Gale Force Dominates to Hold onto the Top Spot
GARDEN CITY: Week 4 Power Rankings
By Anthony Leo | Garden City Co-League Coordinator
1. Gale Force (3-0)
Gale Force remains at the top as the only remaining undefeated team. Last week was a test for them to prove they are the real deal even without Richie Byrd and they came out on fire. They defeated Lessons 4 Kids with Byrd watching from the sidelines and every starter scored in double digits. Mark Thomas found his shot last week knocking down seven 3s and scored a season-high 27 points. If Thomas can stay hot and knock down 3s at a high rate this team will be well on its way to a top seed. Gale Force is so deep top to bottom and has the size to compete with anyone in the league. They rank first in points per game and points allowed and if they keep up this pace they will be the best team in the league all season.
2. Shore Shack (2-1)
Shore Shack last week got their dynamic duo back on the court together and they extended their undefeated run. Chris Frey and Chris Pisciotta remain undefeated when they are both on the court together. Nobody has been able to solve this duo going all the way back to last season. Now this season the addition of Matt Gelsomino and Dylan Harlem has made Shore Shack one of the best teams in the league. Gelsomino is getting more open 3s than ever before and leaving a shooter as good as him open is a recipe for disaster. Gelsomino has been on fire knocking down 55 percent from deep and averaging 17 points per game. All the way around Shore Shack has the talent to matchup with anyone.
3. Shake N Bake (2-1)
Shake N Bake is on a two-game winning streak after losing their first game of the season to Winter’s Here. Shake N Bake has been winning games this season because of their depth and ability to take teams off the dribble and get to the rim. In the past we are used to watching teams led by Donte Howell be carried by Howell averaging 30-plus points. This season Howell has help from guys like Steve Gurin and Kareem Daniel who have been able to take the pressure off of Donte. Brandon Perez also has fit into his role as a defender and rebounder who does the dirty work for this team and is a winning player that everyone wants to play with. Shake N Bake is going to be a dangerous team all season long and Howell can flip the switch whenever he needs to.
4. Big Ballers (1-2)
The Big Ballers got a big win last week over Jeurys Familia in a game that not many had them winning. Calvin Brown took over the game scoring 32 points and Marc Jean added another 20 points to help lead the Big Ballers. The Big Ballers have been one of the best defensive teams this season ranking second in the league in points allowed. They have a lot of length and can get in passing lanes. Marc Jean also leads the league in steals at 3 per game. If they can continue to rebound the ball well and play strong defense against some of the best players in the league they will be right there competing with the best. Big Ballers is a scrappy team that isn’t afraid of a challenge and their next few games will put them to the test.
5. Jeurys Familia (1-2)
Jeurys Familia is one of the surprise teams to be sitting at 1-2 after three games. They have had big leads in both of their losses and let the games get away from them. They are still working on gelling together as a team and finding shots for everyone. Mike Mastro and Steven Medard have been playing better as a pair each week, but the real difference maker for this team has been Jordan Oringer. Without Oringer the floor isn’t spread out because of his ability to knock down a 3 better than anyone. Oringer is averaging 17 points per game on 50 percent shooting from deep. Teams led by Mastro and Oringer always find a way and I don’t expect that to change anytime soon. Jeurys Familia will be their when it counts the most and they will improve in the second half of the season.
6. Winter’s Here (1-2)
Winter’s Here looked like the best team in the league after Week 1, but since than they have taken a major dip in the rankings and on the court. They have lost back to back games to Jeurys Familia and Shore Shack now and will take on the Big Ballers next which won’t be an easy game. Winter’s Here is one of the league’s most athletic teams that can get up and down the floor, but they haven’t been able to rebound the ball well enough to start the fast break. They rank seventh in the league in rebounds per game because they don’t have a lot of size. Brandon Wilson has been their point guard and big man at times. Winter’s Here needs to rebound better and move the ball better as team. Ranking dead last in assists per game is not a recipe for success.
7. Ref Elites (1-2)
Ref Elites got a big Week 1 win over Jeurys Familia but since then they have struggled to get anything going in the right direction. When you look at their team stats they rank last in points per game and points allowed with an eleven-point difference. Anytime you’re giving up 11 more points than your scoring on average you’re not going to win many games if any at all. However, Ref Elites dominates the glass and controls the pace of the game allowing them to keep games low scoring. They rank first in the league in rebounds as a team because of Matt Mehler and Desmond Frazier who clean up the glass better than any duo in the league. Mehler is like a magnet to the ball averaging 16 rebounds per game to go along with 22 points per game. He has been a double-double machine in every season he has played. In order for Ref Elites to improve as a team they need to find easier shots through Mehler.
8. 1-877-Lessons 4 Kids (0-3)
Lessons 4 Kids is having a hard time getting everyone on the same page. Team chemistry for this team right now is not going as planned and they need to get on the same page quickly if they want to get back on track. They had their first win in their hands in triple OT against Shore Shack until they fouled a 3-point shooter up three and ended up losing that game. Since then they went on to lose another game to Gale Force. The positives for this team have been Quaron Blount and Jake Rosenbloom who are doing all they can to create offense and keep Lessons 4 Kids in the game. Both can only do much on offense but the bigger issue has been team defense. They rank seventh in the league in points allowed and haven’t been able to get stops when they need them the most. This week they will take on Ref Elites with a chance to get on the board with their first win.
Predictions
Winter’s Here vs Big Ballers | Winter’s Here – Due for a bounce back game
Shore Shack vs Shake N Bake | Shore Shack – Can Frey and Pisciotta continue their dominance over Donte?
Gale Force vs Jeurys Familia | Gale Force – Undefeated vs Mastro and Oringer in need of a big win
Ref Elites vs Lessons 4 Kids | Ref Elites – Can Lessons 4 Kids get on the board with a win?