PHOENIX, AZ: Midseason Power Rankings | Is Lifetime Tempe For Real?

After winning 3 straight games and off to a 3-1 start in the first half of the season, Lifetime Tempe is suddenly one of the hottest teams in the league. We sat down with their star forward Marcus Atkins to talk about their recent success and asked him what he thinks about his team’s chances in the playoffs. Check out what he had to say…

Week 4 Power Rankings

1. BULLS: We are halfway through the season and I’m not sure what else to say about this team other than that they are really good. They have dropped 100+ on their last 2 opponents and have not been in a game within 20 points this season. Their matchup with the Monstars in week 7 will be the game of the year. I think the Bulls might have a little more firepower but the Monstars have more size and are a lot more physical, its definitely going to be an epic battle and a game for the ages. Rumor has it Donald Didlake and Brandon Walker will be taking this team to Vegas next month to represent Arizona in the National Tournament? Looking forward to seeing them bring it home for Arizona.

2. MONSTARS: Star guard Kenny Mahone backed up his twitter trash talk this week by putting up a monster game with 35 points. This team has a lot of weapons and everyone on the team is capable of carrying the team. Like I said earlier I think they are the most physical and balanced team in the league. They have size, strength, athletes, shooters and all the tools to contend for a championship. If you compare the stats between the Bulls and Monstars they are nearly identical except the Monstars have a slight edge on the boards which may be a huge advantage come playoff time when the game slows down. We can look at numbers all day and compare but in the end we still have to play the game. I may have to charge admission for their week 7 matchup.

3. LIFETIME TEMPE: These guys have not lost a game since week 1 and are rolling right now. They don’t have the best athletes but they all just know how to play together and win basketball games. When you get 5 players scoring in double figures you know they share the basketball which is something a lot of teams don’t do in this league. They will definitely get a test next week when they play the Bulls but if they can use their size advantage and just play smart basketball anything can happen. AJ Rojas and Brandon Amaro have provided quality minutes for the team. Check out what their star forward Marcus Atkins had to say after their last win in the video interview.

4. HEAD BUSTAS: After an epic battle this past week the Head Bustas were able to come through in the clutch and start the season 3-1 as well. They have lost Chris Stevens for the season due to a bruised knee but have added talented quick point guard Kyle Speed to the mix. He is definitely going to help this team down the stretch with his playmaking and scoring ability. The team has been lacking a playmaker all season and Kyle will fit in just perfectly. I think this team has all the pieces to contend for a championship now and really looking forward to seeing them put it all together the last few weeks.

5. TEMPE: I think Tempe played a solid game against the Monstars this week and the game was a lot closer than the score indicated. They are finally passing the ball around and its nice to see them play as a team. They have really good athletes on the team and I think they will be a tough out in the playoffs once they get that chemistry down as the season goes on. But I’m going to be honest the last 4 teams are all pretty equal and will probably change in rankings the rest of the year.

6. UPPER ECHELON: They lost another barn burner this week after leading the Head Bustas by double digits for most of the game. I was almost right picking them to upset the Bustas this week but they just fell apart down the stretch. It was a tough loss and they played good enough to win. I had to drop them down a slot this week based on their record but in my opinion this team still has the most potential to get in the top 4. They have played all the top 4 teams in the league and now have the easiest schedule the rest of the way. Look out for Echelon to make a run in the 2nd half of the season.

7. GILBERT: These guys got torched by the Bulls this week but so has everyone else so that’s not saying much. But the bad news is they have to play the Monstars next week and things won’t be much easier. The bright side is this team leads the league in 3 point makes per game but the downside is they also miss a lot too making only 28% of their attempts. Other than Michael Rose this team has had a hard time finding another consistent scorer.

8. WHO’S NEXT: They had to sign a free agent off the street this week to avoid a forfeit. Disgruntled forward Casey Day was supposed to return from his suspension this week but was no where to be found. It’s been a long and frustrating season for Who’s Next. Kris Hennen has been posting up monster numbers this season for the team but he can’t do it all himself. Will this be the week Nick Tomsick finally suits up and joins the team for the 2nd half of the season? I sure hope so.

Season Notes:

The week 8 schedule has not been posted yet because I want to keep that week open for tie breaker games to determine seeding for playoffs. We will have a 8 team playoff so every team will have a shot in the playoffs. Week 5 is the last week to add anymore players to your roster for the rest of the season.

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