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omg i actually won a game. thank god. 4 game skid gone.

Why is that bad? I hate to see the league not have active members but Snake is active he's just rebuilding. Dang just means you can plan the cup better around the week you play him.

Everyone has played everyone in their conference once, so it's time to do some power rankings:

1. Baker Street Irregulars - 6-1

They lost to Walnut Streets, but the Irregulars are off to a good start. I like their team makeup, they have a good balance offensively and defensively, and a great bench suggests they'll be consistently a tough out, regardless of the night you catch them on. That includes the cup as well, as I'm sure is part of the plan at Baker Street. A nice deep run gives more money to pay that ungodly salary they're doling out every week.

2. West Side Tigers - 6-1

Their only loss is to the Philadelphia Phantasm. They've exceeded expectation thus far this season, beating both the tri-lambs and d2 demotee Marshland. Gybels and Bois. Need I say more? They're both having MVP caliber seasons, and carry the team to having the potential of beating anybody in the league. There's a lot of season left, and this league has quite a lot of parity, so things can change, but a damn good start and worthy of the 2 spot.

3. Marshland Mammals - 5-2

Yeah, I know they just got beat by the tri-lambs, but I still put them at 3, because I think they're 1 of the 2 scariest teams in the league. Byers hasn't disappointed, but hasn't thrilled us yet either. He was awfully quiet in that loss against Lambda. Martinazzi bodied him. I'm still trying to wrap my head around... just how do you lose shooting 13-22 from 3? Their achilles heel is rebounding, they just get worked on the glass. And yet, Burt and Byers are enough for me to put them at 3.

4. BucsBlue Lob City - 4-3

So this will be a little bit of a controversial ranking, I know. Let me justify myself. BucsBlue has beaten its last 3 games by an average of 41.6 ppg. These aren't scrub teams they've bullied, this was Walnut Street, Warhawks, and North Carolina. UNC hasn't had a good go of it thus far this season, but Lob City is playing so well right now, how do I not rank them in my top 5? I think it's pretty much consensus around the league that they're on the short list of legit championship contenders, yes? They deserve the 4 spot.

5. LambdaLambdaLambda - 5-2

They've played great. Their minutes are expertly managed, and their game-planning has been second to none this season. It always makes me hesitant to put older teams so far up the ranking list due to deterioration, but it's hard to deny Lambda the 5 spot. It was hard not to rank them higher, in fact. We'll see if they can keep this going and make a move for the top overall seed in the great 8. Very nice start.

6. Walnut Streets - 5-2

I've said it before, and never has it been more true than this early season, this is the best managed team in this league. They make the most out of what they have. Everyone is game-planning focused on stopping Tremol, and they're succeeding in that endeavor, but the other pieces are making the most of the relaxed defenses they're seeing because of it. It's hard to imagine they don't have a large cash reserve, and weekly income to burn. Still not ready to call them contenders, but they're riding the line.

7. Philadelphia Phantasm - 4-3

With losses to Frosty, Crosstown and Marshland, Philly has also beaten West Side and Lambda. This team might seem a bit schizophrenic, but they had an injury to Zarzecki that was difficult for them to overcome. He's back and healthy now, so look out III.7, West Side might be just the beginning of a huge tear Philly goes on. That's one thing about them though, they're still super thin, but it sounds like they're currently looking to address that issue. If they do add a couple bench players, I'm ready to call them contenders, but it has hurt them so far this season. I think they deserve 7 because of the teams they've beaten, and because I think the great 8 is still a fair amount better than the big 8. I'd be receptive to you calling me biased in that regard.

Last edited by FrostyMc at 2/15/2015 12:07:51 PM

8. Warhawks - 4-3

They've actually lived up to the billing this season, in large part due to their much improved minutes management. It could still use a little work, but it's way way better than last season. They still need an upgrade at point guard in order to be considered contenders, but they should easily glide into the playoffs. Aside from an early cup exit, a really solid start to the season for the Warhawks.

9. Frosty BC - 3-4

Alright alright stop throwing the tomatoes, let me justify myself *cough* homer pick *cough*. I have the 4th highest PD in my conference, and the 6th highest in the league. My losses could've easily been wins had I thought about them for any extended period of time. Had I played my starters against West Side? W. Had I tried against Lambda? Maybe a W. Had I not guessed against Marshland? W. Crosstown? Well, I was never going to play crunch time, so gg Crosstown, you beat me straight up. All I'm saying is, I bet I snag a 4 spot in the Great 8. The rest of the season, I'm going to stop letting the coach get in the way of the players.

10. Crosstown United - 4-3

They've played exceptionally well for their rookie season in d3. They're a well managed team. If they can avoid relegation, I like their chances to be a factor long term. As far as this season goes? I'm not convinced. I think they have a nice core in Colin, McGee and Naves, and a really good depth guard in Chevalley but I think they need quite a bit of work elsewhere before they're considered contenders. I also think they're smart enough to know that, and just signed a few players they could afford that would make them competitive for a season while they shop for longer term solutions. I give this manager a lot of credit, he really knows what he's doing, both in team management and in tactics. Kudos.

11. homeboyz - 4-3

After purchasing a trainee in Yonggui and a star center in Le Dorze, this team looks bound and determined to avoid relegation, and thus far, are doing a damn good job of it. They willingly exited the tournament specifically to focus on league play. That's dedication, and a sign of experience from veteran manager smitti. Le Dorze hasn't played at all, and will make a huge positive impact on their team when he does. Even better, at 26, he's a long-term solution. Moreover, Kasselakis has shot himself into the MVP discussion, which is sort of a nice bonus. Should the boyz avoid relegation, he'll be a staple in the team's core for many seasons to come. This is a very young team, and the future looks bright for them.

Last edited by FrostyMc at 2/15/2015 6:00:24 AM

12. Mitsubishi Eclipse - 3-4

The Eclipse have performed pretty well, but are suffering from both poor game shape and injuries at the moment. Properly managed, the roster looks like it could win a relegation series. Mitsubishi has already surprised both Walnut Streets and Lob City, but I have a sneaking suspicion that, when they meet again, the outcome may not go the same way. Still, those wins are indicative of the team's potential. Nice start, let's see if they can follow-through.

13. nyc warhawks - 1-6

On paper, the team looks the part of a contender. They've reworked their roster entirely, and it looks like that's all the moves they're going to make this season. All that remains is to build their game shape up and they should start winning games. I don't think nyc expected the start to be THIS bad, though, but with how competitive the conference, and really league as a whole is right now, it's not a huge surprise that they got caught with their pants down, so to speak. I'll say that, I feel sorry for the poor bastards that have to face them in a relegation series, assuming they don't make the playoffs. If nyc wants to do that, they have an uphill battle ahead of them, but it's not impossible being only 3 games behind 4th place with 15 games to go. They have to win a lot, but they have the personnel to do it.

14. North Carolina Tar Heels - 2-5

Easily the most disappointing team in the league, they're inexplicably doing the same thing they did last season. Their game shape is complete garbage, and they're trying to win every single game, despite being completely outclassed in some matchups, missing out on enthusiasm and game shape. After they exited the tournament last season, things slowly got better for them, so we'll see if we get a repeat this season. It had better come pretty fast if they don't want to play in a relegation series though, and looking at the Great 8 competition... I sure as hell wouldn't feel comfortable trying to win 2 out of 3 against those guys. On a positive note, Andrade has performed spectacularly well.

15. dang888 - 0-7

Not much to say. Not a very good roster for d3, and an inactive coach.

16. Snake River Panthers - 0-7

Y'all know the story. This is an intentional tank job.

Last edited by FrostyMc at 2/15/2015 6:18:48 AM

Yo Frosty see you Saturday night. The BoYZ got a chilly reception waiting for you.......

awe hell. typo

Last edited by FrostyMc at 2/15/2015 12:07:25 PM

lol then we'd better be sharp as icepicks headed into the home of the boyz

Always a good write up. This season will be interesting last year my team had 5 total losses and 4 of them game against the Great 8. I only lost my first league game in Big 8 and never lost to the big 8 after that. Including losing in the championship to the Great 8 winner. Starting 4-3 and currently sitting in a playoff spot i feel confident that i am going to be a playoff team. So this season i am going to take interleague play much more serious than i did last season. at the cost of entusiam. But i think i can TIE quite a few Big 8 games and still remain a playoff team. Even with a few losses being a 4 seed vs being a 1 seed really means nothing. Homecourt isn't all its cooked up to be. Also hope to stay healthy which i struggled with at this time last season. The added depth should help that cause.