A Little Past Mid-Season Update

MBA STANDINGS Season 25

East
1st Charleston 4-1
2nd Houston 4-2
3rd Philadelphia 3-3
4th Chicago 3-3
Last Milwaukee 0-5

West
1st San Jose 5-1
2nd Sacramento 3-3
3rd Dallas 3-3
4th Seattle 2-4
Last Oklahoma City 2-4

Standings notes: The Philadelphia/Dallas stranglehold finally appears to be broken this season, with giant retirements (Curly Hogbottom for Philly) and team losses (All-league forward Boone Doggle to Chicago and forward Ed Masterson to San Jose from Dallas) hurting the traditional front runners. Meanwhile, San Jose the doormat of the East, is finally having its day. In addition to picking up Ed Masterson, the Fighting Amigos are enjoying the services of 6-8 rookie savior Sagittal Occlusal, a shot-blocking, rebounding machine who has sparked the resurgence and may end up the league MVP. A power forward, Occlusal is third in the league in scoring (18.8 per game), second in rebounding and is on pace to beat the single-season blocked shots record of 35 set by J.D. Jedreat of Charleston way, way back in Season 8. Occlusal has 23 with four games remaining.

If things hold up, Charleston will break the longest playoff-appearance drought in the MBA. The last time the Rebels made the post-season was in Season 15. They have never won a title.
San Jose, also without a title, last made it in Season 17 and has finished last two years running. Chicago, which has been disappointing despite picking up Boone Doggle and future Hall of Famer Mamadou Zongo, last made the final four in Season 17.

Top Scorers
Benny Gumm, Charleston 22.0
Shooter Flatch, Dallas 19.3 (Flatch made Hall of Fame this season...will retire at season's end)
Saggital Occlusal, San Jose 18.8
Horn E. Goatweed, Seattle 18.5
Jonny Cockaroo, Charleston 16.6

Best rookies thus far this season
Sagittal Occlusal, San Jose, 6-8 power forward
Soh Cah Toa, Charleston, 6-10 power forward starting for first-place Rebels
Othos Wives, Milwaukee, 6-0 starting point guard, great O, no D
Dickie "Dog Dirt" Davis, Dallas, 6-0 point guard, great passer and dribbler, who recently lost starting spot.

Three outstanding rookie centers currently backing up big-time starters are: Heater Van Meter of Charleston, Crash D. Bordz of Houston and Trey Bon of Chicago.
This has been the year of very big rookie forwards in the MBA, with Occlusal, Toa and the following who have contributed mightily off the bench for their teams:
Tug Hershorts, 6-11, adding great depth for San Jose; Blue Danube, 6-11 backup for the Greyhounds of Milwaukee; 6-10 Power Tubes Mullard at the big forward post for the River Dogs of Sacramento. This is the tallest group of forwards to ever join the league in one season. And that's not even counting Philadelphia's Ricket E. Rack, who is a viable asset, but at 6-7 is a dwarf compared with his rookie class.