2029 WBA Power Rankings — “Purple Reign Edition”

By Mike Begley

We have officially entered the Age of the Purple Reign! But before we dive into that let’s recap some league history in a nutshell: From 2001 to 2012, the WBA was an experiment. No one really knew what they were doing. League scouts were clueless, colors didn’t exist, and defensive ability was measured by some arcane INT/HAR rating no one truly understood. Then in 2013 the league introduced colors: Red = not even a basketball player, Orange = benchwarmer, Yellow = role player to underrated key cog, Green = key role to underrated star, Blue = overrated star to superstar. And then, just then, the mythical Purple appeared, first theoretically, like a unicorn or jackalope or a future messiah. At the time, even Mario Bailey was not a Purple. Only a faint glimmer existed in the distance: 26 year old Walt Jackson had “Purple potential.” Who was Walt Jackson? Exactly.

In 2013, the highest scoring team in the entire league averaged 110 points a game. Today, it’s over 131.

Que paso?

Estimates vary but one scout projects 36 current “once in a generation” purple players roaming the league, with 18 more waiting in the wings. How did this happen? Drafts flooded with super-rookies from IBF European labs? Developmental league stashing? “Random boosts” sprinkled by a cosmic Tinkerbell?

And so, Purple Reign was born.

1. Albacete Burning Hell (23-5)

Two-time defending champions, elite talent, and a GM who knows everything.

Albacete remains untouchable. Stathakis is a Jedi with a lightsaber and Mandalorian armor: point-forward wizard who makes other Purples look human. Tod Elmer morphed from a developmental project into a “baby Solana”in just two seasons. Pullido and Blanco glide across the wings in more purple armor. This team can pay 20-million-dollars to a developmental player and not blink. Meanwhile, the offense hums like a Milennium Falcon, averaging 131 points a game. Is this basketball or Pinball? Star heavy their depth is terrifying. Purple Reign? They’ve got three already, with two more coming making them the undisputed apex of the Purple Reign.

2. Boston Massacre (20-7)

Healthy Boston is boring in a terrifying way.

Falco orchestrates from the point, Trice towers in the paint, and Bobbie Mason seems incapable of committing a foul. Opponents are shooting a league low .458 against them, and there’s no drama just consistent, disciplined, ugly-good basketball. Wing creation can sputter if Falco rests, but otherwise Boston’s a perfect machine: quiet, efficient, and absolutely terrifying when healthy. Four veteran Purples currently glow in Boston red.

3. Colorado Pioneers (20-7)

A Dutch army knife of versatility and balance.

Pepu Sanchez and Liudas Wisgerda anchor a flexible frontcourt, Merle Morales patrols the wing, and the PG rotation of Erkocevic and Gasper keeps defenses guessing. Frankie Chiang is possibly the league’s best shooter with historic .500, .900, .400 shooting splits. Three Purples already shine in Colorado, with one future rising up the mountain.

4. Edmonton Eskimos (21-8)

Heliocentric Solana ball: everyone else orbits and tries not to get burned.

Sebastian Solana is an absurd cheat code and JuJu flanks him efficiently at SG, but step off the Solana axis and the roster wobbles; the bench can hemorrhage points. With him, lineups hit absurd spreads. Without him, it’s a prayer. Depth issues can be exploited, yet when Solana and the starters fire, the Eskimos feel nearly untouchable. Two Purples currently, one more brewing.

5. Paris Honey Bees (18-11)

Veterans betrayed by the basketball gods.

Klemens Eberle is the super glue, Blow anchors the paint, and Bolea paints the offense with subtle passes.  Yet injuries can instantly collapse this team. Bolea has never been the same since breaking his fist defending his wife’s honor and is currently playing through a sprained wrist. Paris is elegant when upright but fragile under pressure. Their two current Purples and one future show glimpses of what could be. When healthy, they can move the ball in fluid sequences; when not, the team crumbles.

6. Fort Lauderdale Beach Bums (19-7)

Riding Artie Duggons’ coattails once again.

Duggons is a walking, dunking, shot-creating anchor (.697 TS, 29.9 PER), while Sunday Yegini keeps the ball moving like a swimmer escaping Jaws. Rookie Rahime has proven himself worthy as a valuable two-way contributor. When Duggons sits, the team’s identity clouds, but with him, the Bums ride the tempo hard. Two Purples plus one future provide enough star power to make Fort Lauderdale a consistently dangerous team.

7. Toronto Dinos (17-12)

Random boosts resurrect the Dinos

Toronto excels at asset accumulation, benefiting from mysterious cosmic upgrades.  The team has greatly benefited after a seeming summer “fling” blossomed between Azi Bakare and Darrick Baker. Meanwhile, the young Panaiotis Fajoulas dominates in limited minutes at PF. Efficient, versatile, and potent, the Dinos’ math adds up to wins, even if the front office seems to always be playing a long game. One Purple currently, four more waiting in the wings, a long-term dinosaur resurrection.

8. Cancun Outlaws (18-12)

A team that just wants to have fun.

Daniel San and Whitlock hit insane numbers, and at the end of the day, that’s what matters. Wimpy Critchfield masquerades as a point guard disguised as a big. Defense is occasional; fun is constant. They can erupt into 25–2 runs or collapse suddenly. Shotmaking and spacing make them a short-burst nightmare. One current Purple, three future, and the party is going all night in Merida.

9. Milan Mayhem (14-12)

Old-school defensive team holding opponents to league lows.

Milan doesn’t play pretty they play suffocating. Mathiaz Kurz anchors the paint with 4.6 blocks per game. Offense is functional, every possession disciplined. Opponents are held to a league-low 111 points. Without a Purple, this grind-it-out crew quiets any doubters, showing that defense alone can still be a competitive weapon.

10. London Badgers (13-16)

Laissez-faire to .500, with flashes of London light.

Benet Da Gama may be overrated. The Badgers are inconsistent, despite boasting four Purples. High-usage stars hover the team around mediocrity, suggesting that even the presence of talent cannot replace structure and cohesion. London teases brilliance but often collapses under its own weight.

11. Chicago Hitmen (11-14)

Floundering without a plan.

Amadeo Zanon creates offense at insane efficiency, while Venceslas Portocarrero attacks on both ends, and Edmundo Dantes anchors the center. But rotations are uneven, and team defense middling. Zanon shines as a trade asset. Two Purples now, with a third future buried in uncertainty, reflect a team caught between potential and indecision.

12. Frankfurt Fury (12-15)

One star trying to pull a wobbly platoon uphill.

Reinaldo Colonnese drags the offense forward, but PG efficiency is ugly, interior defense inconsistent, and bench drop-off steep. Valentin Rosso shows promise but hasn’t yet emerged as a leader. One current Purple and one future offer glimpses of potential, hinting at what could be if the supporting cast improves.

13. Brooklyn Rage (10-16)

Underperforming talent despite random boosts.

The basketball gods shined on Brooklyn boosting Celso Lurdes who rules the four spot and Trenton Adams who keeps the point steady but the gods can only do so much. Backup PG minutes are dicey, wing/center defense uneven, and rotations chaotic. The Rage are primed to win more games but a chaotic bench keeps them teetering. Two Purples illuminate a flawed, intriguing core.

14. Barcelona Counts (13-14)

Purple lights shined then dimmed by injury bug.

Richard Baty was the chosen one struck by a random spark last year to save the Counts season and this year he was to be complemented by two new purple friends in Lepage and Navratil. Alas it was not meant to be yet. Meanwhile, Jonah Bullard chimes in efficiently, and Dante Agostino holds the center quietly. When fully healthy, this perimeter heavy unit should crack the top 10 offense, but injuries keep them in lala land. Three current Purples ensure flashes of brilliance when the shooters are shooting.

15. California Fighting Cocks (9-19)

Father time is undefeated.

The 14 time All Star, two-time champion, Hassan Watt still barrels through defenses but these days he tends to turn it over or miss the shot like a regular human. At 33, this will mark the first season in his career he is not an All Star caliber player. Speaking of aging, Alston Irving accompanies Watt, now coming off the bench as a highly serviceable backup. This retirement home of a team is primed for a much delayed rebuild. Nonetheless, one’s hope is a legend like Watt can retire a Fighting Cock. The future sees this last current Purple amid the veteran haze.

16. Atlanta Thrashers (11-17)

Basketball is a game that requires size.

Atlanta’s guards are superstars who score and create with the best ever, Klaas Binsenshaum and Pellegrino Lamantia are up there with the best backcourt of all time. But the paint is virtually abandoned: last in rebounding and blocks, rim protection nonexistent, and second-chance points a frequent heartbreak. A single competent two-way big would completely redefine the team’s identity. This is so, even considering the current big man is Cecil Hacker an all league talent. Three current Purples hint at untapped potential, but the structural gaps are glaring.

17. Las Vegas Gamblers (8-21)

Perpetually rebuilding team.

Vegas has settled into a patient rebuild. Last in the league in scoring they are gambling on lottery luck. Four future Purples promise that when the right pieces align, the gamble could pay off.

18. Arizona Dragons (7-22)

A former champion that has fallen into a full rebuild.

Once atop the WBA, Arizona now auditions young guards and tests defensive lessons the hard way. Inge Adlgasser can still contribute but is no longer a star. The team is flat ugly: last in assists and field goal percentage. One future Purple shines as a potential pillar, but the roster is firmly in lottery-and-development mode.

19. Shanghai Pandas (7-19)

A team that should just rebuild. Restock on the Purples.

Andre Bataille dominates boards and may be the league’s best shot blocker but after that defensive rotations collapse often, and bench depth is thin. Core players exist, yet the narrative should aim toward flipping veterans for picks. Two current Purples and one future suggest a roadmap, but patience is mandatory.

20. Miami Xtreme (5-22)

A team that refuses to pay stars.

Miami’s mismanagement is almost legendary, letting Jervan Timmons and Portocarrero walk in free agency and now languishing in futility. Erysichton Barba and Apolonio Borrado provide hints  of production but inefficiency and weak defense dominate the story. Lottery luck is the only path forward. Two future Purples offer a distant beacon, but for now, this roster is a cautionary tale of restraint in free agency and missed opportunity.

Final Thoughts

Much like life itself, the WBA in 2029 is a patchwork of chaos, indulgence, and randomness. The Purple Reign is real: top teams like Albacete Burning Hell and Boston Massacre are defined by concentrated, once in a generation talent, while lower standing teams rely on old-fashioned cohesion or throw in the towel for lottery hope. Playoff competitors navigate a quagmire of mediocrity and injury, while Purples cluster unevenly, exaggerating talent gaps.

The Purple Reign era signifies the deliberate orchestration of the near-mystical emergence of singular players capable of reshaping franchises overnight. If you landed one or two, cool; if not, tough luck. In short: the rich get richer, the hopeful wait for boosts, and once-in-a-generation players will make some teams look like they are playing checkers while they play chess.

But as we have seen, four Purples alone do not guarantee success, as with the London Badgers. Coaching philosophy still dictates whether a team maximizes its potential or leaves it dormant. Teams that embrace flexibility, adjustments to exploit mismatches and distribute touches, see their teams succeed, while rigid systems stifle them, regardless of talent.

The era of Purple Reign rewards those who can identify not just who a player is today but who they could become. In this sense, the WBA is no longer simply a league where teams try to win games; it has become a business where franchises contend to accumulate and stash developmental assets. Ultimately, the WBA of 2029 is as much a story of imagination as it is of talent, where legends are made not just on the court but in the choices behind the scenes.