SCOTTSDALE, AZ: Week 4 Power Rankings | Change is in the Air

Halfway through the regular season and we’ve just begun to scratch the surface. It took a while but it seemed that things were starting to sort themselves out. Teams we thought would dominate have done so and those bound to struggle have done so mightily. But heading into the second half of the season, a team I left for dead has found new life while on the flip side, one living the good life will have to adapt their game without one of their star players.

Week 4 Power Rankings

1. SPLASH BROTHERS (4-0, LW 1) – Another week, another impressive win, but word has come down that perennial league MVP Nick Tomsick has been signed to play overseas. First and foremost, congratulations Nick - well deserved my friend. Just don’t forget it was us here at UHooops where you made a name for yourself. It’s going to be tough to replace Nick, but this team is as talented as they come. Fred has taken a backseat a bit this season, but he’s going to have to pick up more of the scoring load now going forward.

2. JAMAICAN HOPSCOTCH MAFIA (3-1, LW 2) – They continue to just steam roll teams. I think they are on a mission to score the most points every week and by the looks of things, they just might. I wouldn’t put it past them if they wanted to be the top scoring team nationally. With the news of Nick leaving, they are primed to take advantage and should be considered the favorites to overtake the number one spot going forward.

3. XOVER (2-2, LW 6) – Two wins in a row and the buzz around newcomer Delonn Stevenson is building…hold on, I think he just scored another bucket. Ok I’m back. Delonn’s energy is infectious and this team is playing with that championship swagger they had in years past. Having a talent like this makes this team so dangerous and opens up the floor for everyone else to do what they do. They just need to continue to force the issue and make teams adjust to their play and…. hold on, he just scored again.

4. WE DEM BOYZ (3-1, LW 3) – They got their first loss of the season last week as they were unfortunately on the wrong end of one the best individual performances we’ve had this season. They were unable to make the defense stops necessary and some of the shots they usually make just weren’t falling. Those are the breaks with this league as you’ve got to come with it or teams will make you pay. With that said, they’ve got the team to rally and learn from this, but they have got to tighten up their defensive rotations. They have a tendency to fall behind in the first half and if shots don’t fall, they’ll have a tough time rallying back.

5. TIMELIFERS (2-2, LW 4) – They looked much better this week and were able to move the ball the way they are accustomed to and they got great performances all around. They were a few men short last week and were able to stay competitive throughout which is what I expect from this group. However, they just seemed overmatched against the JAMAICAN MAFIA and couldn’t find stops when they needed it. They have their short comings but their competitiveness is not one of them.

6. TWISTED STEEL WITH SEX APPEAL (1-3, LW 5) – Did they just get their first win of the season? Well by golly they did - it took long enough boys. Granted it was against the FA team but this win should help propel them going forward. They still have yet to find that consistent 3rd/4th scorer behind Eli but this is a start but time is starting to run out so hopefully they figure it out sooner rather than later.

7. SUPERSONICS (1-3, LW 7) – Frustrations continue to mount for this team. Their offense is nonexistent as they failed to surpass the 70 point mark for a 3rd straight week. They ran into a buzz saw last week but they just looked uninterested on the defense end. All it takes is a solid victory to turn things around and get the momentum going again, but the problem is that it won’t get any easier going forward.

8. SCOTTSDALE FA (0-4, LW 8) – There’s not much positives to say and I hate to pile on, but this team needs to figure out a way to play some defense - they are giving up 112.3 PPG. You are just not going to win many games giving up that many points. Only team I’ve seen give up this many points and still pull out wins are the 06-07 Phoenix Suns. Unless I’m missing something, Steve Nash and Amare’ Stoudemire aren’t suiting up for this team…well at least not this year. Let’s give Donald Dangmuk some time to work his magic...he was able to get Dharrel Snuggs so anything is possible. If he can get Mike Bibby (I see you hanging outside the courts, you know you want to play), I'll never doubt the man's recruiting ability ever again.


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