NBA D-League Power Rankings: February 17, 2010
by Matthew Brennan, D-League.com
February 17, 2010: The Power Rankings move on past the All-Star break, and the Iowa Energy reclaim the top spot. Iowa is currently riding a six-game winning streak after a win in Los Angeles on Tuesday night. The Rio Grande Valley Vipers move back to second after splitting their last four games before the All-Star break. The red-hot Austin Toros move into third on the strength of a current four-game winning streak.
| TEAM (last week's ranking) | REC. | BREAKDOWN | |
| 1 |  Iowa (2) |
27-6 | The Energy won their sixth straight game on Tuesday, and are now winners of 11 of their last 12 contests. They continue their western road trip with visits to Utah and Reno over the weekend. Cartier Martin is averaging 15.8 points since returning to the team from a GATORADE Call-Up to the Golden State Warriors. |
| 2 |  Rio Grande Valley (1) |
23-8 | The Vipers bounced back from getting swept in Albuquerque to end the first half of the season on a two-game winning streak. They are at home for their next four and start with two visits from Maine this weekend. On the personnel front, rookie guard Garrett Temple has moved up to the Rockets via a GATORADE Call-Up but Will Conroy has returned to the Vipers after his ten-day. |
| 3 |  Austin (4) |
19-10 | The Toros take a four-game winning streak into Los Angeles on Thursday night before the team moves on to spend Saturday and Sunday in Bakersfield. Austin is creeping up to challenge Rio Grande for the conference lead, although they are still three games behind. Star rookie Alonzo Gee's numbers have taken a dive in February, but he should bounce back after a strong all-star performance. He entered the month averaging 21.0 points but is only posting 16.6 points this month. |
| 4 |  Maine (3) |
19-11 | The Red Claws made some moves this week and added more talent to their already potent lineup when Morris Almond was acquired in a trade along with rugged forward T.J. Cummings. Almond joins Maurice Ager in giving the Red Claws two former first-round NBA Draft picks on the team. Maine lost two of three to enter the All-Star break and will visit Tulsa and Rio Grande Valley this weekend. |
| 5 |  Dakota (9) |
17-13 | The Wizards enter this week on a four-game winning streak and hit the road to visit Sioux Falls for this weekend's VERSUS game. All-star forward Romel Beck is averaging 24.6 points on .604 (29-48) shooting over his last three games. |
| 6 |  Sioux Falls (10) |
16-15 | The Skyforce have been playing very well recently and enter the second half of the season trying to move above the .500 mark. They visit Utah on Wednesday before hosting two big games against Dakota. Center Greg Stiemsma continues to lead the league in blocks with 3.6 per contest. |
| 7 |  Tulsa (6) |
16-14 | The 66ers are looking to build on a two-game winning streak and host Maine on Thursday before a week off. First-round draft pick Latavious Williams is averaging 9.1 rebounds in his last ten games and has been inserted into the starting lineup. |
| 8 |  Albuquerque (8) |
16-14 | The Thunderbirds are challenging for a playoff spot after a good start to the new year. Now they will hit the road for a while with three straight on the road, starting with a trip to Utah on Thursday. Second-year guard Antoine Agudio has picked up his game since the team lost Keith McLeod. Agudio is averaging 20.0 points over his last five games and shared the last NBA D-League Performer of the Week award with teammate Carlos Powell. |
| 9 |  Utah (5) |
16-15 | The Flash dropped their last two games heading into the All-Star break and will look to rebound with a three-game homestand. All three games are against teams over .500, starting with a game against the Skyforce. Center Luke Nevill is coming off one of his best games of the season with 21 points and 10 rebounds in last week's loss to Albuqurque. |
| 10 |  Idaho (9) |
14-15 | The Stampede snapped a five-game skid with their last game before the All-Star break, and return to action on Friday when they host surging Iowa. Star guard Coby Karl is back after a GATORADE Call-Up to the Golden State Warriors. Idaho will be looking for better results than his first stint with the team, where Idaho compiled a 1-4 record with him in the lineup. |
| 11 |  Reno (11) |
13-17 | The Bighorns are playing .500 ball recently and head east to take on the struggling Springfield Armor. Center Rod Benson has been on a tear lately with four double-doubles in his last six games. He is averaging 16.2 points and 11.3 rebounds over that stretch. |
| 12 |  Erie (12) |
12-20 | The BayHawks bring a four-game losing streak into Fort Wayne this weekend, and will try to end the streak by defeating a team they have already gotten past three times this season. Star point guard Cedric Jackson should be back in action after being let go by the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this week. Jackson averaged 14.6 points and 7.6 assists prior to the GATORADE Call-Up to Cleveland. |
| 14 |  Fort Wayne (14) |
10-19 | The Mad Ants fell at home to Reno on Tuesday night to extend their losing streak to three games. Fort Wayne is now 4-12 since the new year and will look for some more wins when the conference rival Erie BayHawks visit this weekend. Fort Wayne is 2-3 against Erie this season. Former NBA point guard Dan Dickau joined the team on Monday and scored 15 points in Tuesday's debut. |
| 14 |  Los Angeles (15) |
9-18 | The D-Fenders were defeated at home by Iowa on Tuesday, marking their third straight loss and ninth in the last ten games. They will try to turn things around this week when Austin visits STAPLES Center on Thursday followed by Saturday's trip to Idaho. Los Angeles is 0-2 against Austin so far this season. |
| 15 |  Bakersfield (13) |
8-23 | The Jam lost their last two games heading into the All-Star break and will return to action with a three-game homestand, starting with games against Austin this weekend. Forward/center Brian Butch was named Most Valuable Player of the All-Star game after being named a late replacement earlier in the week. |
| 16 |  Springfield (16) |
5-22 | The Armor are mired in the middle of a seven-game losng streak, and shook things up by trading leading scorer Morris Almond and top rebounder T.J. Cummings to Maine for veterans Tony Bobbitt and Noel Felix. Springfield, all of whose five wins have come at home this season, will host the Reno Bighorns for two games this weekend. |
