The NBA 2K League is back with week five of the regular season Wednesday. After the trip to Las Vegas for The Turn Tournament, teams refocus their attention back to competing for postseason aspirations. Games begin at 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday with Pistons GT versus Magic Gaming.
Three transactions leading up to this week’s play mean fans get to see some fresh rosters this week. The first exchange sent T-Wolves Gaming point guard Brandon “Hood” Caicedo to Heat Check Gaming for Jordan “JMoneyRep817” Martinez. This was a move that the T-Wolves were reportedly working on for over a week. The next day, Cavs Legion GC received Trey “All Hail Trey” Hendrix from Raptors Uprising GC for Jerry “Sick x 973” Knapp. The third trade involved the fourth overall pick in the 2019 draft, Andrew “MrStylez” Valle, going from Pistons GT to Hawks Talon GC for 13th overall pick Devin “DevGoss” Gossett.
🚨 OFFICIAL TRADE 🚨@HeatCheckGaming acquire Hood from @TWolvesGaming in exchange for JMoneyRep817 pic.twitter.com/BtqgYD9P5d
— NBA 2K League (@NBA2KLeague) May 13, 2019
The transactions provide interesting storylines for week five of the NBA 2K League’s regular season. Another 14 games are set to take place between Wednesday and Friday.
NBA 2K League Power Rankings
Even though The Turn Tournament is a major event on the NBA 2K League schedule, it’s hard to take the result as a true sign of where a team is midseason. The archetype bans and the unfamiliar atmosphere gave teams like Jazz Gaming an opportunity to succeed over top teams. That does not mean teams did not make a splash, though, because some did exactly that and made their way up the rankings.
1. 76ers GC (The Turn Finish: Loss in the championship, 3-2 regular season record)
This move up is more about the lack of result from Pacers Gaming last week than recent records for 76ers GC. The team from Philly looked lost two weeks ago in the regular season, but they turned things around in Vegas. 76ers GC seems to be back to normal despite a championship run that fell short.
2. Pacers Gaming (First Round, 4-0)
As mentioned above, Pacers Gaming did not show up at The Turn. The seven-point loss to Celtics Crossover Gaming meant the Indiana squad was stuck spectating the rest of the tournament. Pacers Gaming fans should not panic, though, as their team remains undefeated in the regular season and has looked like a playoff team all year.
How did the champs of Vegas do it?
Read about their long road to victory💪https://t.co/UTiEfpUGet
— NBA 2K League (@NBA2KLeague) May 15, 2019
3. Warriors Gaming Squad (Champions, 3-2)
Warriors Gaming Squad finally lived up to its hype! The NBA 2K scene has been talking about this roster for quite some time, and it showed up at The Turn. Putting Warriors over Mavs and Blazer5 may seem overrated, but Warriors Gaming Squad has the team to compete with the best. Don’t believe it? Rewatch the championship game versus 76ers GC.
4. Mavs Gaming (Quarterfinals, 7-0)
It was a disappointing exit for Mavs Gaming last week, losing to the eventual champions Warriors Gaming Squad by four points. The Mavs have played very well in the last few weeks, and they even dismantled Knicks Gaming in the first round last week. No need to panic for this team, as they sit atop the standings and currently have the best chance to make the playoffs.
5. Blazer5 Gaming (First Round, 6-1)
Speaking of disappointing exits, Blazer5 had one versus T-Wolves Gaming at The Turn. A four-point loss knocked out the tournament favorites early in the weekend. Despite the loss, Blazer5 Gaming is still a top-eight team and was playing exceptionally well in the regular season.
6. Bucks Gaming (Semifinals, 4-2)
Bucks Gaming continues to rely heavily on one player. Viewers saw this backfire in The Turn semifinals versus 76ers Gaming. It was still a good showing for the Milwaukee crew in Vegas, but without the additional offense, it is hard to imagine Bucks Gaming as a top-five team.
Welcome to Miami, @HoodBC_! Let's get down to business. 🔥✔️ pic.twitter.com/T53qOY13is
— HEAT Check Gaming (@HeatCheckGaming) May 13, 2019
7. Heat Check Gaming (First Round, 3-2)
An early loss kept fans from seeing what Heat Check Gaming could do in Vegas. Just two points separated Heat Check Gaming and Warriors Gaming Squad. The Miami team has had some issues leading up to last weekend, and unfortunately, fans are left wondering when they’ll fix them. Heat Check is still a playoff team in the NBA 2K League, but it is far from a sure thing.
8. Kings Guard Gaming (Quarterfinals, 4-2)
More surprises from Kings Guard Gaming came this weekend with a win over Magic Gaming and a close loss to Bucks Gaming. The biggest surprise of the season continues to roll. This week will be a big test, though, as Kings Guard Gaming faces two top teams in Pacers Gaming and Bucks Gaming.
9. T-Wolves Gaming (Quarterfinals, 2-4)
The inconsistencies continue for T-Wolves Gaming. A big win against Blazer5 Gaming had T-Wolves fans excited for the rest of The Turn, only to be let down with a loss to Jazz Gaming. A roster change could help with the issue, but T-Wolves Gaming does not have much time to figure things out.
10. Magic Gaming (First Round, 2-3)
There have not been many times that Magic Gaming has looked bad this season. They compete with the top teams in the league, and that keeps them in talks as a top-10 team. However, the results have not been there for the Orlando group. Even though it was just a four-point loss to Pacers Gaming in week four, a loss is still a loss.
The remaining teams rank as follows:
- Knicks Gaming (First Round, 1-2)
- Celtics Crossover Gaming (Quarterfinals, 1-4)
- Jazz Gaming (Semifinals, 3-2)
- NetsGC (Group Stage, 2-4)
- Hawks Talon GC (First Round, 3-2)
- Raptors Uprising GC (First Round, 2-3)
- Cavs Legion GC (First Round, 3-3)
- Pistons GT (Group Stage, 1-4)
- Lakers Gaming (Group Stage, 1-4)
- Grizz Gaming (Group Stage, 1-4)
- Wizards District Gaming (Group Stage, 0-4)
Stay tuned for more power rankings, and let us know if you have some strong opinions about them!
(Featured image via NBA 2K League)
