We’re back with the third week of the most reliable power rankings for the Thailand Basketball League (because it’s the only one)!
If you are wondering where I was for the first and second weeks…
I was lazy. That’s pretty much it.
But now that I’ve shed away that laziness…I’m BACK.
This is going to be pretty simple. We have 8 teams in the TBL this year, so I’ll be ranking them from 1-8 based on how I felt they performed the past week in relative to their performance the week before. Or based on wherever I want them to be. This is MY power rankings and if I want to put the Dunkin Raptors in first place for the entire season, The Dunkin Raptors will be first place for the entire season.
Let’s begin!
| Rank | TEAM | W/L | PREVIOUS | What they did | What they didn’t do |
| 1 | Madgoats | 6-0 | 1 | Win | Lose |
| 2 | Hitech | 5-1 | 3 | Win despite resting a lot of players | Play Piyapong Piroon 40 minutes/game |
| 3 | TGE | 2-4 | 6 | Beat the defending champions | Get Nakiea Miller earlier |
| 4 | Mono Thew | 2-4 | 7 | Win a game that didn’t involve a miracle comeback | Stop Magnum Rolle |
| 5 | Mono Vampires | 3-3 | 4 | Won despite not having using a World Import | Use a World Import |
| 6 | OSK | 3-3 | 2 | Lost two of their imports in two days | Figure out what fires Scharer up |
| 7 | PEA | 3-3 | 3 | Lost two games | Get more firepower to surround their imports |
| 8 | Raptors | 0-6 | 8 | Came thisclose to winning their first game of the season twice | Get their first win of the season |
Now that that’s settled, let take a look in detail about each team.
1. Madgoats (6-0)
| Points Per Game | 80.2 | (2) |
| Effective Field Goals Percentage | 42.4% | (1) |
| Points Allowed Per Game | 69.3 | (1) |
| Opponent’s Field Goal Percentage | 32.0% | (2) |
| Rebounds Per Game | 49.0 | (3) |
| Total Rebound Percentage | 52.0% | (3) |
| Assists Per Game | 11.0 | (3) |
| Assist Ratio | 35.9% | (6) |
| Turnovers Per Game | 15.7 | (6) |
| Turnover Ratio | 14.9% | (5) |
The Madgoats managed to stay undefeated and that’s all that really matters when you are contending for the top spot in the most powerful power rankings of the Thailand Basketball League.
Teams have tried to figure out the Madgoats but nothing has seemed to work. PEA tried an interesting approach by locking the Madgoats’ top perimeter option, Moses Morgan, while forcing the other players to score. PEA’s defensive stopper, Tanasit Moolwong, managed to hold Morgan to only 1 point in the first half but Dominic Dar and Danai Kongkum was able to hit the shots that were left for them.
Once the second half started and PEA’s defense started wearing down, Magnum Rolle took over and ignited a 12-0 run which would eventually be the final blow.
While it’s been the entire Madgoats team that has been performing well as a whole, you have to admit that their strength lies heavily on Rolle, who recorded the Thailand Basketball League’s first triple double against PEA (23 points, 16 rebounds, 11 assists). At this point, the best defense to go up against the Madgoats might very well be to lock down everyone but Rolle and hope he has a bad day.
It is only fitting that the last test in the first leg of the TBL for the Madgoats will be Hitech, who seems like they might have the best shot at stopping the undefeated streak.
Games this week:
Saturday 9/7, 3.00 PM: vs Hitech
Sunday 10/7, 10.00 AM: vs Raptors
2. Hitech (5-1)
| Points Per Game | 88.5 | (1) |
| Effective Field Goals Percentage | 42.0% | (2) |
| Points Allowed Per Game | 76.0 | (7) |
| Opponent’s Field Goal Percentage | 34.9% | (4) |
| Rebounds Per Game | 50.7 | (2) |
| Total Rebound Percentage | 52.3% | (2) |
| Assists Per Game | 12.8 | (1) |
| Assist Ratio | 38.1% | (2) |
| Turnovers Per Game | 14.3 | (1) |
| Turnover Ratio | 12.8% | (1) |
Did you panic when Hitech lost to OSK last week? I know some people did.
You know who didn’t? Hitech. Not only did they not panic, they decided to rest Tyler Lamb, Freddie Lish, and Bandit Lakhan in their two games this week. Along with the recent injury of Kannawat Lertlaokul, Hitech played without 29.0% of their total team minutes played up to date. Hitech went into the weekend without their first, second, and third guard in their rotation.
And they still came out with a 2-0 record.
What a luxury it must be for Hitech to have a legit young guard like Suppawich Khukhandhin laying around deep in their lineup. With those aforementioned absences, Suppawich would play 32 minutes (most he’s ever played even since he was a main player on Thai General Equipment last year), score 9 points, and dish out 7 assists.
Suppawich wasn’t the only one benefiting from the opportunity. Wuttipong Dasom would help to pick up the offensive shots left with Tyler Lamb sitting out. Dasom had averaged 13.3 shots per game before Lamb’s injury but those attempts shot up to 20.0 per game this past weekend. He obviously enjoyed this while scoring 30 points on 54.5% shooting to be the third local player in the past two seasons to crack the 30 point mark (others are Chitchai Ananti and Moses Morgan).
A huge match up looms ahead against the Madgoats on Saturday which will determine who will be the league leader at the half of the season. With their top perimeter players well rested, we might actually get to see a change in the top of the Thailand Basketball League’s most powerful Power Rankings next week.
Games this week:
Saturday 9/7, 3.00 PM: vs Madgoats
Sunday 10/7, : 5.30 PM: vs TGE
3. TGE (2-4)
| Points Per Game | 76.0 | (5) |
| Effective Field Goals Percentage | 35.8% | (8) |
| Points Allowed Per Game | 77.3 | (5) |
| Opponent’s Field Goal Percentage | 35.5% | (6) |
| Rebounds Per Game | 51.5 | (1) |
| Total Rebound Percentage | 53.2% | (1) |
| Assists Per Game | 10.8 | (4) |
| Assist Ratio | 37.1% | (4) |
| Turnovers Per Game | 16.3 | (7) |
| Turnover Ratio | 14.4% | (4) |
In the game against the Mono Vampires, TGE showed us what team they could actually be. Sure, they had the advantage of being able to parade 3 Imports (2 World, 1 ASEAN) while the Mono Vampires elected to not field even one, but there was still a lot to like from TGE this past weekend.
TGE has one of the bigger sized teams in the League and it shows in their rebounding numbers. Patipan Klahan, Chatpol Cheungyampin, and Lenny Daniel are all among the top of the TBL in terms of rebounding percentage. They were a terror to handle on the boards for any team they played against so far.
The fact that they are a good rebounding team comes in handy as well, since they are also one of the worst shooting teams. TGE shoots only 21.9% from long range so it’s pretty fortunate that they are effective at collecting those second chance attempts. It was their shortcomings that lost them the overtime game against OSK R Airlines when Coach Prasert Siripojanakul decided to throw a 2-3 zone at them. TGE couldn’t make them pay with their outside shooting.
Attaphong Leelapipatkul (9 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds) and Montien Wongsawangtham (24 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals) would have their best games yet against a perimeter loaded Mono Vampires. This would seem like a good sign looking forward to the rest of the season for a team that is in serious need for players to help space the floor.
Games this week:
Saturday 9/7, 5.30 PM: vs PEA
Sunday 10/7, 5.30 PM: vs Hitech
4. Mono Thewphaingarm (2-4)
| Points Per Game | 67.3 | (8) |
| Effective Field Goals Percentage | 37.1% | (5) |
| Points Allowed Per Game | 74.7 | (2) |
| Opponent’s Field Goal Percentage | 36.2% | (7) |
| Rebounds Per Game | 40.3 | (7) |
| Total Rebound Percentage | 45.7% | (7) |
| Assists Per Game | 8.2 | (7) |
| Assist Ratio | 32.5% | (7) |
| Turnovers Per Game | 15.2 | (4) |
| Turnover Ratio | 15.2% | (7) |
I personally think this season for Mono Thewphaingarm will be entertaining just only to see the effects of the “ASEAN Import” rule as well as how teams that did not get an ASEAN Import react towards such situations.
Despite not having an ASEAN Import and losing out on last year’s main scoring option, Mono Thewphaingarm have actually gathered themselves quite nicely. Their starting five of Laudermill, Sukthub, Meungboon, Apiromwilaichai, and Saengthong is a very versatile line up and can create mismatches easily.
An earlier loss to PEA and a last second comeback win over TGE might seem disappointing, but Mono Thew were able to redeem themselves nicely with a win over OSK R Airlines (who were without Jon Kreft due to an injury).
The problem right now is that they don’t have a consistent second scoring option. Tawatchai Sukthub and Nattakarn Meungboon are good all-around scorers for sure, but they are not at the level where you can expect to throw them the ball and let them go to work.
Mono Thewphaingarm will end the first leg with a game against the Dunkin Raptors, which should put them in a good position to end the first leg. However, the second leg will start and teams will have be making adjustments to improve their chances. In my opinion, I’m not really sure what Mono Thewphaingarm can do to improve in the short term.
Games this week:
Saturday 9/7, 12.30 PM: vs Raptors
Sunday 10/7, 12.30 PM: vs Mono Vampires
5. Mono Vampires (3-3)
| Points Per Game | 76.3 | (4) |
| Effective Field Goals Percentage | 38.9% | (4) |
| Points Allowed Per Game | 75.5 | (3) |
| Opponent’s Field Goal Percentage | 31.9% | (1) |
| Rebounds Per Game | 46.3 | (6) |
| Total Rebound Percentage | 49.3% | (6) |
| Assists Per Game | 10.7 | (5) |
| Assist Ratio | 37.4% | (3) |
| Turnovers Per Game | 18.3 | (8) |
| Turnover Ratio | 16.9% | (8) |
Here’s something to consider. The Mono Vampires have looked like a train wreck. They’ve elected to play the recent two games without an import. Their body language hasn’t been convincing. Coach Jon Corbacio doesn’t look like he has completely control of the team yet.
Despite all of that, their record in 3-3.
The pure force of their local talents have kept them afloat to this point. Devaughn Washington and Josh Crawford weren’t completely horrible (though in some moments, they really were), but they didn’t give the Vampires the advantage over the opposing team’s imports. Change is probably inevitable once the second leg starts, so expect something big from the Vampires.
Once they figure out their import situation, it shouldn’t be hard for the Vampires to get things going. Ananti will come back soon from his injury to score like crazy. Samerjai is starting to look more aggressive. Sekteera is coming into his own. And the young twin towers, Chantachon and Semeesuk, have been phenomenal.
Still, you can only do so much if your import is getting eaten alive so here we are in the middle of the table waiting for change.
Games this week:
Saturday 9/7, 10.00 AM: vs OSK R Airlines
Sunday 10/7, 12.30 PM: vs Mono Thewphaigarm
6. OSK R Airlines (3-3)
| Points Per Game | 78.0 | (3) |
| Effective Field Goals Percentage | 36.3% | (7) |
| Points Allowed Per Game | 77.2 | (4) |
| Opponent’s Field Goal Percentage | 35.0% | (5) |
| Rebounds Per Game | 48.7 | (4) |
| Total Rebound Percentage | 51.3% | (5) |
| Assists Per Game | 11.5 | (2) |
| Assist Ratio | 42.3% | (1) |
| Turnovers Per Game | 14.8 | (2) |
| Turnover Ratio | 13.3% | (2) |
Right now, OSK R Airlines is like a bizarro Thai version of peak-Daryl Morey Houston Rockets. They have attempted the most threes (221) by a considerable margin and are also second in free throw attempts. They avoid midrange shots as much as possible and seemingly always look to pass the ball for a better shot attempt.
It’s a fun idea to revolve an offense around efficient shots like three pointers and free throws and that’s what has made OSK such a fun team.
“Fun” however, doesn’t always win games. Their high octane offense has created numerous big shots, but it hasn’t been completely effective. While 25.3% from long range is good enough for 4th in the TBL, they are shooting an abysmal 35.1% from inside the arc. That’s…not good. Moreover, they aren’t the most defensive minded team which has lead to frustrating defensive possessions.
Don’t get me wrong, I love watching this team. But for every big “Scharer” game, its usually followed by one where he looks passive and disinterested. For every big three Anucha Langsui makes, there’s a couple of air balls succeeding that.
Things aren’t looking better for OSK so far. Christien Ellis went MIA this week with reports varying from him bolting for a deal in China to OSK found a replacement for him in the second leg. To make matters worse, Jon Kreft went down with an injury early in Sunday’s game against Mono Thewphaingarm.
Things have been staying afloat and well so far for OSK, but a storm’s coming and we’ll get to see how they weather it.
Games this week:
Saturday 9/7, 10.00 AM: vs Mono Vampires
Sunday 10/7, 3.00 PM: vs PEA
7. PEA (3-3)
| Points Per Game | 74.2 | (6) |
| Effective Field Goals Percentage | 39.3% | (3) |
| Points Allowed Per Game | 77.8 | (6) |
| Opponent’s Field Goal Percentage | 34.8% | (3) |
| Rebounds Per Game | 47.7 | (5) |
| Total Rebound Percentage | 52.0% | (4) |
| Assists Per Game | 10.2 | (7) |
| Assist Ratio | 37.0% | (5) |
| Turnovers Per Game | 15.5 | (5) |
| Turnover Ratio | 15.1% | (6) |
The underdog story can only go on for so long. It has been fun watching PEA’s duo, Jeff and Raymon, carry this young team on their shoulders. PEA is a team where each individual might not be extraordinarily good, but they combine as a whole to be a solid unit.
Athiwat Hoom-Art will get you points. Thongchai Thippayaprapai will get you rebounds. Tanasit Moolwong will lockdown the oppostion (as he did against Moses Morgan in the first half and against Avery Scharer). It’s been fun seeing all of these pieces fall into place and forming a solid team.
Raymon Austin has quietly been having a monstrous season. His 49.6 eFG% is highly efficient compared to the amount of shots he takes (116 FGA, 8th in TBL). If not for the even more outstanding season that Magnum Rolle has been having, Austin should have a firm footing on the Best Import of the TBL.
The problem for PEA is that beyond Viernes, Austin, and (a sporadic) Hoom-Art, they haven’t had much help on offense:
| Team | Points not scored by top 3 scorers | Percentage |
| Mono Vampires | 267 | 58.3% |
| Hitech | 280 | 52.7% |
| OSK R Airlines | 228 | 48.7% |
| TGE | 221 | 48.5% |
| Mono Thew | 161 | 39.9% |
| Dunkin Raptors | 159 | 37.6% |
| Madgoats | 171 | 35.6% |
| PEA | 77 | 17.3% |
That there is a pretty steep dive. It’s true that PEA rely on their other players to do something else other than to score, but the players still need to at least pose a threat.
This was a problem as they suffered back to back loses. It might not seem surprising losing to the two league leaders, but I feel that if they had one local step up to score, we could be seeing a different win/loss record.
Games this week:
Saturday 9/7, 5.30 PM: vs TGE
Sunday 10/7, 3.00 PM: vs OSK R Airlines
8. Dunkin Raptors (0-6)
| Points Per Game | 70.5 | (7) |
| Effective Field Goals Percentage | 36.9% | (6) |
| Points Allowed Per Game | 81.0 | (8) |
| Opponent’s Field Goal Percentage | 36.6% | (8) |
| Rebounds Per Game | 24.3 | (8) |
| Total Rebound Percentage | 43.3% | (8) |
| Assists Per Game | 7.7 | (8) |
| Assist Ratio | 27.7% | (8) |
| Turnovers Per Game | 14.8 | (2) |
| Turnover Ratio | 14.2% | (3) |
I admire that the Dunkin Raptors have taken a step up to being more competitive this season. I really do. They were blown out by an average of 21.8 points last year but have only lost by an average 10.5 points this year.
Patrick Cabahug has sure been a help on offense averaging 23.7 points and it’s helped loosen up 35-year-old National Team veteran, Kittimon Wanna. Wanna has been averaging 8.6 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting a decent 33.3% from downtown.
They are still a solid step behind the other teams though, even if they have shown improvements over the years. If we were to base on score alone, the Raptors did okay in losing to the Mono Vampires and Hitech by 8 and 10 points, respectively. However, if you got to watch those games, you would know that Mono Vampires were without imports and their leading scorer, while Hitech was resting their main players as much as they could.
It’s still going to be a long season for the Raptors.
Games this week:
Saturday 9/7, 12.30 PM: vs Mono Thewphaingarm
Sunday 10/7, 10.00 AM: vs Madgoats
Best Player Races
In this section, I’ll tackle the race to the best player awards (Imports/Locals).
Best Import Race Week 3:
| Rank | Previous | Player | Team | Notable Stats |
| 1 | 1 | Magnum Rolle | MAD | 21.7 PPG (4th) 17.5 RPG (1st) 4.3 APG (1st) 2.5 BPG (1st) |
| 2 | 4 | Raymon Austin | PEA | 21.7 PPG (4th) 16.3 RPG (2nd) 49.6 eFG% 38.9 3P% |
| 3 | 3 | Avery Scharer | OSK | 19.7 PPG (6th) 7.8 RPG (13th) 3.7 APG (2nd) 73.7 FT% (12th) |
| 4 | 2 | Jeff Viernes | PEA | 28.7 PPG (1st) 3.2 APG (5th) 8.3 RPG (11th) |
| 5 | new | Patrick Cabahug | DKR | 23.7 PPG (2nd) |
So far, the TBL 2016 Best Import will be Magnum Rolle’s to lose. He’s the chess piece that could make or break an entire game with on single move. The Madgoats are undefeated throughout six games in part because no one else has figured out how to efficiently stop Rolle from rolling.
Austin, Scharer, and Viernes have all been having magnificent seasons, but until Magnum Rolle slips and falls, he should go home with the award easily.
Best Local Player Race Week 3:
| Rank | Previous | Player | Team | Notable Stats |
| 1 | 1 | Moses Morgan | MAD | 23.2 PPG (1st) 9.0 RPG (1st) 6.4 FTA (1st) |
| 2 | 4 | Nattakarn Meungboon | MNT | 10.7 PPG (8th) 5.7 RPG (8th) 1.7 APG (7th) |
| 3 | new | Kannut Samerjai | MNV | 9.5 PPG (12th) 4.8 RPG (14th) 3.0 APG (2nd) |
| 4 | 3 | Freddie Lish | HT | 11.3 PPG (6th) 5.3 RPG (9th) 52.4 eFG% (8th) |
| 5 | 2 | Chitchai Ananti | MNV | 17.3 PPG (2nd) 93.8 FT% (1st) |
(stats are ranked among local players)
Moses Morgan is still on a tear with the undefeated Madgoats. He’s upped his offensive efficiency from 33.3 eFG% from last year to a rock solid 40.2 eFG% this year. The team system has helped his improvement for sure, but it’s quite visible to see how he’s grown in terms of shot selection and overall decision making.
Like Magnum Rolle, Morgan’s claim to the Best Local Player award is his to lose if things continue this way. Chitchai Ananti and Freddie Lish looked like solid contenders, but both were rested/injured during this weekend.
Nattakarn Meungboon has been phenomenally leading the charge for Mono Thewphaingarm with import Theron Laudermill. Even though his team might not be on the right side of the win-loss column, Meungboon has been playing his heart out to prove that he deserves to be mentioned among the top.
Honorable Mentions
Thongchai Thippayaprapai: for his rebounding (8.3 RPG, 2nd)
Watcharaphong Thongsri: for his shooting (10.4 PPG, 56.5 3p%, 70.3 eFG%)
Wuttipong Dasom: for his scoring outburst (30 points, 54.5 FG%)
That wraps it up! If you have any suggestions, please feel free to comment or send an email to k.sajjatam@gmail.com.
Until next week!
Tones and Definition 