G League Power Rankings: Week 6

It’s finally here: it’s Winter Showcase week! With that being the case, it’s time for one last serving of power rankings before the action kicks off on Monday.

Much like last week, there’s a ton of movement to take note of. Most notably, there’s a new top dog this week: the defending champion, and red-hot, Vipers. Meanwhile, multiple teams, including College Park, Cleveland and Iowa continue to rise thanks to strong play of late as they make their ways to Las Vegas. 

Take a look at where everything currently stands. 

1. Rio Grande Valley Vipers

Record: 12-3 (2-0 this week)
Previous ranking: 3

Nine straight victories by the Vipers is the longest such streak by any team to this point in the season, so the defending G League champs take their spot atop the final Power Rankings ahead of Winter Showcase. Since the start of it, they have the league’s best net rating and are top-four in both offensive and defensive rating. They’ve been powered by a pair of massive performances from Josh Christopher while Darius Days, Louis King, Trevor Hudgins and Cassius Stanley have contributed 14+ points per outing. The South Division’s best squad, this team is absolutely cruising heading into Winter Showcase. 

2. Ontario Clippers

Record: 12-4 (1-2 this week)
Previous ranking: 1

Despite a lopsided loss to Stockton, Ontario is still in very good shape. Big man Moussa Diabate continues to tear it up, recently taking home Player of the Week honors after recording back-to-back 20-point, 20-rebound games. With him anchoring a team with the league’s sixth-highest defensive rating (106.6), there is little to doubt about his impact - both of Ontario’s two losses this week came without Diabate on the court. While these losses may have left them vulnerable to be leapfrogged in the Showcase Cup bracket seeding, Ontario will be a dangerous out regardless of whether it has its leading man or not.

3. South Bay Lakers

Record: 11-4 (2-1 this week)
Previous ranking: 2

After losing both of their first two matchups with Ontario in November, the Lakers came away with a statement win on the road on Thursday night, beating their rivals by 36 points to clinch a spot in the Showcase Cup behind masterful performances from Scotty Pippen Jr. and Devin Cannady. Cannady put on quite the shooting display this week, shooting 50% from deep on over 9.0 attempts per game while averaging 22.0 points. And with Ontario finished at 12-4, South Bay has a chance to jump past them in bracket seeding if they can take care of business at home against Stockton on Saturday and if College Park can defeat Raptors 905 on Friday, which would allow both teams to jump past the team that has led the West nearly wire-to-wire via the three-team point differential tiebreaker.

4. College Park Skyhawks

Record: 11-4 (2-0 this week)
Previous ranking: 6

Perhaps lost amid RGV’s massive winning streak was a much-needed and well-timed streak of its own down in Georgia. The Skyhawks have won eight of their last nine games - including an active five-game winning streak - that allowed them to jump Maine and clinch the East title. Their Showcase Cup spot is secured, but a win against Raptors 905 on Friday night would give them the opportunity to potentially jump as high as the No. 1 seed if the Vipers fall to Memphis. Brandon Williams (23.5 PTS, 6.0 AST, 57.1% 3PT) remains a dangerous go-to scorer and distributor, while A.J. Lawson picked up right where he left off after returning to the Skyhawks from a past Two-Way deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves. College Park is one of three teams in the G to average 120+ points per game, and anyone who faces off with them in Vegas will have to prove they can keep up with their third-highest pace (106.71).

5. Iowa Wolves

Record: 11-5 (4-0 this week)
Previous ranking: 10

The Wolves came up big when they needed to most, rattling off four straight wins on the week to extend their winning streak to five. They capped it all off with a hard-fought W over the Cleveland Charge on Thursday night to clinch their spot in the Showcase Cup, becoming just the second team in the G to go undefeated at home - coincidentally joining that same Charge team at 8-0. They did all of this without the services of former Player of the Week Luka Garza, who is up with the Minnesota Timberwolves while Karl-Anthony Towns is out with an injury. Despite Garza’s absence, it has been an all-hands-on-deck success story for the Wolves, who saw nine of the 11 players to play in at least two games this week average double-digit scoring without anyone averaging 20+.

6. Cleveland Charge

Record: 11-5 (1-1 this week)
Previous ranking: 5

Winners of five of their last six games, Cleveland now finds themselves at the top of the Central Division with Winter Showcase on the horizon. Sharife Cooper and Jamorko Pickett, in particular, have stepped up their games over this stretch to get the Charge to this point. Cooper most recently had back-to-back 30-point, 10-assist outings, including a season-high 17 assist performance on Dec. 12, while Pickett has averaged over 18 points, 9 rebounds, a steal and a block over these past six games. They’re going to be a squad to look out for in the coming days.

7. Windy City Bulls

Record: 9-5 (3-1 this week)
Previous ranking: 9

Windy City’s back-heavy schedule meant that they were always going to be able to see what they needed to do to qualify for the Showcase Cup, and the Bulls now firmly hold their fate in their own hands. With two home games against the Grand Rapids Gold on tap, two wins will guarantee their spot while one puts them in a great spot to see the bracket via the point differential tiebreaker. In a crowded and talented Central Division that could see as many as five teams finish with 10+ wins, Windy City could still end up as the cream of the crop and finish as high as the 3 seed. The best defensive team in the G (103.4 defensive rating) has been buoyed by Carlik Jones’ stellar play this week, as the sophomore point guard averaged 23.8 points and 7.3 assists - including a 36-point, 8-assists, 5-steal game against Cleveland.

8. Maine Celtics

Record: 10-6 (2-1 this week)
Previous ranking: 7

After the best start in the league to begin the season, the Celtics definitely tailed off down the stretch. They lost the lead in the East to College Park and now find themselves on the fringe of qualifying for the Showcase Cup, but Maine did everything it could in its finale on Thursday night to give itself a chance. The 49-point win over Greensboro helped them finish at 10-6 and boosted their average point differential to 5.1, which will likely be the ultimate factor in deciding the final two spots up for grab in the Showcase Cup. Their destiny is not in their own hands, but they are currently in a Showcase Cup spot as things stand and will be eagerly watching the results of Friday night’s Fort Wayne and Mexico City games to determine their fate.

9. Fort Wayne Mad Ants

Record: 9-6 (1-2 this week)
Previous ranking: 4

The Mad Ants, who had been a top-5 staple in these Power Rankings for three weeks, saw themselves tumble down to fifth in their pod and No. 9 in these rankings after a 1-2 week. But such is the strength of the Central Division, which could still very well send four teams to the Showcase Cup bracket if results go a certain way. Fort Wayne is currently on the outside looking in with one game to go, but they know exactly what they need to do to qualify. A win by more than 23 points over Wisconsin on Friday night would allow Fort Wayne to finish with a better average point differential than Maine in the tiebreaker for one of the last two spots, regardless of Windy City’s results. But they still have to monitor what goes on across the border in Mexico City...

10. Mexico City Capitanes

Record: 9-6 (0-1 this week)
Previous ranking: 8

The first season for the Capitanes as a team playing both home and road games has been off to a fantastic start, but they still will need some help to qualify for the Showcase Cup in Vegas after losing their only game this week to the Austin Spurs. They’ll face those same Spurs again at home, and will need to win big - by 37+ to be exact - to jump past Maine’s current hold on a spot in the bracket. They’ll also need to make sure that their final point differential is better than Fort Wayne’s so that the Mad Ants don’t spoil any positive effort. With both Mad Ants vs. Herd and Spurs vs. Capitanes starting at 8 pm/et on Friday night, expect plenty of scoreboard watching from fans inside the arena. And on that note, there should be PLENTY of fans in the arena to support the Capitanes, as the NBA has converged on the city for Saturday’s Mexico City Game between the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat.