Here’s where things stand with three weeks left to go in the regular season:
TIER 1: SITTING ON TOP
Power (4-1):
The biggest change with Power this season has to be how much more comfortable Royce White is scoring off the dribble – he can get to the rim basically whenever he wants with his combination of strength and ballhandling, and has nice touch at the basket with both hands. Power loves to pass the ball, but their ability to score when the ball isn’t moving makes them just that much more dangerous.
Triplets (4-1):
Their only loss came in Week 1, when Joe Johnson and Jeremy Pargo combined to shoot 14-43 from the field. With the way both players have been playing since, the chances of both of them having simultaneous off nights again seem slim.
TIER 2: IN THE HUNT
Ball Hogs (3-2):
Some huge shot-making from DaJuan Summers and great hustle plays from Jodie Meeks may have saved the Ball Hogs’ season – it was definitely good to see that the team can win when Meeks and Barbosa aren’t cooking from the outside.
Ghost Ballers (3-2):
Bit of a setback against Power in Week 5, but the combination of the speedy Mike Taylor and their cadre of bigs makes them extremely dangerous. If they could figure out a way for their bigs to consistently be assertive on offense, that could be the final piece of the puzzle.
Enemies (3-2):
The Enemies look as strong as any team in the league right now, in no small part because it’s literally impossible to keep Jordan Crawford from getting his shot off. Having your leading scorer get the vast majority of his points on long jumpers off the dribble and impossible fadeaways isn’t exactly textbook offense, but it sure does work for Crawford, who’s continuing to shoot the lights out. Crawford made more plays for Elijah Stewart last week than he had in the first week of the season, and that duo could be something special if they continue to play off of each other.
Trilogy (3-2):
Another huge game from Hezi God in Week 5 kept Trilogy’s three-peat hopes alive even though Isaiah Briscoe wasn’t available. Will lineups that include both Hezi God and Briscoe be good enough defensively for Trilogy to lean on during key stretches? If they are, it’s hard to imagine any defense consistently getting stops with those two sharing the floor.
Killer 3’s:
The Enemies may have revealed a major weakness in the Killer 3s’ offense; when they played off of Frank Nitty and dared him to shoot, the offense ground to a halt. The Killer 3’s are going to have to find ways to beat that defense, because it seems likely they’ll continue to see it.
TIER 3: NEED TO MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN
3’s Company (2-3):
When Mario Chalmers is assertive offensively, there’s a lot to like about this team. Chalmers has an incredible handle, can keep the floor stretched, and is a willing passer. The latter is especially important, because when Michael Beasley gets himself going with a few easy shots off of assists early, he becomes that much more dangerous from everywhere else.
Bivouac (2-3):
We saw how Gerald Green can build on his makes in Week 5 when he hit two step-back jumpers in a row, then faked the step-back and went all the way to the rim for an easy layup as his man jumped out on the shot. Most players use the threat of the drive to create space for their outside shot – Green is more comfortable using the threat of the shot to set up his drive. The only issue is that it’s a lot tougher to get that first long jumper to fall than that first layup, and Green and the Bivouac offense tend to struggle when he can’t get those long jumpers to fall early.
Tri State (2-3):
In Week 2, Tri State handed Power a 52-32 loss. That was Power’s only loss of the year so far, and Tri State hasn’t won since. Anything can happen in the BIG3.
TIER 4: DESPERATION MODE
3 Headed Monsters (1-4):
The ultra-athletic Brandon Moss doesn’t even need an outside shot to become a superstar in the league – he just needs to be more patient inside and not miss little chippies around the rim. It’ll be fascinating to watch him down the stretch, because he can definitely do some incredible things.
Aliens (0-5):
Janis Timma will not appear in another BIG3 game this season, as he’s going back overseas to prepare for the World Cup. Timma has taken more shots than any other Aliens player, so we’ll see what the team’s offense will look like in his absence.