Heading into the final week just eight teams remain in playoff contention with two more teams eliminated this past week. Two playoff spots remain after Bivouac clinched their first playoff appearance in franchise history. As they say, only the strong will survive.
- Bivouac (6-1):
Is this the year of Bivouac? After some down years, Gary Payton has turned this squad around and has them in first place following their win over the defending champions. What started as a team grinding out wins through their hustle and heart, Bivouac has also shown they possess an electric offense alongside a stout defense. Corey Brewer and Garlon Green have become one of the most prolific duos in the league with Brewer playing like the potential MVP. And after knocking off the defending champs and ending their nine game win streak, Bivouac has put the target on their back as the top team in the BIG3.
- Enemies (6-1):
Despite taking their first loss of 2024, Enemies still look like a team that could repeat. Even after last week, they still lead the league in most points scored and have the highest points for/points against differential. Jordan Crawford showed shades of his 2023 self in Week 7 and proved how lethal he can be when he’s aggressive. If anything, Enemies lacked some hustle allowing Bivouac to get extra possessions on the offensive glass but let’s be real – these are the defending champions for a reason. Additionally, Elijah Stewart didn’t have his best offensive outing. One loss isn’t going to deter them from being a championship contender, they just played a team that has potential to be another finals contender. Expect a bounce back from this squad with first place still up for grabs.
- 3’s Company (5-2):
Maybe they were still wiping the rust off after getting a week off in Portland, but 3’s Company played catch-up most of the game against 3 Headed Monsters after a strong start early on. Michael Cooper didn’t play the bench at all in the second half and 3’s Company squandered their first attempt at securing their first playoff spot since 2018. Defensively, they weren’t their usual selves and offensively the only guy that wasn’t rusty was Michael Beasley – who dropped his second straight 30-ball. That being said, this is still a team to watch out for down the stretch being that they have one of the best scorers in the league and arguably the most complete roster. As long as Beasley gets some support from the rest of the team and they get back to their rotations that were working, this is a team that still has championship aspirations even after their second loss.
- Triplets (4-3):
Another week, another game without Joe Johnson. But even without the three-time MVP, Triplets’ smaller roster outrebounded and outshot Ball Hogs in a much needed win. That’s exactly what still makes the 2019 champions a threat. Jeremy Pargo has potential to win his own MVP with the way he’s been playing and the return of his brother Jannero makes this an even more dangerous team from behind the 3-point line. The fact that they’re winning without Johnson should worry the rest of the league. Because one thing is for certain, as long as they have Johnson this team always has a shot at being a playoff contender.
- Tri-State (4-3):
Tri-State had a chance to control their own destiny had they picked up the win in Cincinnati. Instead, they’ll need a win and maybe a little bit of help. After a promising win with a depleted roster last week, Tri-State struggled to find their shot from inside the arc. For Dr. J’s team, they’ve had no problems offensively all year after adding Kevin Murphy. Actually, they’ve shot 60 percent from the field over the last two weeks, including 55 percent from behind the arc. But the combination of turnovers last week (6) and the diminishing play of Jason Richardson may be their downfall. Richardson has scored just eight points since Week 4 and last week was wearing a knee brace indicating he may be fighting through an injury. What made this team so special was the combination of Murphy and Richardson but in order to advance to Nashville, they’ll need one of Henry Sims, Ray Nixon, or Amir Johnson to step up and aid Murphy’s offensive output.
- Ghost Ballers (4-3):
Since the roster changes, Ghost Ballers look like a completely different team. The additions of DeWayne Jackson and Stefhon Hannah have proven to be worthwhile and they are now 2-0 since their arrivals. Meanwhile, Chris Johnson has displayed why he may be the best big man in the league the past few weeks scoring 44 points over the last two weeks. After knocking off top-seeded Bivouac, George Gervin’s team made sure he was getting a homecoming in San Antonio with a 20-point victory over the now eliminated Aliens. Another promising sight is Mike Taylor might have found his rhythm back at the right time. He had his highest scoring game since Week 1 with 18 points and scored all of his points in the second half alone. Ghost Ballers snuck into the playoffs last season after a late surge and after winning back-to-back games, they look like a team that could make some noise once again.
- Trilogy (3-4):
Don’t call it a comeback just yet. Trilogy looked like one of the first teams to be eliminated this season a couple weeks ago, but now after their third straight win could they be in line to make history once again? No team has ever made the playoffs after an 0-4 start but Isaiah Briscoe has carried his squad back into playoff contention. Briscoe has averaged 27 points over the last two games and the Week 7 Player of the Week has some solid help from his guys on the defensive end with four of their five players sitting in the top-5 for blocks. They got hot a little too late but with all the championship experience they have, every team should be worried if they get matched up with the three-time champions in San Antonio.
- Ball Hogs (3-4):
Once looking like a team that could get over the playoff hump, Ball Hogs have struggled all season long with consistency. As head coach Rick Barry put it last week, they’ve yet to play a complete game all summer and have struggled with their 3-point shot. They’ve won just two of their last five games with both victories being against opponents that have a combined record of 1-11 on the year. To add insult to injury, Leandro Barbosa and Jodie Meeks have only had one game this year where both guys have scored 15 or more points in the same game. At this point, they don’t have a chance to make the playoffs but maybe they can put together a “complete” game in their final game of the year.