SCOTTSDALE, AZ: Week 1 Power Rankings | It’s a Whole New Ball Game
Newly acquired Eli Davis (We Dem Boyz) takes it strong to the hoop
Week 1 Power Rankings
1. 20 OR BETTER (0-0, LW 1) - Some people might be mad that we are giving them this much respect before they even step one foot on the court, but truth be told, the names they bring are deserving of the expectations and the hype. It’s up to the rest of the league now to bring up their level of play and prove that this league means business. With this much hype, the proverbial target is on their backs. Can they live up to this or will the pressure get to them?
2. MIGHTY MORPHIN FLOWER ARRANGERS (1-0, LW 2) - The championship has eluded Bret Bernbaum and I’m pretty sure it eats him up inside. So every year, Bret reloads and picks up players that make big splashes in this league. Daniel Alexander is definitely the next big time player in this league and will vie for the best big and maybe even best player overall.
3. BALL SO HARD (1-0, LW 3) - This team is stacked with athletes. Zach Andrews just might have been crowned best big in the league after only one week. Demaine Crockwell is a solid guard that will complement this team with his penetration and outside shooting touch. If this team stays intact all season, they may be latest newcomers to take over and dominate the league.
4. XOVER (1-0, LW 4) – Fell just short of winning the championship last year but instead of scrambling to change over the team, Chris Fisher has held strong and will be going in with essentially the same squad. They do lose the hustling Bjorn Melander to, let’s just say differences of opinions, but add in strong man Andre Wood. They struggled a bit in week one and looked like the fire just wasn’t there. How much longer will the letdown of coming so close linger with this team?
5. SPLASH BROTHERS (0-0, LW 5) - They had a disappointing end to the season and that has forced them to make some major changes to their team. They are expected to add some big names to their roster but the expectation is that most won’t be able to play until Week 5 due to prior commitments. Can Fred, Calvin, and Zach hold down the fort until reinforcement arrives? Will it be too little too late? Only time will tell.
6. WE DEM BOYZ (1-0, LW 7) - There were high expectations from the beginning with this team last year. Calvin Chitwood was a good player and was expected to be the difference maker. However, it just wasn’t enough in a league with this much talent. Bring in Eli Davis. His scoring and all-around play has already proven to be a formidable addition. If they can get it going early and often, they should be a contender throughout the season.
7. TWISTED STEEL WITH SEX APPEAL (0-1, LW 6) - New Season, same story. They bring in a bunch of new players but it looks like it is going to take some time for this team to gel. It is going to take some time for this team to come together and I'll chalk up the week one loss to ol' fashion rust. One of the positive side, Tony Donald looks to be a name we need to keep an eye out for.
8. SUPERSONICS (0-1, LW 8) - New Season, same story version 2.0. Once again they lose players and once again Aaron Braude is forced to assemble a new squad. He’s done a good job getting the talent. Now the first week was hard to judge with them missing a lot of key pieces so we’ll have to wait a few more weeks to fully judge how well this team can be and if they have enough to compete.
9. LOCKDOWN (0-1, LW 9) - This team had the potential to make some noise throughout the season, but word has come down that perennial MVP candidate Danny Dziezic has broken his foot and is out for the season. Losing a player of his caliber will hurt. Patrick Denicola has to dig deep down to pull his team together and get them to rally around the fact that they will be viewed as underdogs in most games this season.
10. TIMELIFERS (0-1 LW 10) - They lose a couple of big pieces to their team as some have defected to the newly formed LOCKDOWN. They will continue to play hard and get the most out of their players, but this go-round, they are up against the proverbial rock and a hard place. Teams know what this group can bring and know that they have to play hard every week against this scrappy team. I just don’t know if they have enough scoring to compete on a weekly basis.
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