SCOTTSDALE, AZ: Week 5 Power Rankings | How It’s Going Down

Week 5 Power Rankings

1. 20 OR BETTER (4-0, LW 1) –Don’t get it twisted – This isn’t just a one-man show. They’ve got a lot of good players on this team. I’m impressed by the all-around play of Larry Smith and having Xavier Jones come in and light it up is a key for them.

2. BALL SO HARD (4-1, LW 3) – They remain the most talented team in the league and one of the hardest to matchup against. They’ve got a great 1-2 scoring punch with Demaine Crockwell and Brandon Bell. If they can get big man Zach Andrews back in the mix, they should continue their winning ways and get a high seed come playoff time.

3. SPLASH BROTHERS (3-1, LW 2) – Tough loss last week, but we’ll put an asterisk by it. They had to play with only 4 once talented big man Jay Burkes left due to a freak injury midway through the 2nd half of last week’s game. As noted last week, adding Jay is going to be a difference maker - he is one of the most talented big men I’ve seen play thus far. Not many teams are going to be able to match up with this team once they are at full strength.

4. XOVER (3-2, LW 6) – The good news? Another solid win for them and now have extended their win streak to two. The bad news? Tim Harris may be feared out for the season with an injury he sustained last week. I don’t know the extent of it but if Tim is out for any extended period of time, it’s an understatement to say it’s going to set them back. Chris is going to have to work his magic, but it’s going to be hard to find a replacement that can match Tim’s outside shooting threat and secondary ball handling responsibilities.

5. TWISTED STEEL WITH SEX APPEAL (3-2, LW 4) – This team is trending in the right direction. I like what TJ and company have put together. PG Brandon Hoffer is finding his groove and is starting to get everyone involved. Plus having TJ and Tony Donaldson down low must make everyone’s job easier. Also of note, Shawn Finecey has yet to find his scoring touch, but once he does, this team should continue to find wins.

6. WE DEM BOYZ (2-3, LW 5) – This team is as up and down as they come and it’s so hard to gauge their true value in this league. You have to have some depth and size if you want to compete in this league and at this moment, this team has neither.

7. LOCKDOWN (2-3, LW 10) – This team has a great team dynamic and Dylan Armstrong is one of the more underrated players in the league - he is as scrappy as they come and is not afraid to take it the hole against anybody. Their guard play will continue to be their strength and will always keep them in games.

8. SUPERSONICS (1-4, LW 9) – Another solid outing but once again fall short in the win department. They have a solid scoring duo in Stuart Welch and Travis Payton but they may need additional help if they expect to win any more games. In the end, their lack of a true big may eventually be their biggest downfall.

9. TIMELIFERS (1-4, LW 8) – They looked good at times last week, as they were able to set the tone, move the ball and hit timely shots. However, that was not good enough to pull out a victory. Adding another big man in Nathan Uphus has helped tremendously – mainly benefiting Jim Hobbs. However, they continue to struggle because they lack a true PG on their team. They turn the ball over way too much and teams are now starting to press them a bit more to force the issue knowing this.

10. MIGHTY MORPHIN FLOWER ARRANGERS (1-4, LW 7) – This once promising lineup is now in shambles. There are no guarantees regarding this team and those are the consequences when you have your team captain out for the season. I honestly don’t know what the future holds for this team. Hopefully we can get a few of their players to play out the rest of the season.


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