4v4 SDL Draft Recap & Power Rankings
by Jason on
Way Too Early Power Rankings!
The SDL Winter 23 draft has commenced, so it’s time for the Way Too Early Power Rankings. There weren’t many notable fireworks, aside from a forced trade and 2 rookies drafted within the Top 4 picks.
After last season was dominated by Team Ball (12 – 0), We have 6 new captains, 20 returning players, 3 rookies, and so much more parity in the league.
I don’t know about your guys, but I am looking forward to seeing what these new guys can do. Moving on, here are your Winter 2023 pre-season Power Rankings.
Power Rankings
6. SHEFFIELD
Gordon shocked the world by drafting rookie Cam Daniels with the 4th overall pick. Admittedly, I did not see this coming, especially with Kevin Devine still available. Nevertheless, their season will hinge on his productivity.
Strengths:
- Depth – This team has plenty of depth 1 – 6. Everyone on this team can hoop and understands how to play effective team basketball.
- Size – In an SDL league devoid of a lot of size, Gordon’s team has plenty of size and length and may be one of the bigger teams in the league. Ghost, Ben, and Sheffield all have the ability to play big.
Weaknesses:
- Scoring – Aside from Ghost, I don’t know who will score consistently for this team. Obviously, Cam is the wildcard, so I am optimistic about this point.
- Cam and Musse Pairing – Musse is most effective with the ball in his hand. He likes to lead and initiate the offense. Can Cam adjust? Is he comfortable playing off the ball? Time will tell.
Draft Grades
- 4- Cam Daniels B+ – After Jamal and Adwaith were drafted, there wasn’t anywhere close to the equivalent talent on the board. I would’ve gone with Kevin Devine here, but I respect the gamble in hopes of catching lightning in a bottle.
- 9 – Mike “Ghost” Fraher A – Ghost is an absolute cheat code and was a steal at # 9. He went 8th last season and only led his team to the championship by way of an undefeated season. 12 – 0!
- 16 – Musse Kassa B+ – Musse is still battling back from a horrific injury. Last session his team finished in last place with a 3 – 7 record. On a positive note, Musse looked better and better as the seasons continued and will be a steal at pick # 16.
- 21 – Ben Butterworth A – Ben is a massive pain in the ass that’s going to give offensive players fits. His ability to hit the three will stretch the floor and keep defenders honest.
- 28 – Neil Aggarwal N/A – The forced trade by Balcerzak really benefited and added depth to this team. Neil is a solid two-way player and a great locker room guy. I am disappointed he’s no longer on my team, but I am ecstatic he’s still in the league.
5. Rakusin
Steve got off to a fantastic start grabbing Kevin Devine at 5 and Robert Wood with the 8th pick. Emmanuel Okharedia (Tim Hardaway) was a head-scratcher at 17. E-Man is a heck of a player, so don’t get it twisted, but I feel like DTO would have been a better fit with the players he previously drafted.
While Emmanual isn’t your traditional point guard, he’s a terrific defender that got better as the season went on. If nothing else, he and Steve will have a ton of chemistry as they played together last session.
Strengths:
- Balance – This team has a good combination of size and guard play. Steve, Rob, and Kevin are all capable of guarding bigger opponents. While Emmanuel and Cameron will be a fantastic defensive duo at the guard spot.
- Shooting – Devin, Chris, Cameron, and Rob are all capable scorers. With Kevin in attendance, I don’t think they will have any issues generating offense.
Weaknesses:
- Attendance – Kevin has a track record of missing a couple of games per session. Without Kevin in the lineup, this team is mediocre at best.
Draft Grades
- 5 – Kevin Devine A+ – In my opinion, Kevin was a top 3 player in this draft, so to get him at 5 was an absolute steal.
- 8 – Rob Wood A – Rob Wood and Kevin Devine are going to be an absolute nightmare in the pick-roll. Rob was a monster last session, despite his team’s struggles, and is primed to be an All-star this session.
- 17 – Emmanuel Okharedia B – As indicated above, I question how Emmanuel fits on this team. He’s at his best with the ball in his hands. Nevertheless, I know E-Man is a hooper and he will leave it all on the floor.
- 20 – Cameron Daniel – Cameron is so underrated, I need him on my team next session. I can’t believe he fell to 20!
- 29 – Chris Stull A – Potent three-point shooter that will make you pay if you leave him open. Fantastic floor spacer at 29.
4. Ruff
The are a lot of variables I considered when rankings Ruff’s team. Ruff’s return to CAC basketball after a 3-year hiatus was not as productive as his previous seasons and he really struggled to find his shooting stroke.
Their success will rely on how effective Ruff and Charles can be on the offensive end. This team has the makeup and depth to be one, if not the best team in this league if Ruff and Charles can be consistent threats offensively.
Strengths:
- Depth – This team has plenty of depth 1 – 6. Everyone on this team can hoop and understands how to play effective team basketball.
- Size – Jorge and Dylan give team Ruff two dynamic bigs and strong rebounders. Both of these guys can score and impact the game on the offensive end in all three phases.
- DTO – David is coming off one of his best statistical CAC seasons and is going to be a highly productive player for them.
Weaknesses:
- Scoring – This team has no shortage of depth and talent, but I don’t see a go-to scorer. Charles may fill that role, but offensively I can see this team struggling.
Draft Grades
- 6 – Jorge Morel A – Best player available without a doubt. Jorge is a defensive nightmare, he has steadily improved offensively every season. In the last session, Jorge was drafted 17, so his improved draft slot is direct evidence of those improvements.
- 7 – Dylan Costa A – Dylan was more than worthy of a first-round pick. Coming off an All-star season, I think he will mesh well with Ruff and his assortment of guards.
- 18 – Charles Maneval A – I am not familiar with Charles, but he averaged 21.6 back in 2020. Getting a guy capable of averaging 20+ in the 3rd round
- 19 – DTO A – David always goes ridiculously low in the draft and I have no idea why. All this dude does is win and work his ass off.
- 30- Tommy Ng A – Tommy was not the worst player in the draft. His three-point shooting and hardnose defense will set the tone for this team. Tommy is another guy who continues to improve every season and was pretty impactful last season.
3. SLICK WHEN WET
My tenure with Slick When Wet lasted a whole 10 minutes until Slick “Erik” traded me for Shawn Wise. Once I am healthy, Slick is going to regret this decision. The last time I saw Shawn, I lit his ass up at LA Fitness, but I digress.
Led by the last session MVP Adwaith Nair this team will be one of the top teams in the league. This team features 3 All-Stars (Alan, Shawn, and Adwaith) and a fantastic supporting cast (Andre, Patrick, and Slick).
Strengths:
- 3 Point Shooting – Adwaith, Alan, Slick, and Patrick are all very capable shooters. I wouldn’t be surprised if they averaged a minimum of 30 3-point attempts per game and shoot 35% on average.
- Adwaith Nair – There are only 3 dudes in the league that can cover this dude one-on-one (Kevin Devine, Jamal, and maybe Lucas). Offensively, this dude definitely has the Mamba mentality and will score effortlessly.
Weaknesses:
- Size – Shawn is the only real big on this team and I can certainly see them struggling against bigger teams when he’s out of the game. Adwaith can definitely assist here, but it may create potential matchup challenges.
- Attendance – Adwaith will miss games, so who steps offensively when he’s unavailable? Aside from Alan, I don’t see any other shot creators on this team. Might be an issue, might not.
Draft Grades
- 2 – Adwaith Nair A+ – Top returning player in the SDL. His play last session motivated Jamal to join, but he’s my MVP until someone proves otherwise.
- 12 – Shawn Wise B+ – if I was 6” taller, I’d argue I was the better fit, but Slick’s decision to trade for Shawn was a no-brainer with the lack of size available at 12.
- 14 – Alan Orellana A – They needed a point guard and Alan was clearly the best available player. This league wouldn’t have been the same without him, so with that said, our rivalry will continue.
- 23 – Patrick Blaikie A – Patrick is an excellent shooter and will fit excellently along this cast of characters.
- 24 – Andre Jones A+ – Dre is always one of the most productive and underrated players. His Marcus Smart-like style will definitely put him in the running for defensive player of the year.
2. Rip Hamilton
Kevin lucked out in the draft lottery and earned the opportunity to draft first, there was no doubt in my mind he was taking Jamal Brown first. Admittedly, I am going to miss him officiating my games, but I won’t miss denying his constant requests to play.
Jamal undoubtedly will be almost impossible to stop and Kevin did an excellent job surrounding him with impact players. I think Ian Murphy was a draft steal, I’d argue he’s a top 3 big man in this league.
After a somewhat forced trade, our team looks extremely different than draft night, but I truly believe we will be one of the top teams in the league when it’s all said and done.
Strengths:
- Scoring – Barring any unforeseen attendance issues, Jamal, Ian, Kevin, and I have the potential to be a fantastic offensive quartet. We are all capable of scoring at all three phases, which will keep the defense honest.
- Familiarity – Chemistry shouldn’t be an issue, as we’ve all played together at some point with the exception of Ian Murphy. I think we’re going to have a lot of fun if nothing else.
Weaknesses:
- Guard play – The only true guards/ball-handlers on this team is Jamal in myself. This could be a potential challenge in the event we encounter attendance issues. Fully staffed, I don’t see this being an issue.
- Defense – I could see us struggling against a guard-dominant lineup. I also don’t think I have ever seen Jamal play defense, so this is something to keep an eye on.
Draft Grades
- 1 – Jamal Brown A+ – Offensively this dude is unguardable.
- 11 – Jamil Ball B+ – I still think I was drafted too high. I am a 3rd round player, please keep this in mind for future drafts. I am actually kind of disgruntled about this at the moment.
- 13 – Ian Murphy A – Again, I’d argue Ian is one of the top bigs in the draft. The fact he fell to the 3rd round was an unexpected turn of events.
- 27 – Christian Balcerzak N/A – Christian was acquired via a trade, but he’s a very welcomed addition. Christian will be solid on both ends of the court and is a very capable shooter.
- 28 – Evan O’Neil N/A – Evan, one of the best teammates ever, was acquired via a trade and is a defensive menace. During our last season together, the White Mamba himself led us to an SDL championship. We have not received our championship gear yet, but I am sure Tibbs is somewhere working on it.
1. LEBOV
This ranking is dependent on the performance of rookies Lucas Guliano and Noah Landy. Harry took a calculated gamble and I am pretty confident it’s going to pay off. This team has an embarrassment of riches at the guard spot and a fantastic big Djordje Vlajkovic. This team is primed to be one of the top teams in the league.
Strengths:
- Scoring – I don’t think this team will have any issue generating offense. 1 – 6, they are all very capable scorers.
- Defense – Despite the lack of size, I don’t think they will lack toughness.
Weaknesses:
- Size – Aside from Djordje this team has absolutely no size at all. I imagine Lucas can probably assist here, but I think guarding the likes of Jamal, Shawn Wise Ian Murphy, and Jorge Morel can get ugly.
Draft Grades
- 3 – Lucas Guliano B+ – I love the pick, but with Kevin Devine still available this has the potential to come back and haunt Harrison.
- 10 – Djordje Vlajkovic A – I had Djordje in my top 6, so getting him at 10 was an absolute steal. He has aspirations of averaging 20/20 this season, but I do not see that happening.
- 15 – Adam Ellabidy A – Average 13 points In his lone CAC season. Will be a solid addition to an already potent lineup.
- 22 – Noah Landy A – Drafting a Tyrese Maxey kind of player in 4th round is always a solid addition. Hopefully, this kid can play!
- 25 – Andrew Marra N/A – Definitely wanted him on my team, but I’ll live. Andre is a solid all-around player and will contribute on both ends of the court. He gives this team fantastic depth.