HLA Power Rankings 11/13: What Lies Ahead

13 games remain in the HLA’s third season, and things are finally coming into focus for each team as we inch closer to the end of the year. In this edition, we discuss each team’s goals going forward, and the best young player on each team. I’m Cyclops Inc., and these are the Power Rankings.

1. Boston Charms (16-4)

Felipe Santos. It’s easy to forget, given Santos’ longtime presence in the league, that he is just 23 years old. Santos has at times shown his age, taking relatively poor shots and occasionally playing somewhat carelessly with the ball, but for the most part, he been a new man in Boston, cutting down on his TOPG by 0.6, adding 1.9 APG and shooting 8.8% better from 3pt range than his career average. He may not be an All-Star (yet), but he is slowly developing into a solid two-way player who has fit well into Boston’s star-studded starting lineup as a top-end support piece. The Charms, meanwhile, are 16-4, and are by far the league’s best team. Their goal is simple: repeat. So long as everyone stays healthy, they seem primed to do it.

2. Los Angeles Stars (14-6)

Polan Stronk. There are really slim pickings outside of the electric 21-year-old, who just captained the losing All Star team. He has put up career numbers from beyond the arc, on the glass and in PPG overall this year, and warrants consideration for MVP if the Stars are able to overtake the Cosmos and win the West in the regular season. The bigger question, however: Can the Stars get over the hump and win a playoff series? Do they have the talent? Joseph and Stronk remain the league’s best backcourt tandem, Jacob French is a dominant defender, Sebastien Trident is perpetually underrated and Raihan Rizky may be this year’s 6MOTY, but their bench is quite thin and Julius Carter is not really an ideal starter for a championship team. Big question marks remain in LA, but the chance to win a title has never been better for them.

3. Houston Cosmos (15-5)

Aomine Daiki. Despite the catastrophic injury to Maxwell Goodson, the Cosmos have managed to stay afloat. The answer as to why is in large part Aomine Daiki himself. In his 5th year playing pro ball, Daiki has averaged 7.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG and almost a full assist a game, leading all PFs in that category. He’s also averaged nearly half a block a game, a noticeable increase for him. Daiki is the frontrunner for MIP, and he’s flashed signs of stardom while doing just enough to keep Houston competitive in the paint. The Cosmos were initially almost a sure thing to drop in the West, but Daiki, Mendes and Sinclair have been just scrappy enough to make up for Canny’s diminished output and Goodson’s absence, and the acquisition of Smith and Vesely may be enough to push them over the top even without their incumbent star center. A title is still in reach, but just barely.

4. Chicago Blues (15-5)

Rajah Rose. The Blues have a number of young players to choose from, sending a league-high three to the Rising Stars Game this past weekend, a true testament to the remarkable success their front office has had in the draft. We will go with Rose, the 21-year-old SG who has continued to develop as a scorer. He’s putting up 9.2 PPG and 2.2 RPG, solid numbers that have helped the Blues win a few games despite missing Walter Yensid and have alleviated the loss of Aaron Fiedelak. There are definite problems with Rose—he’s shooting just 43.9% from the field and a putrid 21.7% from deep, he averages almost 1.1 TOPG, and he’s shot 15 or more times in a game almost a half dozen times this year—but there is no denying that he is exceptionally talented. With Yensid set to return in 4 games, the Blues are certain to make the playoffs, but they will need consistent scoring from Rose, Yensid, and others to rekindle the S1 Championship magic.

5. San Diego Surf (13-7)

Joey Bas. Perhaps the second-place finisher for MIP if the season ended today, Bas has taken a definitive step towards stardom in his sophomore season. He’s averaged 7.9 PPG, 2.3 RPG, and 5.0 SPG, with about half a steal per game, and has consistently flashed the potential of a fantastic all-around player that he had heading into last year’s draft. Bas’ breakthrough has been one of the key components of the Surf’s run, as they’ve gone 11-2 since bottoming out at 2-5. San Diego looks like a lock for the playoffs, but they need more consistency from Thomas Shoffner and Eddie Dale and continued improved play from Ben Allen and Randall Ta to get there. They could win a title, but a lot needs to go right for it to happen.

6. Portland Roses (11-9)

Jordan Frazier. Hard to believe one of the league’s most consistently underrated players is just 22 years old and has been playing pro ball for 4 years. Yet Frazier is indeed still quite young, and occasionally shows it, taking poor shots. But for the most part, he has been consistent enough for the Roses, playing a vital role as a supporting piece while averaging 9.9 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 1.3 APG, all career highs. The question for Frazier and for the rest of the Roses’ ragtag bunch remains: Do they have what it takes to make one more run at a title with Koality on the roster? That has to be the goal at this point—with their lack of future assets, there’s not much else to hope for.

7. Vancouver Summit (9-11)

Deandre Daniels. When Vancouver drafted Jamie Spencer, the electric scorer, with the fifth pick, many expected he would be a contender for ROTY. Instead, the Summit’s second rounder, Deandre Daniels, with the 18th pick, has been quietly one of the better rookies in this season’s crop. He’s averaged 4.5 PPG on 58.9% FG, with 3.9 RPG and 0.7 BPG, numbers that are slightly deflated by his being at the bottom of the rotation early in the season. He has been a pleasant surprise as of late, much like the Summit themselves: Things have finally started to click as of late, and after bottoming out at 1-9, they have won 8 of 10. The goal from here is a probably to simply make the playoffs; a relatively successful season may encourage Aaron Fiedelak, Kwanzy Iceberg and Tyrone Jackson to re-sign with the squad. In any case, the eye is certainly more on the seasons to come, but the run they have had as of late has been inspiring.

8. San Francisco Quakes (10-10)

Darth Jor-El. Could it be anyone else, even on San Francisco’s ridiculously young and talented squad? Jor-El is fresh off of earning his first All-Star nod in his second year, averaging 13.9 PPG, 7.9 RPG and 2.9 BPG, while cutting his turnovers to 1.2 per game. He’s been a transcendent superstar, and has provided much-needed support on both ends when Samuel James has faltered. In the future, one wonders if he will eclipse James as the face of the team. That day, and the days of glory in the golden state, look to be in the seasons to come; Car Lo and Jack Mack have both been solid, but somewhat raw, Darryl Stevenson has been great at times but inconsistent, and the Quakes are largely untested on their bench beyond Ed Higgins, who has quietly been an excellent piece. That they did not acquire a veteran bench talent indicates that they don’t plan to contend this year, so their goal is likely to make a playoff push and get some experience, though getting a lottery pick would work well for them anyways.

9. St. Louis Archers (5-15)

Jason Garcia. Though the Archers have been rather putrid all season long, they’ve performed well as of late, largely thanks to Garcia, or so thinks the Missouri-based braintrust, given their roster moves to create space for him to start. He’s cracked double digits a few times this season, putting up 21 once and averaging 7.8 PPG on 44.2% 3PFG, largely from off the bench. Turnovers have become an issue at 1.5 per game, once giving up 11 in a game, but the former Blues draft pick has been a bright spot on the Archers despite their struggles and has played a big role in their past few wins. The goal for the Archers ought to be to make the playoffs; given how poor the East is, they are probably one of its better teams, and are good enough to make it in. Beyond that, anything is a huge success, even if they win just one game. At this stage in the franchise’s life-cycle, it is all about developing their current talent and acquiring new talent down the road.

10. New York Empire (5-15)

Pierre Brodeur. On a team that is for once flush with up-and-coming players, Brodeur still stands out as one of the best young players in the league. Though his numbers are somewhat inflated from his time in Atlanta, he is averaging a hair under 10 PPG, with 6.1 RPG and 1.7 BPG to boot. He’s shown the potential to be an extremely solid player down the line, though he needs to develop a consistent shot and mature on the defensive side. Brodeur’s situation is not too different from that of New York’s as a team—young and scrappy, they have a long way to go, but are able to hang tight with the best opponents, at least for some time. NY will need Cacio Way to continue to have a career year and Scottie Thompson to recapture his S1 form to make the playoffs, but that seems like a decent goal for a team that may emerge as a contender next season.

11. Miami Tides (4-16)

Lamarr Chambers. Simply put, Chambers has been incredible, averaging almost 12 PPG on 49.3% FG with 2.9 RPG as well. He’s been solid for the Tides on the offensive side, save from three-point range, and has put up double digits nearly every game without fail. That said, he has struggled with his shot selection sometimes, and is generally too selfish with the ball. Nevertheless, his potential, like the Tides team as a whole, is undeniable. Sage Jackson has a decent argument for MIP, and has proven effective as a 2 guard; Francisco Gerbi has become one of the better young two-way forwards in the league, and has greatly improved his shot selection; Timothy Garcia Jr. is clearly raw, but equally clearly talented; and Tristen Ewer has shown some signs of being an effective role player down the line. For the Tides, the goal is just to gain experience. If they happen to make the playoffs, it’s not a bad thing, per se, but another lottery pick would likely do them a world of good.

12. Atlanta Activists (3-17)

Zach Vega. Another strong contender for MIP, Vega has been even more prolific than last year while playing for yet another bad team, this time in Atlanta, where he has averaged 15.2 PPG on 61.1% from the field and 42.9% from deep, with 4.8 RPG and 1.4 BPG. Vega has looked like a younger Jamon Alexander, with a versatile two-way skillset, and has been a huge bright spot on the league’s worst team. There have been solid players for Atlanta; Adobo Flakes has been better than expected, Kyron Hickman was a surprise All-Star, Tone Show has improved some, and even Fred Fredericks and Jon Rahm have shown signs of life. The Activists don’t have much to do besides develop, and though the playoffs are in reach, they really ought not to be the goal.