The Switch Open Group Play came to a close this week and left us with a feeling of anticipation as the playoffs get closer and closer. Every game, every shot, every possession is starting to have a real feeling of intensity with so much money on the line. We saw teams and players save their seasons this week, so let’s jump into a couple standouts and our usual power rankings.

Dtrick – Other teams are trying to copy this man so hard that it’s blowing up their seasons. That’s the kind of level he is playing at. Dtrick on the Inside Center is changing 2KL 3v3 before our eyes. The rebounding and defensive IQ makes him a near possible matchup over the course of a 5-game series. Sure, you might cook him on the perimeter once or twice, but that pales in comparison to the great plays he makes on both ends to keep this team afloat. His performance against Magic Gaming this past weekend was spellbinding, especially against Lowkey Godlike. Let’s see if he can get Heat Check their first banner in team history.

OriginalMalik – We haven’t talked about Malik and Knicks Gaming much this season, but after a 3-1 week, it’s time to start noticing. Malik is now 2nd in the league in scoring at 11.1 ppg while shooting 71.1% True Shooting on 7.8 FGAPG. I think he’s officially entered  the stage as a player where we are just so used to seeing him put up these kinds of numbers that we are a bit numb to it at this point. But, he should not be excluded from 3v3 MVP conversations if Knicks Gaming can make a run over the last 3-4 weeks or so. He’s got plenty left in the tank.

Justin – A nice week for a player and team who needed it. Jazz Gaming officially stopped their skid with a 3-1 week and 2 sweeps to boot. For now, we can ignore the competition it came against, I just wanted to see this team win some damn games. Justin went up a level this week as well, most notably against Grizz Gaming where he outdueled Vandi to pick up a huge W. Justin has shown that he belongs in the league in 3v3 at least and with a new launching point for him and the team, let’s see if Utah has a late run up their sleeve.

Contenders

1. Lakers Gaming
2. Magic Gaming
3. Heat Check Gaming
4. Nets Gaming Crew
5. Gen.G Tigers
6. Pistons GT

No new entries into the contenders section for the first  time all season, that tells me that the 3v3 champion will likely come from this group of 6. Other teams still have a chance of course, but there is a pretty clear gap between them and the rest of the league. Best team I saw this week was Heat Check Gaming. Every other team keeps trying to copy them and failing pretty terribly. DTrick is playing the hell out of that Inside Center build and it’s led Heat Check to the 2nd best point differential in the league and the 2nd highest game and series win %. The team is a wagon, I wonder if they can carry this momentum into a Switch Open Championship Saturday.

On The Bubble 

7. CLTX Gaming
8. Grizz Gaming
9. Knicks Gaming
10. Hawks Talon GC
11. Pacers Gaming
12. T-Wolves Gaming
13. 76ers GC
14. NBL Oz Gaming

Little bit of reshuffling for our bubble teams this week, but again, not too many changes. These teams are good and can probably win any given series on any given day, but all of them have had major issues with consistency. They’ve all had really solid weeks at some point  this season, but there is a clear ceiling that none of these teams has punched through quite yet. Lucky for them, they have another big chance next week to ramp up heading into the playoffs. As of right now, every team under the Hawks is headed to The Steal.

Just Fine

15. Jazz Gaming
16. Warriors Gaming Squad 
17. Wizards DG
18. Cavs Legion GC
19. Blazer5 Gaming
20. Raptors Uprising GC
21. Bucks Gaming

A very disappointing week for this group, outside of Utah who has scratched and clawed their way out of the Quadrant of Woe. For the rest, this was a confirmation week that these teams just aren’t that good. I think the only team I can still see a run in would be Cavs Legion if they catch some momentum or maybe Wiz DG is Benzo hits a hot streak, but outside of that, it’s time for these teams to start thinking about the Steal Open.

Quadrant of Woe

22. Hornet Venom GT
23. Mavs Gaming
24. Dux Infinitos
25. Kings Guard Gaming

We have a new member of  the Quadrant of Woe, welcome Hornets Venom GT. A shocking addition, yet a deserved one after a brutal turn of fortune. Since their 3-0 start, they are 1-8 in series. They now have the lowest PPG (17.7) and the highest Opp. PPG(20.2) in the league giving them a point differential that is now lower than even Kings Guard Gaming. TreyDollaz has been benched, FlukeLock is now starting at guard for Charlotte. Their once promising 3v3 season has come to a screeching halt. Lastly, shoutout to Kings Guard for getting their first win of the season and for Mavs Gaming having their first 2-0 day of 3v3 last Friday. Nice to see Fanta come a live a bit.

That’s it for this week, be sure to check out Dirk and I’s podcast, Virtual Courtside, available on iTunes, YouTube, Spotify for more analysis! I’ll be back later this week to preview the Switch Open!