With Week 2 in the books, here is a look at my power rankings before what figures to be a revealing set of contests in Week 3.

---

No. 1: T-Wolves Gaming (7-1)

They don’t have the highest winning percentage in the league, but at 7-1 and coming off a first place finish in THE TIPOFF, powered by AT&T, this team has been impressive. They have shown pure domination against almost every team they’ve faced; it’s clear which squad has looked like the cream of the crop thus far in Season 4. With the combination of Bear and Kaii in the backcourt mixed with the steady performance from Slaughter in the middle, T-Wolves Gaming looks scary right now.

No. 2: Pacers Gaming (6-0)

A perfect record is impressive, and I love the team makeup. However, I need to see more than a bunch of close victories over bad teams to elevate them to the top spot. As it is, 630 and Co. are in a great position, but they still have something to prove to reach the top spot.

No. 3: Wizards District (3-1)

Let’s not sleep on the defending champions. Yes, they took a three-point loss against Celtics Crossover Gaming in Week 1, but they were respectable in the Tip-Off and have gotten off to a decent start in the regular season. Don’t underestimate their ability to right the ship and to become a force by midseason. Week 3 series against 76ers GC and Warriors Gaming will tell us about the champions’ current form.

No. 4: Warriors Gaming (2-0)

They are an unproven bunch, and their only two wins came against the woeful Bucks Gaming squad in Week 1. They did win by an average of 20 points per contest. This is why they are the lowest-ranked undefeated team. They’re going to get a serious test in Week 3 against Jazz Gaming and the defending champion Wizards District Gaming.

No. 5: Jazz Gaming (3-1)

After dropping the regular-season opener to Blazer5 Gaming, Jazz Gaming evened that series and then destroyed Lakers Gaming in a sweep. After a strong run in Season 3, Jazz Gaming is still trucking and looking strong. They can make a statement with a sweep over Warriors Gaming Squad in Week 4.

No. 6: 76ers GC (4-2)

The ceiling for this team defensively is high with Underrated Goat and OneWildWalnut anchoring things. The team’s new PG Dre hasn’t been horrible, but they appear to miss Radiant’s offensive direction. If Dre can continue to elevate his play and the defense remains solid, the best could be yet to come. 

No. 7: Grizz Gaming (5-1)

I’m tempted to put Grizz Gaming at No. 6 or even 5; however, they have a good number of wins over hapless squads like Bucks Gaming and Heat Check Gaming, so we must temper our praise. That said, Vandi, aka The Blue Meanie and Authentic African, has proven to be one of the best tandems in the league. Also, don’t sleep on the play from Chess, who has knocked down some big threes. I like this team a lot.

No. 8: Hornets Venom (5-1)

The Hornets Venom GT and Grizz Gaming’s seasons have been pretty similar. Both squads have identical records, and they have feasted on some bad teams. That said, I’m giving Grizz Gaming a slight edge because of their dynamic duo, but the Hive will have a series against two winless squads in Week 3 (Mavs Gaming and Gen. G), so we’ll see if those games change anything.

No. 9: Magic Gaming (4-2)

Reizey and Co. are on the cusp of turning into a good squad. Their defense is a bit erratic at times, and Reizey’s shot selection is sometimes questionable. Still, I love the way they play overall, and May is quickly becoming a center everyone needs to watch.

No. 10: Blazer5 Gaming (4-2)

It’s all about consistency with this team. One game looks like a squad capable of a deep playoff run, and in another, they look vulnerable. Blazer5 Gaming was victimized by a 39-point showing from Radiant and nearly allowed Cavs Legion GC to have their first win of the season. The results have been imperfect, but Goofy remains steady, and Bash has shown some flashes, including a 42-point explosion against CLGC and 48 against Pistons GT.

No. 11: Hawks Talon GC (5-3)

A five-game win streak is strong for Hawks Talon GC, and one of those wins came over Grizz Gaming. That’s impressive, and it gives them the edge over Kings Guard Gaming this week. Things are coming together with Ceez and BP. Even they can continue to create offense from the perimeter, they may ultimately have the second-best backcourt in the league behind T-Wolves Gaming.

No. 12: Kings Guard Gaming (4-2)

We need more data on this team. They handled a scrappy but perimeter-challenged Lakers Gaming squad, but Mama Im Dat Man, and Co. are still not looking like an elite team. They can get to that point by midseason, but I’d place them a smidge behind the rest of the teams with gaudy records for now.

No. 13: Pistons GT (3-3)

Radiant’s arrival was a big deal, and he did flourish at shooting guard in the team’s second contest, a win over Blazer5 Gaming in Week 2. Greenlight has been one of the league’s bright young rookies. He needed to be to justify moving Radiant to shooting guard. They’re still working out some of the kinks after an inconsistent Week 2 performance. That said, they have had a tough schedule with T-Wolves Gaming and Blazer5 in Week 2. The team gets a bye in Week 3 before returning in Week 4 with one series against KGG.

No. 14: Nets GC (4-4)

This team is tough to figure out. They have the great point guard in Choc and a solid big in Shotz, but it seems that it’s for a different reason every time they lose. I suppose that epitomizes a .500 team.

No. 15: Knicks Gaming (3-3)

They are scrappy, but this squad doesn’t have the kind of Lock play they need to win consistently. Choc and 630 ran wild on Knicks Gaming, and FT, a player not quite on the previous two guys’ level, probably had a better series than he should have. If they can tighten up on defense, specifically on the perimeter, Knicks Gaming will improve.

No. 16: Gen. G Tigers (0-2)

This is easily the best of the teams in the league with bad records. They lost two heartbreakers by a point to Magic Gaming. They still have some things to figure out at point guard, but keep an eye on them for a possible resurgence in Week 4. They have a test against Hornets Venom and then a potential break vs. Raptors Uprising GC.

No. 17: Celtics Crossover Gaming (1-3)

On the perimeter, Celtics Crossover looks like a team without an identity. They parted ways with oFAB, and things haven’t gone well for either party. A shakeup in the lineup is needed for Celtics Crossover to turn things around.

No. 18: Mavs Gaming (0-2)

This might be the most underachieving team in the league’s short history. Every season they come back retooled but rarely make the noise expected. They deserve a break considering they ran into the T-Wolves Gaming buzzsaw, but it is time for Mavs GG to show and prove.

No. 19: Heat Check Gaming (1-7)

It’s been a nightmare for Famous Enough’s squad. With just one win in the first eight games, it’s hard to establish what the problem with the team has been. Acquiring Sav at point guard hasn’t resulted in victories, and Hotshot’s effectiveness seems to be waning in the middle. Famous will need to come up with a serious Any Given Sunday speech to get his team on the right track. They could use a bye in Week 3. Instead, they will go head-to-head with Lakers Gaming for two games, with each trying to prove they got the better of their mammoth draft-day trade.

No. 20: Lakers Gaming (0-4)

Is Lakers Gaming worse than HCG? I don’t know the answer. Both have been bad this year, and Krazy and Co. haven’t found the win column. So, here we are. 

No. 21: Cavs Legion GC (0-6)

oFAB has been a disappointment, and Cavs Legion GC overall has looked pretty hapless. Strainer has been a bright spot at shooting guard in a few games, but things aren’t looking up.

No. 22: Bucks Gaming (0-8) 

It’s been painful to watch guys like Lotty and ARooks struggle. Their misery hit a new high on Saturday as they were blown away twice by Grizz Gaming. On the defensive end of the floor, they are atrocious. Something has to change and fast. 

No. 23: Raptors Uprising (0-6)

The team that went undefeated last season looks like a candidate to go winless this year. They have tried to move Kenny to shooting guard, TimelyCook to power forward, they’ve even tried to get Vince Carter to come out of retirement.

I’m kidding about the last one, but maybe it would help. How about Drake or Agent? In any case, the postseason is a distant dream. RUG just needs to figure out how to win one game.

---