G League Power Rankings: Regular Season Week 3

With regular season action now very much in full swing, it’s time to bring back a fresh round of G League Power Rankings.

The first few weeks of games have provided some pretty intriguing storylines. The Stockton Kings, after winning nine of their first ten games, have been the class of the G so far. Teams like Cleveland, Long Island and Memphis are not too far behind, while Capital City, Maine and Mexico City have also come out strong out of the gate.   

Check out where everything currently stands.

1. Stockton Kings

Record: 9-1

It’s been just about as perfect a start for Stockton as they could have possibly hoped for. They have the most wins in the G, have top-five rankings in both offensive and defensive rating, boast the third-best net rating, and - most importantly - they own the top spot in the Western Conference. It’s been a collective effort on the offensive end, as eight Kings are currently averaging 10 or more points per game, led by big man Neemias Queta (18.2 PTS, 7.8 REB, 2.2 BLK, 1.3 STL). One of the more pleasant surprises of the regular season, they look every bit of a contender early on.

2. Cleveland Charge

Record: 6-1

A six-game winning streak now has the Charge, the last remaining one-loss team in the East, in possession of the conference’s top spot. Defense has been the main storyline over this recent stretch of games, as they’ve ranked second in defensive rating (102.2), grabbed the second most rebounds per game (49.8), and held their opponents to just a 43.7% field goal percentage in that span. The dynamic duo of Sharife Cooper (26.7 PTS, 5.8 AST, 5.3 REB) and Isaiah Mobley (23.6 PTS, 10.2 REB, 4.6 AST) continues to get the job done for this squad as they’ll look to maintain their position in the conference standings.

3. Long Island Nets

Record: 8-3

Some absolutely top-notch defense has propelled Long Island to eight early victories. They’re owners of both the best defensive rating (98.5) and net rating (+10.1) in the league while also grabbing more rebounds per game (50.4) than any other team in the G. Former NBA champion Chris Chiozza leads the league in total steals (23) while big man Day’Ron Sharpe is seventh in blocks per game (2.0). On the offensive end, they continue to be paced by the likes of David Duke Jr. (21.6 PTS, 6.6 REB, 4.4 AST), Kessler Edwards (16.7 PTS, 7.4 REB) and Jordan Bowden (15.6 PTS, 3.6 REB). There's plenty to like about this collective eleven games into the regular season.

4. Memphis Hustle

Record: 7-1

Anyone that follows the G would be hard-pressed to find a more pleasant watch than the Hustle’s Kenneth Lofton Jr. He’s one of just two eligible players, along with Cleveland’s Isaiah Mobley, currently averaging at least 18 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists per game in what has been a very, very good rookie campaign. Along with the sharp-shooting Dakota Mathias (18.9 PTS, 44.6% 3PT) and versatile Jake LaRavia (17.0 PTS, 4.4 REB, 37.0% 3PT), they’ve led the way for a Memphis team that had been the last remaining undefeated team in the G. 

5. Capital City Go-Go

Record: 7-2

Thanks to a defense that’s ranked third in defensive rating, Capital City has gotten off to a very strong start. Big man Vernon Carey Jr. (21.4 PTS, 7.9 REB, 3.3 AST) is still the engine powering this collective, while NBA vet Kris Dunn (15.4 PTS, 4.8 AST, 4.7 REB, 1.8 STL) has continued to provide meaningful two-way contributions. That’s also not to mention the ever-enjoyable Craig Sword, who despite standing at just 6’3, leads the team in blocks per game (1.3) while also recording nearly two steals per contest.

6. Maine Celtics

Record: 7-2

Arguably the most high-powered offense in the G can be found in Maine. This collective has the best offensive rating in the league (121.0), scores the most points per game (125.0), and also has top-three rankings in made threes per game, three-point field goal percentage, rebounds per game, net rating, effective field goal percentage, and true shooting percentage. They have a dominant frontcourt in Luka Samanic (23.9 PTS, 8.6 REB) and Mfiondu Kabengele (21.3 PTS, 10.6 REB) as well as excellent guard play in Denzel Valentine (14.7 PTS, 9.0 REB, 6.8 AST), Marial Shayok (19.0 PTS, 3.9 AST, 3.8 REB) and Kamar Baldwin (13.4 PTS, 5.8 AST). Look out for these Celtics.     

7. Mexico City Capitanes

Record: 7-2

Mexico City’s plethora of former NBA vets have been the key to their early-season success so far. Their most recent addition, Kenneth Faried, has already made an immediate impact since joining the team. He’s posting 14.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game, which included a stretch of six-straight double-doubles to open regular season action. Adding him to an already-productive big three of Mason Jones (26.1 PTS, 5.1 AST, 4.4 REB), Gary Clark (20.1 PTS, 9.6 REB) and Shabazz Napier (19.8 PTS, 5.0 AST, 1.8 STL) has been massive for this team’s strong start.

8. Delaware Blue Coats

Record: 6-3

Delaware has seriously started to find its groove of late. They handed Maine their only two losses of the season to this point, dropping 149 points in the first matchup. They then followed that up by logging 153 points, the most by any team all season, against Wisconsin. They’re now scoring the third-most points per game in the league (122.2) and have the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio (1.92). Mac McClung (19.0 PTS, 5.0 AST, 48.6% 3PT) continues to have a strong first season as a Blue Coat while newest addition Louis King (15.3 PTS, 5.3 AST, 4.8 REB) has provided notable contributions as well. 

9. Ontario Clippers

Record: 6-4

The Showcase Cup champions have begun to find their footing thanks to some awesome play from their backcourt. Xavier Moon (20.1 PTS, 4.8 REB, 4.6 AST, 1.7 STL) and Nate Darling (18.0 PTS, 3.5 REB, 39.4% 3PT) have put on some massive performances for this Clippers team, both having had career scoring nights to open the regular season. A couple of high-scoring games from Brandon Boston Jr., including his 43-point effort on Jan. 11, and the typical double-double production from Moussa Diabate (15.8 PTS, 12.0 REB) has Ontario in a pretty good spot.

10. South Bay Lakers

Record: 5-3

Scotty Pippen Jr. has continued to put together an impressive first season with South Bay. He’s followed up his strong Winter Showcase with even more dynamic play to open up the regular season, logging 23 points, over 6 assists and 4 rebounds per contest. Alongside Jay Huff, who has put up otherworldly block numbers so far with a league-high 4.5 per game, steals ace Shaq Harrison, as well as guys like L.J. Figueroa (15.0 PTS, 4.9 REB) and Devin Cannady (14.8 PTS, 39.7% 3PT), South Bay has more than enough pieces to make some noise.