Preseason Power Rankings

La la la la la, isn't the off-season relax...BLAMMO! PRESEASON POWER RANKINGS!

The season kicks off with Leg 1 of the Ski-Town Skirmish as Dwyane Wade and Park City travel to Zermatt to take on Chris Paul and the two-time defending champion Abominables.

Every year, as the season winds down and Commissioner Barnes is through awarding himself another one of his eponymous Concludings trophies, we can understand if you owners are more than a little spent. The WFBL is a grueling, taxing game, so don't be ashamed to admit you look forward to the off-season. But after a few months...that itch starts to come back. The Web site gets redesigned. New uniforms are unveiled. Player rankings are released. Keepers are named. Before you know it, the Draft Lottery has taken place and owners are gathered together, picking their teams for the new season. And then WHAM! Team previews are coming at you from left and right. KABLOOIE! Conversation with the Commish. And finally, BLAMMO! Preseason Power Rankings! It's like we never left, and guess what? We ain't going anywhere, not for five whole months. Deal with it!

This preseason, the Power Rankings went the extra mile and simulated every match-up for the entire season. Based on teams' projected starting five, and assuming everyone stays healthy, behold! Your 2009-10 Preseason Power Rankings, with projected final regular-season record!


Team, Rank, (Previous), Projected Record

1 (1) 101-57-04
The customary defending champ spot, yes. But nine wins better than the rest of the league? Seriously? With a very obvious lack of assist support for CP3? With the front court receiving an early visit from the injury fairy? Guess what, until proven otherwise, we are done picking against the A-Boms.


2 (10) 92-68-02
Call it the LeBron factor. From a mess of a team that ended last year on a five game losing streak, to the projected best in the Wasatch, Rigby has every reason to be excited about this season. And it's not just about LeBron, either. Brook Lopez, Vince Carter and Carlos Boozer should all help round out a potent lineup (but not as potent as the 06-07 U-Dogs, right Kanye?)

3 (2) 89-69-04
In Dwyane Wade and Kevin Durant, the Sundancers have the best one-two punch this side of Batman and Robin. Last year Barton got all sorts of value from his draft picks. Will Andrew Bynum, Jameer Nelson, and Crash Wallace be enough to take the 'Dancers back to the Concludings?

4 (6) 88-71-03
We are predicting a breakout season for the Jai-Rai, from barely sneaking into the playoffs to second in the World. And why wouldn't we? If Kobe, Granger and Nene can maintain their numbers from last season, and if Gilby can come even remotely close to his of a few years ago...the Jai-Rai may even push for tops in the World.

5 (11) 88-74-00
A high ranking for a team that not only finished next-to-last a season ago, but was stuck with auto-picking the last draft spot. But maybe ESPN knows what they're doing. I know plenty of real live draft pickers who could do much worse than Kevin Garnett, Carmelo Anthony, Ben Gordon, and Marcus Camby.

6 (9) 82-76-04
What would Joe SnowBeeFan say to a middling preseason prediction, so as not to get your hopes too high or too low? Joe SnowBeeFan would probably say "Aha! But the Power Rankings have us just making the playoffs! That's more than enough reason to have our high hopes dashed somewhere around the middle of January.

7 (12) 78-82-02
The epitome of random gets a very arbitrary 7th spot in the Rankings. We have no clue what will happen to Bayside. Remember, this is all assuming no injuries to any player. Bayside fans (fan?) must hope that the injury bug doesn't infect their (his?) beloved Tigers, because they're gonna suit up, broken leg or no broken leg.

8 (4) 77-83-02
It pains the Power Rankings to say it, but this may be the end of an era for Los Iguanas, er, Iguodalas. This could be the year that we see the WFBL's longest postseason appearance streak snapped. Or...we may see the Ewing Theory take effect as 'Caibo celebrates their first-ever trip to the Concludings! You had a good run.

9 (3) 71-85-06
While we are putting the Gators at ninth, at the same time we wish to stress that if there is any owner out there that can cure whatever ails his team mid-season, it's Shaun Adams. And if he can't, well, he can always the old standby of trying to keep the A-Boms from the playoffs.

10 (7) 69-91-02
Did you know that St. George has the longest active winning-streak in the WFBL? And it's a seven-game winning-streak? Nope, we didn't believe it either. So, why 10th place? Well, as was so eloquently laid out earlier, Truman has a somewhat unhealthy love for his under-performing players. And they're all back!

11 (8) 66-92-04
Another Preseason Power Rankings, another next-to-last prediction. That, however, shouldn't make you count out the Kings. Because you can't keep New York down. As was displayed in the great movie triumph of our generation, Spider-man, you mess with the Kings, you mess with aaaaall of New York.

12 (5) 56-101-05
Nephi? Last place? That's more like it. Really, Justin Banks' team should be competitive, but there are too many question marks (Rondo's FT%? Stoudemire's eye? Rudy's Gay?) on a team that may fall back on their losing ways early and not be able to recover.


So what do you think? Your team ranked too high? Too low? Who's overrated? Underrated? Let the Power Rankings know in the comments! And don't forget to vote on the Game of the Week!