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- FINAL POWER RANKINGS -

WRITTEN BY: PROFESSOR X

Guess who is back? We are near the end of the road and this is how I see things shaping up before the ETBL playoffs. We have enough of a sample size to work with and while this season has been tough to judge...I am ready to take my shot!     

1. CLIPPERS (9-0): 9 games...9 wins for the Clippers. This team has not let up once all season as they have beaten their opponents by an average of 19 points per game. We said that this was the most complete team at the beginning of the season and they have not disappointed. They are the clear favorites heading into the playoffs as they show no signs of slowing down.  Previously: 1
2. HEAT (8-2):  This team has looked dominate all season behind the duo of Amit and Milton. Their size and ability to score has made it tough for opponents all year long. Their two losses come from a very good Nuggets squad and a short-handed loss to the Nets (without Milton). For now they sit at number two in our rankings as this is a team to avoid in the playoffs.  Previously: 4  
3. NUGGETS (8-1): We called them the dark horse of the league in our last Power Rankings but they have now earned the title of legit contender. Coach Ray has this team ready to play every week and he comes with a solid game plan to take on their opponents. They hold an 8-1 record and their only loss was against the Sonics after a very long break. Previously: 2
4. KINGS (7-3): When you have one of the best players in the league on your squad you tend to play like you are one of the best squads in the league. This team has played well behind their young star Duzan who leads all of ETBL with a staggering 26.9 points per game and he is also third in the league with almost 3 steals per game. This guy is the ultimate two player and he does it every week for this Kings squad. Aswath and Senthu have done their parts as co-stars and this team is meshing at the right time. Previously: 5
5. SIXERS (6-4): The 6-4 Sixers are ETBL's best kept secret as these boys have been quietly racking up wins and they look unstoppable right now. They are a long and athletic team lead by Nirosan and Naren who have looked impressive. The supporting cast of Abe, Adrian and Matty Brice have been a perfect fit on this squad. The Sixers are a team that have flown under the radar this season but they are definitely a team that can go all the way.  Previously: 3
6. KNICKS (6-4): The Knicks have found a little bit of rhythm after a horrendous performance against the Clippers in which they scored a season low 22 points. This teams identity has been to live and die by the 3 as they average 31 attempts from beyond the arc per game. If they can get hot from 3 they are tough to beat but we question whether this style of play will be good enough to win against the best of ETBL. Nonetheless, this team has a superstar in Janath and a great co-star in Nash...whether or not they can mesh perfectly in time for the playoffs will be the key.  Previously: 11
7. SPURS (6-4): Another 6-4 team that has all the potential to make a run for the Championship this year. The Spurs came in with very high expectations as a result of their very talented roster. There have been ups and downs, including a meltdown loss to the Heat a few weeks ago and a very bad loss to the Knicks recently. That being said this team is still good enough to go deep in the playoffs. With this years 'One and Done' March Madness bracket...anything can happen and this is a team that can take advantage.  Previously: 10   
8. PISTONS (6-3): One of the great surprises of the year has been this Pistons squad. This team was written off early on because of the departure of MVP Kris. GM Sanjoo has done a great job building this team with size and strength. This is one of the biggest teams in ETBL with Cameron, Gopal, and Asim leading the way. They also have Gohulan who has been spectacular thus far. This team has come together nicely and will be a tough out in the post season. Previously: 9
9. BLAZERS (7-3): The Blazers are a talented squad and they are sitting pretty in 4th place right now. However, there are some questions about this squad right now as they seem to struggle a little bit with the more talented squads in ETBL. A season ending injury to Rogith is absolutely crushing as their hopes of a title is slim now. Former MVP NJ has not scored the basketball this year like we’ve seen him do before and now we will need him to be more aggressive to end the season. Previously: 6
10. SONICS (5-6): The Sonics started off hot, but they have cooled down as of late. Despite losing 6 of their last 7 games, their big win against the previously undefeated Nuggets has earned them a spot in the top 10. They have a solid roster with a star in Zaid and thus they will have to be taken seriously in the playoffs. Previously: 7
11. BULLETS (4-6): Massive trade at the deadline shook this team up as they trade away Venush and get back Anthony. There was a lot of talk that this is the team that can make it work with Anthony, but we continue to see the same up and down team we did previously. Currently 2 games below .500 but their star power alone makes them one of the most dangerous teams in the bottom half of the bracket. They will need to win their last game however to secure a playoff spot first.  Previously: 14
12. GRIZZLIES (5-5): Talented but too unpredictable. Ben is a franchise player and can single handedly win a playoff game and thus they will be a scary team to face. However, they need to play as a unit to make actual noise and we shall see if they can put it together in time for March.  Previously: 8
13. NETS (6-4): Picked up some quality wins this season but have also looked pretty bad against elite competition. Davy and Mike have been great all year and their supporting cast has done just enough to keep them in the top 10 of the standings to this point.  Previously: 13
14. PELICANS (3-6): A team that many left for dead have themselves currently holding on to the 16th and final spot in the playoffs. If this team can win their last two games then they will get into the playoffs and potentially make alot of noise. Like we mentioned earlier the point differential will probably come into play but GM Harrison, Vijay, and Vman can only control what their team does. Credit this group for continuing to fight for a spot in the big dance. Previously: 16
15. HORNETS (4-6): GM Satish pulled off a Block buster trade at the deadline to acquire Arun and Dinash. This team has a ton of star power on paper, but will it translate on the court? We’ve seen flashes of their greatness but we’ve also seen them play poorly against a short-handed Bulls team. This team hasn’t locked up a playoff spot yet but they have a chance to strengthen their case with a win over the Warriors. Previously: 20
16. BULLS (3-6): In our last Power Rankings we said that Shang and Tes have put up some big games but the rest of the squad has been awful…not a thing has changed since. This team goes as far as their star duo can carry them. They definitely still have a chance to make the playoffs and I see them barely sneaking in and maybe causing some of the top teams to sweat a little. Previously: 12
17. MAGIC (5-6): One of two teams that have played all 11 of their regular season games already. They finish the season 5-6 and are currently hanging on to a playoff spot. They finish the season with a -36 point differential and this could get interesting as the Pelicans, Warriors and Bulls can tie the Magic if they win their 2 remaining games and bump them out of the playoffs. That being said let's give credit to this team who started out the season ranked at the very bottom. Very impressive play by Matheos with the leadership of GM Manish who has this team in the mix. Previously: 15
18. WARRIORS (3-6): Not the way we envisioned the Warriors season to go (in the NBA and in ETBL) but sometimes you gotta get knocked down and see what you are actually made of. The injury status of Gobi is still unclear after hurting his wrist a few weeks back. The game against the Hornets this week is for all the marbles. A win gives them a legit shot at the playoffs while a loss will eliminate them. Regardless, I expect them to go down swinging.  Previously: 17
19. LAKERS (2-8): Not quite sure what went wrong for the Lakers. They had a nice mix of vets and young guys. Christian missing 3 games certainly hurts on a team with very little margin for error. A few tweaks and they could be a playoff team next season.  Previously: 22
20. TIMBERWOLVES (1-9): You have to feel for GM Suthan and the drama that he has had to put up with this season. Fighting/argueing on the court to trade demands and ultimately to players quitting. With all that I must say that I have really enjoyed what this team has been able to do in the last few weeks considering all that has happened. The new group led by Jamsheed, Nick, and Birko play very hard and they make their opponents have to work. This season will end without a playoff berth but I’ll give these guys some credit for their recent efforts.  Previously: 19
21. JAZZ (0-9): Not the season many envisioned for this team as they had a ton of young talent that looked poised to make a run in ETBL. They have two more chances to earn at least one win and avoid the dreadful 0-11 season. Mithun proved he can be a star in this league averaging 17ppg on nearly 50% from the field and averages just over 2 steals a game. We look forward to seeing what this kid can do in the years to come.  Previously: 21
22. PACERS (3-7): Wow. What a way to end the season. They were in the midst of securing a playoff spot before their star Ali went completely missing. Get destroyed by 48 to the Sixers and then forfeit back to back games to end your season. The most shocking end to a franchise we have ever seen.  Previously: 18