Power Rankings 10/19: Takeaways from 12 Games

It's hard to believe we are already 12 games into the third season of the Hoops League Association, yet 12 games in we are. There have been surprises, good and bad, and there have been some very unsurprising results as well. In this edition, we rate each team's starts to the season on a scale of 1-10, and take a look at each team's most pleasant (or unpleasant) surprises.

Editor's Note: This was largely written before game 13 happened. As such, I have not adjusted numbers and records.

1. Chicago Blues (12-0)

10. Things have gone about as well as Chicago fans could have hoped for, as Walter Yensid has returned to MVP form and then some, posting 18.8 PPG, 4.8 APG and 2.8 SPG en route to leading the Blues to a perfect 12-0 record before falling victim to a scary hamstring injury. As they've proven before, Chicago will do just fine without him-- they are situated in the East, after all, and are already 9 games clear of 3rd place; nevertheless, Tshaka Zoulou is having his best offensive season to date, Jaga C remains the league's most formidable shot blocker, and Rajah Rose continues to develop as a high-ceiling scorer. As for the surprises, it's been nice to see John Rodriguez contend for 6MOTY, but UFA Riley Losleben has been a consistent bench piece, making the Blues front office continue to look like the best in the league at assessing young talent.

2. Boston Charms (10-2)

9. They've had their struggles, getting blown out by Vancouver, struggling against Chicago and barely beating St. Louis, but make no mistake about it: The reigning champs are formidable contenders. Their narrow victory over the Cosmos may be their most impressive win to date, but they've been impressive year round, particularly from beyond the arc, shooting a ridiculous 49.1% from downtown as a team-- the next closest team, Portland, is at 45.5%. Finals MVP Just Jaos has led the way with 57.9% shooting from deep, coupled with 13.6 PPG, 7.8 APG and 2.1 SPG. Anthony Bridges and his 20.9 PPG seem destined for MVP, especially with Yensid down long-term, and Cedric Hardwicke is quietly third in the league in BPG with 3.3. Outside of the Big Three, though, is arguably the league's biggest surprise: Joao Botelho, who has greatly outperformed the departed Clement Hamel with a ridiculous 10.2 RPG. He is a big reason why the Charms look better than they did last year, and are primed to contend for another title.

3. Houston Cosmos (9-3)

Upcoming Games: ATL, @SD, NY, @VAS, CHI

8. It hasn't been all good news for the Cosmos, who are not nearly as dominant as they were last year, but they are still unmistakably bona fide contenders. Joseph Canny may have lost a step, or he may have just come back down to Earth, but his three point shooting is not what it was last year. Regardless, he has still been great, averaging 17.5 PPG and 1 steal and block per game each; Jose Mendes has been arguably the West's best PG, averaging 13.6 PPG, 7.9 APG and 2.1 SPG; Aomine Daiki has made a case for MIP by averaging 8 PPG and 4.1 RPG, and Maxwell Goodson is making a serious argument for MVP by averaging 18.5 PPG and leading the league in rebounding while shooting 64.25 from the field and averaging 2.5 blocks as well. Houston's depth has been worse this year, something they may look to address at the deadline, but as of now they boast (surprisingly) the league's best starting 5.

4. Los Angeles Stars (9-3)

9. Well, well, well. This entire team is a pleasant surprise. We knew that Stronk-Joseph would be the league's best backcourt, but it has certainly been surprising to see the Stars compete for the West's #1 spot. Stronk continues to grow as a prolific offensive weapon, averaging 18.1 PPG while shooting 44.3% from deep, and Joseph has slotted in nicely at the PG, averaging 13.5 PPG and 4.7 APG with a steal per game as well. But the Stars have gotten great contributions from Sebastien Trident, who has had a career year in points (8.3 per game), FG% (61.4), and rebounds (6.7 per game) while averaging near his career high with 3.8 blocks. He has a legitimate case for MIP, as do the Stars as a team-- they may legitimately be the best team in the West. The lead-up to the All Star break will be quite telling for them, as they will have to rely on a bench that is top heavy, with 6MOTY contenders Flores and Rizky shoring up a young squad.

5. Portland Roses (7-5)

8. Things were going great for the Roses to start the season -- Percy Snow was finally meshing with the starters, Koality Game looked like he was 15 years younger, and Jamon Alexander was back into MVP form. Unfortunately since then, things have spiraled a bit, with Snow abruptly retiring, Alexander running out of gas and Game slumping a bit. Nevertheless, their torrid start to the season was definitive proof that they are title contenders when healthy, a surprise in and of itself. Chibba has been excellent at times, Jordan Frazier and Justin Taylor have emerged as capable starters and Vun Brunson has been decent at times, but the Roses may need another ball handler like Snow to really contend consistently. If they can make the playoffs, though, look out-- Jamon Alexander was averaging over 40 PPG all the way through game 8.

6. San Diego Surf (7-5)

7. The Surf initially looked like they were going to be a lot farther down this list, as a 2-5 start in which they lost to every major contender sans LA left a lot scratching their heads and wondering if the Surf would be the odd team out in the West's playoff race. True, the Surf are not as good as they were last year, as Thomas Shoffner and Eddie Dale have looked human on both sides of the ball, and they have clearly missed Kwazy Iceberg in the early going. But the trade for Randall Ta, though quite surprising, made sense, and it gave the Surf the shot in the arm they needed, as they've since gone 4-0 and have overall won 5 in a row. By far the best surprise of the year for the Surf has been the play of Ben Allen, who has posted nearly 16 PPG on 51.4% shooting from deep with 3.3 APG as well. He's played like a borderline All-Star in the league's superior conference, and he will have to continue to do so for the Surf to emerge victorious from the wild West.

7. San Francisco Quakes (6-6)

7. It hasn't been all sunshine and lollipops in the Golden State to start the year, as Samuel James has been wildly inconsistent, Jack Mack has looked solid but not great, Darth Jor-El's turnover issues have persisted and Darryl Stevenson's shot selection remains horrendous. But at times, they have flashed their incredible potential as a squad. Mack is already near the top of the assist leaderboard with about 6.5 per game, Jor-El has put up three 20-10 games, Car Lo has been a defensive monster and even Ed Higgins has looked solid for the Quakes at times. The team is absolutely teeming with talent, and flashes it at times; other times, they look inexperienced and badly needing more time together, such as in their horrendous 91-51 loss to the Cosmos. Whether or not they will make the playoffs remains a question, but their talent as a squad is undeniable.

8. New York Empire (3-9)

8. Many expected the Empire to be the league's worst team, with a number of unproven rookies, questionable talent and little to no chemistry. 12 games later, they are third in the East, have added Pierre Brodeur and have yet to lose a game by more than 12 points. The Empire are plucky, playing teams close that they have no right to be tight with, and it's been largely because of Cacio Way-- the trade deadline acquisition from last year is having a career year in PPG with 18.5 and RPG with 1.6. He's been a great fit with the offense, as have the rookies by and large, and Scottie Thompson has looked much more at home in the Big Apple than he ever did during his one year excursion out West. They are fun to watch even if they lose games, and they look likely to push for a playoff spot. It will be exciting to see them once Brodeur and Way are healthy at the same time.

9. Vancouver Summit (3-9)

3. Welp. The idea of the Summit appeared to be to put together proven veterans and make a run at the title in their first season, much as the Surf did last season. That idea has fallen apart thus far, as Tyrone Jackson simply has not shot the 3 ball well at all (18.2%, well below his career rate of 30.1%), Kwazy Iceberg has been wildly inconsistent until recently, Jamie Spencer has been disappointing and the Summit outside of Fiedelak and Hamel really have not performed. There have been reasons for optimism recently, as the Summit hammered the reigning champs and bested the Empire, but at 3-9, the hole they have dug may be too deep. The next few games will determine the course the franchise takes going forward, and will determine how viable they are as contenders.

10. Miami Tides (3-9)

6. Frankly, there's been a lot to like about Miami's start--Lamarr Chambers has become one of the league's most electrifying young scorers, offseason acquisitions Sage Jackson, Daren Scorpio and Timothy Garcia Jr. have all flashed potential, and Francisco Gerbi has become a legitimate two-way threat on one of the league's more exciting franchises. Nevertheless, they are still very bad, and though they may sneak into the playoffs, they may lack the chops to do so as well. Kacey Cunningham remains a potential trade chip, though he and the organization seem content to keep him. Tristen Ewer has emerged as a solid bench piece, making him potentially worth a second round pick for a team in need of some depth (SD comes to mind). This is a growth year for the South Beach squad, and grow they have. The playoffs would be a nice bonus and would give them some experience, but beyond that, there's not much to hope for this season.

1 1: St. Louis Archers (2-10)

2. Well, things have gone about as badly as they could have to start the year for the Archers. Leeroy Smith has been the focal point in an anemic offense, and though they continue to be one of the league's best rebounding and defending teams, they simply do not have the talent on the floor at any given point to beat most teams in the league. In the East's horrendous bottom half, they are certainly better than Atlanta, but beyond that, it's hard to tell. Sakuragi has taken a step backwards, Kyle Mason is not much beyond a good passer, Yeetus McGeetus and Ricky Jiggs are solid but underused, and Xavier Sevenade has not progressed as hoped. In order to either truly contend or truly tank, they may need to shake things up, and that starts with Smith. This next stretch of games -- @MIA, ATL, SD, @NY, VAS -- will be extremely telling. If they cannot win at least 3 of those games, they must consider blowing things up.

12. Atlanta Activists (1-11)

1 . They're awful. There's no getting around it. Even so, there are reasons for optimism in the crown of the Peach State, as Adobo Flakes and his 4.8 PPG/6.6 RPG/1 BPG have made him quietly one of the league's finest rookies, Zach Vega has looked like a bona fide superstar at times, now no longer languishing behind Brodeur, and Kyron Hickman may push for an All-Star spot. Even so, the injury to Jon Rahm hurt, and the Activists are surely the league's worst team by a wide margin. It will be a long year in the Deep South, but at least there is hope on the horizon. After Houston, they have a legitimate chance at winning against St. Louis, and since they play so hard every game, they may surprise a tired opponent or two.