Way Too Early Power Rankings!

The 5v5 Winter 23 draft has commenced, so it’s time for the Way Too Early Power Rankings.

There was no shortage of disappointment and controversy, as Player Requests (Demands) continued to dominate the pre-draft discussions. With that said, some other highlights include: 

• Dowrey and Miguel successfully orchestrated their plot to draft 3 of their friends. Dowrey is claiming innocence, but I’ll be the judge of that. 
• Van Wert and Garofalo were denied the opportunity to play together for the second consecutive season. I’m thinking one of them should be a captain to avoid this outcome next session.
• Musse and Robel got their boy Nah Berhand. He will be in the running for Rookie of the Session. 
• Danzig is a hell of a captain, who would’ve thought? He didn’t just talk about wanting to play with Held, he trades up to # 3 and left no room for chance. There’s going to be the best big-man duo in the league. 
• Despite my effort to tank my draft, Jackson drafted me and Andre stepped up to cover my games and ultimately save the day. Thanks, Dre! You are very much appreciated. 

Needless to say, there was no shortage of excitement and I am looking forward to seeing what all these new guys can do. 

Moving on, here are your Winter 2023 pre-season Power Rankings.

Way Too Early Power Rankings

8. GLYNN (Shooters Over Bigs)

Despite my last-place ranking, I do not doubt that Ryan’s team has the potential to finish in the upper echelon of the league. There are a lot of unknowns here, but my biggest concern is their lack of size. 

Feldman is a scrappy baller, who plays well bigger than his 6”2 frame. Brian Horton has some size and can assist with matchups against bigger teams, but this does have the potential to be a challenge for them. 

With that said, this team will be in contention when it’s all said and done. 

Projected Starting 5 

1. Feldman, F. Horton, F. Jenco, G. Biskelonis, and G. Ryan Glynn

Draft Grades

• 6 – Feldman A+ – Jonah Feldman was the highest-rated player in the draft, so getting him at 6 was an absolute no-brainer. 
• 11 – Horton A – Brian is a very capable scorer and was an absolute no-brainer with the 11th pick. 
• 22 – Biskelonis A – Alex is a skilled point guard that will hit open shots and facilitate the offense. Based on the other players available at 22, I think he was the best fit for this team. 
• 27 – Jenco B – My grade here has nothing to do with Jenco, but I would’ve loved to see them draft some size to compliment Jonah here. Jenco is a two-way player capable of rebounding and scoring consistently.
• 38 – Rivadeniero A  – Carlos has the potential to be a double-digit scorer off the bench. Coming off a stellar season in the over-30 league, I’m interested to see what he can do as he transitioned to a 5v5 league. 
• 43 – Yuen A – Alex Yuen has the potential to be the steal of the draft. Potent 3-point shooter and a very capable scorer. How the hell did he fall to 43? 
• 54 – Ng A – Big Gunz has been working out three days per week and is ready to battle. Let’s fucking go! 

7. MUCCIO (Primetime 4.0)

Mooch did a fantastic job drafting this team. My rankings have more to do with the parity in the league and absolutely nothing to do with the overall potential for the team to outperform their initial rankings. 

Sutton at # 5 was an absolute no-brainer for me. This dude is an absolute mismatch in the post. He and Nick Keramaris make for an interesting pairing, but a fantastic strategy. Unlike most big men, they do not occupy the same space.

To round out the lineup, Mooch drafted Thompson who fantastic point guard that is at his best when he’s playing aggressively. Overall, this was Mooch’s best draft in multiple seasons and I would not be surprised if this team outplays their rankings. 

Projected Starting 5 

1. Keramaris, F. Sutton, F. Mooch, G. Liu, and G. Thompson

Draft Grades

• 5 Sutton A+ – I believe Manny was one of the top players in this draft. Getting him at 5 was a no-brainer. 
• 12 Keramaris B – Admittedly, I have some questions about Nick’s fit here. Nick is a fantastic defender and rebounder, I wonder after last season’s offensive struggles if Mooch should have targeted a scorer at 12. 
• 21 Thompson A – This was a huge value pick. David went 10th overall last session, so getting him at 21 was an absolute no-brainer. 
• 28 Liu C+ – Hard to gauge how effective Adam will be in this league. He averaged 11 PPG in a super competitive B2 5v5 league last session, but his team went 0 – 9 and averaged a 13-point loss, so does it really matter? 
• 37 Tung A – Getting a 3-point sharpshooter at 37 is a savvy move, no arguing Eric will be a draft steal. 
• 44 S. Glynn A – The real “Glynn” Scott was relatively quiet last season. After back-to-back championship seasons, his team failed to make it out of the first round. I do not doubt that Scott will make teams pay once again for passing on him. 
• 53 Miller C – I’m grading the shitty rookie bio. Why join a draft league and give captains absolutely no details? 

6. Cote (TBD)

Heading into the draft, I didn’t think there was any chance in hell, that Mazz and I would end up on the same team. Clearly, Jackson had other plans. I understand Mazz at 4, but I think I was a reach at 13. 

Defensively, my team has a lot of potential. Led by Valcourt, Corrigan, and fearless leader, Jackson Cote, we have the potential for something special. 

The offensive end is where my concerns lie. This isn’t 4v4 and Mazz is not going to average 30+ PPG. Who else is going to step up and score?  Enright and Hasegawa will be the wildcards. If one of them can average double-digits I like our chances against any team in this league. 

Projected Starting 5 

1. Jackson, F. Valcourt, F. Corrigan, G. Mazz, and G. Ball

Draft Grades

• 4 Mazz A – Mazz was the perfect pick for Jackson at 4. The big man isn’t much of an offensive threat, but he’s an incredible defender and rebounder. Who better to kick out to than Mazz waiting for a wide-open three-point shot? 
• 13 Ball C+ – Admittedly, I think drafting me at 13th was a stretch, but Mazz can’t pass the ball to himself, right? Hopefully, Andre keeps track of all my assists. 
• 20 Enright A – I am excited about Aidan’s potential. His ability to hoop might make or break our season. 
• 29 Corrigan A+ – Liam’s stats do him no justice. He’s a fantastic defender that is more than capable offensively. Liam and Mazz will have plenty of chemistry based on their familiarity. 
• 34 Valcourt A+ – Multiple teams were trying to trade for him and then my captain pulled a rabbit out of his hat. Evan has consistently been one of the top defenders and rebounders in this league for multiple sessions. I am ecstatic that he’s on my team. 
• 41 Hasegawa B – Sounds like he’s going to be a fantastic defender. I am looking forward to hooping with him. 
• 52 Zeng C+ – “Center trapped in a point guard body”? I am not sure how I feel about this, but I’m looking forward to hooping with you Regardless.  

5. BALCERZAK (TBD)

This team has unlimited potential. Christian did a fantastic job drafting one of the deepest teams in the league. I love the trio of Nett, Levin, and Schwartz. Van Wert at 36 gives BALCERZAK one of the biggest and deepest teams in the league.

What’s missing? A Point guard. Who will quarterback all this assembled talent? I can Andre Jones playing a significant role on this team. Kyle and Patrick were draft steals at 45th and 47th. I think they will drive on this team. 

Projected Starting 5 

1. Nett, F. Schwartz, F. Levin, G. Jones, and G. Schluns 

Draft Grades

• 2 Nett A+ – I had Nett ranked as the # 2 player in this draft. What’s not to like about a former D3 basketball player? 
• 15 Levin A+ – Taking a flyer on Ben brilliant. I think he’s going to be a difference-maker on this team and in this league. 
• 18 Schwartz A+ – Dan Schwartz is one of the top players and defenders in this league. I can’t believe he was available at 18! 
• 31 Jones A – Andre is coming off a fantastic season. His game-winning buzzer-beater was one of his many highlights and I look for him to build upon that success. 
• 36 Van Wert A  – I do not doubt that Van Wert will outplay his draft position. I know he wanted to play with Mike G, but his pairing with former teammate Andre should make it a little more bearable. 
• 45 Aspell A+ – Patrick was absolutely amazing during our championship run last season. He has now participated in and won back-to-back championships. Could there be a third in his future?
• 47 Schluns A+ – Kyle is going thrive being surrounded by talented high IQ players. Perfect fit for him. 

4. Dowrey (Gear PF)

I honestly don’t know what to expect from this team, but the fact they assembled B2 team in a draft league, I have doubts they’ll be one of the better teams in the league. 

Projected Starting 5 

1. Monclova, F. Myatt, F. Abdul, G. Morales, and G. Dowrey

Draft Grades

• 8 Monclova A – 6”2 point guard with the 8th pick. Doesn’t get much better than that. 
• 9 Abdul A+ – 35% shooter from beyond the arc? Between him and Miguel this team is going to have no shortage of firepower. 
• 19 Morales A – Todd wanted to hoop with him, so I am assuming he’s good. 
• 30 Remy B+ – Remy gives them some much-needed depth at the guard spot and provides fantastic three-point shooting, 
• 35 Fein A – The three-point marksman himself. Corey is coming off a fantastic season and his ability to shoot the three-point well is going to make this team even more dynamic than it already is. 
• 46 Myatt A – I was really hoping to hoop with Brad this season. He’s a solid big man that stretches the floor with his midrange game. This team lacked size, so being able to draft Brad 46 was crucial. 
• 51 Dias A – Dias at 51 was a steal. I have no idea why he fell so low, but I have doubt teams are going to regret passing on him.  

3. Danzig (Danzig with the Star)

Danzig assembled the best starting 5 in the league. The combination of Held, Danzig, and Garofalo is going to be nearly impossible to stop. Most teams struggled to assemble 2 bigs, Danzig messed around and drafted 3. 

If this team is that talented, why did I rank them # 3? Because I have some serious questions about their depth. If they are able to get consistent production from Mukalel, Duff, and Quan, Danzig and company have to be one of the top teams in the league. 

Projected Starting 5 

1. Held, F. Danzig, F. Garofalo, G. Cruz, and G. Lewis 

Draft Grades

• 3 Held A+ – Held is one of the most skilled players in this league. He and Danzig together will be one of the top duos in this league. 
• 14 Garofalo A+ – Mike is coming off a monster season. He continues to be underrated, but it worked out perfectly because he landed on a loaded team. 
• 24 Cruz A – Solid rookie profile, looks like he’ll be a core player on this team. 
• 25 Lewis A – Solid rookie profile, looks like he’ll be a core player on this team. 
• 40 Mukalel B+ – Amal at 40 was a solid pick. What he lacks in talent, he makes up for in effort. He has consistently gotten better each session, so I know his best is yet to come. 
• 50 Duff B – I love Duff’s potential! I was hoping to hoop with him, but my captain made an executive decision to trade him away. 
• 56 Quan A – Chao’s Player Rating continues to be deceiving. He has consistently played well in the biggest game and will be a productive member of this team without a doubt. 

2. JOHNSON (Shooters Over Bigs)

Led by Matty J and DiSola, this squad is going to be extremely difficult to guard. They are ridiculously deep 1 – 8. 

Tim, Matty, Beato, and DiSola will pace them offensively but don’t Jonathan Abreu, he is a more than capable scorer. Admittedly, I do have concerns about their lack of size and that could prove to be troublesome, but as long as they score more than the other team they have a chance. 

With that said, I expect them to be one of the league’s top teams, and I am excited to see how this plays out. 

Projected Starting 5 

1. Sulakvelidze, F. J Abreu, F. DiSola, G. Johnson, and G. Donnelly

Draft Grades

• 1 DiSola A – Rich is coming off a championship MVP-worthy season. There’s no question that he’s the number one player in this draft and Matty surrounded him with a ton of talent. 
• 16 Donnelly B+ – Tim is one of the best two-way players in the league when he’s in attendance. Tim, Matty, Beato, and DiSola will be the top three-point shooting team in the league. 
• 17 Sulakvelidze A – Getting 6’4″ 200 rookie at 17 was a great value pick. This team is devoid of a true big man, so Nika, Jonathan, and Disola will have to step up! 
• 32 Beato A+ – Beato is going to get buckets in this league. This dude should’ve gone ahead of me. The fact that Matty got him at 32 is obnoxious. 
• 33 J Abreu A+ – Jonathan at 33 was a steal. He’s a very capable player on both ends of the court and provides Matty with so much-needed size. 
• 48 Li B+ – The rookie had a solid bio and adds depth to Matty’s ridiculous embarrassment of riches. 
• 49 Lambalot B+ – Another solid rookie that played at a high level. This team is absolutely stacked and primed for success. 

1. GHEBREMICHAEL (TBD)

Robel and Musse assembled a ridiculous team that is posed to be one of the top teams in the league Berhanu eventually makes his debut. 

The combination of Mullings and X might just be the best backcourt in the league on both ends of the floor. Berhanu is going to give them a 3-headed monster and we can’t forget the big dawg himself Robel. 

Add Musse, Kevin, Steve, and Cameron into the mix and you have one hell of a team. 

Projected Starting 5 

1. Robel, F. Rakusin, G. X, G, Berhanu, and G. Mullings

Draft Grades

• 7 Mullings A+ – Solid point guard that will pace his team offensively. Perfect pairing with X and Robel. This team is going to be very entertaining to watch. 
• 10 X A+ – X is coming off a monster 5v5 Draft session. I love the pairing of him, Berhanu, and Tyrone. This squad is very reminiscent of Robel’s Championship bound squad. Team name suggestion, Championship Won? 
• 23 Berhanu A+ – From my understanding, Nah might end up being the steal of the draft. This team is stacked. 
• 26 Musse A – Musse isn’t Musse yet, but he looks more comfortable in every game. I’m excited to have him in the league and 
• 39 Gillooly A – Kevin when left open can make teams pay from beyond the arc. Surrounded by all this talent, Kevin is going to absolutely thrive offensively.
• 42 Rakusin A – Steve was a great selection to play with the big dawg. Steve is a fantastic rebounder and defender, but offensively he stretches the floor as a very capable 3-point shooter. 
• 55 Cameron A – Cameron at 55 is a serious draft steal. He is the reason this is one of the deepest teams in the league.