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5. Orlando Tragic - team salary - 248,186 | top 5 players salary - 210,523 | 6-10 players salary - 21 836 | arena size - 11 210 | established - season 12

on numbers alone, it's hard to put the tragic out of the top 5. they have an intimidating starting lineup, in addition to a well-tenured coach. the question for the tragic is whether or not their team is sustainable considering their infrastructure. part of me says, "of course it is frosty, look at how long they've been bb managers. they must have a gazillion season ticket holders," but the other part of me thinks, "we've seen this song and dance before, haven't we? big salary team goes broke because of a lack of infrastructure and forward thinking?" so who knows? i'll say this, they're extremely young and talented. no starter is over 27 years old. 27! on the downside, they're only 5 deep, so game shape may become a problem. can they buy themselves a legitimate bench and vault themselves into championship contention? we'll see. jesus those trainees are scary lookin. both homegrown products, too. man...

6. Space von Jam - team salary - 228,198 | top 5 players salary - 182,254 | 6-10 players salary - 27,180 | arena size - 20,000 | established - season 20

massive arena on these guys, they have a d2 competitive infrastructure in place. they've made all the right moves since their inception, and it shows. they dumped hinkle last season in favor of 2 starters and it started to pay dividends at the end of the season. they're still pretty thin, but they're also SO YOUNG! everyone could be a trainee. look for them to trim some fat off their roster and possibly add a starting guard and depth guard. if they do, they could be players for promotion. they're pretty damn balanced, so they'll be tough to deal with. i wouldn't count on a very deep cup run from them, but that could actually work toward their advantage in league play, at least for this season. you gotta like what manager texas has done with the squad since he took over 12 seasons ago. they're favorites for the playoffs in their 2nd III.7 season.

7. Frosty BC - team salary - 223,837 | top 5 players salary - 154,760 | 6-10 players salary - 54,714 | arena size - 16 892 | established - season 22

sup guys. it's yours truly. i threw back and forth between me and svj for the 6 spot, but as always, it's pretty crowded after the top 2 or 3. pretty tough to rank before the season even starts. anyway, i still need to add about 3k more seats before i'm really ready to contend with the big boys, and my trainees just aren't there yet. training outside stuff with 6'9" dudes is a looooooong process, but a necessary one in my case. we have big plans, but those will not be executed this season sadly. well, not all of it. i'm pretty excited about the changes we'll be making in the very near future, though. oh, my team? oh yeah. so we feature a balanced and deep team, built like a poor man's diamantes. we're getting older but not on the decline with any of our players. you won't catch me on a bad night. game shape is always tip top and i'm always in playoff contention.

Last edited by FrostyMc at 08/04/2015 19:00:41

8. Mitsubishi Eclipse - team salary - 204 636 | top 5 players salary - 168 889 | 6-10 players salary - 33 177 | arena size - 12 790 | established - season 11

the eclipse have their issues. they're a little old, kinda thin, and they have a pretty small arena. it wouldn't surprise me too much if they have some cash at this point, and they're just waiting to strike the transfer market. as it stands, they're selling an aging cochrane, and their starting lineup is playoff calibur. look for them to bolster their starting lineup, and maybe grab a little bench talent. they've been playoff contenders, and that's unlikely to change. they're a balanced team that can beat you from all sorts of places. it'd be surprising to see them in a relegation series, but you never know. i'd grade them as playoff contenders.

9. DC Wizards - team salary - 221 791 | top 5 players salary - 132 352 | 6-10 players salary - 62 429 | arena size - 18 735 | established - season 12

newly promoted maybe, but in no way new. they've been there done that. nice infrastructure in place, you'd imagine they have a lot of staying power. hard to see them getting relegated. i'd bet they're playoff contenders year 1. they're a little old. 3 of their top 5, and 6 of their top 10 players are over 33, and thus declining. they'll definitely need to address that. they also have an issue with starting power. their top 5 are not going to be able to compete with the big boys. their depth is excellent, though. they definitely feature their perimeter game. that sets up well for them in the cup. we could very well see just how deep their pockets go. if they rework their roster to take care of the age issue and get a few high quality starters, they can turn themselves into contenders. at the moment, it'll be a difficult road to the playoffs.

10. Walnut Streets - team salary - 199 812 | top 5 players salary - 141 256 | 6-10 players salary - 30 485 | arena size - 17 890 | established - season 10

the other streets on the blue side are in rebuilding mode. they'll probably trim some fat, but you could well see them pick up some transfer market meat. it's tough seeing them getting relegated. in fact, i'd say it's equally likely they wind up in a relegation series as it is they make the playoffs. they're selling al anwar, a bowers sale is just around the corner, so with that the age issue is completely eliminated. now they just need talent. trèmol will keep them relevant. every year i think this is the year he'll assert himself into mvp contention. with the streets you just don't know what you're going to get. i mean, you'd assume they'll bring in a high profile guard to compliment trèmol and fill al anwar's shoes. on the other hand, maybe they're shooting for relegation, and don't intend to buy anyone, and just roll with a super young team in d4. they have the infrastructure to stay here, but do they have the talent? hard to say.

Last edited by FrostyMc at 08/04/2015 18:52:10

11. Ballstars - team salary - 196 117 | top 5 players salary - 169 780 | 6-10 players salary - 19 557 | arena size - 13 475 | established - season 25

the newest manager in the league has been extremely impressive strategically. he worked his ass off to build a competitive arena, which he now has, and he has a young and competitive starting 5. all the ballstars are really missing is a true small forward, and it's a playoff top 5. they're going to be a handful this year. i think they'll probably avoid relegation again, considering the red side this season (you've also been a little lucky too. it's another extremely down year for the red side). they're thin. oh boy are they thin. wouldn't expect much in the cup out of them. they're really not far from contending on paper, but in terms of cash and buying power, they're probably a ways a way. they probably shot the wad on their new stud orlowski, and in arena expansion (both excellent moves, by the way). this season they're probably not playoff threats, but they very well may be next season. i'd grade them as a 5-6 seed.

12. J&e - team salary - 174 444 | top 5 players salary - 132 987 | 6-10 players salary - 35 585 | arena size - 11 410 | established - season 24

nice job by manager E b getting to d3 so quickly. decent looking roster and decent depth. very small arena, and a decently old team. 2 of their top 5 over 33. j&e has quite a bit to overcome if they want to avoid relegation. they'll probably need a bigtime center and... well that's probably it. like a 30-40k guy. that should be enough to avoid relegation right there. should be. considering the blue side's strength this season, that's not a guarantee. weird how quickly the power shifted in the conferences. anyway, j&e seems to be a perimeter oriented team currently. a deep cup run could give them enough buying power to improve their starting lineup, thereby extending their d3 stay, but only temporarily if they don't address their arena size. it's almost probable they're up against over-extension as it is. we'll see what this manager is made of this season, that's for sure. he has an uphill battle. or, he could intentionally demote. we'll see.

13. BucsBlue Lob City - team salary - 167 398 | top 5 players salary - 141 952 | 6-10 players salary - 21 895 | arena size - 20 700 | established - season 21

crazy to rank bblc this low. i don't expect it to last very long. they've been powerhouses every season they've been in the league, except for the latter half of last season, in which they began a rebuilding project. even still, tompkins and co. are definitely going to need some help through the transfer market to survive a tough blue side this season. or maybe not. maybe tompkins, hilton and insarte are enough. hell, if they even bring in like a starting guard and small forward, that's plenty. like +50k to their team salary. not even a thing. i'm shocked they're so ready to deal hilton. bblc had great luck with homegrown players, and that's a premier prospect. just a little driving and he's on his way to being a monster, and long term answer to starting center. anyway, definitely look for bucsblue to buy a few starting pieces before the season starts. i'd put my entire bankroll on it. no way they let themselves relegate, but they're currently graded at the very bottom of the blue side.


Last edited by FrostyMc at 08/04/2015 18:52:39

14. Crosstown United - team salary - 148 479 | top 5 players salary - 130 526 | 6-10 players salary - 17 953 | arena size - 10 000 | established - season 17

crosstown doesn't have much going for them, at least in terms of d3. it's a complete fire sale at the moment. they're dumping their old players and failed prospects, which is a good move. they have the smallest arena in the league. maybe they're intentionally relegating and starting fresh with just colin, mcgee and chevally. not a bad move at all. a core like that can get you back to d3 after just 1 season in d4 no problem. in the meantime, they could just expand, which is something they desperately need. if all their players sell, they'll be the bottom ranked red sided team. maybe they've saved a bunch of scouting points, and are looking to build some homegrown talent with the first and 17th picks in the draft, which would be another quality move. if they want to avoid relegation this season, though, it'll be a tough road. colin would have to carry this team kicking and screaming.

15. Mof State Squizzes - team salary - 130 258 | top 5 players salary - 92 524 | 6-10 players salary - 22 841 | arena size - 15 520 | established - season 12

they're already active in the forums which is cool to see. an experienced manager and a competitive arena are this team's best attributes. they'll need a LOT of work to be competitive this season. not saying it can't be done, but manager moflaffle needs to get a move on on that roster if that's what he wants to do. if he winds up the 7 seed he's basically automatically relegated because the blue side are all killers this season. really the only piece i like as d3 talent is their center, claude beckman. he's 27 and is a competitive starting piece. aside from that, they're old, they need to trim a ton of fat, and just not that talented. randy coyle could maybe develop into a special player, but would get lit up if he started this season. i wouldn't completely discount a 20 season vet, but he has plenty to do if he wants to avoid relegation.

16. the stiforms 5s - team salary - 118 079 | top 5 players salary - 90 702 | 6-10 players salary - 24 295 | arena size - 13 061 | established - season 24

pretty new manager, comparatively speaking. it shows. 13k is actually a pretty nice arena size, you can stay competitive with just that. you won't be doing any damage in the playoffs with it, but you can avoid relegation. they're a little bit old. 2 of the top 5 players in decline. they're thin. they don't have any stud trainees. their team salary is barely above the salary floor. hope they've got a lot of cash, cuz they'll need it if they want to stay in this league. that said, pretty good job just getting here in 7 seasons. they could just take plazas back to d4 and grab a couple trainees and be back in no time in a little better shape, or you might see them make a couple splashy purchases and make a run at the 5-6 seeds. not much to say about these guys quite yet. we'll wait and see.

Last edited by FrostyMc at 08/04/2015 18:53:10

Great summaries, Frosty!

I'm not selling Bowers. He'll be one of those $500 salary 47 year olds LOL. Also, I have Al-Anwar intentionally overpriced, because I'm not terribly eager to sell him until after my Cup run is over. If someone buys him now, I'll have over $3M cash on hand. Unless the run is only a couple weeks, then things are going to kick into hyperdrive.

I am going to be trimming some fat, but I'm still weighing a couple different options.

interesting. an al anwar sale or not, i now highly suspect a splashy guard purchase shortly

Frosty finally after 2 yrs showing me some LUV !!!!! Great job you put a lot of work into it. Greatly appreciated.

You call that a power ranking? Let me fix it for you chubs. I'll give you my top five.

1. DC Wizards
2. DC Wizards
3. DC Wizards
4. DC Wizards
5. DC Wizards

Let me tell you scrubs something. I look around and see fresh meat. Nothing but sneaker geekers trying to play with the pros. I'm going to own you all. This is my league now and none of you are leaving unless I say so. Prepare to get whooped so hard the players in your hall of fame ask to no longer be associated with the team. If this were the chump championships you all might have a chance, but this is the real deal. Managers get ready to peel your puny players off the court, and make sure to clean up any leftovers when we're done with you at the Verizon center.

Scrubs.

Great analysis, Frosty. You've got me right about where I hope to be this season as well as my goals beyond that. It's unfortunate that you are in my conference; I might not be able to sneak up and surprise you haha.

nah you can't pull any wool over my eyes. i know you know what you're doing.

i love it. what's the offseason without trash talk?