Power Rankings 11/29: Hope for after the Holidays

Just six games remain in the HLA season as we take a thanksgiving weekend break, and the action is heating up. Incredibly, not a single team is eliminated from playoff contention (yet), something we can all be thankful for, as there is at least relative parity within 1 and a half conferences. In the spirit of the season, we look at each team’s remaining schedule, and pick one thing they have to be thankful for, regardless of their record. I’m Cyclops Inc., and these are the power rankings.

1. Boston Charms (22-5)

Remaining Games: ATL, @SD, NY, @VAS, @CHI, HOU

Health. As of now, the Charms (knock on wood) have been completely spared from the swath of injuries that have descended on the league this season. Their good conditioning has paid dividends—having set the franchise record in wins, albeit in a longer season, they are on pace to gain the #1 seed in the East for the first time in their history. Just Jaos (11.9 PPG, 6.7 APG, 1.9 SPG, 56.2% FG, 43.8% 3PFG) has turned in another tremendous year, Cedric Hardwicke (11.9 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 0.9 SPG, 3.6 BPG) has emerged as arguably the league’s best two-way player, and Anthony Bridges (21.1 PPG, 52.5% 3PFG) has a good chance at capturing that elusive MVP. The three have missed just one game combined, and it has bolstered the Charms, who arguably are better than they were last season and are certainly the best team in the league.

2. Houston Cosmos (21-6)

Remaining Games: @CHI, @LA, STL, @POR, SF, @BOS

Veteran Depth. Many thought the Cosmos’ hopes of gaining the first seed in the West was through with the catastrophic injury to Maxwell Goodson. Yet the Cosmos have repeatedly spurned challengers to the throne, turning aside San Diego 57-44 and dominating Vancouver 76-59. They’ve done this with significant contributions from the ageless wonder Joseph Canny and consistent All-Star Jose Mendes, who have taken their play to another level in the absence of their monster in the middle, but also from Alex Sinclair (4.4 SPG, 1.7 APG), Leeroy Smith (8.0 PPG, 3.0 APG, 42% FG), and especially Aomine Daiki (7.3 PPG, 50% FG, 4.6 RPG), who has a solid case for MIP. The Cosmos have proven to be more than the sum of their parts recently, and they will need to continue to do so, with one of the most challenging remaining schedules in the league.

3. Chicago Blues (20-7)

Remaining Games: HOU, @STL, POR, @SF, BOS, MIA

Young development. Given their youth, the Blues had no right to be as good as they were without Walter Yensid—the ages of their players outside of the Big Three of Yensid, Jaga and Zoulou are 22, 20, 21, 24, 18, 19 and 21. Yet the Blues held their own, going 5-6 without the former MVP and FMVP. They did this with huge contributions from Tshaka Zoulou and Jaga C, of course, but also with help from the youngsters – Rajah Rose (10.1 PPG, 44.2% FG) has taken another big step forward this season as one of the league’s best young scorers, Riley Losleben (4.0 RPG) has provided quality rebounding off the bench, John Rodriguez (6.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG) has a good case for 6MOTY, and even Bobo Bones (58.1% FG) and Sergio Fric (3.0 RPG) have provided when their numbers have been called. The Blues youth development is truly a cut above, as is their drafting: Rajah Rose was picked 10th in the S2 Draft, and guys such as Jon Rahm, Tone Show and Clement Hamel were drafted before him; Bobo Bones was picked 12th, and has arguably outplayed guys picked ahead of him like Mandawuy Aurallo and Guy Chug; and of course, none of Losleben, John Rodriguez, Brieuc Massicard, or Fric were even drafted. They’ll need them big time if they want to make a run at a title.

4. San Diego Surf (17-10)

Remaining Games: @SF, BOS, @MIA, ATL, LA, @NY

Ben Allen. The Surf’s big names are known well, and for good reasons: Thomas Shoffner (18.5 PPG) remains solid, though not an MVP; Eddie Dale (7.6 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 3.6 BPG) remains perpetually underrated; and Joey Bas (7.4 PPG, 6.0 APG) has a good case for MIP. But Ben Allen has taken a big step forward for the Surf, and has been largely unrecognized nonetheless. He’s put up 13.8 PPG on 48.8% from the field, 45.7% from deep, all career numbers. He’s been a solid contributor, a borderline All-Star, and a great second option for offense behind Shoffner. With the Surf’s strange play as of late (losing to Portland, scraping by St. Louis, getting drubbed by Houston, destroying Chicago), Allen has been extremely consistent, a stabilizer for a squad in need of one as it tries to emerge atop the West’s playoff race. Given their easy remaining schedule (4/6 games are against teams without a winning record), they look nearly certain to make the playoffs, but it’s hard to say what will happen from there.

5. Los Angeles Stars (17-10)

Remaining Games: @MIA, HOU, @ATL, STL, @SD, POR

Defense. Despite posting one of the league’s lowest FG% as a team (49.2), third-least assists per game, and 4th-most turnovers per game, and despite missing star guard Carl Joseph for multiple games, the Stars are 17-10 and have a decent chance of winning it all. Much of this is thanks to Polan Stronk (19.0 PPG, 47.1% 3PFG), who has been a transcendent super-scorer, but the main driver of their sustained success is their defense. They average 6.3 SPG and 5.8 BPG collectively, the 2nd and 3rd highest rates in the league, and have at least two players in the top 15 of each category. The Stars’ gritty brand of defense may not be pretty, but it helps them win games well enough.

6. Portland Roses (15-12)

Remaining Games: @NY, VAS, @CHI, HOU, @STL, @LAS

Jamon Alexander. There isn’t much else for the Roses to be thankful for, unfortunately, as they possess one of the league’s bleakest futures. Incredibly, after this season, only Alexander, Vun Brunson and Jordan Frazier will remain from the season one squad, and only those three plus Justin Taylor and Jay Da God will remain from the season two squad. Gone are John Hickory and Percy Snow (abruptly left), Koality Game, Mikey Williams and Chibba (retiring), Darryl Stevenson, Sage Jackson (trade), and Rhys Kaneko (expansion draft). Given all that, they look headed for at least a temporary rebuild, regardless of what happens this season, but they at least have Jamon Alexander to build around. If the Roses manage to make the playoffs, Alexander has a pretty solid case for MVP—through 25 games, he’s averaged 22.0 PPG on 46.3% 3PFG and 56.0% FG, all career highs, in addition to 5.7 RPG and 1.3 BPG. Portland may be entering a full rebuild, particularly if they miss the playoffs, something that is certainly a possibility given their remaining schedule, but Alexander gives them a true superstar to build around, and Vun Brunson (8.0 APG) and Jordan Frazier (9.8 PPG) give them a decent starting supporting cast.

7. San Francisco Quakes (14-13)

Remaining Games: SD, @NY, @VAS, CHI, @HOU, STL

Youth. The Quakes are young, sure, but it’s worth noting just how young they are. The ages of their starting lineup: 22, 21, 23, 24, 21. Their bench: 21, 19, 22, 21, 23. The Quakes may miss the playoffs given their challenging remaining schedule and PPG disadvantage, but they are incredibly young, and figure to be around in title contention for at least the next 2-3 years after this one even if Samuel James decides to leave. As if their embarrassment of young riches wasn’t great enough already, they have both of their picks for this season, giving them even more assets. Odds are they will use them to replace Ed Higgins (2.4 PPG, 2.0 RPG) at backup center, and maybe the expiring Daws 20 (1.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG) at backup forward. Whatever the case, the future is bright in the Golden State, even if they can’t make it in this season.

8. Vancouver Summit (13-14)

Remaining Games: STL, @POR, SF, BOS, @MIA, ATL

Their timeline. Perhaps an odd thing to pick for a team still in the mix for the playoffs, but it looks increasingly likely that they will not be able to make the playoffs, particularly after they were dominated by Houston in a pivotal game. The games in Portland and home against the Quakes will decide their season. With Aaron Fiedelak retiring, Kwanzy Iceberg and Tyrone Jackson on expiring contracts, and the Summit’s young talent playing its age this season, Vancouver looks headed for a few season’s in the West’s cellar. Luckily for them, this lines up excellently with the rest of the West. Portland and Houston are declining contenders, San Diego and Los Angeles are in their contending prime, and San Francisco is on the rise. By the time the Summit are ready to contend (about 2-3 seasons), it’s unclear if anyone else save San Francisco will be able to as well. They’ve got some solid pieces that have shown potential—Jamie Spencer (2.9/2.4/1.6), Clement Hamel (2.7/5.4/0.7/0.9/1.0), and Deandre Daniels (4.2/3.8, 58.4% FG), but they will need all three of their picks this season, and have to hope for a friendly bounce or two in the lottery. The pieces are there for a decent team down the line.

9. St. Louis Archers (7-20)

Remaining Games: @VAS, CHI, @HOU, @LA, POR, @SF

Good management moves. The Archers may still make the playoffs this year, which is why they aren’t thankful for next year primarily. That said, they ought to be excited about the future, largely thanks to shrewd management moves. They drafted Xavier Sevenade 4th two years ago, a move that was roundly criticized at the time, but has since looked pretty solid given his electric scoring recently, particularly with a 30-point bomb against NY, in which he shot 8/12 from deep. They signed Chicago castoff Jason Garcia, who has put up 8.2 PPG on 42.2% from deep and has hit multiple threes in almost every game this season. Garcia has been able to start largely thanks to the move that sent Leeroy Smith and Piotr Vesely to Houston for the journeyman Elijah Smith and Prince Spalding, but more importantly a first-round pick. They also drafted Ricky Jiggs 7th this season and Yeetus McGeetus 13th two seasons ago, and the two defensive centers have combined for 6.6 PPG, 10.6 RPG and 4.7 PPG, giving them the league lead in BPG. Armed with three draft picks this season, multiple strong young players, and a number of tough vets to build around, the Archers are a team on the rise thanks to good management, even if they miss the playoffs this season.

10. New York Empire (6-21)

Remaining Games: POR, SF, @BOS, MIA, @ATL, SD

The Carl Joseph trade (and others). At 6-21 and 3rd in the East…wait, what? Yes, that’s right—the Empire are 6-21 and 3rd in the East, and look like the surest bet out of the East’s cellar crew to make the playoffs given their home-heavy relatively weak schedule. Even so, their eyes are clearly on the future, a future that looks quite bright thanks to their excellent past wheeling and dealing. Through the Carl Joseph trade, they acquired Cacio Way, who blossomed into an All-Star with 18.9 PPG; the pick that became Scottie Thompson and Malcolm Banks via another trade, both of whom have performed admirably (Thompson 6.3/2.0/3.7, Banks 8.0/2.7/1.9, Banks arguably the ROTY favorite); and another two picks this season, one that looks likely to be around #8 or 9, and another that looks likely to land around #13. They also acquired Pierre Brodeur (8.5 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.8 BPG) and a second rounder that will land around #20 or so in a trade from earlier this season. They’ve got a ridiculous amount of capital and exciting young players, and look like one of the true rising franchises in large part thanks to their great moves.

11. Atlanta Activists (5-22)

Remaining Games: @BOS, MIA, LA, @SD, NY, @VAS

Next season. It’s a bit strange to say this for Atlanta, a team that frankly has a very good shot at the playoffs given their incredibly easy schedule from here on out. But the Activists have an extremely exciting season and off-season ahead of them. They’ve got some of the league’s best young talent in Zach Vega, Adobo Flakes, Tone Show and Jon Rahm on the squad, and they have three picks in the upcoming draft. Even if Kyron Hickman leaves in free agency, the Activists have assembled some very solid young talent, with more down the pipe. Whether they sneak into the playoffs or not (which they have no right to; having started 1-19, they’ve since gone 4-3), the Peach State’s capital city squad has a bright future ahead of it.

12. Miami Tides (5-22)

Remaining Games: LA, @ATL, SD, @NY, VAS, @CHI

…the future. Frankly, saying ‘next season’ would be ignorant of the mess Miami has gotten itself into. They do have some really great young players—Lamarr Chambers (11.3 PPG, 49.5% FG) is a great young scorer, Francisco Gerbi (10.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.1 BPG) has blossomed into a rising two-way star, Timothy Garcia Jr. (5.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG) has shown flashes of good potential, and even Sage Jackson, Daren Scorpio and Hazan Allen have all looked solid from time to time. But the Tides are extremely young and extremely raw, even by the East’s standards. Kacey Cunningham was an All-Star this past season, and though they elected to keep him, it’s unknown whether he’ll stay with the team as well (the same goes for bench vet Tristen Ewer, who has played like a decent scorer at times). Regardless, finding a franchise PG is imperative in the coming season, as is filling in their guard depth. They are still a few years away from real contention, but there is hope on the horizon.