Power Rankings 5/5: Final Exams

Finally, after a long season, we are at the playoffs once again. Three new teams are in the field, and consequently, three of last year’s teams are going golfing. With all this rotation in the playoff field, it’s safe to say some teams exceeded expectations while others…came up short. In this edition of the power rankings, we review the goals set ahead of the year for each team, and how those teams performed with them, boiling it down to a pass/fail grade. I’m Cyclops Inc., and these are the Power Rankings.

1. Boston Charms (27-6, Eastern Conference #1)

Preseason Goal: 26-30 wins; East #1 or 2

Pass. It felt almost wrong to expect Boston to match their best record ever despite losing Anthony Bridges, yet it turned out to be quite fair, as they did it anyways. It wasn’t without some bumps in the road—they started the season 0-3, and Thomas Shoffner missed a third of the year with a hip injury—but they went 27-3 after that winless start, matching the best 30-game record ever recorded. Just Jaos (17.1 PPG, 50.3% FG) had a rough start to the season, but has been downright unstoppable post-ASG. When healthy, Thomas Shoffner (18.3 PPG, 1.3 BPG) has been a force on both ends, but it’s hard to tell if he really is 100%. Aaron Fiedelak (9.1 PPG, 10.4 APG) returned to his Chicago Blues form as a master distributor, and Cedric Hardwicke (14.3 PPG, 60.9% FG, 1.6 SPG, 3.4 BPG) made reasonable cases for MVP and DPOY. With an easy matchup against the St. Louis Archers in the first round, Boston should cruise to another ECF matchup, and thereafter ought to be heading back to their second Finals appearance. With all this being the case, there is no doubting they passed.

2. Los Angeles Stars (24-9, Western Conference #1)

Preseason Goal: 22-26 wins; West #2

Pass. Every year, Los Angeles has gotten better. We mentioned this trend before the year, and said that they ought to win in the 20s, but on the lower side. They did exactly that, cranking out 24 wins while attaining the Western Conference’s #1 seed for the first time in their history, all with relative ease. Polan Stronk (22.5 PPG, 53.6% FG, 47.6% 3PFG) likely threw his hat in the MVP race ring, and Carl Joseph (16.9 PPG, 6.7 APG, 1.6 SPG) had a nice bounce-back season as well. Sebastien Trident (8.5 PPG, 71.9% FG, 7.6 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 4.1 BPG) and Anthony Flores (6.4 PPG, 2.3 APG, 1.0 SPG) were uber-effective role players, as is typical of them, and off-season import Kyle Mason (6.5 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 1.4 APG) rediscovered his effectiveness from his Boston days. The Stars head into this postseason full of hope, and justifiably so. If they stay on this trajectory, a Finals appearance is attainable.

3. Chicago Blues (25-8, Eastern Conference #2)

Preseason Goal: 24-28 wins; East #1 or 2

Pass. Death, taxes, and the Chicago Blues getting a top 2 seed in the East with Walter Yensid in

the MVP conversation—these are the constants in life. Yensid (22.6 PPG, 59.7% FG, 49.4% 3PFG,

6.3 APG, 2.5 SPG) surpassed even his own lofty standards, though he cooled off enough in the

second half of the year that the MVP trophy may elude him. New imports Kwanzy Iceberg (11.1

PPG, 50.2% FG, 3.0 RPG) and Scottie Thompson (5.5 PPG, 55.6% FG 2.7 RPG, 2.5 APG)

experienced something of a renaissance in their Chicago debut years, Rajah Rose (10.8 PPG

56.2% FG, 48.0% 3PFG) likely took home the franchise’s THIRD (!!!) 6MOTY award, and the

frontcourt tandem of Jaga C (7.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 4.0 BPG) and Tshaka Zoulou (9.2 PPG, 63.1% FG,

6.8 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 2.3 BPG) were as solid as ever. Nevertheless, despite having perhaps the

deepest team they’ve ever had, the Blues undeniably face the hardest path to a title they’ve

ever faced—first, against the Bridges Bros. -led Miami, and if they advance, they’ll likely face the

5 All-Star Boston Charms. We’ve learned not to bet against Yensid and co. over the years, but if

they manage to get a title out of this one, it will be their magnum opus.

4. Miami Tides (23-10, Eastern Conference #3)

Preseason Expectations: 16-20 wins, #3 in East

Pass. Consider, just for a moment, that the tides won 7 games last season. 7. Yes, that was without a certain Anthony Bridges on the team, but it’s hard to over-emphasize just how dramatically things have changed here over the course of a year. Anthony (21.7 PPG, 51.6% FG, 48.2% 3PFG) made a pretty solid case for MVP, but the Tides did a stellar job surrounding him with talent, drafting his brother Austin (10.5 PPG, 50.0% FG, 48.0% 3PFG) and dealing for Eddie Dale (8.9 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 4.1 BPG) and Hanamichi Sakuragi (8.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 0.9 BPG). The Tides ended the season on an absolute tear, winning 7 of their last 8 and going 9-4 since the ASG, and can reasonably claim that they are contenders. They will have a hard road to a title, no doubt, but regardless of what happens in the playoffs, this season was a smashing success for them.

5. Houston Cosmos (20-13, Western Conference #2)

Preseason Expectations: 25-29 wins, #1 in West

TBD. The Cosmos surely came short of expectations for them in the regular season, but that will be water under the bridge if they successfully navigate through the playoffs to a title appearance and/or title. Jose Mendes (10.1 PPG, 52.6% FG, 9.1 APG, 1.7 SPG) was still solid, but took a step back from his All-Star marks last season. Cacio Way (13.0 PPG, 51.5% FG, 43.6% FG) fit in nicely, but did not produce like an All Star. Most significantly, Joseph Canny (15.8 PPG, 52.0% FG, 40.2% FG) finally looked his age, regressing hard in his age-35 season. Only Maxwell Goodson (14.1 PPG, 66.8% FG, 11.9 RPG, 2.0 BPG) really was a beacon of light, as he looked great, if not better at times, than he did before his injury. Regardless, with a relatively dry youth pipeline, an aging star core, and a diminished win total, it was a disappointing regular season for the Cosmos, but playoff success would make it soon to be forgotten.

6. San Francisco Quakes (17-16, Western Conference #3)

Preseason Expectations: 19-23 wins, #3 in West

Pass. It took a bit, and wasn’t without some stumbles along the road, but the kids are all right, and the future is finally now for San Francisco. Before the season, the decline of the Roses and Surf, plus the continued growth of the young crops in the Bay Area, made it look quite likely that the Quakes would make their first-ever playoff appearance. After another torrid 7-3 start to the season, the Quakes again fell back to earth, sputtering in the absence of their superstar scorer Samuel James (21.4 PPG, 48.6% FG, 46.9% 3PFG) after he injured his elbow. Nevertheless, the Quakes won 3 of 4 games to end the season, which was enough to get them their coveted playoff berth. It is true that things continue to proceed as planned for the Quakes, who have gone from a 5-win team to a 17-win one in the span of three seasons. Yet this season was undeniably something of a disappointment. They only improved by one win from last year, Darth Jor-El (12.1 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 2.8 BPG) actually regressed slightly in his third full year in the league, Car Lo (2.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 1.9 BPG) seemed to stagnate a bit, and of course, Jack Mack abruptly retired. Only Darryl Stevenson (13.2 PPG, 58.2% FG, 51.2% 3PFG) took a big step forward, becoming one of the best sharpshooters in the league, and Tristen Ewer (4.5 PPG, 47.9% FG) wound up being a shrewd off-season acquisition. The Quakes are still on schedule for becoming a real contender in about a season’s time, but as a progress report, this season was somewhat disappointing.

7. Portland Roses (16-17, Western Conference #4)

Preseason Expectations: 15-19 wins, #4 in West

Pass. All in all, most teams would be satisfied with a roughly .500 record and a playoff appearance, particularly after losing a star and two major role players. Swapping out Koality Game, Chibba, and Mikey Williams for King Ntilikina, Jerry Platinum, Zane Cruz and Brook Reid while only losing 2 more games is a testament to the brilliance of the Roses’ core. Jamon Alexander (27.3 PPG, 58.4% FG, 5.6 RPG, 1.7 BPG) surpassed even his own lofty records, and may deserve the MVP award this season. Vun Brunson (9.2 PPG, 51.3% FG, 46.7% 3PFG, 12.8 APG) again won the assists crown while proving his hot run in the playoffs was not a fluke, and he belongs in the MIP conversation. Finally, Jordan Frazier (14.0 PPG, 50.0% FG, 48.6% 3PFG, 1.1 SPG) and Justin Taylor (6.6 PPG, 1.0 SPG, 1.1 BPG) had career years in an effort to fill the void left by Koality’s departure. It should be noted that the Roses were in this position last year, having limped into the playoffs as the #4 seed before going on a run to win a title. While that looks less likely this year as they face a far stronger LA Stars team, it’s not out of the question.

8. St. Louis Archers (12-21, Eastern Conference #4)

Preseason Expectations: 3-7 wins #6 in East

Pass. The league’s biggest surprise, St. Louis’ rebuild reached the playoff stage way ahead of schedule thanks to an All-Star season out of Jason Garcia (13.6 PPG, 54.9% FG, 52.1% 3PFG, 4.2 APG) and a ROTY in Westbrook Darius (16.9 PPG, 55.3% FG, 3.2 RPG). The Archers’ turnaround led to the East #4 slot, as well as a trade for Joey Bas (12.8 PPG, 50.4% FG, 3.7 APG), the enigmatic former Surf. Both Bas and Garcia are pending free agents, meaning that much rides on off-season success for the club. Even so, they saw noticeable improvements out of guys like Elijah Smith and Ricky Jiggs, and are well positioned to contend in years coming given their core of Darius, Brodeur, Smith and co., regardless of whether they retain either or both of their two guards. A sweep vs. Boston is likely in the offing, but it ain’t over till it’s over.

9. New York Empire (11-22, 5th in East)

Preseason Expectations: 7-11 wins, #4 in East

Pass. True, the Empire did not make the playoffs when we picked them to, but they still had a pretty solid season. Aaron Ford (3.9 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 8.8 APG) proved to be a great choice at #5, Guy Chug (12.1 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.9 APG) got himself in the MIP conversation with a great sophomore season, Xavier Sevenade (13.8 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 1.2 SPG) did a decent job replacing Cacio Way, and Jesus James (12.4 PPG, 57.6% FG, 6.2 RPG, 1.7 BPG) stepped up big time to replace Pierre Brodeur. Other young players, like Dan Glisack, John Poland and Radley Hatchett-Miles have shown potential, and the future does appear bright in the Big Apple, albeit somewhat clouded by Aaron Ford’s free agency and the impending expansion draft. The slow rebuild continues, but light appears to be visible at the end of the tunnel.

10. San Diego Surf (10-23, 5th in West)

Preseason Expectations: 12-16 wins, #5 in West

Fail. As expected, mired in mediocrity, the Surf blew it up big time with a series of trades that, although netting them two first round picks and some damn solid young players, certainly harmed their immediate future. Francisco Gerbi (10.7 PPG, 55.3% FG, 2.9 RPG) was a nice add, but he looks likely to leave in FA. Timothy Garcia Jr. (8.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.3 BPG) will be a hell of a player, if they can keep him, that is. Morawski and Vandeventer make a scary backcourt in years to come, and Flight Reacts had a very nice second season as well. The Surf have a lot of free agents, but while they obviously want to keep Gerbi and Garcia Jr., it doesn’t particularly matter what happens in FA for them—it will be a long, long rebuild either way.

11. Vancouver Summit (5-28, 6th in West)

Preseason Expectations: 2-6 wins, #6 in West

Pass. It feels wrong, in some sense, to pass a team that had a truly abysmal season, and yet we expected nothing more from the hapless Summit. Melo Hayes (9.2 PPG, 64.7% FG, 4.9 RPG, 2.0 BPG) looks like a real steal in retrospect, and Jamie Spencer (7.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.2 APG) continues to progress. The Summit also coaxed career years out of Dizzy Michaels (6.7 PPG, 6.8 APG) and Rusty Parent (3.8 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 45% FG), both of whom could be decent bench guards in time. They dealt for John Rodriguez and The Kryptonite, both of whom should be franchise building blocks if used properly. Vancouver has another lottery pick this year, and they will likely lose Tyrone Jackson in the expansion draft, which will help them long-term but won’t make for many more wins next season. The rebuild is still in its early stages, but there were reasons for optimism in a generally dismal season, and this team is well positioned to be fearsome in a few seasons.

12. Atlanta Activists (8-25, 6th in East)

Preseason Expectations: 6-10 wins, #5 in East

Fail. Yes, Atlanta technically performed exactly as expected. But make no mistake, this season was a thorough disappointment. The Activists saw Felipe Santos’s (14.5 PPG, 54.9% FG, 47.5% 3PFG, 2.3 RPG, 1.2 APG) morph into an All-Star caliber talent, as well as Zach Vega’s (20.3 PPG, 58.7% FG, 5.8 RPG, 2.0 BPG) continued ascent to stardom. Jon Rahm (8.7 PPG, 48.5%FG, 9.2 APG) was one of the league’s best statistical PGs, and Marcus Damian (5.9 PPG, 61.5% FG, 5.5 RPG) was quietly a solid power forward. Yet the Activists only won 8 games, showed an absolute inability to close out games, and lacked coherence all year long. Adobo Flakes did not progress as hoped, Tyler Moore didn’t significantly improve their bench depth, and absolutely everyone played lackadaisical defense. The Activists need a culture change, and ought to draft a defensive forward to shore up that side of the ball. Even if they do, a lot of work needs to be done for them to become contenders.