We are only one week in to this year’s rec basketball season and there has already been some high drama. All of these teams are very competitive and no team should be overlooked. For all of those wondering, Bob Rabaioli and Mike Greulich will switch off writing this article from week to week. Here is the rankings after one game:
1. Magic (1-0)- A win over the pre-season contender Heat makes the Magic this week’s top team overall. Led by the self-proclaimed “Big Three” consisting of Mark Demarais, Will Walker and Nick Ferguson, the Magic already look to be easily handling the competition. Although Walker—who, like Hoegler, quit the high school team to be in a more competitive league—is a big superstar on the team due to his sharpshooting; Tucker Fontana and Bobby Ross are no joke either. The “Big Three” will try to hang on to their top spot this weekend when they face the Wizards (0-1) and the Spurs (0-1).
2. 76ers (1-0)- With one of the more thrilling games of the weekend, the 76ers narrowly defeated the Lakers. The 76ers do not necessarily have a star player on their roster, which in their case might be to their advantage. Opposing teams will not know who to focus on while defending the 76ers, thus giving them a slight element of surprise in their games. Also, defensive gem Steve Phelan gives the 76ers an element of toughness on the defensive end of the floor. The lack of outstanding talent could be a problem in the future, especially this weekend when they go up against the Knicks (0-1) and Celtics (1-0), both of whom have the star power to knock the 76ers off of their current success.
3. Mavericks (1-0)- After defeating the Wizards, Colton Mitchell looks to already be top runner for MVP this year with his offensive and defensive prowess. Additionally, Jon Stanton and Tom Heffernan both can shoot the ball without any hesitation. To continue to see the wins coming, the Mavericks will need Mitchell to carry them to victory. This weekend they will face two tough matchups in the Spurs (0-1) and Sonics (1-0).
4. Nets (1-0)- After struggling through regulation, many Nets players came up clutch to overcome a late deficit for a double overtime win. Led by Colin Murray and Justin Ferre, the Nets prevailed against the Spurs in double OT with some clutch three’s in the end. Defensive specialist Anthony Esdale ended up playing stifling defense to help ensure the game would not go into a 3OT by blocking a late game tying three attempt. The Nets look to move up the rankings this weekend when they face Sonics (1-0) and the Rockets (1-0).
5. Rockets (1-0)- The Cardiac kids came up clutch this weekend when Charlie Dundon hit a game winning shot to defeat the Bulls. Coach James Donovan looks to control the emotional and sensitive Jon Rockwood, who may lead the league in technicals this season. Overall a good victory for a team who will need to continue winning or the overall motivation can go down the drain. The Rockets look for two big wins this weekend against the Nuggets (0-1) and Nets (1-0).
6. Sonics (1-0)- Head Coach Carl Plaut and the Sonics pulled out a very narrow win this weekend over the Nuggets. Led by Rocco Frattasio, Bergomi Francois and Jerry Louis, the Sonics look to be in prime position this year after consistent years of failure under Coach Plaut. There will be no excuse for future success this year after beating a very good Nuggets team. Success could come as soon as this weekend as they play the Nets (1-0) and Mavericks (1-0).
7. Celtics (1-0)– After a convincing blow-out win in which Drew Naismith scored 38 points over the league’s worst team, the Knicks, the Celtics will look to be even better. With offensive talent that can match anyone in the league, the arch will need to be guarded heavily at all times as the whole team prowls. The Celtics look to shake off early ‘pretender’ talk and seem to be deep enough to be ‘contenders’. They will try to continue to show they are contender this weekend against the Bulls (0-1) and 76ers (1-0).
8. Spurs (0-1)- Easily the most hated team in the league, the Spurs are off to a rocky start after a 2OT loss to the fourth ranked Nets. Coached by Joe Weinacht, the Spurs will need to stay out of foul trouble as their two best players, Pete Hoegler and CJ Weinacht, fouled out before overtime even started and depended on the likes of Bobby Rabaioli and Corey Cisternelli to carry them in overtime. The Spurs will look to overcome their first loss of the season this weekend with senior guard Jack Stedman coming back against the Mavericks (1-0) and the Magic (1-0).
9. Wizards (0-1)- Losing to the Mavericks is no shame, but after being heavy favorites this pre-season to be title contenders the Wizards are stuck in between. With the lackluster effort they put in on the defensive end of the court they will quickly find themselves fighting the Knicks as the title for the worst team. Aidan Moore will need to step up his game and put the Wizards on his back if they want to have any chance. It does not get any easier this weekend when they play Magic (1-0) and Lakers (0-1).
10. Nuggets (0-1)- Brendan Chaisson did not keep his promise when he vowed to beat the Plaut and the Sonics after getting snubbed by them in the draft. The Nuggets who lost a close game down the stretch need to figure things out quick or they will be at the bottom of the power rankings for the rest of the season. Big Mike Greulich and company will be looking for some inspiration to hit them after losing to their rivals. They face off against the Rockets (1-0) and Bulls (0-1) this weekend
11. Lakers (0-1)- Losing an OT game can bring the best and worst out in a team that will be looking for answers as to who will be their main scorer. So far it looks as if Matt Brownsword and Joey Daaboul will be draining threes, but everyone else will need to step up their game in order to get anywhere this season. The Lakers loss to the 76ers can change the team for good as they will need someone to become a leader. Their leader could be found this weekend when they play the Heat (0-1) and the Wizards (0-1); both who will be scrapping for their first win of the season as well.
12. Heat (0-1)- The Heat are easily the most disappointing team so far in this young season. After getting handled by the top ranked Magic, the Heat will need to see superstar Jack Lavanchy step up his game even more. Also, Harry Berkland who has great vision on the offensive side of the court will need to help if the Heat have any intentions of keeping their title of ‘contender’. The Heat look to turn up their play this week against the Lakers (0-1) and Knicks (0-1).
13. Bulls (0-1)- James Smith seems to be the only talented player on the roster after his brother, sophomore Joe Smith, quit to play JV basketball. After losing to the Rockets on a buzzer beater, coach James Gaughan said that the Bulls will need to step up their game. Look for Kyle Gaughan to step for his dad and dig his team out of a hole that seems pretty deep already. The Bulls will face the Celtics (1-0) and the Nuggets (0-1); both of whom can leave the Bulls in a 0-3 hole to start the season.
14. Knicks (0-1)- Lastly we have the Knicks, who were defeated by the Celtics by 30 plus points last weekend. Coached by Martin Tori, the Knicks have some talent in Chris Bender and Timmy McNamara, but will need to find motivation to be successful. Once the team was down big to the Celtics, they gave up and just let them take any shot they wanted to. With more motivation and fortitude, the Knicks can dig themselves out of this hole. Hopefully they are more motivated this weekend when they play the 76ers (1-0) and the Heat (0-1).
