The NBA 2K League regular season is officially here after the exciting week that was the Tipoff tournament last week. Teams have had a chance to watch the film and make changes for week one action starting Wednesday, April 10 at 6 p.m. ET with Jazz Gaming versus Pacers Gaming.
In the Tipoff, 76ers GC lifted the first trophy of the new year, and viewers got the first look at the new rosters coming into the league for 2019. The opening tournament featured plenty of surprises, including the defending NBA 2K League champion Knicks Gaming failing to secure a win in the group stage.
Fans now turn their attention to the regular season as 14 games are slated to take place Wednesday through Friday, each day starting at 6 p.m. ET.
NBA 2K League Power Rankings
The downside to a preseason tournament like last week is that fans do not get to see the full potential of teams. Difficult groups and early deficits may have kept NBA 2K League fans from seeing some of the best compete on Saturday, but do not be surprised to see teams like Knicks Gaming and Blazer5 move up the ranks as each week passes.
The Final Four is SET!
Be sure to tune back in at 7 pm/et to catch our final 3 games!
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1. 76ers GC (Tipoff Result – Champion)
They lifted the first trophy of the year in the NBA 2K League. They get the top spot and Ethan “Radiant” White (18.3 ppg) is picking up where he left off last season.
2. Celtics Crossover Gaming (Loss in championship)
One thing fans learned about Celtics Crossover last year is they always show up come tournament time. Last week was no different and Alexander “ProFusion” Snowden was unstoppable, averaging 20.0 ppg.
3. Heat Check Gaming (Semifinals)
The team from Miami made the most of a difficult situation by almost beating 76ers GC in the group stage, still qualifying for bracket play, and barely missing another shot at 76ers GC. Heat Check had some of the best team play all weekend and it showed in the spread of scoring.
4. Magic Gaming (Semifinals)
Surprise of the Tipoff? Yes. Cameron “KingCamRoyalty” Ford was a force on the boards and was the main reason for Magic Gaming’s success.
5. Pacers Gaming (Quarterfinals)
The inconsistencies of last season seemed to carry themselves over into 2019 for Pacers Gaming. They were able to qualify for the bracket last week, but it was not pretty. A challenging game against Celtics Crossover has Pacers Gaming looking like playoff contenders for now.
6. T-Wolves Gaming (Quarterfinals)
The combo of Michael “BearDaBeast” Key and Brandon “Hood” Caicedo has T-Wolves looking like the top expansion team of 2019. If the duo continues to dominate, T-Wolves can easily become a top-four team in this league.
7. Warriors Gaming Squad (Failed to qualify)
Viewers saw the good and bad of Warriors Gaming last week. Warriors Gaming was just one bucket away from qualifying, but even after the disappointing result last week, fans have to be excited about the potential of their team.
8. Blazer5 Gaming (Failed to qualify)
The good: Nidal “Mama Im Dat Man” Nasser is already in midseason form, posting a league-high 27 ppg. The bad: A 15-point loss to a Bucks Gaming squad that most people had in the bottom half of the league. Not the start Blazer5 wanted.
9. Knicks Gaming (Failed to qualify)
Knicks Gaming was a mess in the first game since its championship in 2018 and followed up by failing to secure the win in OT against Magic Gaming. Was it the hype of the ring ceremony and playing shortly after? Who knows, but Knicks Gaming has something to prove this week.
10. Raptors Uprising GC (Quarterfinals)
The Canadian squad made a statement in the opening game of the tournament. Raptors Uprising’s defense forced Mavs Gaming’s Artreyo “Dimez” Boyd to produce most of the offense. However, double-digit losses to Cavs Legion GC and Magic Gaming has fans wondering what good a solid defense is if they cannot score.
Rest of the rankings
11. Bucks Gaming
12. NetsGC
13. Mavs Gaming
14. Jazz Gaming
15. Cavs Legion GC
16. Wizards District Gaming
17. Lakers Gaming
18. Hawks Talon GC
19. Pistons GT
20. Kings Guard Gaming
21. Grizz Gaming
Stay tuned for more power rankings, and let us know if you have some strong opinions about them!
