BURLINGTON: Week 2 Power Rankings

By David Jordan | Burlington Media Associate

Either Dream Team captain Wacking Nicolas knew team chemistry would be an issue moving forward, or he just hit the panic button. Either way the first blockbuster trade of the season was made. It only took one game, as Chris “Breezy” Brown was traded to The Rox for the sharp shooter Isaac Remy last Friday. Both the Dream Team and The Rox had ugly losses last Tuesday in the season opener. One would think it would take a couple weeks to get chemistry, but I guess when you know, you know! Let’s check out this week’s power rankings.

1. Fire

Fire lived up to their name last Tuesday, as they used a strong second half to overcome the Rox. The combo of Marc Pierre-Louis (21 points, 10 rebounds), Marco Banegas-Flores (24 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists) and Calvin Pinney (11 points, 8 rebounds) was exactly what we thought it would be. As a team, Fire finished shooting 58 percent from beyond the arc. We know this team has potential to be full of knock down shooters. Let’s see if they can sustain it all season long.

2. Legendary

Zach Fahey (47 points , 20 rebounds) had what we like to call a “Legendary” game. The Zach attack was in full force, and $hmoney had virtually no answer for him. The big question is whether or not Legendary’s current style of play will be sustainable. Zach Fahey took 36 shots in the game, and will need help from guys like Aaron Benitez (12 points, 8 rebounds) and Harry Singer (10 points, 7 rebounds) to remain effective.

3. Reformation

Last week we asked if Reformation would figure it out early enough to be competitive. Well, Reformation operated like a well-oiled machine last Tuesday. Led by UH newcomer Mesay Merseth (30 points, 7 rebounds), and Chris Fissore (18 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists). Reformation jumped out to an early first half lead on Dream Team and never looked back. With team chemistry being no issue, Reformation was able to make a statement early to UH Burlington with a 20-point win.

4. $hmoney

$money has a lot to look forward to this season, and can’t hang their heads after last week’s loss. $hmoney battled back from a 10-point first half deficit only to lose by two points in the end. They seemed to look a bit lost early on, but Stephon Prescod (31 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists) and Tomas Morales (25 points, 14 rebounds) started to find their groove in the second half. If their second half is a sign of what the team can produce regularly, $hmoney is going to be scary.

5. Dream Team

Dream Team had a rough outing in its first game together. Team captain Wacking Nicolas (8 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists) nearly triple-doubled, but it would have been all for not. As previously noted, Chris Brown was traded away later in the week for Isaac Remy. The team gets a boost shooting wise, but the trade of Chris Breezy will turn the Dream Team into a team that will lack in size. They will try to shoot their way out of things, but this could be something to look for down the road.

6. The Rox

The Rox held it together in the first half of last Tuesday’s matchup, but Fire was too hot to contain in the second half. Isaac Remy (22 points, 4 steals) kept the Rox in the game as he went 5-11 from deep. I guess that wasn’t enough, as he was traded away to The Dream Team last Friday for Chris Brown. The feeling around the league is that they know the Rox are talented, but they need to find their chemistry. Until then, Thomas Ugbesia (12 points, 7 rebounds) will have to be more aggressive.

Predictions

7 p.m. - Legendary vs Dream Team | Legendary by 6

7 p.m. - $hmoney vs Fire | $hmoney by 5

8 p.m. - The Rox vs Reformation | Reformation by 5