Hoops League Season 4 Power Rankings: Faces and Places

In what was undeniably the Hoops League’s most transformative offseason to date, we saw a lot of players relocate, as well as a lot of new players added to the league. We’ll see new faces in new places, old faces in old places, and a lot of old faces in new places. To preview our season, we look at all of the transactions, and give each team a projected win range. I’m Cyclops Inc., and these are the power rankings.

1. Boston Charms (Last Season: 27-6, ECF Appearance)

Notable Additions: Aaron Fiedelak, Tone Show, Thomas Shoffner, Kyron Hickman, Pippy Big Pippy, Jay Da God

Notable Losses: Anthony Bridges, Felipe Santos, Marcus Damian, Tyler Moore

26-30 wins. The more things change, the ore they stay the same in Boston, which made itself into a sort of Hoops League mecca this past off-season after coming one shot away from making the Finals this past season. They headed into the off-season expecting transformation, and they got it, though certainly not in the way anyone expected: They lost Anthony Bridges, and picked up perennial All-HLA guard Aaron Fiedelak, former MVP Thomas Shoffner and MIP Kyron Hickman, and re-signed DPOY candidate Cedric Hardwicke. Now, despite the Bridges departure, the Charms appear to have the single greatest collection of talent in league history, with 5 of last season’s All Stars on the squad and a strong supporting cast as well. There will be growing pains as the crew of veterans learn to mesh, but make no mistake: With so much talent on the roster, the Charms ought to win 26-30 games this season.

2. Chicago Blues (Last Season 24-9, Finals Appearance)

Notable Additions: Scottie Thompson, Kwanzy Iceberg, Jalen Hood

Notable Losses: Ryan Calleyway

24-28 wins. Overshadowed by their ever-present rivals in the Northeast this past offseason, Chicago quietly had perhaps the best offseason outside of New England. Not only did they manage to retain all 4 of their star players (Yensid, Rose, Zoulou, Jaga), but they acquired a solid veteran guard in Scottie Thompson, and likely found the solution to their SF problems with FA signing Kwanzy Iceberg. The Blues addressed the problems that sunk them in the Finals, and would be the odds-on favorites for the title were it not for Boston. As it stands, they look poised to rack up wins in the mid-to-high 20s, and seem destined to meet Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals for the 4th straight year.

3. Houston Cosmos (Last Season 23-10, Playoffs Appearance)

Notable Additions: Damian Merritt, Cacio Way

Notable Departures: The Captain

25-29 wins. With just a day to go in free agency, Houston looked certain to have had the league’s quietest off-season. They retained star guards Jose Mendes and Alex Sinclair, as they were expected to, and they replaced the retired The Captain with their sole draft pick, Damian Merritt. Even had they done nothing else, they would have been clear favorites in the West, with their seasoned group of veterans and one of the deepest bench units in the league. And then, they went out and signed Cacio Way to a multiyear deal. The Cosmos now have a lineup that features 4 All-Stars from the past 2 seasons, and a former 6MOTY and MIP candidate (Smith and Daiki respectively) off the bench. Way should fit well into their offensive system, and may be able to use his passing skills better on a team where he will not be the first option on every possession. The Cosmos’ talent alone should win them some number of games in the 20s, though it will take some time to integrate Cacio into the offense, and their success as a unit depends largely on how Maxwell Goodson plays in his return from a horrific foot injury. If he plays anywhere close to the way he played last season, when he was the far and away MVP frontrunner, Houston will be dominant once again. But the Cosmos have to hope, in Joseph Canny’s age-35 season, that they can do something besides dominate the regular season.

4. Los Angeles Stars (Last Season 22-11, WCF Appearance)

Notable Additions: Kyle Mason, Hawk Rosario

Notable Departures: None

22-26 wins. The Stars are perhaps the only team without any notable losses from last season, good news for a squad that made it to the WCF last season. And yet, the Stars remain a droll team to most of the league, with little talk of excitement or championship contention. The Stars have improved every season so far, from barely making the playoffs in Season 1 with a young, inexperienced squad, to barely missing but going 18-9 in Season 2, to being just one bad shooting game away from the Finals last season. Polan Stronk is likely a perennial MVP candidate, and he and Carl Joseph compose the league’s most lethal shooting backcourt. Jacob French and Sebastien Trident are dominant in the frontcourt, and Julius Carter took big steps forward last season. With arguably the league’s finest bench unit to compliment a well-rounded starting unit, the Stars have to be expected to win in the 20s for games, so long as they stay healthy. But much like Houston, they have to aim higher.

5. San Francisco Quakes (Last Season 16-17, Missed Playoffs)

Notable Additions: Jake Robinson, Yeetus McGeetus, Tristen Ewer

Notable Losses: Harry Mason

19-23 wins. The future is finally now for the Quakes, who were on the cusp of making their first-ever playoff appearance last season, and look all but certain to shatter that glass ceiling this year, particularly considering the decline of San Diego and Portland. . They traded down to get Jake Robinson and acquired Tristen Ewer in the process, while trading a later pick and a first rounder next season plus Harry Mason to get Yeetus McGeetus, showing how serious they are about winning this season. With a lineup stacked with young talent, plus significantly ameliorated bench depth this season, San Francisco ought to win in the high teens or low 20s. It depends on their staying healthy, sharing the ball, and finding an identity as an offense, but the potential for success is more tangible than ever.

6. Miami Tides (Last Season 7-26, Missed Playoffs)

Notable Additions: Anthony Bridges, Austin Bridges, Luigi Datome

Notable Losses: Tristen Ewer

16-20 wins. Oh, how quickly the fortunes of a franchise can change. 2 seasons after losing Hickman, Vega, Massicard and Santos in FA, the Tides finally lured a star to South Beach, acquiring Anthony Bridges just days after drafting his brother Austin. What was then probably a 10-win team became a 20-win one overnight. Anthony on his own will carry Miami to a playoff appearance; that much is certain in a still-weak Eastern Conference. How many games they win, and where they go from there, however, will depend on the strength of his supporting cast. Timothy Garcia Jr. will need to take a step forward, Francisco Gerbi will have to adapt to being a 6th man, Lamarr Chambers will have to become a reliable second option, and Kacey Cunningham will have to distribute more and shoot less. If all of that happens, they could push Chicago or Boston, and regardless, Bridges may capture that elusive MVP title.

7. Portland Roses (Last Season 18-15, Won Title)

Notable Additions: King Ntilikina, Jerry Platinum, Zane Cruz, Brook Reed

Notable Departures: Koality Game, Chibba, Mikey Williams, Percy Snow

15-19 wins. The defending champs start out lower than any other defending champions before them, something that ought to be expected given the long list of departures from the squad this past season. Ntilikina and Platinum were great second-round finds, Reed has potential, and Cruz will be a great scorer someday, but the Roses sport an unmistakably depleted roster in comparison to their teams of old. That said, they retain 4 of 5 starters from last season, and those starters proved their worth in the playoffs: Jordan Frazier showed flashes of two-way stardom, Vun Brunson provided capable scoring in addition to his usual playmaking, Justin Taylor proved valuable as a two-way inside forward, and of course, Finals MVP Jamon Alexander made his case for league’s best player. As long as Alexander remains on the team, they will win at least 12 games, and the quality of the supporting cast will determine how well they do from there. They look likely to finish either 4th or 5th in the West, but higher is not out of the question.

8. San Diego Surf (Last Season 20-13, Playoffs Appearance)

Notable Additions: Hanamichi Sakuragi, BJ Vandeventer

Notable Losses: Ben Allen, Thomas Shoffner

12-16 wins. The Surf are probably the league’s hardest team to predict, largely because they look like the most likely team to blow everything up this season. As it stands, however, the Surf are positioned to be the league’s most average unit. They swapped out Ben Allen and Thomas Shoffner for BJ Vandeventer and Hanamichi Sakuragi, losing their two best shooters in one fell swoop. Sakuragi, Eddie Dale, Marcus Nobles and Randall Ta will do enough to keep them afloat, but they’d need tremendous improvement from Joey Bas and Flight Reacts to have hope for anything besides mediocrity. The more likely outcome is that this season will begin a rebuilding process for the Surf, who will likely deal Sakuragi, Dale and Ta away, and may even trade Bas. The outlook is not bright for the team of the sandy shores.

9. New York Empire (Last Season 9-24, Playoffs Appearance)

Notable Additions: Aaron Ford, Xavier Sevenade, Dan Glisack, Ryan Calleyway, Haruto Johnson, George Georgeson

Notable Departures: Scottie Thompson, Malcolm Banks, Cacio Way, Pierre Brodeur

7-11 wins. New York arguably lost more than any other team this past off-season. And yet, of the putrid inhabitants of the Eastern Conference’s bottom half, they look best equipped to make the playoffs. Xavier Sevenade was a big get for them, as he’s made it clear he plans to stay long term, and Aaron Ford has to be an early favorite for ROTY. Jesus James has shown signs of star potential in the past, and Guy Chug and John Poland will have more opportunities to prove themselves this season. There is hope in New York, but the rebuild remains mired in its middle stages, and they’ll need luck to advance much beyond being the best of the worst.

10. Atlanta Activists (Last Season 9-24, Playoffs Appearance)

Notable Additions: Tyler Moore, Felipe Santos, Marcus Damian, WR Asher

Notable Departures: Kyron Hickman, Rhys Kaneko, Tone Show

6-10 wins. Atlanta was one of the league’s feel-good stories last season, rallying to a 9-24 finish and #3 in the East despite starting 1-16. However, they were able to pull that off largely because of 1st time All-Star and MIP Kyron Hickman, who has since departed for Boston, as have Rhys Kaneko and Tone Show, who were also key cogs in the team that rattled off an 8-8 finish to the season. That said, Atlanta had a relatively successful off-season, re-signing franchise cornerstone Adobo Flakes and acquiring a solid veteran backup C for Zach Vega in the form of Tyler Moore, as well as drafting WR Asher and Simon Szyszkowski. There will be growing pains, but the rebuild is going quite smoothly, all things considered, and they figure to be in the conversation for the East’s #4 once again

11. St. Louis Archers (Last Season 8-25, Missed Playoffs)

Notable Additions: Pierre Brodeur, Lukasz Morawski, Harry Mason, Tobias Miller, Westbrook Darius, Joel Idusohan

Notable Departures: Hanamichi Sakuragi, Xavier Sevenade, Yeetus McGeetus, Kyle Mason

3-7 wins. It’s going to be a long season in the Gateway City, where just one (Jason Garcia) of last year’s 5 starters was retained in a truly transformative off-season. Nevertheless, they made a number of shrewd moves in the off-season that ought to liven the hearts of the Missouri faithful. They drafted a number of really solid pieces, with the headliners being Lukasz Morwaski and Westbrook Darius, and they netted Pierre Brodeur in FA despite failing to re-sign Xavier Sevenade. All of these moves position St. Louis nicely for the future, but in the present, they are going to struggle. This season will answer some important questions for them: Can Jason Garcia be effective as a starter? Does Pierre Brodeur fit? Is Jarred Anderson worth keeping around? They will find out, one way or another, but likely through a lot of losing.

12. Vancouver Summit (Last Season 15-18, Missed Playoffs)

Notable Additions: Joshua Owens, Melo Hayes Notable Departures: Aaron Fiedelak, Kwanzy Iceberg

2-6 wins. The Summit attempted to contend in their first season by taking mostly veterans in the expansion draft. It failed miserably, and now they are left with the dilapidated remains of a franchise that is staring down a long-term rebuild. They acknowledged this in the off-season, picking up future star Joshua Owens and grabbing Melo Hayes, but this season will be the first in a long line of losing seasons for the Terminal City squad. Tyrone Jackson will carry them to a few wins and keep them in some games, but Jamie Spencer and Dizzy Michaels will need to take steps forward for them to do much beyond that. Their best hope is likely to deal away Jackson at their first chance and to simply work with the little they have.