G League Power Rankings: Week 4

It’s Friday, so that means it’s time for some fresh, new G League Power Rankings.

There’s been movement up and down the list. While Ontario and Maine still hold on to the top two spots, teams like Windy City, Fort Wayne, and South Bay continue to steadily rise up in the rankings. On the other hand, the streaking Iowa Wolves, along with the defending champion Rio Grande Valley Vipers, have both broken into the top ten for the first time this season.

Take a look at where things currently stand with Showcase Cup action just over two weeks away.

1. Ontario Clippers

Record: 9-2 (1-1 this week)
Previous ranking: 1

Ontario got themselves back into the win column against Oklahoma City thanks in no small part to their backcourt duo of Xavier Moon and Nate Darling. Moon logged career-highs in both points (30) and steals (5) while Darling added 21 points and tied his season-high with nine rebounds. Moon and Darling, along with Keaton Wallace (14.3 PTS, 4.4 AST, 1.6 STL), have been the Clippers’ key catalysts as Two-Way big man Moussa Diabate splits time in Ontario and the NBA.  

2. Maine Celtics

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

Big man Luka Samanic was just named Kia Player of the Month and has been providing more than enough contributions of late to help the Celtics maintain the top spot in the East Division. He’s coming off of back-to-back outings in which he logged over 30 points and 10 rebounds, including dropping a season-high 35 points on Nov. 29 against Delaware. On the season, he’s Maine’s leading scorer (21.7) and is one of just two eligible players, along with Greensboro’s Mark Williams, averaging more than 21 points and 11 rebounds per game.

3. Windy City Bulls

Record: 6-2 (1-0 this week)
Previous ranking: 4

Although the Bulls played just one game this past week, it ended up being a 20-point victory against the East’s fifth-ranked team in the Cleveland Charge. Windy City’s defense held top scorer Sharife Cooper to just 19 points, his lowest output of the season, on 8-21 shooting in the process. The Bulls still maintain the best defensive rating in the league at 101.3, nearly three points better than the next-best team in the Maine Celtics.

4. Fort Wayne Mad Ants

Record: 6-3 (2-1 this week)
Previous ranking: 5

With the league’s best net rating as well as a top-six ranking in both offensive and defensive efficiency, Fort Wayne has been a force to this point in the season. The Mad Ants’ duo of Gabe York and last year’s G League MVP Trevelin Queen has been explosive, with both averaging better than 25 points per game. Most recently, they, along with teammate Justin Anderson, combined for 75 of Fort Wayne’s 115 points to secure a two-game sweep against Motor City on Nov. 28.

5. South Bay Lakers

Record: 7-3 (2-0 this week)
Previous ranking: 7

On a Lakers team featuring the league’s top shot-blocker in Jay Huff and steals leader in Shaq Harrison, rookie Two-Way Scotty Pippen Jr. continues to stand out. South Bay’s top scorer had 35 points - just one point shy of his career-high that he set his previous time out - along with 4 rebounds in South Bay’s Nov. 29 victory over Salt Lake City. He then went out and logged 17 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists as South Bay cruised to another win over the Stars. Owners of five-straight wins, the Lakers are rolling. 

6. Capital City Go-Go

Record: 6-4 (0-2 this week)
Previous ranking: 3

Capital City big man Vernon Carey Jr. continues to stuff the stat sheet on a nightly basis.   The team’s leading scorer (20.9 PTS) and rebounder (9.4 REB), he’s logged double-doubles in five of the eight games he’s played in this season. Most recently, he tied his season-high with 29 points to go along with five assists and two steals against College Park with the Go-Go looking to stay within striking distance of Maine in the standings.

7. Iowa Wolves

Record: 6-3 (2-0 this week)
Previous ranking: N/R

A four-game winning streak heading into Friday's action now has Iowa right at the top of the Central Division. The G’s newest Player of the Week, Luka Garza, has played a major part in that resurgence. The two-way big man has averaged over 29 points, 10 rebounds and a block per game in that span, capped off by his 27-point, 11-rebound, six-assist outing against Greensboro on Nov. 27. With Garza leading the way, the Wolves are 6-1 when he plays and now boast the fourth-best offensive rating (114.3) in the league. 

8. Cleveland Charge

Record: 8-4 (2-1 this week)
Previous ranking: 9

While Sharife Cooper (26 PTS, 6.7 AST) continues to lead the way for Cleveland, Isaiah Mobley has also stepped up big-time of late to get them back on track. During the Charge’s two-game set against Sioux Falls, Mobley followed up his 24-point, 11-rebound, 2-steal performance by tying his season-high with 26 points to go along with 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks. Most importantly, Cleveland ended up victorious both times to keep pace in their division. 

9. Rio Grande Valley Vipers

Record: 7-3 (3-0 this week)
Previous ranking: N/R

The Vipers have been riding the league’s second-highest-rated offense to the tune of four-straight wins. No team is taking (46.7) and making (16.4) more threes per game than Rio Grande Valley, and they are making a solid 35.1% of them. Four Vipers are shooting more than six per game, including Trevor Hudgins who is attempting a league-high 11.4 per contest and is converting on 39.5% of them. Additional production from Louis King (21.7 PTS, 5.1 REB, 1.7 STL) and rookie TyTy Washington (19.7 PTS, 5.1 AST) has the reigning G League champs in a very good spot. 

10. College Park Skyhawks

Record: 6-4 (2-1 this week)
Previous ranking: 10

Since returning to the team towards the tail end of November, rookie Tyrese Martin has provided some valuable production for College Park. He had a season-high 28 points along with eight rebounds in a win over Capital City and then put up 26 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks in another victory against Long Island. Having won three of the four games he’s played in since his return, the Skyhawks are still very much in the hunt in the East Division.