Fall 2017: B1 5v5 League Champs: Natural Poppin’

Commentary by Michael...

Minus 1 Cubans 66  MORENAS 40

Power Rankings & Week 9 Previews

What’s this? Actual written content for this league? You’re damn right, 1300 words of it for yah. How novel! I do owe you an apology for how sparse the coverage has been this season,  [insert day job-related excuse that you really don’t care about here]. BUT for the end of the regular season, I’m in it. Let’s blow this thing out. Week 9 preview & Power Rankings right here, End of Season Awards & Playoff Prospectus to come, not to mention writeups for the games that haven't happened yet. That's right, actual writeups!

Anyway, let’s get stuck in.

Power Rankings (Previous):

8 (4). Pippen Ain’t Easy (1-7)

Once we got into the actual games, they took a big dip from my preseason projections. If it weren’t for that Week 1 forfeit win, they would be coming down the stretch looking like the ‘08 Detroit Lions. They’ve had a few moments, but lacking a reliable scorer -- or even a streaky one that could heat check his way into a W -- they’ve been up against it.

7 (8). MORENAS (1-7)

MORENAS has held some games close before falling off in the end, but still come into the last week of the season with only a blowout win over the one team below them to show for their troubles. They have the athletes, but don’t seem to have a reliable scorer either, which can really hurt you at this level -- that is, middling rec league ball full of guys who made the local paper that one time tens year ago for their high school double-double. Why such a specific example? No reason…

6 (6). Minus 1 Cuban (3-5)

Sure, they’re in 6th but they are a GOOD No, 6. Maybe I’m just biased because they took my team down a couple of weeks ago though, since both their other wins came against MORENAS. They will slow the game and grind you down with their big men, so they will be in virtually every game, but if you can contain their size on the inside, I’m not sure they have the shooters to carry them all the way to a title.

5 (7). Splash Fathers (4-4)

This is where things start to get complicated. I plotted out the season for the top 6 teams and came up with virtually nothing, outside of the top two (we’re getting there). I settled on Splash Fathers here (shocker, these Power Rankings are exactly following the standings) because they’ve gone cold the past two weeks after a 4 game winning streak. Digging deeper into that, only the Guys With Great Hair win was really impressive and they had to scrape out a win against MORENAS. Stanowicz-Nesbit-Bennett is a formidable frontcourt, but I’m not sure this team has a real identity to fall back on when the games get close against good teams.

4 (2). Natural Poppin’ (5-3)

Lose two games in a row and I have to slide you down, even if it’s my squad. I think from a talent standpoint we can compete with the top of the league, but our shooting has gone cold way too many weeks. Without that, we’re going to really struggle. We have put the only blemish on BDubs march to the top seed, but that came without Drew, so not sure what we can really take from that victory. Let’s just hope the shots start falling soon.

3 (5). EphCats (5-3)

This is a team that is built in a sensible way and gets the game playing the style they want. That will take you far. Kubris is a lethal shooter when he starts hitting and doesn’t solely rely on the three ball, killing kids in the midrange. Squires is a perfect second option who can do a lot of things, even if he too often puts his head down from 45 feet and probably should end up with more offensive fouls than he does. Chris Cameron is the surprise name in the Top 10 of Playing Rating right now, but he is athletic as all hell and strings together an all around game that fits the rest of the pieces. Depth is the main question, but when things click with the main guys, sometimes you don’t need anyone else.

2 (3). Guys With Great Hair (6-2)

Biggest disappointment with these guys is definitely the hair. Like, it’s fine. But come on, that’s some false advertising. After a rough start to the season, these guys have really come into their own, stringing together five wins in a row. Stephen has gone from serviceable point guard to possible MVP candidate and I’m not really sure when or how that happened; I probably just underestimated him. Lipson will have his games as a shotmaker from time to time as well, but overall it’s not like they overwhelm you with top end talent, they just have a perfectly balanced roster that can throw out a ton of different looks. The real test comes tonight when they get to throw down with No. 1 for the first time since Week 1. Tasty.

1 (1). BDubs (7-1)

My preseason favorite actually lived up to the hype! I know, I know, I’m as shocked as you are. This is Drew’s team through and through. I’m not always quite sure how he does it, as his game doesn’t have that smooth, clearly the best guy on the court sheen to it, but damn if it ain’t effective. He’d be atop the Player Rater heap if they didn’t have a game called early for a casual brawl, NBD. Beyond Drew it’s a lot of solid role guys who get the job done and somehow never made their way onto the roster (unfortunately I can’t add people, so for once I’m not to blame for lack of execution). They’re the favorites for the title for sure, but looking at everyone around them, they’re definitely beatable.

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Week 9 Previews

6PM: Guys With Great Hair vs. BDubs (-1.5)

Game of the Week, right out the bat! Hopefully everyone makes it to this one, that’s the real problem with 6PM starts. Last time this went to Double OT and GWGH looked like the clearly better team. A lot has changed since then, but revenge and a No. 1 seed are on the line. BDubs gets the gambling edge, but give me GWGH in the “upset.”

7PM: Splash Fathers vs. Natural Poppin’ (-16)

A ho hum near-30 point victory last time doesn’t really do justice to these teams talent levels I would say. I’d say back-to-back losses should drive Poppin’ to have a solid game and get back to their winning ways, but it shouldn’t be a blowout this time around. Give me the Fathers and the points. I’m not saying I’ll shave points to make it happen, but I’m not saying I won’t.

8PM: Pippen Ain’t Easy vs. Minus 1 Cubans (-14.5)

The game that never was in Week 1. Pippen is on the hunt for their first true W of the season, while Minus 1 Cuban looks locked into the No. 6 spot (I think; who knows what CAC tiebreakers will be this season) thanks to a loss to Splash Fathers. That gives Pippen more to play for, but for some reason I just don’t see it panning out. Give me the Cubans in a statement win.

9PM: EphCats vs. MORENAS (+23)

EphCats ran away with this one in Week 1 despite not having Squires that week. After testing GWGH a few weeks ago, MORENAS has been trending the wrong direction, no showing for the last week I was in the gym for. That doesn’t bode well. I can’t in good conscience set a line higher than this, but give me the win and the cover for EphCats.

Guys With Great Hair 62  Natural Poppin 56

Pippen Ain't Easy 52  EphCats 69

Splash Fathers 54  BDubs 62