G League Power Rankings: Week 3

The third week of the season is just about in the books, which means it’s time for another round of fresh power rankings.

There’s been plenty of movement over the past couple of days. For one, the red-hot Ontario Clippers have taken over the top spot despite continued excellent play by last week’s top-rated Maine Celtics squad. On the other hand, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Texas Legends and South Bay Lakers are making their first appearances in the rankings following very strong showings this week. 

Check out how the top ten currently stacks up.

1. Ontario Clippers

Record: 8-1 (2-0 this week)
Previous ranking: 2

There is seemingly no stopping the Clippers at the moment. They extended their winning streak to eight games, the longest of any team so far this year, after sweeping their back-to-back against Ignite. Over the course of this dominant stretch of play, they have the league’s second-best net rating (+10.1) and have allowed a league-low 103.3 points per game while big man Moussa Diabate (20.1 PTS, 10.7 REB) has averaged a double-double.

2. Maine Celtics

Record: 6-1 (1-1 this week)
Previous ranking: 1

Maine’s reign as the league’s lone undefeated team was ended at the hands of Capital City this past week. They responded by simply torching Delaware by 49 points their next time out. While the offense was the main headline-grabber in that 149-100 victory, it’s the defense that’s gotten the Celtics to this point. They now boast the best defensive rating (101.2) and grab the most rebounds per game (55.1) in the league while also ranking in the top-five in blocks per game.

3. Capital City Go-Go

Record: 6-2 (2-0 this week)
Previous ranking: 5

Paced by seven players posting at least ten points per outing, Capital City continues to string together solid wins as they’ve been steadily climbing up the standings. Former NBA first-rounder Kris Dunn has played some excellent two-way ball, as he is one of only two eligible players averaging at least 13.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, five assists and 1.9 steals per game. 

4. Windy City Bulls

Record: 5-2 (1-1 this week)
Previous ranking: 6

Windy City now finds itself at the top of its division thanks to a top-notch defense. Ranked third in defensive rating, opponents are shooting just 41.6% from the field against the Bulls, the second-lowest mark in the entire league. Meanwhile, on offense, leading-scorer Carlik Jones (18.7 PTS, 7.9 AST, 6.3 REB) has proven to be a massive acquisition for this team.

5. Fort Wayne Mad Ants

Record: 4-2 (2-0 this week)
Previous ranking: N/R

A pair of absolutely dominant victories over Cleveland has the Mad Ants starting to find their groove in the third week of the season. The young season’s first Player of the Week honoree and second-leading scorer Gabe York (29 PTS, 4.5 REB, 4.8 AST, 3 STL) has led the way for the highest-scoring and second-highest-rated offense in the league so far. As a team, Fort Wayne is converting on 38.2% of their threes, which is third-best among all teams.

6. Mexico City Capitanes

Record: 6-3 (2-1 this week)
Previous ranking: 7

Former NBA vets Gary Clark, Mason Jones and Jahlil Okafor make up one of the most productive trios in the G this season. All three are posting better than 19 points per game, with Clark being the only eligible player in the league logging more than 22 points and 11 rebounds per outing. Thanks to them, as well as the shot-blocking prowess of Bruno Cabaclo, Mexico City finds themselves ranked in the top-ten in both offensive and defensive efficiency.

7. South Bay Lakers

Record: 5-3 (3-0 this week)
Previous ranking: N/R

South Bay has begun to really start to put it together of late, looking every bit like a truly formidable squad. The league’s leading shot-blocker Jay Huff and top steals-ace Shaq Harrison have been the leaders of what is now the second-best defense in the league. Meanwhile, Scotty Pippen Jr. (23.1 PTS, 5.1 AST, 1.6 STL) has vaulted himself right into the thick of the Rookie of the Year conversation, recently dropping a career-high 36 points against Oklahoma City. 

8. Texas Legends

Record: 5-3 (2-1 this week)
Previous ranking: N/R

By far one of the most lethal backcourts in the G can be found in Texas. Jaden Hardy (27.9 PTS) and McKinley Wright IV (22.6 PTS, 8.4 AST) have been on absolute tears of late to pace the top-rated offense in the league. They most recently combined for 67 points  to help the Legends overcome a 21-point, fourth-quarter deficit against the Lakeland Magic to come out on top.

9. Cleveland Charge

Record: 6-3 (1-2 this week)
Previous ranking: 3

Despite hitting a rough patch of late, Cleveland still finds itself in a good spot in the Central Division standings. Standout guard Sharife Cooper took home the most recent Player of the Week honors after averaging more than 29 points and six assists in the four games played between Nov. 14-20, a stretch that included back-to-back 40-point outings. That’s not to mention the contributions the Charge continue to get from Jamorko Pickett (18.4 PTS, 10.4 REB) and Isaiah Mobley (19.6 PTS, 8.6 REB, 1.4 BLK).

10. College Park Skyhawks

Record: 4-3 (1-1 this week)
Previous ranking: 8

A Brandon Williams game-winner capped off a tight win for the Skyhawks to get back in the win column. As a team, they’ve taken excellent care of the ball this season, posting the third-best assist to turnover ratio (1.6) in the league. Former NBA-er Chris Silva (14.3 PTS, 8.7 REB, 1.6 STL, 1.4 BLK) has been excellent on both ends of the court while the aforementioned Williams (19 PTS, 7.9 AST) is also helping to lead the way on offense.