By Will Pegler
The regular season finished up this past Wednesday and did not disappoint. With a few upsets and a game that went to triple overtime, it set up as a perfect preview for how the playoffs will play out. Here are the final regular season power rankings.
( ) indicates previous ranking; [ ] indicates record
1. Nets (2) [10-2]
The Nets are one of two teams who will have a bye this Sunday, and it is certainly well deserved. On offense they aren't extremely dominant, but with the lowest amount of points against in the league, their stout defensive play has carried them thus far. Will Rooney is obviously a big time rebounder, but players such as David Volz and Connor Tienken will need to step up in playoff time as well if they want to win a championship. From an emotional standpoint, Hank Rech will look to be a leader in the huddle for the Nets with probably an electric pre-game speech or two. The Nets will play the winner of the Warriors vs. Rockets.
2. Cavaliers (1) [10-2]
The Cavs are coming off a wild loss in triple OT to the Suns, but they still have earned a bye this Sunday. The first word I would use to describe this team is experienced. Justin Vandy Graf and Alex Murray are two very experienced house ball players whose aggressive style of play fits well into playoff basketball. Cason Stone also adds another element of athleticism that make this team scary to defend. The other Stone brother, who goes by Matthew, can be wet from three and is also a pretty funny guy who can keep things loose, a real guy's guy. Locker room guys like that are huge in the playoffs. The Cavs will play the winner of the Spurs vs. Raptors.
3. Suns (4) [7-5]
Glen Fay is the best shooter in this league. The kid hit five threes in a row to lead his team over the Cavs in a 3 OT debacle. Other than Fay, the Suns have arguably the best big man in the league in Teddy Brannigan along with Willie Keating, as well as a ton of great athletes such as Pete Guttuso and Max Grant. On defense, the Suns have players such as Connor Percarpio and Bruce Ferguson to shut down other teams. I'm not sure how this stacked team has five losses, but they are definitely poised to make a run in the playoffs. They will take on the Hornets in round one of the playoffs.
4. Knicks (3) [8-4]
I'm hesitant to put this team at the four spot because of the fact that they've lost their past two games, one of them being against the Warriors, but they still have a great record and plenty of solid players to make them one of the better teams in the league. Craig Triano is the MVP of this team and has plenty of house playoff experience to lead the Knicks on a long run. Cam Raia and Jack Bogdan are also solid guards that will have to help Triano make some plays, while big man Jackson Mcnear looks to step up on the boards. The Knicks will take on the Tommy Hellman led Celtics in what should be an interesting playoff matchup.
5. Hornets (6) [7-5]
I'm still not sure what to say about the Hornets. Big man Mike Neary is obviously a force on both sides of the ball, and he will need to step up if the Hornets want to make a run in the playoffs. Point guard John Gianattasio back from the IR after suffering from mono about a month, so that should add another element to the team's offense. Harry Rayhill and head coach Brian Rayhill are a long time player-coach duo who each have long house ball career's. We'll see if the Rayhill dynasty will be able to bring home one more ring, but they have a tough first matchup against the Suns in the first round.
6. Spurs (7) [5-7]
If the Spurs get their shooting going they are an extremely tough team to stop. Obviously Fin Batson is a great shooter, but other guys like Max Gasvoda, Scott McGraw, and Jack "Texas Forever" (shoutout Tim Riggins) Cronin have hit some huge shots for this team. The Spurs also have some size in Will Wilson and Sean O'Malley, both of whom have been able to grab a lot of rebounds and handle other teams big men. The Spurs got pretty lucky and get to face the Raptors this Sunday, which should be a win. (sorry Raptors)
7. Celtics (5) [6-6]
The Celtics came out of the gate hot this season, but they have since lost five of their last six games. Tommy Hellman is the squad's clear leader in terms of scoring, but players such as Ryan Griffin and Nate Hadlow have also stepped up. Chuck Zuro looks to add size to for the Celtics, but in recent games he has gotten himself into foul trouble early and has struggled. If Zuro can start to get more rebounds for this team and Hellman continues to be a strong scorer they could make a run, but they have also struggled with getting guys to show up, as they have been forced to play a few games with only four players. They will certainly need their full roster against a strong Knicks team this Sunday.
8. Warriors (9) [4-8]
The Warriors had their all of their key players for the first time all season this past Wednesday, beating the Knicks by four in what was a huge win for the team. Charlie Olsen and Kevin Grune are both strong scorers who look to lead the team in a deep playoff run, while Henry Nolte will try to hold down the paint for the Warriors. Strong defense will be provided from Connor Olson, whose soccer skills have translated well to the basketball court, along with Paul Ridder and Jack Gordon. Will Rehm has been a clutch three point shooter for the Warriors all year, he will look to continue this trend throughout the playoffs. The Warriors will need to shut down Jack Joyce when they play the Rockets this Sunday.
9. Rockets (8) [2-10]
This team's success all depends on Jack Joyce. If Joyce struggles, they don't win. If Joyce does well, they might win. Tommy Reilley and Andrew Lucas look to help out on the offensive side of the ball, while also providing some strength on defense. The Rockets will need guys like this to step up if they want to beat the Warriors this Sunday.
10. Raptors (10) [1-11]
It's been a tough season for the Raptors. Cole Stevenson and Andrew Donovan have done their best to get some scoring going for the team, but they haven't been able to find much consistency. Charlie Baylis and Dillon O'Shea have made some plays on defense, but not enough to put together a couple of wins. They will need some luck to take down the Spurs this Sunday.
Playoff Predictions: (quick note: not all playoff seeds are the same as the power rankings, for some reason the YMCA doesn't listen to me)
Sunday, 9:00 AM Warriors (8) vs. Rockets (9) : The Rockets hang with the Warriors in the first half, but the Warriors' offensive weapons are too much for Jack Joyce to hang with. Golden State wins by at least eight.
Sunday, 9:00 AM Spurs (7) vs. Raptors (10): The Spurs come out of the gate hot from three and get off to a big lead. The Raptors try to fight their way back, but the Spurs size in Wilson and O'Malley shuts them down. San Antonio by double digits.
Sunday, 10:00 AM Hornets (4) vs. Suns (5): Mike Neary and Teddy Brannigan battle all day in the big man matchup of the year, but the real story ends up being Glen Fay's shooting. Fay leads the Suns in scoring while Peter Guttuso's game managing abilities puts the game away. Phoenix wins in a close one.
Sunday, 10:00 AM Knicks (3) vs. Celtics (6): This is the best game of the first round. Craig Triano and Tommy Hellman go back and forth all day, leading to overtime. Cam Raia is able to find Triano open in the corner for a three pointer and Triano nails it with seconds left in OT, giving the Knicks the win. Craig "Pizza Boy" pulls a slice of Planet Pizza out of his pocket and scarves it down to celebrate right on the court.
AT SOME POINT NEXT WEEK POLLS WILL BE PUT UP FOR END OF SEASON AWARD VOTING
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