28. Blazers, Shyboy (0-12) (=)
Another week, another ranking with Shyboy at the bottom. His recent trade for both Chris Bosh and Gorgui Dieng won't help unclog his crowded frontcourt, either,
27. Mavs, BigLew (1-12) (=)
Lew has always had a knack for putting together solid teams, even if most of the trades we see from his look like they won't help him. He'd much rather just become the GM of the MLBA Mavs, because it doesn't seem like the stick skills will ever come around.
26. 76ers, Zerg (3-11) (-1)
Zerg put together a couple of solid wins against players fighting for a playoff spot in the Jazz and Bulls, but with the questionable roster and consistently bottom-tier play, I don't see anything coming from a pair of decent victories.
25. Kings, Ras (4-13) (-1)
Ras will always be an enigma in this league, showing flashes of greatness but never achieving sustained success. I like his all-around roster, but his record speaks for itself here for one of the more consistently inconsistent owners.
24. Thunder, Shark (3-10) (-2)
Easily my surprise disappointment of the year, the usually playoff-bound Shark has found no success this season, knocking off just one playoff team, even with one of the league's best rosters.
23. Grizz, Sasha (2-7) (+3)
Not sure what happened in his game with the Heat, but Sasha managed to pull out a big one (that's what she said) against a usual contender. However, weird (but solid) roster, hasn't made the playoffs since season 4, you know the drill with Sasha by now.
22. Jazz, Ty (4-9) (+1)
Another one of the league's inconsistent player's Ty is usually on the edge of the playoff picture but he'll need to work some magic to squeeze in this season. With about half of his losses coming to top-10 teams, there's plenty of time to turn it around.
21. Warriors, Braxy (2-2) (-2)
Two blowout losses to top teams? Check. Two wins against bottom-3 teams? Check. Congratulations Braxy, you're leading the vote for 'Mediocre Team of the Year' so far.
20. Knicks, JMan (3-4) (+1)
Still have no clue how JMan plays, but a few nice wins and couple close losses to good teams isn't anything to sneeze at. Plus, with a superstar in Westbrook and a very balanced team overall, the sky is the limit.
19. Pistons, Kilenc (4-5) (-2)
Hard to give Kilenc much credit when he's only landed one marquee victory in - myself. The team and skill is there to become a playoff team, but the internet connection doesn't seem to be.
18. Heat, Mr2K (5-5) (=)
Mr2K has been a disappointment so far, and while he's expressed his disinterest with 2K as a whole in the past, excuses don't matter in these rankings. Maybe mixing things up with a LeBron for Curry swap will make things more interesting for him.
17. Wolves, TooGoode (6-7) (-9)
A huge dropoff from his 5-2 start, TooGoode has made a name for himself by being arguably MLBA's most inconsistent owner, looking like a contender in one season and being out of the playoffs the next. Looking at his roster, it seems about half of his team has a vertical under 10", could be time to do something about that.
16. Hawks, Zay (6-6) (-2)
Breathing down Braxy's neck for "Mediocre Team of the Year" is Zay, who gives up about as many points as he scores, while also having a .500 record. We'll know soon enough whether that trends up or down, but it's hard to tell with his inability to beat bad teams while knocking off contenders in the process.
15. Bulls, Radiggy (6-6) (=)
The deciding factor in giving Radiggy the #15 spot? A win over Zay, that's it. With one of the league's more - interesting - rosters featuring about three players on their death bed and giving MKG consistent DNP's, it's hard to tell what's next for the all-time leader in 8th seed appearances.
14. Nuggets, Chim (7-7) (+6)
Props to Chim for being a solid ass player, winning seven games and losing EVERY game by 10 (sim) or less. He could be undefeated with just a couple things going his way, but we don't do hypotheticals in this league.
13. Celtics, Sneddy (9-7) (=)
All of Sneddy's losses are against solid competition, so no fault there, but for a guy who has been a real contender in the East the last couple seasons, it's hard to give him a pass for failing to beat great teams.
12. Spurs, Thard (8-6) (+4)
Thard? In the playoffs? Maybe the switch is finally on for him, but this has looked like his best season to date, with plenty of very solid victories in the process. If he stays consistent, he could make some noise in the playoffs.
11. Pacers, WhiteGhost (7-4) (-7)
Ghost disappointed me after his 5-0 start, and I guess I jumped the gun on him a bit. No longer my favorite to earn a top-4 seed in the East, it should be interesting to see how he bounces back.
10. Magic, JSmoove (6-3) (-5)
After looking like the Smoove of old last week, he took a pair of beatings at the hands of KAT and Kawhi Leonard. I see him as the most likely candidate to upset a top team as a lower seed in the first round.
9. Pelicans, JBadwood (12-8) (=)
Not much from JBadwood this week, just recently taking a loss to Duya, but not much else that can be said. Without a real go-to option outside of KAT, I see him struggling against top guys in the playoffs.
8. Bucks, Drummond (11-5) (-7)
You all wanted this, and here it is. With a 1-4 week by me, a #1 ranking was a bit premature I guess. I really like my moves for JVal and Joe Harris on paper, but we'll have to see how they work out on the court to know how the rest of my season will go.
7. Raptors, Duya (9-3) (-2)
After a couple seasons of inactivity, Duya seems poised for a big playoff run with one of his best teams in recent memory. Always a sleeper when it comes to contenders, he could be a dark horse candidate to make it out of the East this season.
6. Clippers, TNT (9-3) (-3)
The losses to Thard and TooGoode hurt, but TNT is putting together a nice season, much quieter than usual. However, I just don't think he'll be able to cakewalk to the Finals in a loaded conference this season.
5. Hornets, TheTruth (+3)
It's been a great season from TheTruth, losing all of his games in close battles. Trades usually have little effect on these rankings, but a power move for a star like Kawhi should put the league on notice.
4. Nets, Mario (13-3) (+3)
Prime Mario back? It's looking like it. A great season with a couple blips in between, Mario has earned his contender status back after early exits from the playoffs the past couple seasons.
3. Lakers, Kobe (7-2) (-1)
Always a deadly matchup, Kobe will be one of many vying to make it out of the West, and it's never a good idea to doubt his ability to do that. He usually takes the playoff series against Alpha, but that could change this season...
2. Suns, Ocho (5-1) (+10)
Ocho has been dominant in a small sample size, only losing once in a close game. The defensive addition he made to his frontcourt in Ibaka should blend well with his balance of youth and skill on his roster.
1. Rockets, Alpha (13-2) (+10)
Shoutout Alpha for calling me out on his ranking last week, not cracking the top 10. He's where I think he should be now, and is currently my favorite to win season 14, halfway through his fantastic season with arguably the league's most dominant player in AD.