Official Trader of ABCA
Swoosh's Preseason Power Rankings
Apr 30, 2013 18:15:54 GMT -6
London, DuncanFan, and 2 more like this
Post by Berlin on Apr 30, 2013 18:15:54 GMT -6
Berlin, Germany - With the creation draft behind us and many trades yet to be made, it is time to take a look at the state of the league and see where teams are currently situated. Without further ado, here is where I believe each team ranks as we head into the preseason:
1. Chicago Bulls – Contrary to popular belief, the Bulls are the class of the league at the moment (on paper anyway). With the best frontcourt duo in Bones McKinney and Neil Johnston, tons of scoring from Chuck Noble and Al Cervi, plus more quality on their bench than half the teams in the league have in their starting lineup, it is the Bulls, not the Huskies, that are currently the frontrunner to take home the league’s first title.
2. Toronto Huskies – Wilt Chamberlain combines with Bailey Howell to make one of the more devastating duos in the league. Throw in defensive talents like Sandro Riminucci and Bernardo Leite, and the Huskies are the total package to be feared.
3. Tehran Mahram – The big trader of the creation draft will be dealing with cap issues the next couple years, but it pays off with one of the deepest teams in the league. While Kurland and ADM jump off the page at you, this team looks 10 guys deep easy, something that few other teams in the league can claim.
4. Tokyo Samurai – George Mikan on his own could take any team to the playoffs. Luckily, he doesn’t have to do it alone, as he is surrounded with some serviceable help in Harry Gallatin, Pawel Stok and others.
5. Beijing Aoshen – If you are looking for the team that will set the first season record for 3 point shots taken and made, look no further than Beijing. This team will put up points in bundles, and could scare some better teams when they are hot. If they get cold though, their weakness on defense and the boards could come back to haunt them.
6. New York Knicks – Dolph Schayes looks like a star in the making, but it is the combination of rebounding and defense from other players on the team that make this an intriguing pick. Where the points are going to come from to keep the Knicks in games is another topic altogether…
7. London Towers – London is surprisingly talented for a team built for youth. If Hank Luisetti and Larry Costello can carry the bulk of the scoring load while the younger players develop, the Towers could exceed expectations this season.
8. Athens Panathinaikos – Athens has one of the best looking futures of any team in the league, but that doesn’t mean they can’t compete this year. With Arizin leading the way, this could be a sleeper pick.
9. Berlin ALBA – With solid rebounding and enough scoring in the backcourt to make waves, Berlin could make a run deep in the playoffs this year with some luck. Unfortunately, they will likely need a better center and to work on team defense if they want a shot at the title.
10. Tel Aviv Maccabi – One of the more talented teams in the Eurasian Conference, Tel Aviv has a stacked starting lineup and a nice 6th man in Huseyin Ozturk. If they can solidify the bench a bit, this could be one of the upper-tier teams in the league.
11. Cairo Zamalek – Solid team defense led by a young but impressive Bill Russell makes Cairo an interesting team to look at right out of the gates.
12. Moscow CSKA – Volnov might be the interesting name here, but it is the team’s depth that intrigues me. Moscow could be a sneaky pick down the road if they catch some breaks.
13. Lagos Islanders – It is clear this is Bob Pettit’s team, and that alone could put the Islanders in contention if someone else is able to step up as a #2. The question is who that #2 is going to be…
14. Madrid REAL – Madrid is stacked with talent in the backcourt both at the starting positions and off the bench, but their frontcourt weakness keeps them from reaching the next level.
15. Argentina Atenas de Cordoba – There is talent to be found here, with most of the players on the team still young in their respective careers. With Dukes and Twyman leading the way, Cordoba should be making a name for itself for years to come.
16. Sydney Kings – The combination of Ray Felix and Connie Simmons added to a nice backcourt should easily put the Kings into the playoffs. Sydney will have to count on their starters to make up for a general lack of depth on the team.
17. Boston Celtics – The Celtics have one of the best looking teams headed into the future. With that being said, unless a couple shooters step up in a big way, that future is at least a year off.
18. San Antonio Spurs – Bob Cousy should carry the team to the playoffs on his own, but you have to wonder who else on the roster will scare opposing defenses at all.
19. Philadelphia 76ers – One of the oldest teams in the league, the 76ers are led by a super-talented backcourt in Guerin and Holman. It will be interesting to see if they can overcome their defensive shortcomings.
20. Seattle Sonics – The league run Sonics have a surprisingly solid squad led by Fulks and Alachachian. If Seattle can get a decent GM and a decent big man, who knows what the future could bring for this team…
21. Mexico City Titans – Mexico City has a decent amount of scoring, but a lack of rebounding and defense outside of Stokes makes the playoffs unlikely, especially in the superior Americas.
22. Los Angeles Lakers – The Lakers have a nice foundation to work with in Spivey and Selvy. While the team is at least a couple years off from being contenders, they should still be able to make a run at the playoffs with the older players they have surrounding their stars.
23. Washington Bullets – Washington looks like they will need a year or two before they will scare opposing defenses. Given time, Lovellette and Nikolic should be stars in the league, but it is unlikely their time is now.
24. Milano Olympia – With an overall dearth of talent, Milano just has to hope that their scouts are wrong, because the season could get real ugly real quick if Jones and McCauley don’t hit for them.
25. Atlanta Hawks – After making a tragic trade that essentially crippled their team in the draft, the Hawks are hoping that Walt Bellamy can carry their team on his shoulders to make up for their not having any 2nd round pick. I’m not hopeful.
26. Brazil Franca BC – Vittori and Bobrovsky look like future stars, but Brasil will be a bottom feeder for the next couple years with their current strategy.
27. Limoges CSP – Another team that is clearly building for the future, GM Drew has a couple decent building blocks in Satch Sanders and Max Zaslofsky. That is more than can be said for…
28. Belgrade KK Partizan – With a GM betting their whole future on Korac and Pistelak, it looks like a rough year ahead for Belgrade.
29. Buenos Aires Boca Juniors BC – Alex Groza looks great and all, but he is all B.A. has right now. This team has no shot of competing any time soon.
30. Detroit Pistons – The worst team in the league, by far. There are a couple players here that would be serviceable on someone’s bench, but in Detroit they are called scoring options #1 and 2. If GM’s could be fired based on win-loss record, the Pistons would be hiring by the third sim.
1. Chicago Bulls – Contrary to popular belief, the Bulls are the class of the league at the moment (on paper anyway). With the best frontcourt duo in Bones McKinney and Neil Johnston, tons of scoring from Chuck Noble and Al Cervi, plus more quality on their bench than half the teams in the league have in their starting lineup, it is the Bulls, not the Huskies, that are currently the frontrunner to take home the league’s first title.
2. Toronto Huskies – Wilt Chamberlain combines with Bailey Howell to make one of the more devastating duos in the league. Throw in defensive talents like Sandro Riminucci and Bernardo Leite, and the Huskies are the total package to be feared.
3. Tehran Mahram – The big trader of the creation draft will be dealing with cap issues the next couple years, but it pays off with one of the deepest teams in the league. While Kurland and ADM jump off the page at you, this team looks 10 guys deep easy, something that few other teams in the league can claim.
4. Tokyo Samurai – George Mikan on his own could take any team to the playoffs. Luckily, he doesn’t have to do it alone, as he is surrounded with some serviceable help in Harry Gallatin, Pawel Stok and others.
5. Beijing Aoshen – If you are looking for the team that will set the first season record for 3 point shots taken and made, look no further than Beijing. This team will put up points in bundles, and could scare some better teams when they are hot. If they get cold though, their weakness on defense and the boards could come back to haunt them.
6. New York Knicks – Dolph Schayes looks like a star in the making, but it is the combination of rebounding and defense from other players on the team that make this an intriguing pick. Where the points are going to come from to keep the Knicks in games is another topic altogether…
7. London Towers – London is surprisingly talented for a team built for youth. If Hank Luisetti and Larry Costello can carry the bulk of the scoring load while the younger players develop, the Towers could exceed expectations this season.
8. Athens Panathinaikos – Athens has one of the best looking futures of any team in the league, but that doesn’t mean they can’t compete this year. With Arizin leading the way, this could be a sleeper pick.
9. Berlin ALBA – With solid rebounding and enough scoring in the backcourt to make waves, Berlin could make a run deep in the playoffs this year with some luck. Unfortunately, they will likely need a better center and to work on team defense if they want a shot at the title.
10. Tel Aviv Maccabi – One of the more talented teams in the Eurasian Conference, Tel Aviv has a stacked starting lineup and a nice 6th man in Huseyin Ozturk. If they can solidify the bench a bit, this could be one of the upper-tier teams in the league.
11. Cairo Zamalek – Solid team defense led by a young but impressive Bill Russell makes Cairo an interesting team to look at right out of the gates.
12. Moscow CSKA – Volnov might be the interesting name here, but it is the team’s depth that intrigues me. Moscow could be a sneaky pick down the road if they catch some breaks.
13. Lagos Islanders – It is clear this is Bob Pettit’s team, and that alone could put the Islanders in contention if someone else is able to step up as a #2. The question is who that #2 is going to be…
14. Madrid REAL – Madrid is stacked with talent in the backcourt both at the starting positions and off the bench, but their frontcourt weakness keeps them from reaching the next level.
15. Argentina Atenas de Cordoba – There is talent to be found here, with most of the players on the team still young in their respective careers. With Dukes and Twyman leading the way, Cordoba should be making a name for itself for years to come.
16. Sydney Kings – The combination of Ray Felix and Connie Simmons added to a nice backcourt should easily put the Kings into the playoffs. Sydney will have to count on their starters to make up for a general lack of depth on the team.
17. Boston Celtics – The Celtics have one of the best looking teams headed into the future. With that being said, unless a couple shooters step up in a big way, that future is at least a year off.
18. San Antonio Spurs – Bob Cousy should carry the team to the playoffs on his own, but you have to wonder who else on the roster will scare opposing defenses at all.
19. Philadelphia 76ers – One of the oldest teams in the league, the 76ers are led by a super-talented backcourt in Guerin and Holman. It will be interesting to see if they can overcome their defensive shortcomings.
20. Seattle Sonics – The league run Sonics have a surprisingly solid squad led by Fulks and Alachachian. If Seattle can get a decent GM and a decent big man, who knows what the future could bring for this team…
21. Mexico City Titans – Mexico City has a decent amount of scoring, but a lack of rebounding and defense outside of Stokes makes the playoffs unlikely, especially in the superior Americas.
22. Los Angeles Lakers – The Lakers have a nice foundation to work with in Spivey and Selvy. While the team is at least a couple years off from being contenders, they should still be able to make a run at the playoffs with the older players they have surrounding their stars.
23. Washington Bullets – Washington looks like they will need a year or two before they will scare opposing defenses. Given time, Lovellette and Nikolic should be stars in the league, but it is unlikely their time is now.
24. Milano Olympia – With an overall dearth of talent, Milano just has to hope that their scouts are wrong, because the season could get real ugly real quick if Jones and McCauley don’t hit for them.
25. Atlanta Hawks – After making a tragic trade that essentially crippled their team in the draft, the Hawks are hoping that Walt Bellamy can carry their team on his shoulders to make up for their not having any 2nd round pick. I’m not hopeful.
26. Brazil Franca BC – Vittori and Bobrovsky look like future stars, but Brasil will be a bottom feeder for the next couple years with their current strategy.
27. Limoges CSP – Another team that is clearly building for the future, GM Drew has a couple decent building blocks in Satch Sanders and Max Zaslofsky. That is more than can be said for…
28. Belgrade KK Partizan – With a GM betting their whole future on Korac and Pistelak, it looks like a rough year ahead for Belgrade.
29. Buenos Aires Boca Juniors BC – Alex Groza looks great and all, but he is all B.A. has right now. This team has no shot of competing any time soon.
30. Detroit Pistons – The worst team in the league, by far. There are a couple players here that would be serviceable on someone’s bench, but in Detroit they are called scoring options #1 and 2. If GM’s could be fired based on win-loss record, the Pistons would be hiring by the third sim.
