D-League Power Rankings: March 26, 2008
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Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images |
by Matthew Brennan, D-League.com
The Idaho Stampede have lost two straight but maintain their lead in the West Division by one game. Idaho leads Los Angeles in the West Division with less than three weeks remaining in the regular season. As the two teams are first and second when it comes to the D-League's best record, the winner of the West will likely gain home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. The Utah Flash are another 9.5 games behind Los Angeles in third place and still alive in a hunt for a wild-card berth in the playoffs.
In the Southwest Division, the Austin Toros have built their lead to 3.5 games over Tulsa and Colorado, who would be the second and third wild-card teams to qualify for the playoffs as of today. The Toros also trail Idaho by three games in the race to finish with the D-League's best record. The Albuquerque Thunderbirds, winners of seven of their last ten, are another four games behind and can still contend for a wild-card spot out of the Southwest.
In the Central Division, the Dakota Wizards and the Sioux Falls Skyforce will meet this weekend in Sioux Falls with the division in the balance. Dakota currently leads by 1.5 games with both games currently riding three-game winning streaks. The runner-up in the division would also be a contender for a wild-card berth, although the Skyforce would be shut out if the season ended today.The Iowa Energy trail by another six games and look to be locked into third place.
| TEAM (LAST WK) | REC. | BREAKDOWN | |
| 1 |  Los Angeles (2) |
29-13 | The D-Fenders have closed to within one game of the lead in the West Division heading into Wednesday's matchup with Colorado. The D-Fenders, one of the league's best home teams with a 16-4 record, will play their next four games at STAPLES Center culminating in a visit from the Stampede on Wednesday, April 2. Idaho leads the season series 5-2, so the D-Fenders would lose out on the division if both teams finish with identical records. |
| 2 |  Idaho (1) |
30-12 | The Stampede dropped two games in Anaheim but are holding on by one game in the West Division with eight left to play. They will try to bounce back this weekend when the Utah Flash visit. Idaho swept Utah at home two weeks ago, but must now contend without star center Lance Allred, who signed a second 10-day contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday. |
| 3 |  Austin (5) |
27-15 | The Toros head to California this week with a 3.5 game lead in the Southwest Division. They swept Rio Grande Valley last weekend to snap a four-game losing streak and are currently in position to lock up a first-round bye as the division leader with the second-best record. |
| 4 |  Dakota (4) |
26-18 | The Wizards beat the Mad Ants on Tuesday for the third straight time and have built a 1.5 game lead in the Central Division. They will play their six remaining games on the road starting with a huge two-game set in Sioux Falls this weekend. Dakota is 8-11 on the road this season but will probably need to improve on that percentage if the are going to pull out the Central Division title. |
| 5 |  Sioux Falls (7) |
25-20 | The Skyforce are refusing to be denied in the Central Division, winning three straight to keep pace with the Wizards. Down by 1.5 games in the division, the Skyforce can take the lead if they sweep Dakota this weekend in Sioux Falls. The Skyforce are 16-4 at Sioux Falls Arena but one of those losses came at the hands of the Wizards back in December. Sioux Falls also lead the season series 5-3 so they can clinch a tie-breaker advantage with a win in either game. |
| 6 |  Tulsa (3) |
24-19 | The 66ers would be the last team to make it into the playoffs if the season ended today, but are only two winning percentage points ahead of the Skyforce. After defeating Rio Grande Valley on Tuesday to halt a three-game skid, the 66ers will visit Colorado for two crucial games in the wild-card playoff picture. The Southwest Division title is also still a possibilty but Tulsa needs to make up 3.5 games with seven left to play. |
| 7 |  Colorado (6) |
23-18 | The 14ers are struggling down the stretch and suffered another loss when do-everything point guard Eddie Gillsigned with the SuperSonics on Monday. Colorado will head to California this week as they attempt to snap a three-game winning streak and keep pace in the playoff standings, where they would currently be the fifth seed out of six teams. |
| 8 |  Albuquerque (8) |
18-22 | The Thunderbirds snapped a six-game winning streak on Sunday in Los Angeles but have still won seven of their last ten. Six straight road games now loom with the T-Birds trailing the last wild-card team (Tulsa) by four games. Albuquerque is only 6-13 away from home this season so they will need to reverse that trend for any chance at seeing the postseason. |
| 9 |  Utah (9) |
19-22 | The Flash are a long-shot to make the playoffs but are still alive if they can close out the regular season with a winning streak combined with a collapse by either Tulsa or Colorado. The first obstacle is a road trip to Idaho for two games, where the Flash are 0-2 this season. They have compiled a 1-5 overall record against Idaho with three games left in the season series. |
| 10 |  Anaheim (12) |
19-25 | The Arsenal have won four straight and can finish the season with a .500 record if they win their remaining six games. That will be a tall order with three games against the D-Fenders remaining, and a visit from the Austin Toros on Wednesday night. Center Marcus Campbellis averaging 19.2 points and 11.1 rebounds in ten games during March. |
| 11 |  Iowa (10) |
18-25 | The Energy have fallen out of contention in the Central Division by losing four straight to fall 7.5 games out of first with seven left on the schedule. They will close out the March slate with a home-and-home against Fort Wayne starting Thursday. |
| 12 |  Rio Grande Valley (11) |
17-29 | The The Vipers are closing out the season with four games at home, all against division opponents. Rio Grande Valley has compiled a 3-5 record in March and sits four games out of fourth place in the Southwest Division. |
| 13 |  Fort Wayne (13) |
15-28 | The Mad Ants have endured a difficult month of March, losing seven of ten games. The good news last week was the acquisition of NBA veteran Dahntay Jones, who played for the Sacramento Kings earlier this season. He scored 28 points in his debut Tuesday but it was not enough to prevent a three-point loss to Dakota. |
| 14 |  Bakersfield (14) |
9-34 | The Jam are enjoying their first winning streak of the season after winning in Los Angeles and at home against Utah. In an odd occurence, both of Bakersfield's road victories (2-22 on the road) are in Los Angeles against the D-Fenders, who have lost only four home games the entire season. |
