MLP celebrated the Fourth of July with a New York event that was expected to provide some clarity on which teams would make the playoffs and where they would be seeded. However, the result was the opposite, with big questions now raised about who would capture the last couple playoff spots, and which teams will get the top seeds.

 

 

Columbus has been playing better now that they have their full complement of players.  They did well at MLP San Clemente, although there still were a few things to work out. In New York, Columbus was firing on all cylinders, going 5-0, with the maximum 15 team points in the event. Columbus dominated the entire event, winning 19 of the 20 matches they played, losing only a single women’s doubles match, 13-11 to Miami. Columbus jumped up in the standings to fifth place, only .15 points per game behind third place New Jersey. Columbus’ dominating performance puts them in the conversation as a team to potentially win the mid-season tournament and the all important six standings points that would go with a win there.

 

 

 

Brooklyn has been hit hard by injuries, but super sub (and super underrated) AJ Koller continues to help bail them out. Koller was good in San Clemente for Brooklyn and he was called on again for MLP New York. He responded by posting a winning record in New York and holding his own in a DreamBreaker against Carolina, where he was matched against Ben Johns. Koller helped the team stay afloat, and Brooklyn’s closer was Rachel Rohrabacher. Rohrabacher has been playing very well in MLP this year, and in New York, she did it again. Rohrabacher and partner Jackie Kawamoto were undefeated in women’s doubles, and Rohrabacher only lost one mixed match. She also was the hero of the 22-20 DreamBreaker win over Carolina, scoring the last two points. Brooklyn is now in 4th place and is only .12 points per game out of third place. Like Columbus, Brooklyn is a threat to win the mid-season tournament.

 

 

 

The most difficult team to predict all year has been the Carolina Hogs, and MLP New York was no exception. They came in with their revamped roster, with Roscoe Bellamy replacing Collin Johns, and Etta Tuionetoa replacing Kaitlyn Christian. Carolina started off with a big win over playoff-bound Orlando, winning 3-1. But, Carolina then got smoked by Columbus, 4-0. Carolina posted wins over Miami and New York, but then stumbled again to Brooklyn, losing 3-2 in a DreamBreaker where they were a big favorite. Carolina did net 10 team points, lifting them to 12th place and within sight of 10th place and a playoff spot. Any team with Ben Johns on it should be a playoff lock. The current lineup looks like they are strong enough to make it, with the big question being why did they not make these roster moves earlier? Had this current roster been in place all year, Carolina would undoubtedly be sitting in the top eight. As it is, if Carolina can run down Miami and Chicago for a playoff spot, they will be a team that no one will look forward to playing in a playoff game.

 

 

 

Orlando continues to struggle after their initial hot start. Orlando is settling in as the 8th place team, good enough to beat the weak teams, but losing to the good teams. Unlike Carolina, Orlando just does not have the firepower to threaten the good teams. The weak spot for Orlando continues to be on the women’s side. Samantha Parker went 3-9 in New York and she is clearly the weak link for Orlando. Rumors swirl that Phoenix may be looking to trade Jessie Irvine. A Parker for Irvine trade (maybe throwing in some cash) looks like an obvious move for Orlando. Barring such a trade, Orlando looks like a one-and-done team in the mid-season tournament.

 

 

5. Miami and New York fade

 

Miami and New York really struggled at MLP New York. They lost every match, with the exception that Miami beat New York straight up. New York could not score a single point in the event, and have a solid hold on last place. Miami only won three team points in five matches and they have dropped behind Chicago in points per game for the 10th and last playoff spot. At this point, you have to favor both Chicago and Carolina to finish ahead of Miami by the end of the year.

 

 

 

For MLP New York, I exactly predicted Columbus’ 5-0, 15-point event. I was only off by one team point on Brooklyn, New York and Miami. My slight misses were on Orlando and Carolina, as I had Orlando winning their head-to-head match. A decent but not perfect week.

 

Looking ahead, next up is the mid-season tournament from Grand Rapids, beginning  July 9. All 16 Premier teams will be in action. The winner of the event gets six team points, with four for second and two for third. Those points could well prove critical for playoff seeding. Dallas is leading the standings and has been dominant all year, but they could drop a couple of spots if they do not get at least third. Other teams could drop even more, so there will be a lot on the line in Grand Rapids.

Tune in to Pickleballtv to catch all the tournament action.

 

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