Major League Pickleball (MLP) 2023 Season 1 – Challenger Shuffle Draft #1 Preview

📸 @majorleaguepb

With a new year of MLP, there are new nuances for fans to get acquainted with as things are set to stabilize for 2024. For 2023, there are no add/drops for Premier teams, only trades. Challenger teams can still complete add/drop transactions with the available player pool. The game changer for this event 1 Challenger Shuffle Draft is that Jillian Braverman will be in the available player pool. We wrote about this in our inaugural newsletter (which you can subscribe to) but, in our opinion, Braverman’s ability to enter the Shuffle Draft without being in the initial draft player pool is a problem. One Challenger team will benefit heavily from a Premier level talent providing immense value to their 2nd female spot. Think about whether this would be fair if Parris Todd were allowed to enter the Challenger player pool?

Braverman is not on the same level as Parris Todd, but her insertion into the player pool could slant the entire landscape of the Challenger division, depending on the team that benefits from picking her up. With the 2023 results determining which teams start 2024 in Premier, the timing for Braverman’s insertion in the player pool should have been after the first half of the season rather than the first event. It’s an unjust curve ball to the teams that drafted far better than the team that will pick her up.  

In terms of the logistics of the Shuffle Draft, each team cannot drop more than one player for. The Shuffle Draft order will be determined based on the reverse order of the standings from the first event in Mesa. The player pools have not been made public yet but the transactions will be revealed on Sunday, March 5th. So, let’s go through the teams from #1 through #12, and the options that present them in the lead up to the first Shuffle Draft of 2023.

#1 – Bay Area Breakers 

They won the first event. If there was a re-draft today, there is an argument to be made that every single player on the Breakers could go higher than where they were selected. Pablo Tellez went 6th overall and the consistency he has shown in 2023 makes him a top 3 guy in this division. Christian Alshon (3rd rounder) proved very worthy of his draft slot. Both females, Ewa Radzikowska (2nd rounder) and Rachel Summers (4th rounder), would undoubtedly be picked significantly higher than where they went in December. They are the only team to get plus value at every single selection. They won the first event. No changes are going to be made for the Breakers. End of story. 

#2 – Utah Black Diamonds 

The Black Diamonds came in second so we would be shocked to see them make a move. This is a veteran team that isn’t going to be overmatched by any team out there. There may be room to upgrade that last male spot in order to optimize Olivia McMillan on the right side of the court in mixed as a lefty, but that won’t happen. Nor should it. The risk is not worth the potential reward. 

#3 – Chicago Slice 

With the depth of the men in pro pickleball, the most likely spot where several teams could try to upgrade is their 2nd male slot. With players like Brendon Long, Daniel De La Rosa and Eden Lica out there, a semi-final finish from the Slice does not necessarily prevent them from trying to make a move. At the same time, the Slice don’t really fit the bill to move off of Ryler DeHeart, but we have to throw it out there as a possibility. We think it is likely the teams who experienced some success in Mesa are going to be more risk averse because the thought of following up a solid performance with a sub-par performance due to dropping a player is tough for most people to swallow. Each situation is circumstance dependent and we don’t think the Slice are a team that should be making a change. The best option for the Slice is probably to run it back, particularly when their Shuffle Draft position will be later, assuming a number of other teams drop a male player.

📸 @atlantabouncers

#4 – Atlanta Bouncers

This would be a great Jillian Braverman landing spot, except for the fact that the Bouncers semi-final finish will prevent them from having any chance of acquiring her. The Bouncers played five Dreambreakers and with Christine Trifunovic and Ben Newell rounding out their 2nd gender slots, those Dreambreakers could easily have gone a different way. They can’t expect to go 4 for 5 on Dreambreakers again, but the problem for any teams looking to upgrade on women is that, outside of Jillian Braverman, there may not be a single female that obviously represents a significant upgrade. That’s also why this Jillian Braverman thing is potentially so unfair as she represent a significant upgrade whereas she would be a first-round female if we re-drafted the Challenger division today – we actually have her as a top 24 Premier player. We expect the Bouncers will stand pat, but this is the #1 Challenger team that we expect could see a big dip in their results in Daytona.

#5 – Orlando Squeeze 

It sounds like the Todd Fought selection was a Callan Dawson Utah connection pick. Fought’s play was solid enough at the first event, but do the Squeeze want to try to upgrade that spot? From our perspective, this team is probably a middle of the pack team constructed the way they are. Their next move will depend on organizational philosophy. Do they just want to guarantee some wins in season 1 or do they want to take some risk for more upside? Putting Jillian Braverman on this team would make them instant contenders but their quarter-final appearance makes that proposition near impossible. It also seems unlikely that Brendon Long makes it this far in the Shuffle Draft because he would be a great fit with his previous partnerships with Bobbi Oshiro. It’s not an easy question for the Squeeze.

#6 – Brooklyn Aces 

The Aces are in a weird spot. They have two pregnant women, who will be 2 months farther along in their pregnancies before Daytona rolls around. Brooklyn knew they would have to move off Carr before event #3 but they are only allowed to drop one player per event. As noted above, it is so hard to upgrade the female spots. The only place for most of these teams to upgrade on the waiver wire is through their 2nd male, but there wasn’t really anything in Dow’s performance from Mesa that would warrant his dropping. A change would more be about trying to shake things up and bring in someone who might be able to carry more for a #2 mixed partnership. It may make the most sense for Brooklyn to stay status quo and hope that their entire team performance plays up to the level that was initially expected after the draft. Trades are tough, but maybe there are trades they can explore out there?

#7 – Texas Ranchers 

As is the case for most of these bottom half teams, the Ranchers have a conundrum on their hands. The foundation of their team was supposed to be two strong, veteran men, but Pat Smith/Steve Deakin went 0-3 together in Mesa. We wonder if there is a trade in the cards with one of their veterans providing more value to another team that could use the stability as opposed to upside. Genie Erokhina held up fine as the 2nd female. It seems the Ranchers either have to hope that their veteran men put it together or they make a move to try to upgrade one of those spots. We think finding someone more dynamic to pair with Lee Whitwell should be a priority. Frankly, Pat Smith’s play at the start of 2023 is the most concerning of the 4 players on this team.

#8 – D.C. Pickleball Team 

D.C. definitely won’t drop Querrey so the question is whether they will drop Paolicelli. They may have performed too well at the first event to have Braverman drop to them, but it still looks to be the perfect situation for an attempt to upgrade that last female spot. Paolicelli is okay, but the chances are D.C. won’t be risking much by dropping Paolicelli, who is a low upside player. There has to be someone out there that can offer close to what Paolicelli gives from a floor standpoint while still providing something in the way of upside. Moreover, Paolicelli does not offer anything from a singles standpoint so a slight downgrade in doubles could be worth it for a singles upgrade with Stefan Auvergne’s ability to win two matches by himself in Challenger. If Salome Devidze is in that player pool, she could be an option, Devidze’s doubles game has not come anywhere near her singles results but getting someone who can dominate some of these Challenger women in a Dreambreaker could be worthwhile gamble in an attempt to gain an edge. 

#9 – AZ Drive 

Sarah Burr is kind of like Monica Paolicelli, except less seasoned. This team needs more from its 2nd female to help out Sarah Ansboury and Andreas Siljestrom, including in a Dreambreaker. You cannot have two Dreambreaker black holes along with the inexperienced and somewhat immobile Siljestrom. We didn’t think Burr was a Challenger level player and there was nothing we saw in Mesa that dissuaded our opinion in that regard. While there isn’t a clear upgrade for Burr if Braverman gets scooped up and it’s hard to say for sure without seeing the player pool, this almost has to be a spot where the Drive take a chance to upgrade. 

#10 – Dallas Pickleball Club 

The Brandon French spot is the clear position for a possible upgrade. Unfortunately for the other Dallas players, that likely won’t happen given French’s selection appeared to be one of several nepotism-esque selections in the Challenger draft. French actually played pretty well in Mesa, but that’s relative to expectations. There are better players out there that could move the needle for this team. Christa Gecheva does not strike us as a replacement candidate. Gecheva has some pop to her game and some singles prowess, which we think is very beneficial in this Challenger field that features a lot of players with limited power and singles ability. They will almost certainly have both Brendon Long or Daniel De La Rosa available to them if they want to make a switch. Joey Farias, Eden Lica and John Cincola are options too.

#11 – Miami Pickleball Club

It is unclear to us if Matt Manasse is still the GM of this team. If this team is being run by anyone other than Mansse after their debacle of a draft, Manasse should be an auto drop. If Manasse is still running this team, the question is whether the coach to the stars will prioritize being able to advertise himself as a Major League Pickleball player. Surely, there isn’t anyone dumb enough to give him another shot to be a GM, assuming that privilege hasn’t already been taken away from him. Judging from his Instagram story from February 23rd in the screenshot above, it seems Manasse is full steam ahead to run it back in Daytona. Is it possible that Jeff Warnick gets dropped in an attempt to give Manasse a better chance at success?

#12 – Columbus Pickleball Club 

With their last place finish in Mesa, Columbus is guaranteed to get whoever they want from the available player pool. Considering CJ Klinger’s Dad is the GM of this team, it is hard to believe they would drop CJ for someone. Even if Klinger’s Dad wasn’t the GM, there is an no brainer best move for this team and that is dropping Becky Ryan for Jillian Braverman. After watching Becky Ryan in Mesa, it is evident to us that she was way overdrafted at the #13 overall slot. Braverman would suddenly create a #1 mixed team with Yates Johnson and #1 women’s team with Milan Rane that could compete with anyone in the Challenger division.

Agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments below or email us at nmlpickleball@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and also make sure you subscribe to our newsletter that will be sent right to your inbox at least weekly!

31 thoughts on “Major League Pickleball (MLP) 2023 Season 1 – Challenger Shuffle Draft #1 Preview

  • March 2, 2023 at 10:33 am
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    Yeah it seems absolutely nuts that Jill Braverman is allowed to be available. MLP has a lot to figure out in terms of how player transactions will work, but this does not set a good precedent. I’m surprised teams aren’t complaining about this.

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    • March 2, 2023 at 2:15 pm
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      There may be some better talent in this player pool but we still think it is problematic. Maybe we can hold judgment to see the pool.

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  • March 2, 2023 at 10:46 am
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    NML does a great job breaking down the confusing, gimmicky and at times unfair MLP setup. Suddenly, Jill Braverman the CEO of DUPR is eligible to be drafted! Seems like something that would happen in the WWF.

    I’m glad pros can make good $$$ out of it and if enough fans like this format then by all means let the market decide. But feels like a full-time job to remember half the details of a league like this. And don’t get me started about locking the score at 20 and how silly and gimmicky that looks.

    I watched bits and pieces of the challenger league….and no offense most of the females in that league don’t seem to be pro caliber. There just isn’t enough pro talent for a challenger league if half the players are women. Maybe in a few years….but not now. Anna Bright and Anna Leigh would beat most challenger women left handed. I realize you have to start somewhere….but not an easy watch if you are being sold this is “pro” level PB.

    Maybe the PPA format is more predictable and repetitive. But for those of us who want to see the best of the best square off….it is tough to beat watching the Johns Bros vs Matt/Riley or Dylan/JW try to overtake one of those partnerships. I look forward to when Ben/Anna Leigh finally play Riley/Bright. I doubt Anna Leigh will lose in Women’s Doubles anytime soon….but at some point there might be a partnership that figures something out and makes it interesting. Those are the narratives that interest me. All the ins and outs of the confusing, gimmicky MLP – sorry but yawn!

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    • March 2, 2023 at 11:03 am
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      Your assessment of the caliber of play for challenge league women is intriguing, though I’m not sure I agree. They are definitely playing a pro level (at least the top 50% of them), but as defined or compared to who? The bottom half is stuck between dominating 5.0 brackets and needing reps at the next level. If compared to the Premier league women, then you will certainly see a difference in play. It reveals the current talent pool depth of the women’s game compared to the mens. Lots of opportunity for ladies to come in and move up quickly. Challenger level of play will get better as MLP continues to grow. It seems to be the classic, “build it and they will come..”

      Many of the women playing the Challenger league were competitive on both tours within the last 12-18 months and now they are viewed as less than “pro caliber.” Your opinion of their level I think is the general consensus of the majority, which is to say that the game is changing so rapidly that the players of the Premier league this year may very well be the players of Challenger in two years.

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      • March 2, 2023 at 2:18 pm
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        As noted in the comment below, there may be a lot more women’s talent coming through soon. We’ll have to see if that gets there as it won’t be until at least the next draft most likely so we will see.

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        • March 2, 2023 at 3:27 pm
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          It is frustrating to see the challenger women constantly bagged and undermined. The talent is certainly there and you would be hard pressed to find a single challenger level female player who hasn’t battled it out and/or beaten premier level players in tournaments – thus proving that their place in MLP is well and truly justified. You are making huge assumptions based on a single day of play in Mesa with most partnerships playing together for the first time. Give the girls a break!

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          • March 2, 2023 at 7:53 pm
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            NML criticism , and in some cases, crucifixion of challenger level women shows their lack of comprehension of what really happened in Mesa.
            In most cases it was the first time these teams had played together and it did take a few matches for all partners to find their feet and develop the necessary chemistry to be successful.
            AZ Drive went 2/2 ,2/2 losing 2 Dreambreakers then 3/0 in their last match against a highly rated team. Due to a flawed for & against formula that MLP have acknowledged & since scrapped, AZ were eliminated and not given their opportunity to progress in the semifinals.
            NML targeted criticism of Sarah Burr , given her most recent results at Mesa in December,her obvious upside after playing some more US tournaments, her work ethic and commitment to developing Pickleball internationally, was way off the mark.
            Give the girls a break!

          • March 2, 2023 at 9:24 pm
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            The reality is we’re going to be critical of certain players and we just don’t see the upside with her. We could be wrong and have been before, but that’s our overall analysis not just from the Mesa event. This is also from previous tournaments we watched of her.

          • March 5, 2023 at 2:54 pm
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            You are so wrong on this occasion.
            Sarah has enormous talent, work ethic &
            definite upside given more time playing at this level. She will bounce back despite your best efforts to the contrary.

          • March 5, 2023 at 11:55 pm
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            There’s no best efforts. Only providing commentary. If she proves us wrong, we will own up to it

          • March 2, 2023 at 9:22 pm
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            These are not assumptions based on a single day of play. It’s based on their body of work mostly.

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          • March 2, 2023 at 10:34 pm
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            Did NML take the actual statistics into consideration for this analysis or was it just based on personal opinion?

          • March 3, 2023 at 5:25 pm
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            Personal opinion. What statistics would you suggest we reference?

    • March 2, 2023 at 2:17 pm
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      It is a lot to remember all the details with 24 teams. I think their goal is probably that most will only focus on the Premier division, which is then 12 teams and much easier to keep track of since you already know the players. Challenger will be for the hardcore people. There is a lot more talent coming through the pipeline and we think by the time next draft rolls around there may be a good number of high upside women that are viable options.

      There may be some interesting news coming down the pipe regarding partnerships that could slant the situation there. Those matchups are fun and it’s better when JW/Dylan are added to the mix. But we love us some MLP.

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  • March 2, 2023 at 4:31 pm
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    I love to watch fun PB play as long as the coverage is Free and the camera work is “Professional” with good Announcers.
    Late last year I stumbled onto a MINOR League Pickleball Tourney.
    It was so much fun watching it. Ben and Collins Sister.. the Announcer for PPA, was a player. It had the same Major L.P. setup, with good cameras and announcing.. That’s all it takes to keep PB lovers satisfied.
    OTOH, the last APP tourney I watched was horrendously bad in every way possible. The better caliber players in APP vs Minor LP players could not make up for the production mess.

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    • March 2, 2023 at 9:23 pm
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      We also watched some of that MiLP stuff. We still don’t quite agree on the camera stuff and just want to watch, but understand that is a thing. Also, we should have like and dislike button for comments now!

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  • March 2, 2023 at 6:17 pm
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    Cierra Gaytan-Leach is officially missing Daytona, per Rob Nunnery’s latest newsletter.

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  • March 3, 2023 at 5:42 am
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    Nice job with the up down voting.

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    • March 3, 2023 at 5:25 pm
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      Thanks to our IT Manager/Gritty’s girlfriend!

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  • March 3, 2023 at 8:50 am
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    In regard to Utah, remember on the pickler pod when I told you guys that they would win! Unfortunately, just one game away from winning the tournament, but well played to the breakers. I understand why you would think that Olivia would want to play the right, but she actually loves playing the left, and in my opinion is stronger on the left, especially with a lefty male. She absolutely destroyed guys in the cross-court dink, including Alshon and Querrey who struggled to stay in the backhand dink, throughout the entire tournament. The team just didn’t play their best both times they played the Breakers, and even though I am biased, I will predict again that the Black Diamonds will win it at Daytona.

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    • March 3, 2023 at 5:26 pm
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      We have heard you say this before about her liking the left better but had never been sure if that was a preference or she is just comfortable. So that’s good to know. Utah should be right in the mix once again. They are a very solid team all around. We would not be surprised if they won either.

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  • March 6, 2023 at 3:22 pm
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    Thomas Wilson is “breaking in” his CRBN 1x 14mm by hitting the sweet spot with a hammer – this breaks down the honeycombs and creates a trampoline effect. This paddle will not pass any standard deflection test. It isn’t a just problem of the CRBN paddles in general, but more a problem of people altering their paddles like Thomas is doing. I think the PPA refs should press their thumbs down in the center of his paddle – it’s going to be quite squishy or easy to bend. That’s what would fail a deflection test, and it’s not right.

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    • March 6, 2023 at 4:57 pm
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      This is not the first time we have heard this. We presume this is a real anonymous pros given the track record of anonymous people commenting on this blog. It is such a fascinating thing. Wonder if they will have anything by the time Daytona rolls around.

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    • March 7, 2023 at 11:07 am
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      Let’s presume Thomas is doing this for purposes of increased deflection, why is that “not right?” Pros and amateurs alike use grips, remove grips, alter hand shape, lead tape to move the sweet spot… so why is what he is doing wrong? He isn’t changing the surface of the paddle. Is there a rule about the interior of the paddle other than some types of foam, etc? It seems to be an ethics question vs rules, but I’m curious as to why it’s not right in other pros eyes.

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      • March 7, 2023 at 1:08 pm
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        From what we understand, this is altering the paddle in a way that would mean it would not be approved by USAPA. It is a legal paddle that is being made to be illegal. That’s not an ethics question. That is just using an illegal paddle, if that is what is happening.

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        • March 7, 2023 at 3:21 pm
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          That’s a different matter altogether, thanks for the clarification.

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