The Pelicans Need to Make Some Changes

PRINCETON: Week 5 Power Rankings

By Phil Jackson | Princeton League Coordinator

The Generals remain undefeated, while The Lakers pick up a much needed win to get them back on track. Week 4 Saw the Princeton Pelicans fall to the Life Time Lakers, and the Princeton Generals top The Fundamentals in a start to finish thriller. 

1. Princeton Generals (5-0) 

There still seems to be no loss in sight for the Generals who remain at No. 1 in the rankings after last week’s win against The Fundamentals. Mike Montella and company are undefeated halfway through their first season together. Top players Phil Jackson, Michael Montella, Eric Puchon, and Daniel Lawler certainly provide an action-packed offensive combo. The hustle of Kevin Gengler and Pharron Fields should be noted as a large reason the Pelicans are as successful as they are. 

This squad seems to be just getting started and may have yet to hit their full potential as a team. The team is third in the league in assists per game but ball movement has been their bread and butter so far. The Generals are set to play against the Life Time Lakers in Week 5. Who will be able to stop the Generals impressive win streak this season? 

2. Life Time Lakers (3-2) 

After falling to third in last week’s power rankings, the Life Time Lakers have reclaimed the No. 2 spot in the rankings after last week’s decisive win against the Princeton Pelicans. Team captain Kosty Yablon is leading his team in scoring and really has the squad banding together in the name of wins. The Lakers held the Pelicans to 21 percent from the field and just 39 total points scored in the entire game.

This team is back in the No. 2 spot, but attendance of some key players has been their biggest set back. The Lakers look to keep the momentum going and give the Generals their first loss of the season in Week 5. Will the Lakers keep the ball rolling with wins and take over the top spot in the rankings?  

3. The Fundamentals (1-4) 

The Fundamentals fell short of a win in last week’s matchup against the Princeton Generals which has them back in the No. 3 spot in the rankings. The game was close most of the way with The Fundamentals trailing by just 5 points at the half, but they were not able to make the stops necessary and foul trouble kept them out of reach of the win.

This team has picked up some much needed help this season since their first game, but team chemistry seems to be the biggest issue with pulling out wins down the stretch. The squad is in desperate need of a win to regain confidence and set themselves up for a better finish to the regular season. The team finds themselves up against the Princeton Pelicans in their next game and hopes to make it a decisive win. Will this team be able to turn their season around after a 1-4 start? 

4. Princeton Pelicans (1-4) 

The Princeton Pelicans saw a loss in their last game to the Life Time Lakers in a game that was never really close. The Pelicans are hoping to turn their season around but still struggle to find a No. 1 option for consistent scoring. This team, in my opinion, has the most potential to be higher in the rankings but just can't seem to get the gears moving in the right direction. The squad is last in almost every category in the league and will need to work harder to stop teams defensively to turn the tide.

Team captain Bryan Wilson stated that the team needs to start playing as a cohesive unit, which they were able to do in their win against The Fundamentals in Week 3. The Pelicans are faced with a tough task against The Fundamentals in Week 5. They were able to pull off the win last time the two teams met, and hope to rinse and repeat to get themselves out of the last in the rankings. Will the Pelicans be able to band together and pull of the impossible this season? 

See you on the court!