Fun team to watch, (F) Richard Tam low-key M.O.P. nom.
🔁 6) Airballers (2-3): Solid season, but maybe not enough top-end talent to contend.
🔁 7) Ball Is Life (1-4): Losing their big man hurt, Ballers were looking to make a run.
🔁 8) Goon Squad (1-5): Shout out to (C) Raghu Vaidyanathan having a legendary season.
🔁 9) The Handsome Boys (0-6): Tough debut season, but def pieces to work with going fwd.

Win ’20 Mid-Season Power Rankings (Sundays)

2ND DIVISION

⬆️ 1) X-Clan (3-1): Most of D2’s top teams have beaten each other, but only X has wins vs TWO teams in the Top 5. (F) Andre Nixon & (F) Marvin Billups have been a formidable 1-2 punch.

⬆️ 1) The Lizards (3-1): Despite an ugly loss to 50S in their opener, LIZ gets the #2 spot as the only team to beat X-Clan. It’s no coincidence this surge comes with (G) Joe Zenz‘s improved play.

⬇️ 3) 50 Shades of Klay (3-1): Love the small ball and (F) David Herren is putting up First Team #s. Tough defense and four legit scoring threats have Shades looking very strong right now.

🔁 4) Spaghetti Ramen (3-0): Small ball 🔥 but Ws vs teams w/ only 1 combined win.
⬇️ 5) United Nations (3-1): D2 is top heavy this season and it’s about to get tougher.
🔁 6) No Fly Zone (1-3): Inconsistent roster holding them back, but they’re in the mix.
🔁 7) Keep That Same Energy (1-1): (F) Adesoji James balling out. Just need to get hot.
🔁 8) Raining Rosebuds (0-4): Missing a big piece with no (G/F) Daren Seto.
🔁 9) Thank U, Next (0-4): Shooting well enough, but have struggled on D.

3RD DIVISION

🔁 1) OMB (3-1): Their only loss came to a D2 contender, they are otherwise dominating the field. (F) Peter Tsevdos and (F) Isaac Gabel-Frank lead the way.

🔁 2) Swish Cheese (2-1): Wins include a D2 team, and their only loss came to OMB. The Swish are right where they need to be. (F) Michael Clifton is an MVP candidate this season.

⬆️ 3) TAP NY (3-1): Veterans (G) Will Chu and (F) Kenny Liu are about as good a 1-2 combo as you’re gonna find. And (C) Jordan Calhoun appears to be getting his sea legs back, too.

⬇️ 4) Bucket Boys (3-1): Looking very solid, but so far no wins vs any other Top 4 team.
⬆️ 5) Ice In My Veins (2-2): Haven’t beaten a Top 4 team either, but are trending that way.
⬆️ 6) Airballers (2-1): (F) Albert Hei is balling out for undersized AIR. Solid effort all around.
⬆️ 7) Ball Is Life (1-2): Ballers have played well enough, just fallen a little short so far.
⬇️ 8) Goon Squad (0-3): Goonies need consistency in their personnel. The pieces are there.
🔁 9) The Handsome Boys (0-3): (F) Connor Dawson is a beast. Boys are not that far away.

Win ’20 Mid-Season Power Rankings (Weeknights)

1ST DIVISION

🔁 1) Honey Badgers (4-0): The most prolific offense in D1 and sharp-shooter (G) Sammy Merkin (26.8 ppg, 7.3 3pg) looks like he’s just getting started. The kid can fire it up.

🔁 2) NYK Spartans (4-0): They’re top-heavy, but (G) David Chu (23.8 ppg) & (G) Josh Hyon (19.8 ppg) are the best scoring back court in D1. Maybe best starting 5 in D1.

🔁 3) Shut ‘Em Down (3-2): Hit a couple of speed bumps, but this is still a veteran, playoff-tested roster with two legit scorers. They’re not going anywhere.

⬆️ 4) PWC Vino (2-2): (F) Justin Hopton has been huge for VIN’s improved play.
⬆️ 5) Hand Down, Man Down (2-3): Much improved, living their lives 3 pts at a time.
⬇️ 6) Hakuna Matata (1-3): (F) Elijah St. Hilaire and (F) Nalonte Barlow all day.
⬆️ 7) Age Up There (1-3): Will veteran (F) Joe Vines spark the turnaround?
⬇️ 8) C Men (0-4): 5-8 rookie (G) Michael Gatan gets buckets (and cookies).


2ND DIVISION

🔁 1) YOLO (2-0): Holding strong at #1 with the best point differential in D2 and two quality wins vs BBB and SKK. Balanced all-around effort from a physical, defensive-minded team.

⬆️ 2) Gilet Jaunes (3-1): Even with new scorers fronting the band, GIL are right back where they want to be. Stout and versatile defensive front line has been their m.o.

⬆️ 3) Big Bookie Brand (2-1): Making a move with (G) Sammy Merkin percolating.
🔁 4) Shawn Kemp’s Kids (2-2): (G) Donovan Walsh‘s been ice cold, so expect a surge soon.
⬆️ 5) NY Dynasty (2-2): Undersized, but when shooting well, can score with anyone.
⬇️ 6) Premature Shooters (1-3): Premo stumbling, but have the personnel to turn it around.
🔁 7) Dutch Masters (0-3): Dutchy needs scoring, defense has been solid.


3RD DIVISION WEST

⬆️ 1) Spaghetti Ramen (4-0): If you thought MVP (G) Leuis Ng couldn’t get any better, he’s playing at a career-high scoring clip this season at 25.8 ppg with his team at 4-0.

⬇️ 2) Sex Panthers (3-2): Veteran Panthers aren’t always at their best in the regular season, it’s the playoffs where they play their best ball. (F) Dooley Watts return is a welcome addition.

⬆️ 3) Fun Guys (2-2): Balanced roster finding a groove with two straight wins.
⬇️ 4) 30-for-30 (2-2): Scoring has been a bit of a struggle this season.
⬆️ 5) Angry Potatoes (1-2): (G/F) Brian Jeong‘s 29.3 ppg leads all scorers league-wide.
⬇️ 6) NYC Gritty Comm. (1-2): Shade below ANP for loss, but win vs SXP means high ceiling.
⬇️ 7) Smash N Bounce (0-4): Biggest surprise so far, but it’s a very tough field.


3RD DIVISION EAST

🔁 1) Team Texas (5-0): Carrying the division’s deepest and most balanced roster, TEX is dominating the East. The win vs PS1 leaves no doubt Team Texas is the one to beat.

🔁 2) Pnest1 (4-1): Loaded with firepower, PS1 has 4 players who can get you 20 points in any game. (G) Vegas Dave Wong (21.6 ppg) continues to be the best 40+ year-old scorer in the league.

⬆️ 3) Ibaka Flaka Flame (2-2): Tough L to PS1, but two wins before that is promising.
⬇️ 4) Supreme Team (3-1): Lots of perimeter scoring, less interior presence than past teams.
⬇️ 5) Wolverines (2-3): Veteran team hanging in, but inconsistent.
🔁 6) Black & Yellow (1-3): Adding do-it-all (G) Kali Pearson could make things interesting.


THE OCHO

🔁 1) Ramen & Meatballs (3-1): No surprise here, this veteran team should be everyone’s favorite to win The Ocho. Balanced all-around roster with very solid depth.

🔁 2) The Renegades (2-1): Like SPR above, the Rens’ only loss has been to a D3 team so far. Big, physical team that should out-rebound all others, but 3-pt shooting has been a weakness.

🔁 3) Satriale’s (2-1): Solid so far, will find out shortly where they stand vs the Top 2.
🔁 4) NY Bricks (1-3): (F/C) Jake Reichel’s voracity for rebounding is a new dimention to BRI.
🔁 5) Cash Considerations (0-3): Roster consistency always an issue, but the core is solid.
🔁 6) Space Jam 3 (0-5): Tough season for the Jam but (F) Garrett Gabianelli has been 💪.

Win ’20 Week 2 Power Rankings (Sundays)

2ND DIVISION

⬆️ 1) 50 Shades of Klay (2-0): The reigning D3 champs are proving very quickly that they will not only compete at this level, but contend. As deep a back court as you’ll find.

⬆️ 2) X-Clan (2-0): The remodeled Clan has made the jump from D3 with two big match-up problems at the wing in (G/F) Andre Nixon and (F) Marvin Billups.

⬇️ 3) United Nations (1-1): Defending D2 champs took a tough opening week loss, but still have the deepest roster in D2 with big contributors at every position.

🔁 4) Spaghetti Ramen (1-0): Small ball with high skill level at every pos.
⬇️ 5) The Lizards (1-1): Rough start, but a balanced, veteran roster.
⬇️ 6) No Fly Zone (1-1): Firepower with a lot of 3-pt shooting.
🔁 7) Keep That Same Energy (1-1): Capable roster but shooting must improve.
🔁 8) Raining Rosebuds (0-2): If (G) Daren Seto is out, it’s a tough road ahead.
🔁 9) Thank U, Next (0-2): Veteran roster, but undersized this season.

3RD DIVISION

🔁 1) OMB (1-1): Former champs will be front-runners again with their deep, veteran front court and shifty (G) John Chu returning to give depth to an already able back court.

🔁 2) Swish Cheese (1-0): Have not yet seen a full roster, but barring any significant changes, the Cheese always contend. (F) Michael Clifton continues to put in impressive work.

⬆️ 3) Bucket Boys (2-0): Rookie (F) Aaron Sanders is almost unguardable at this level. Even still, Bucket Boys have been still a little uneven so far, but this is a very talented D3 roster.

⬇️ 4) TAP NY (1-1): Deep, veteran roster. Always a contender.
⬆️ 5) Ball Is Life (0-1): Probably should have beat BUB. Ballers will be tough.
⬆️ 6) Airballers (1-0): Solid veteran unit, but undersized.
⬆️ 7) Ice In My Veins (1-1): New team with promising roster, shooting must improve.
⬇️ 8) Goon Squad (0-2): (C) Raghu Vaidyanathan is having a career season.
🔁 9) The Handsome Boys (0-2): Decent start, solid pieces here.

Win ’20 Week 2 Power Rankings (Weeknights)

1ST DIVISION

🔁 1) Honey Badgers (2-0): Defending champs are clicking already. No change in the roster: balanced scoring, devastating 3-pt shooting and stout defense.

🔁 2) NYK Spartans (2-0): The Sparty back court has provided very efficient scoring, they have two of the best in (G) Josh Hyon and (G) David Chu.

⬆️ 3) Shut ‘Em Down (2-0): New add (G) Christian Tirta has given SED a much-needed second scorer to complement the very prolific (G) Courteney Tabron.

⬆️ 4) Hakuna Matata (1-1): (F) Nalonte Barlow is in his bag right now.
⬆️ 5) PWC Vino (1-1): Solid front-court, but iffy 3-pt shooting.
⬆️ 6) C Men (0-2): Have scorers and move the ball well.
⬇️ 7) Hand Down, Man Down (0-2): Great parity in D1, they’ll make a move.
⬇️ 8) Age Up There (0-2): Missing key front court pieces so far.

2ND DIVISION

⬆️ 1) YOLO (2-0): A strong start from this veteran roster, led by the strong front court play of (F) Claumar McRae.

⬆️ 2) Premature Shooters (1-0): Former MVP (F) Bobby Bruns is back with a roster that looks very similar to the one that won the Win ’18 D2 championship.

🔁 3) Gilet Jaunes (1-1): A little changeover, but another solid core here.
⬇️ 4) Shawn Kemp’s Kids (1-1): Deep, veteran roster due for title run.
⬇️ 5) Big Bookie Brand (0-1): Not a strong start, but lots of firepower here.
🔁 6) NY Dynasty (0-1): Solid veteran pieces, roster needs to be filled out.
🔁 7) Dutch Masters (0-1): Tough opener, but lots of time to build.

3RD DIVISION WEST

🔁 1) Sex Panthers (2-0): Defending champs have a deep, veteran back court with plenty of pedigree. Not much size, but (G) Ian Yu is one of the best guard rebounders ever in D3.

🔁 2) Spaghetti Ramen (2-0): Eventual first ballot Hall-of-Famer (G) Leuis Ng is still opening new bag of tricks, scoring an insane 37 ppg in his first 2 games this season.

⬆️ 3) 30-for-30 (2-0): Always solid, look ready to make a title run.
⬇️ 4) Smash N’ Bounce (0-1): No drop off, yet another contender in the mix.
⛔ 5) NYC Gritty Committee (0-1): Battle-tested vets always a contender.
🔁 6) Fun Guys (0-2): The West will be a much tougher road.
⛔ 7) Angry Potatoes (0-2): Rough start but (G) Brian Jeong is a top end scorer.

3RD DIVISION EAST

⬆️ 1) Team Texas (2-0): TEX have added a 2nd scorer (G) Erik Yamada to complement reigning D3E MVP (F) Alan Ueng. So far, so good.

⛔ 2) Pnest1 (1-1): Despite the loss to TEX, PS1 are still the deepest team in the East with tons of firepower, they’re built for a title run.

⬆️ 3) Supreme Team (1-0): Balanced, veteran team with stout defense.
⬇️ 4) Wolverines (1-1): Another defense-oriented with MVP candidate in (F) Nick Liveris.
⛔ 5) Ibaka Flaka Flame (1-1): Two very capable scorers in (G) Julian Choi & (F) Jin Tae Kim.
⬆️ 6) Black & Yellow (0-2): Solid pieces, offensive efficiency is the question mark.

THE OCHO

⛔ 1) Ramen & Meatballs (2-0): Another branch of the Ramen tree, and they look like the team to beat so far, led by (F) Pat Lee.

⬆️ 2) The Renegades (1-0): Bolstered by an imposing front court, REN will be a tough team to beat all season.

⬆️ 3) Satriale’s (1-1): Led by heady guard play of (G) Andrew Farco.
⬇️ 4) NY Bricks (1-1): Bricks have a rebounding machine in rookie (F) Jake Reichel.
⛔ 5) Cash Considerations (0-2): Veteran group should make some noise in T8.
⬆️ 6) Space Jam 3 (0-2): New team with solid pieces. 3-pt shooting is a weakness.

Win ’20 Pre-Season Power Rankings

1ST DIVISION

1) HONEY BADGERS (GM: Zach Moretti) – Fall ’19 champion.
2) NYK SPARTANS (GM: Mark Lee)
3) AGE UP THERE (GM: Kev Chang)
4) SHUT ‘EM DOWN (GM: Kenny Barbosa)
5) HAKUNA MATATA (GM: Tony Carluccio) – Fall ’19 runner-up.
6) HAND DOWN, MAN DOWN (GM: Emery Clark)
7) PWC VINO (GM: David Albright)
8) C MEN (GM: Gabe Merkin) – Default new team.

2ND DIVISION

1) BIG BOOKIE BRAND (GM: Isaac Blumenthal)
2) SHAWN KEMP’S KIDS (GM: James Alexander)
3) GILET JAUNES (GM: Max Dowell)
4) YOLO (GM: Chung Lee)
5) PREMATURE SHOOTERS (GM: Dan Kennelly)
6) NY DYNASTY (GM: Ren Hsieh) – Roster pending.
7) DUTCH MASTERS (GM: Basim Ayoubi) – Default new team.

3RD DIVISION

Western Conference

1) SEX PANTHERS (GM: David Chu) – Fall ’19 champ (as NFZ).
2) SPAGHETTI RAMEN (GM: Leuis Ng)
3) SMASH N BOUNCE (GM: Andrew Tu) – Roster pending.
4) PNEST1 (GM: Jimmy Chan) – Roster pending.
5) 30-FOR-30 (GM: Rob Lee) – Roster pending.
6) FUN GUYS (GM: Steve Shin) – Fall ’19 runner-up.
7) IBAKA FLAKA FLAME (GM: Julian Choi) – Default new team.

Eastern Conference

1) NYC GRITTY COMMITTEE (GM: Jiwon Kim)
2) ANGRY POTATOES (GM: Aaron Lim) – Roster pending.
3) WOLVERINES (GM: Gerard Beaubrun)
4) SUPREME TEAM (GM: Ryan Kim) – Roster pending.
5) TEAM TEXAS (GM: Alan Ueng)
6) SATRIALE’S (GM: Andrew Farco) – Roster pending.
7) BLACK & YELLOW (GM: Tim Nam) – Default new team.

THE OCHO

1) THE RENEGADES (GM: Ethan Lyle)
2) RAMEN & MEATBALLS (GM: Leuis Ng)
3) CASH CONSIDERATIONS (GM: Eddy Cheung)
4) NY BRICKS (GM: Ray Song)
5) SPACE JAM 3 (GM: William Gunn) – Default new team.
6) FREE AGENT TEAM (GM: n/a) – Roster pending.

Sum ’19 Mid-Season Power Rankings (Sun)

3RD DIVISION

🔁 1) 50 Shades of Klay (3-0): Forward David Herren continues to ball out, and along with (G) Alan Ueng, they show off 50S’s depth and a changing of the guard.

🔁 2) TAP NY (4-0): .Even without (G) Will Chu in the lineup, TAP has found a way to win. Few teams have been this consistent in each of the past 4 seasons.

🔁 3) Spaghetti Ramen (3-0): They haven’t played any other Top 3 teams yet, but a very solid start for a veteran team. Center Victor Chia is playing great ball right now.

⬆️ 7) No Fly Zone OG (2-2): After middling results (at best), NFZ have added an all-timer in (F) David Hsiung. They may move up into contenders status now.

⬇️ 4) Brotherhood Without Banners (2-2): Still a solid pace for the newbies, solid pieces to work with and (C) Sylbert Richards is as good a rim protector as there is.

⬇️ 5) Swish Cheese (2-2): The former champs haven’t looked great as they’ve nursed some injuries, but expect a quick turnaround as the post-season nears.

⬇️ 6) Friendship Forever (1-3): Nothing to get discouraged about, this is a tough division. Friendship have solid pieces and just need more reps.

🔁 8) Ball Is Life (1-4): Ballers have mostly competed well again this season, but haven’t finished in winnable games. Luckily, they’ll still get a chance to fix that in the playoffs.

🔁 9) Goon Squad (0-4): Finally getting (C) Raghu Vaidyanathan in more than one game is making a difference, but the Goonies may need one more scorer.

Sum ’19 Mid-Season Power Rankings (WN)

1ST DIVISION


THE BEST

🔁 1) Asphalt Ninjas (4-0): Undefeated at mid-season and this team hasn’t even hit its potential yet. Could the roster be too deep?

⬆️ 2) Pacific (2-0): Maxwell Dolgin, Calvin Johnson and Erando Halilaj may be as imposing a front line as D1 has ever seen.

⬇️ 3) Team EBE (1-0): Rookies Stephen Andenmatten and Avery Robinson will get you buckets. And they may have more scorers, too.

THE REST

⬆️ 4) CCB (2-2): They carry a very deep roster that finally seems to be turning it around, winning two straight.

⬇️ 5) Honey Badgers (1-3): For a team that takes this many 3s, they better get on target. Even Will Haile‘s monster #s can’t cover it all.

⬇️ 6) Flying Squirrels (1-3): Still right in the mix for a playoff spot, but they gotta turn it around now.

🔁 7) Mobadanga (0-4): With an early season loss to FLY, Moba may be on its last legs this week. Gotta get a W to stay in the playoff hunt.

2ND DIVISION


THE BEST

🔁 1) NYC Gritty Committee (4-0): Nobody dominating on offense this season, just solid all-around play with Joseph Choi leading the way.

⬆️ 2) NY Rockits (4-1): They know how to win in crunch time and they have a trio of guard scorers that keep you guessing.

⬆️ 2) Gilet Jaunes (4-1): They haven’t had the strongest schedule, but they do have something only #1 NGC had, a win vs a D1 team.

THE REST

🔁 4) Guard Me Maybe (2-2): The roster’s been all over the place and the Maybes need to settle in now for the stretch run.

⬆️ 5) YOLO (2-3): Turnaround coming just in time after a rough start. Gifted a forfeit, then a solid win over WID.

⬆️ 7) What It Do Babyyy (1-3): Rookie Ian Helps, Jr. is a beast, but WID need to figure out a way to win. Close isn’t close enough.

⬇️ 6) Shawn Kemp’s Kids (1-3): Prolific scorer Donovan Walsh is as good as ever, but bounces haven’t gone YOL’s way. Still time left.

⬆️ 8) The Unit (0-4): They’re not out of it yet, but chances are running out. Luckily, the schedule from here gives them a chance.

⬇️ 9) The Street (1-3): Two consecutive forfeits is not the way to build your rep around here. Bad for everyone.

3RD DIVISION


WESTERN CONFERENCE

🔁 1) Many Saints of E-Wood (4-0): Great all-around scoring and effort on the boards, that’s their bread & butter. Undisputed #1.

⬆️ 3) Paw Patrol (3-1): Jaquan Mullins is taking even a (correct) bigger role. And Allen Liu & Kenny Liu have been strong adds.

⬇️ 2) Team Sky (3-1): Deep roster with bona fide scorers, but two big tests ahead vs MSE and RAP. They win both, they’ll be 3rd Qtr #1.

⬆️ 5) Raptors (2-1): Solid squad of veteran players who know how to get it done. Nothing stands out, just great all-around play.

⬇️ 4) Supreme Team (2-2): Their defense is fantastic, but unless they pick up the 3-pt shooting, SUP will remain a middling team.

⬆️ 7) No Fly Zone Ultra (1-3): West is stacked this season and Flyers haven’t had enough firepower to keep up. The defense is there.

⬇️ 6) NYC Gritty Committee (0-4): Been several years since the last time NGC missed playoffs. Never count them out, but chances are running out.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

🔁 1) Smash N Bounce (5-0): Veteran Tim Zhang has low-key been in his bag all season, arguably his best ever. MVP candidate on a contender.

🔁 2) Cash Considerations (3-2): Still plenty of offense to go around here, with their trademark solid D. They went toe-to-toe with SNB.

⬆️ 6) Free Agents (2-2): We knew they had the firepower, it was just a matter of developing the chemistry. Watch out there now.

⬇️ 3) Fun Guys (2-3): Having Justin Sze for more games would help with the erratic 3-pt shooting, but FUN are looking much better.

⬇️ 4) Queens Park (1-3): While Moses Burgess continues to fill the stat sheet, the team is looking like it’s just one adjustment away from getting a much-needed win.

⬇️ 5) GG No Re (1-4): Scoring. Without it, this squad just hasn’t been able to keep up offensively, even when the defense is playing well.

🔁 7) NY Bricks (0-5): Same for the Bricks, they need more consistent scoring, but otherwise, you can’t deny the effort.

Sum ’19 Quarter-Season Power Rankings (Sun)

3RD DIVISION

1) 50 Shades of Klay (2-0): With (G) Eddie Tsao leaving the team, the Shades had big shoes to fill. (F) David Herren is here for it. On an MVP pace early on.

2) TAP NY (2-0): Multi-time MVP (G) Will Chu is having another one of those kind of seasons. This could be another Summer of Chu.

3) Spaghetti Ramen (1-0): They almost took the season off, but couldn’t resist another run. This is the strongest roster that Ramen has ever put in D3.

4) Brotherhood Without Banners (1-1): Solid start for this new franchise with one win vs a former champ and a close loss to the top-ranked team.

5) Swish Cheese (1-1): Perhaps a surprising early season loss for the perennial contenders as they nurse some injuries, but expect them to bounce back.

6) Friendship Forever (1-1): Another new team in the mix with a limited scouting report. Need to see more from all these new faces, but it’s been a solid start so far.

7) No Fly Zone OG (1-2): The OGs are still working in a re-tooled roster but a mid-season addition may be just what they needed to turn this around.

8) Ball Is Life (1-2): Roster consistency and improved team chemistry has the Ballers looking closer to making a legitimate run. They just gotta get over the hump.

9) Goon Squad (0-2): If the Goonies can get all their pieces together on the court at once, they can compete. But they’re gonna need more consistent 3-pt shooting.

Sum ’19 Quarter-Season Power Rankings (WN)

1ST DIVISION


THE BEST

1) Asphalt Ninjas (2-0): A trio of bonafide perimeter scorers anchored by D1 MVP (F/C) Joe Vines. Whoo!

2) Team EBE (1-0): A dominant opener for a re-worked Metta World War squad looks to conquer D1. This roster is tough.

3) Pacific (2-0): They have every piece they need. All they have to do is cap off a strong reg season with a commensurate playoff run.

THE REST

4) Honey Badgers (1-1): Losing capt (G) Alex Tsay is huge, but they get little bro (G) Eric Tsay and a couple of young scorers in return.

5) Flying Squirrels (1-1): Nice, balanced roster and (G) Kyle Lew keeps getting better.

6) CCB (0-2): A perennial contender, this is a surprising start for CCB, a testament to the competitive level of the summer field.

7) Mobadanga (0-2): New squad, tough start but having (C) Seamus McKiernan on the roster is an ideal tent-pole player.

2ND DIVISION


THE BEST

1) NYC Gritty Committee (2-0): Defending champs are getting an MVP effort out of (F/C) Joseph Choi so far.

2) Guard Me Maybe (2-0): This roster was always a PG short from being a contender. (G) Leuis Ng certainly fits the bill.

3) NY Rockits (2-1): A young, athletic (if undersized) team. The Rockits are using speed and energy to overwhelm their opponents.

4) Shawn Kemp’s Kids (1-1): Finished 7-0 last reg season, but took an early exit in the playoffs. This stacked roster looks to correct that.

THE REST

5) Gilet Jaunes (2-1): No disrespect to Gilet, this is a strong start for the upstarts, but we want to see more. This is a big, physical roster.

6) The Street (1-1): One convincing win and one very unconvincing loss later, we’re still not sure where these guys should be yet.

7) YOLO (0-3): Disappointing start for team that looked very good last season. Tough field, but we’d bet on this vet group to turn it around.

8) What It Do Babyyy (0-2): New franchise with a lot of new faces to get acclimated, but (F/C) Ian Helps, Jr. is a good player to build around.

9) The Unit (0-2): The more reps they put up together, the better they look as the season goes. They can still make a move from here.

3RD DIVISION


WESTERN CONFERENCE

1) Many Saints of E-Wood (3-0): They wanted the challenge of the West and have met it. (G/F) Isaac Blumenthal is putting up MVP caliber #s.

2) Team Sky (2-0): Not quite sure who’s on the full roster yet, but the ones who have showed up so far are very good.

3) Paw Patrol (1-1): After a disappointing playoff exit, the Paw returns to build on the momentum of last season’s otherwise dominant run.

4) Supreme Team (1-1): Scrappy veteran team anchored by former multi-time Def MVP (F/C) Joseph Choi.

5) Raptors (2-1): Very solid roster of veteran players. Raps could move into contender status very soon.

6) NYC Gritty Committee (0-2): Rough start for perennial contenders, but Gritty have a habit of turning bad starts into title runs.

7) No Fly Zone Ultra (1-1): Some new pieces to work in, but the return of (F) Young Wang and (C) Saleem Ahmed is very promising.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1) Smash N Bounce (3-0): Great start by the veteran Bounce. (F) Peter Tsevdos should be a good fit, bolstering an already solid front-court.

2) Cash Considerations (2-1): They keep looking better every season and (G) Raheem Jenkins gives them another legit scorer.

3) Fun Guys (1-2): Lots of solid pieces here, Fun Guys should turn their rough start around in time for the playoffs.

4) Queens Park (1-1): Some new players in the mix that we’d like to see more of, but (F) Moses Burgess is putting up NUMBERS.

5) GG No Re (1-2): New addition (C) Gary Kai-Jui Chen is a great piece, but they need some perimeter scoring fast.

6) Free Agents (0-2): Chemistry will take some time, but lot of great pieces here led by (G) Vegas Dave Wong and (G) Lucas Chang.

7) NY Bricks (0-3): Every week we root for the Bricks to get their first franchise win.