The Playoffs are here! My first round predictions

Aah... Mid-April. Springtime, mostly wherever I've spent my life. And NBA Playoffs are in the air. All year round, I watch NBA games with a certain astrix: Could Team X be as good as they are right now in the Playoffs? Is Player Y only waiting for the playoffs to start to show his true colours? As far as I'm concerned, the regular season is like the qualifying round of the F1 race - it helps to decide how each racer starts, but then the real work has to be done on Race Day itself.

So now, Race Day is finally here. The NBA playoffs are set to at 1 PM on Saturday, April 16 EST (equivalent to 10:30 PM Indian Standard Time), with the Pacers visiting the league-best Chicago Bulls. And then, the action begins.

This is also going to be an important year for me since, after seven years in the waiting, the Knicks are finally back in the post-season. I'm ready with my playoff beard to support them as long as possible - let's see how long before they go fishing and I go to the barber.

Here are my predictions for the first round:

East

(1) Bulls vs (8) Pacers: Fairytale, indeed. Chicago has gone from young pups, finishing 8th in the East last season to number one in the conference and the league. Derrick Rose is the legit MVP of the league, and with a brilliant coach Thibodeau, and a deep supporting cast featuring Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah, and Luol Deng, this team definitely has what it takes to go far. They focus on defense first, and as we all know, defense wins playoff series (and eventually, championships). Indiana, on the other hand, won only 37 games this season, and are walking into the fire. This series will be a feast. Chicago Bulls win 4-0.

(2) Heat vs (7) 76ers: 76ers have indeed done an amazing job under Coach Collins this season - going .500 even when none of their players averaged over 15 points a game. Unfortunately, their depth and team-play is going to face its toughest challenge in the first round against the LeBron and Wade show. Yes, Miami have had their question marks, mostly about their lack of depth and lack of tougher big players, but 76ers are just the kind of team that Miami needs to get their momentum back in a big way. I expect LeBron and Wade to dominate easily in this series, and Bosh to get a little done too, for good measure. In 1 game, I'm sure the Philly home crowd and their deeper bench will lead them to victory, something that will help Miami stay on their toes for Round 2. Miami Heat win 4-1

(3) Celtics vs (6) Knicks: In my view, the toughest first round series in the East. The Celtics have been going through a bad stretch of identity crisis since the Perkins trade, and haven't really been convincing. The Knicks started off terribly with Carmelo Anthony mid-season, but ended with a strong streak to get prepared for the post-season. Melo will have to have the biggest possible series to keep New York alive, and Amare will somehow (although unlikely) regain his early season form against the Celtics' talented frontline. The X-Factor for Knicks is Billups, the only player experienced with the toughness required for this matchup. There will be a couple of very close games, but in the end, I think Boston are way too experienced and sound defensively to lose this series. Plus, Knicks don't play defense. Refer to what I said earlier about that. Boston Celtics win 4-2

(4) Magic vs (5) Hawks: Will the real Atlanta Hawks please stand up? A perennial mid-tabler, it's hard to take Atlanta too seriously but its hard to ignore them either. I think Orlando have been saving energy for a big post-season run, and they will be too good for the Hawks in this series behind Dwight Howard. Expect Magic shooters to rain down threes like there's no tomorrow, and this will be a good time for Gilbert Arenas to remind us that he's alive. Orlando Magic win 4-1

West

(1) Spurs vs (8) Grizzlies: San Antonio were definitely a surprise this season; no one expected this older, fading team to redefine itself and come strong this year, but that's exactly what Coach Popovich has done. Memphis will throw athletes and they'll throw big men like Randolph and Marc Gasol in Spurs' way, but I don't think that it's going to hurt the old men much. Duncan's leadership and this team's great depth should be enough. Ginobili's injury is a question mark, but he should return in time to see his team win a relatively easy series. San Antonio Spurs win 4-1

(2) Lakers vs (7) Hornets: Oh, LA! A team that starts off as the best, loses to easy teams a lot, then goes on an unstoppable run, and then loses to easy teams a lot again. What's going on with the champions? Is Kobe going crazy? Is Artest too worried about his rap career? Is Gasol too soft? Will Bynum even play? So many questions. But luckily for them, they have received the perfect opponent to regain their groove in the post-season. Bynum is expected to return as Lakers play Hornets. New Orleans have had their own struggles this season with injury, as David West is done for the year. They have stayed afloat behind Emeka Okafor and Carl Landry in the post, but it will take a dominating Chris Paul performance from stopping this from becoming a sweep. It will still be one, though. LA Lakers win 4-0

(3) Mavericks vs (6) Blazers: These teams are a lot closely matched than their record may indicate. Mavs started the season well, but Portland finished it better, and for the playoffs, its the finish that matters. Both teams are deep: for Nowitzki there's Aldridge, for Marion there's Gerald Wallace, for Jason Kidd there's Andre Miller. And both have stacked benches. Tyson Chandler will be the X-factor for the Mavericks, but the Blazers have the 'X-est' factor of them all.. Brandon Roy of the bench! The intensity of Portland's combined effort and its home support may be too much for Mavs, who are of course, perennial chokers in my eyes. I predict an upset. Portland Trailblazers win 4-2

(4) Thunder vs (5) Nuggets: This is perhaps the easiest-on-the-eyes match-up there is: young teams, determined basketball, and unpredictability. Nuggets have been a force since trading away Carmelo Anthony, and without a face to their franchise, have been one of the few teams that no one has wanted to cross after the all star break. But OKC are on a different planet altogether. They have improved dramatically this season, and even more since getting their tough man in Kendrick Perkins. What works most is that OKC do have a face to their franchise, the NBA's leading scorer Kevin Durant, and I expect him to lead his team through this slightly difficult series. OKC Thunder win 4-2

So - those are my predictions above. There are about 31 and a hour hours left (and counting) before the playoffs begin. What do you think its gonna happen?

The Summer of 2010

Share|

July 1, 2010. 00:01 US Eastern Standard Time. One of the biggest moments in NBA history. While the Mayans civilization, film director Roland Emmerich, and a bunch of other apocalypic nerds would have you believe that 2012 is the end of the world, everyone else (that matters) knows that the end is already here. Or the beginning. Or the most important middle part.

The Summer of 2010. Where Free Agency Happens.

As of the aforementioned hour, some of the biggest names in NBA basketball have become free agents. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer, Amar'e Stoudemire, Joe Johnson, Dirk Nowitzki, etc, etc, etc. It is the time of the year that more than half the NBA teams have saved money for, raised fans expectations for, based their future on. Franchises like the Cavaliers, Heat, Raptors, Suns, Jazz, Hawks, Mavericks, Knicks, Nets, Bulls, Bucks, Timberwolves, Clippers, and many, many more have been waiting anxiously and excitedly for this moment. Many will lose their best players and be forced to start building up from scratch. Many will add the right pieces around their squad to elevate themselves to the next level. Some will strike gold and win the sweepstakes, bringing drastic changes to their roster for success.

The top free agents in the Summer of 2010, from a list on Yahoo! Sports, are:

1. LeBron James
2. Dwyane Wade
3. Chris Bosh
4. Amar'e Stoudemire
5. Dirk Nowitzki
6. Carlos Boozer
7. Joe Johnson
8. David Lee
9. Rudy Gay
10. Paul Pierce
11. Luis Scola
12. Brendan Haywood
13. John Salmons
14. JJ Redick
15. Ray Allen
16. Shaquille O'Neal
17. Udonis Haslem
18. Brad Miller
19. Tyrus Thomas
20. Zydrunas Ilgauskas
21. Matt Barnes
22. Raymond Felton
23. Nate Robinson
24. Mike Miller
25. Anthony Morrow

These are just the top 25!

For the past few years, and particularly over the last season, the shadow of this summer has been hovering over the entire league. From rumours circulating damn near every day to free agents planning secret summits to teams going to great lengths to clear up roster space, there has been no shortage of speculation about this summer. There has been a no-holds-barred approach to player recruiting as well, a process that has included many, many websites, T-shirts, rallies, and the mayor of New York wrong-numbering a young Indian man. Hell, even the leader of the free world aka US president Barack Obama couldn't keep his mind of the issue, adding his own opinion on free agency. Who cares about some spilled oil when LeBron is unrestricted, right?

Speaking of LeBron, he is by far the most important pawn in the game. Wherever LeBron will go, success will follow, except, ironically, if he stays with the Cavs. When the Celtics surprised and beat the Cavs 4-2 in the second round of the playoffs, LeBron James walked off the court amidst mass speculation about his future. Kevin Garnett, who himself suffered through a major dillema when finally demanding a trade away from a Timberwolves team that he had spent his career with, approached LeBron after the closing Game 6 of the series and reminded him his choice: Loyalty vs. Legacy. Does he stay with his hometown team, the one that helped him become a two-time MVP, the team with whom he can become a true legend, or does he leave for greener pastures for success and cement his legacy? LeBron has been linked with the Cavs, Knicks, Bulls, Nets, Heat, and even the Mavs. Wherever he ends up, other stars are sure to follow, except, perhaps the Cavs, who don't have the market, money, or trade value to get other big players. One decision LeBron, the reigning, two time MVP, could cause a techtonic shift of power for the entire league, somehow similar to the shift of power when Shaquille O'Neal went from the Lakers to the Heat, or when Garnett finally shifted from the T-Wolves to the Celtics.

Then there's Wade, my favourite player, and who is only second to LeBron because of his greater age and his injury prone past. Wade is more likely to stay with the Heat and attract other stars like Amar'e, Boozer, or Bosh towards him. The world, including me, would love to see him and LeBron pair up and make the most threatening tandem in the league since the Shaq and Kobe days.

Others, like Bosh, Stoudemire, Boozer, Johnson, David Lee, Rudy Gay, Ray Allen hold the key to the developments of particularly these two, as great players will obviously be tempted to play alongside other great players. Bosh, in particular, seems to be the most important key of them all, and is sure to contribute his loyalties to one of the other stars.

Dark horse candidates like Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce will also be free agents, but unless there are some drastic developments, these two are not expected to leave their respective teams.

For my team, the Knicks, this is a time of great opportunity. They have enough cap money to sign a few big names, but the question is, will they go there? The Knicks have promoted their big stage, their ties with basketball history, their role in NBA history, their fans, their (few) remaining players, and other factors to try and sell themselves, but good players will only come to a bad team if joined by other good players. Until recently (when I heard that the Knicks offered Joe friggin Johnson a max contract), I have been fairly optimistic of the Knicks' chances of coming out of this summer with a much-improved team. I don't want to repeat the long-endured tortures of a Knick fan, but I would like to say this: Dear haters, don't even THINK of juimping on the Knick bandwagon. I haven't suffered for 11 years as a fan to share the space.

Aaah... I'm officially done with the speculation, the talks, the possibilities, the what-ifs, and the maybes. Its July 1, 2010. It's going to be a crazy summer. Let's buckle up and watch what happens...

Keep updated with the free agent breaking news on Yahoo! Sports NBA Free Agent Tracker.

Share|

The LA Lakers are your 2010 Champions

Share|

No matter how much the colour commentators try to colour it, or the sensational writers tried to sensationalise it, or the hyped-up players themselves try to hype it up, the Game seven of the NBA Finals, the one game to decide it all, was an ugly, gritty, tough affair. No pretty basketball, just hustle and defense.

Just the way I like it!

And in the end, just four point separated the Champions from the Runners-Up. But as the rapper Nelly once said (and I'm sure he was quoting someone too, I just don't know who): "Two is not a winner and three nobody remembers."

And the winners this year were familiar - so familiar that we'd seen them do this same thing at this time last year. Los Angeles Lakers survived the Game 7 against the Boston Celtics to win the franchise's 16th NBA championship. Despite a horrible offensive game, Kobe Bryant shone brightly out of everyone else who offered a faint glimmer and won the Finals MVP.

And now that the NBA 2009-10 season has come to a close, I can't say that the Lakers didn't deserve it. The Lakers were the most talented team on paper when the season began, and ended up as the best in the West, perhaps an underwhelming end to their regular season. But then Kobe came to life, suddenly ignoring his finger and his knee and his so-called, "old age". Gasol became the best big player in the league, overshadowing the likes of Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, etc for good. Andrew Bynum played until his knee killed him, but he played. And Ron Artest... Oh, I'm going to have a lot more to say about Ron Artest in the coming days - a player who fought all kinds of demons, mostly from within himself, to become the hero. It was deserving that their biggest challenge came from their biggest rivals, the unlikely Celtics, who even took a 3-2 lead. But the Lakers stood tough, and played the Celtics way, and won the Celtics way.

The entire Finals were a tumultuous, up-and-down series, with favourites shifting nearly from game to game. The Lakers were brilliant in Game 1, winning by sharing the ball as a team, and from domination by Bryant, and particularly, the key match-up between Pau Gasol and Kevin Garnett, which Gasol won emphatically.

Lakers had a similar game in Game 2, but there was one difference with the Celtics... Ray Allen! Ray aka Jesus Shuttlesworth broke an NBA Finals record when he made EIGHT 3-pointers in the game, leading the Celtics to a victory, with the help of some amazing clutch play by Rajon Rondo.

The series shifted to Boston, but the Lakers came out undeterred in Game 3. Kobe was brilliant, perhaps playing his best game of the series, as he scored 29 points to go with 7 rebounds. But the game's hero was Derek Fisher, who scored 11 of his 16 in the final quarter and rallied his team to victory. Although this game saw the reawakening of Kevin Garnett, it wasn't enough to stop the Lakers from taking a 2-1 lead.

Celtics came back strong in Games 4 and 5. Relatively quite so far, Paul Pierce began to play like the 2008 Finals MVP again as he led his team in both these games. More importantly, the Celtics found their defense against Kobe again, making him into a bad volume shooter, shutting down Gasol's influence, and forcing their bullying ways on to the Lakers. Game 4 was won by the brilliant Celtic bench efforts - Glen Davis, Nate Robinson, Tony Allen, and Rasheed Wallace. Game 5 became the Paul Pierce show. Bryant had 38 points, including 23 straight for his team and 19 in the third quarter, but it wasn't enough to beat the hot-shooting Celtics.

The series returned to LA, and perhaps facing elimination, Kobe rallied his team together. But he had to back up his words with better team-play: the Celtics had managed to turn the Lakers into their worst fear, a selfish, Kobe-never-pass team. In Game 6, Kobe played much better, scoring 26 and 11, and his teammates Gasol, Odom, and Artest got involved, too. The most important thing was that the Lakers played defense, holding the Celtics to just 67 points, which is the second lowest finals point total of all time.

And so the stakes were set for an exciting, winner-takes-all Game 7 from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The Lakers trailed the game most of the way, thanks to excellent Celtic defense. But they found an unlikely hero in Ron Artest who came them alive. Also, they held a huge advantage in rebounds, led by Gasol, Bynum, Odom, and Kobe. Kobe had an awful shooting night, going 6-24, but made up for it by grabbing 15 rebounds. Gasol was brilliant, especially in the end, scoring 9 of his 19 points in the fourth and grabbing 18 rebounds total. Artest had 20 points, including clutch plays all game.

And when the dust settled, the NBA Champions were crowned Lakers again. They repeated, Kobe had five rings, one for each finger on his hand, and Derek Fisher did, too. Gasol won the key match-up against Garnett and got redemption for two years ago. And the rest of the squad did just enough to survive the Celtics.

The game followed by some classic quotes in Artest's post-game interview, and Kobe, who finally led his guard down and admitted how important this victory was to him.

"This one is by far the sweetest, because it’s [The Celtics],” Bryant said after the Lakers beat Boston for the first time in a Game 7. "This was the hardest one by far. I wanted it so bad, and sometimes when you want it so bad, it slips away from you. My guys picked me up."

And of course, he didn't forgive his old pal turned enemy Shaquille O'Neal for all those years of rivalry, for Shaq telling Kobe to "tell him how his ass taste" two years ago. "Just got one more than Shaq," Kobe said after the game, "You can take that to the bank. I don’t forget anything."

And so it's over. The Champions have been decided, the confetti fallen, the champagne spilled, the metaphoric ass tasted. The Celtics had an amazing run, but finally had their age catch up with them at the worst time possible - the fourth quarter of the game seven of the NBA Finals. They were four points away from glory, but there can only be one winner.

The Lakers are your 2010 NBA Champions. It's all about Number One. Cuz two is not a winner, and three nobody remembers.

Share|

One Game

Share|

October 27th, 2009 was the first day of the 2009-10 NBA Season. June 17th, 2010 (or early morning of June 18th, if you're around my time zone) will be it's last. The Boston Celtics were involved in the first (against the Cavs) and will be involved in the last. For only the second time in the past decade, the NBA Finals will be decided in game seven. The Celtics and the Lakers are tied 3-3 in the best-of-seven series, and the Game Seven, the one game to rule them all, will be played in less than two days.

I had predicted earlier that this series would go down to the last game - and now, this Game Seven is going to be by far the single biggest basketball game of my NBA-watching life, maybe closely followed by the 1999 NBA Finals when my New York Knicks lost Game 5 against the Spurs by one point to lose the series 4-1. That was some depressing ish.

But here we are - two of the most succesful franchises in NBA history go head to head again. The Lakers and the Celtics ARE the NBA Finals. The two teams are the last two champions (Celtics in 08, Lakers in 09), they have met each other 11 times before in the NBA finals, and after Game 7, 33 out of 64 NBA Championships would've been won by either won of these two teams. There is a lot at stake on just this one game.

48 more minutes. (And maybe overtime)

If Celtics win, this would be their 18th championship. The 2nd one for their starting five, and Glen Davis, and Tony Allen, and Rasheed Wallace (who won his first won with the Pistons), and of course, Brian Scalabrine. It would be coach Doc Rivers' second victory over Phil Jackson and the Lakers. It would further solidify Garnett, Pierce, and Ray Allen as future Hall of Famers, and surely propel Rajon Rondo as unarguably the best point guard in the league.

If Lakers win, this would be their 16th championship, and they would become back to back winners. Kobe Bryant would equal Magic Johnson with five rings for the Lakers, and what more, would also join Magic as one of the few Lakers to lead their team in a Finals victory against the Celtics. Kobe and Derek Fisher would also become the active players with the most amount of rings - Tim Duncan and Shaq have four. What is scary is that Kobe is much younger than any of them, and still has fuel in him to go on for three or four more servicable seasons. And of course, he would only be one championship away from Michael Jordan's, although Jordan was the undeniable main man aka Finals MVP in all six, whereas Kobe was Shaq's sidekick in his first three. Still, a win here would cement Kobe's legacy into another stratosphere. The rest of Kobe's crew, in Gasol, Bynum (who skipped the 08 Finals), and Odom would double up their rings. Of course, legendary Lakers (and former Chicago Bulls) coach Phil Jackson would be the proud owner of an unprecedented 11 rings as head coach.

What is perhaps most intriguing that, after just one more game, either Nate Robinson or Ron Artest will be sitting pretty with a championship ring.

There are so many equations, statistics, stories that are going to add up to this one final game. All the history between these two franchises, Kobe's strive to become the greatest of all time, the 'old' Celtics proving to the world that their teamwork and chemistry is the key to success, the Big 3 of KG, Pierce, and Allen, and the future that is Rondo, and Pau Gasol becoming the best big man in the league, and Rasheed Wallace and Nate Robinson and Ron Artest sprinkling their bits of crazy. It would be Artest's redemption after the infamous 'Malice at the Palace' and all the questions that were raised when he was brought it to the Lakers after they lost Trevor Ariza. And Doc Rivers vs. Phil Jackson, and the beautiful Hollywood faces at Los Angeles vs. the passionate basketball fanatics at Boston.

Game Sevens are a myth of their own. They have caused broken hearts, cemented legends, caused embarrasment, caused exultation. Hell, there's even a book about it.

This had already been a classic series, going back and forth, and there still isn't a clear-cut favourite. Right now it's the Lakers because they blew out the Celtics with awesome defense in Game 6. A few days ago, it was the Celtics, as they took a 3-2 lead with great balanced play. A little more than a week ago, it was the Lakers, when they excelled on both sides of the court to win Game 1 in LA.

The Lakers, who hold home court, and momentum, and the greatest closer in the game - Kobe - are probably the favourites now. But the Celtics have shown time and again all postseason that they will never be discounted, never be down. Whether they ended fourth in the East to start the playoffs, or lost by 29 points to the Cavs at home, or destroyed a perfect Magic team in the Conference Finals, or shocked a Lakers squad with a 3-2 lead just a few days ago.

Less than two days to find out what happens. Just one game to make history.

One more game.

Share|

NBA Finals: Celtics, Lakers, History...

Share|

No one expected it at mid-season, and no one in their right mind expected it when the playoffs began. Sure, the Lakers were always the favourites in the West, where the debate contiunally raged on about who would finish at second place. The East was supposed to be the Cleveland LeBrons, um, Cavaliers to lose, and if they did lose it, it was most likely going to be the Magic. Most likely.

I predicted a Cavaliers-Lakers final in February, and I predicted it again when the playoffs began around six weeks ago. The Lakers are here, the LeBrons are back home. Instead, every Laker's favourite (not) opponent the Boston Celtics, after finishing a humble fourth in the Eastern Conference seedings, beat down Wade and the Heat, LeBron and the Cavs, and Dwight Howard and the Magic to surprise everyone and reach the Finals again.

So here we are, looking over the 12th NBA Finals meeting between these two legendary franchises. I almost titled this piece "Celtics and Lakers ARE the NBA", and that wouldn't have been too far off. These two teams have won 32 of the 63 NBA championships between each other, and after this one, it will be 33 of 64. That is about 51.6 percent. They are also the last two champions, Celtics beating the Lakers in 2008, and the Lakers winning over the Magic last year. I'm feeling like its the mid-80s all over again. Bird. Magic. Pierce. Kobe. Garnett. McHale. Gasol. Abdul-Jabbar. etc. etc. etc.

But before I delve into this incredible finals match-up, let's talk about the Conference Finals a little bit. I predicted both the Celtics and Lakers to beat their opponents, and although both the series started to look like potential easy pickings, Magic and the Suns showed enough life to keep things interesting.

When the Magic took on the Celtics, I had a feeling that Celtic Ubuntu was going to be too much on the softer Magic squad. Dwight Howard is a strong player, but he is not a tough player. Celtics easily (more or less) breezed through the first three games, which were mostly a nightmare for Dwight Howard. And for Rashard Lewis (who scored 15 points TOTAL in those three games). And for Vince Carter (those missed free throws in Game 2 will haunt him forever). Jameer Nelson showed some sign of resilience, and under his lead, Magic won the fourth game in overtime, and (with the help of some dodgy refereering) took Game 5 in Orlando. Although Boston looked old and beaten, they were back up to their old tricks in Game 6 and easily closed out the series to become Eastern Conference Champions.

Rondo continued his steller play in this series, but he was helped greatly by an improved Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Pierce, specifically, is looking extremely dangerous and poised to take over the Finals. Rasheed Wallace, Kendrick Perkins, and Glen Davis all did an awesome defensive job on Howard, and Wallace and Davis showed up on the offensive end, too. Plus, when Nate Robinson took over in Game 6, I momentarily lost my sense of reality. Nate friggin Robinson, the Knick sideshow, whose only real success has come in the Summer League and the Slam Dunk Competition, played the best 10-something minutes of his life in Game 6. And all this without my favourite Celtic Kevin Garnett playing a lot more subdued than he did in the Cavs series. The Celtics did it like they always do it - teamwork and hustle.

On to the West now, where the shooting percentages are higher, the scoreboards have more triple figures, and the courtside celebrities look better. Lakers looked great in their first two games against the Suns at home, and the Suns defense was all over the place. In Phoenix, Suns showed great resilience to make an amazing comeback and tie the series 2-2, thanks to Amar'''e, Steve Nash, Grant Hill, and a strong bench. Game 5 was the most exciting one of them all, as a fury of amazing plays from Nash brought the Suns back from a huge deficit to tie the game in the end, only to lose out to a tip in by... Ron Artest. The biggest shot of Ron Ron's career gave Lakers a crucial 3-2 lead. In the closing Game 6, Kobe, Ron Ron and the rest of the Lakers did their thing to hold the Suns' comeback and make it back to their THIRD STRAIGHT Finals.

And oh, I nearly went a whole paragraph without mentioning Kobe. 'Mamba' was amazing all series, scoring a shade below 34 ppg, and getting near triple-doubles on several occasions. Most importantly, he was clutch in nearly every win for the Lakers, especially in Game 6 where he hit dagger after dagger to silence the Suns' surge. Like Lamar Odom said, "Kobe is so good, he makes incredible normal for us." Bryant has (unsurprisingly) improved his play considerably in the playoffs and truly answered back to all those who doubted him all season.

But now comes the biggest challenge that either team has faced all playoffs. And fittingly, it happens at the game's biggest stage, the NBA Finals. And Hoopistani predicts...

Lakers vs. Celtics: Celtics in 7: I have been contemplating this result more than you think... Each game of the Conference Finals changed my opinion, each result gave me doubts, and now that these two teams prepare to see each other again, I have finally settled (sort of) the see-saw of my thoughts to decide on a prediction.

All season, I would have picked the Lakers to repeat as NBA Champions. I picked them at the start, at the mid, and near the end. Even when the Conference Finals began, I gave them the benefit of the doubt. But the Celtics kept on improving. They got better and better, and then the Lakers didn't look so strong after losing two games to the Suns, and then the Celtics looked old and battered when they lost Game 5 at Orlando, and then Kobe became godly again and Lakers won the series, and then Celtics improved their play, too.

Phew!

So to make the picture a little clearer, I'm going to compare and contrast what the two teams will be going against here, and add up their advantages...

Point Guard: Rondo vs. Fisher: Rondo has been the best player in the playoffs. Fisher hits important shots sometimes, but Rondo is going to eat him alive. ALIVE I tell you. Kobe might have to respond like he did with Russell Westbrook in the first round against the Thunder and try to stick with Rondo. I don't think it will work. Celtics

Shooting Guard: Ray Allen vs. Bryant: Oh, and these two are semi-rivals, too. Ray Allen is an amazing shooter, but Kobe Bryant is Kobe Bryant. Lakers

Small Forward: Pierce vs. Artest: I love Ron Ron. You don't know how much I love Ron Ron. I've always said that if Artest is in any sort of a decent squad, he will take up to a higher level. Don't ask me exactly how he does it, but it is a combination of great defense, ill-advised but sometimes important three-pointers, and his own brand of crazy Dennis-Rodman-ness. That said, the 2008 Finals MVP aka Paul Pierce aka The Truth is looking incredible right now and could well be the main main in this series. Artest will trouble him, but Pierce is better. Celtics

Power Forward: Garnett vs. Gasol: This match-up I feel is the closest and the most important of them all. So much so that, whoever dominates between these two will be the one in the winning squad. And although Gasol has been incredible all season and Garnett has not, KG has picked up where it counts, and if there is anyone who can make life hell for Gasol, it is him. KG won't score much, but he doesn't need to, for he will dominate Gasol defensively and make him want to shoot himself. Celtics

Center: Perkins vs. Bynum: Perkins is a mean man. Bynum is a nice little boy who is hurt a lot. Bynum is technically more talented, but he won't overcome Perkins. Celtics

Bench: Davis, Wallace, Tony Allen, Robinson, Finley, Daniels vs. Odom, Waltom, Farmar, Vujacic, Brown, Mbenga. Lakers bench, hands down, is much better, thanks mostly to Lamar Odom. For the Celtics bench to have a chance, they will need consistency from Rasheed Wallace and Nate Robinson, but asking that is like asking for consistency from the friggin moon. Sometimes you get it full and bright, sometimes it shoots dumb three-point air-balls. Lakers

Coach: Rivers vs. Jackson: Doc Rivers is a good coach, and has succesfully watched his plan come to good as the Celtics saved their energy for the playoffs. Phil Jackson though, is the best, perhaps the best ever. The 'Zen Master' always seems to be a step ahead of his opposition coaches, and will once again be an important factor tactically on the Laker sideline. Lakers

Health: Lakers' only issue is Andrew Bynum. Celtics have issues with everyone. Lakers

And of course, it is well known that no result in sport is as simple as stats, match-ups, and players on paper. I must add one more category here: call it heart, call it desire, will to win, the hustle... I'll just call it The Edge. And coming into the 2010 Finals, Celtics have the edge over the Lakers. They will win the loose balls, they will get more offensive rebounds, they will have the emotional runs, they have the team chemistry. Lakers have the most cold-blooded man in the world right now in Kobe, but that won't be enough of an edge. Celtics

Final score? Celtics 5 Lakers 4. I told you it's gonna be close. Celtics in 7. And it's hard to choose an MVP from this squad of numerous stars, and although Rondo and Pierce have been the go-to guys the last few rounds, I have a feeling that it will be Kevin Garnett who will be the X-Factor and the one to elevate the Celtics over a tough LA team.

Despite what I predicted all year, the Lakers will not repeat as champions, and although I believe that this will be a much tougher series for both teams than last time around, Celtics will beat the Lakers again, just like 2008.

2010 Champions: Boston Celtics
Finals MVP: Kevin Garnett

Can't wait for this series to begin. Thursday night in Lost Angeles, Friday morning on my TV in India. Lakers vs. Celtics, Part 12. Here's another chapter in the history of the NBA Finals...

Share|

The fall of Da Kid

Switch on a Boston Celtic game now, and when you see Kevin Garnett struggling to pace up and down the basketball court, getting lost on the offensive end, and failing to match his outward intensity with efficient play, a new NBA fan may be fooled in believing that the thin 6’11” power forward could have ever been better than the 14 points and seven and a half rebounds per game he has averaged this season.

They couldn’t be more wrong.

Slowed by a right knee strain and nearly 34 years of his age, ‘KG’ has unfortunately become a mere shadow of the player that only two years ago was NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, leading the Celtics to an NBA championship in the 2007-08 season. In 15 years in the league, he’s the same player that has averaged 19.9 points and 10.9 rebounds a game. He’s the same player that was the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the 2003-04 season, recording career highs in points (24.2), rebounds (13.9), blocks (2.2), getting 5 assists a game, and leading the league in rebounds. He’s the same player that has been named to every NBA all star game since his second season in the league.

Allow me to re-introduce to you one of the greatest basketball players of the past 15 years, and one of my personal favourites since I first started to watch the NBA: Kevin Garnett, or as he used to be called as a youngster straight out of high school, ‘Da Kid’.

KG is a Celtic now, but he has become to the Minnesota Timberwolves franchise what Michael Jordan is to the Chicago Bulls, what LeBron James is to the Cleveland Cavaliers, what Reggie Miller is to the Indiana Pacers, Gary Payton to the Seattle Supersonics, Dwyane Wade to the Miami Heat, Dominique Wilkins to the Atlanta Hawks, Allen Iverson to the Philadelphia 76ers, and Tim Duncan to the San Antonio Spurs. These players, at least in the contemporary age of basketball, are the faces of the franchise, the first face that pops up in your head when you think of these teams.

Garnett spent 12 long, hard, and exemplarily loyal years with the T-Wolves, taking a below average team to the playoffs for eight straight years from 1997-2004. And below average is right, for except for that successful 2003-04 season, the best players that Garnett played with for the rest of those eight years was Wally Szczerbiak. Wally friggin Szearayaerabziaakkk!!!

The 2003-04 season was wonder for KG, for the T-Wolves got the services of Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell, and besides winning the MVP with this great supporting crew, Garnett took the team to the Western Conference finals for the first time, only to lose out to the ‘Fantastic Four’ Lakers team (Payton, Kobe, Malone, Shaq).

Through these years, what Garnett’s incredible stats didn’t say became part of his credibility. He was one of the league’s most dominating defenders, and his presence in the paint was enough to change the entire attacking philosophy of the opposing team. He was also one of the most passionate players to ever hit a basketball court, wearing every single emotion on his sleeve, so much so that it was impossible to not love his style of play.

Garnett’s influence on the NBA has been massive, both on and off the court. Before star players like Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O’Neal, Tracy McGrady, Amar’’’e Stoudemire, LeBron James, and Dwight Howard did it, Garnett broke a 20 year mould and skipped college to go straight from High School to the pros. And he was a freak of nature – a player that is nearly the height of the centre but with the on the ball skills of a perimeter slasher. KG played between small forward and power forward for most of his career, completely changing the required skill-set of a big man in the league – thanks to Garnett, you could be big and handle the ball like a guard.

And there’s yet another reason why I have a special affinity towards Da Kid: In July 2006, as part of a now-struggling Timberwolves team and constantly bothered by trade rumours, KG came to India as part of a promotional tour for adidas. The tour stopped in several Indian cities, and you can read about it here on KG’s Asia tour blog.

What made this tour special was that, by sheer providence, I happened to be in New Delhi on the day that Garnett was invited to a high school in New Delhi to hand out trophies for a youth basketball tournament in the city. I didn’t miss the opportunity to sneak in and catch sight of him, as he towered over hundreds of admiring school kids and about two dozen personnel and security men.

As KG was ushered by his security out the school gym after the awards ceremony and towards his bus, I ran up near him to have this now legendary conversation!

Me: KG!! KG!! Hey KG, you should join the Knicks man!
KG: [laughter]


Ya, that’s it. Then I took this photo

Almost exactly a year later, Garnett finally did get traded. Not to my hapless Knicks, but to the hapless Boston Celtics to suddenly reignite the fortunes of the legendary franchise. The Celtics were coming off another awful season, winning just 24 games and ending with the second worst record in the league. Even the Timberwolves won eight more games than them.

But this historic trade changed it all. After acquiring Ray Allen from the Sonics, Celtics then traded SIX players (SIX!) for Garnett. That is HALF THEIR ACTIVE ROSTER: Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, and Sebastian Telfair. Oh, and there was more, Celtics gave up a 2009 first round draft pick (top three protected) and a return of Minnesota's conditional first round draft pick, AND cash.

What happened the following season is stuff of folklore. KG joined Paul Pierce and Ray Allen in the Celtics to form a formidable ‘Big Three’, who went on to have the best record in the NBA with 66 wins, posting the best single-season turnaround in NBA history, improving by 42 wins from the previous season. Imagine that! The second-worst team gives up six players for one player, finds another sharp-shooter in Allen, and becomes the best team. It’s incredible.

Of course, this team went on to win the NBA finals against the Lakers, 4-2. After a 13 year hunt, KG’s dream of lifting the NBA trophy finally came true, and with it came what I believe is the most emotional moment in NBA basketball. Watch this video of Garnett’s post-game interview at the end of Game 6, right after the Celtics had blown out the Lakers to win the championship:



What is most amazing is how Garnett completely changed the basketball culture of Boston, getting the team and its fans used to winning again, becoming a top defensive team, and playing as an amazing well-oiled machine, so much so that the rest of the team played like him even when he wasn’t on the court. Garnett was the defensive player of the year that season. The league awarded the MVP to Kobe which seemed to me to be more like a lifetime achievement award, but it really should’ve gone to Garnett for being the single most valuable player in the whole league.

So it goes: it is now two years since that legendary season, and age seems to have finally caught up with KG (and the rest of the Celtics). Thanks mostly to Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen this season they are still one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference, but far from the untouchable world beaters that they looked merely two years ago. As of now, the Cavs seem to be the favourites to win the East, and teams like the Magic are looking formidable too. Out West, the Lakers, Nuggets, Mavericks, Jazz are all gunning for the title, and the Celtics have a lot of hard work to do to win another championship.

Da Kid is now an old man (well, in the pro-basketball sense, at least!) and is no more the game changer that he once used to be. He is still an elite talent, of course, but to lift his team to the top of the NBA summit again, KG has to rise to the occasion and prove that he still has what it takes to be amongst the world’s best. Rondo has been amazing this season, and Allen has found his brilliant shooting touch again. Pierce is great, but inconsistent. In the end, I believe it all rests on the Garnett’s broad shoulders.

But as KG himself proclaimed in that famous interview after winning his first championship: ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!!

108,713. And the rest of the All Star Weekend

108,713. A hundred and eight thousand, seven hundred, thirteen. That's how many people showed up at the Dallas Cowboys stadium in Arlington, Texas, making it the most attended basketball game of all time. The record was certified by Guiness Book of World Records.

The All Star Game itself didn't dissapointment, with the Eastern Conference taking a close 141-139 victory over the West. Dwyane Wade finished with 28 points, 11 assists, and 5 steals to become the game's MVP. It was an exciting game from start to finish, and it needed to be too, considering the snore-worthy events of the night before.

Let's go back to the first night's events. Some celebrities beat some other celebrities to win the Celebrity Game on Friday night. What was of interest was the Rookie Challenge, which, surprisingly, the rookies won behind great performances by Tyreke Evans (the game's MVP), Dejuan Blair, and Brandon Jennings. The D-League did something somewhere also that night.

Now, All Star Saturday was to be the beginning of the real events. The programme was shown live in India on Sunday morning, but I couldn't catch it until the repeat late on Sunday night. Star Sports decided to skip H.O.R.S.E. for the repeat, which was won by Kevin Durant.

Here are my running notes for the rest of the broacast.

- it begins with the thoroughly uninteresting Shooting Stars competition.
- i don't understand the rules, and i dont want to understand them
- c-webb is alive
- hometown star dirk nowitzki gets the loudest cheer during introductions.
- the commentators are taking this show a bit too seriously. they're actually mad at the competitors for not being as serious about it. Can't say I blame them.
- kenny smith is hilarious
- team 'texas' win. yawn.

Skills Challenge.

- should be fun: Russell Westbook, Brandon Jennings, Steve Nash, Deron Williams..
- i like to have a favourite for each competition... before i could understand and side with the sacramento team in the shooting stars tournament, they were already knocked out... skills challenge? go deron (last year's winner).
- Derrick Rose, who was supposed to be here, suffered an injury. He's been replaced by westbrook.
- nash should be a comedian
- brandon jenning's hair is AWESOME
- jenning's on fire... for most of the time
- even the skills challenge makes kg's emotional
- the vets in the final: deron vs. stee


- steve's got everyone off their feet. STEE!
- oh its over! STEE wins - and he's the oldest guy of the 4... respect

Former US Presidents "Dubya" Bush and Bill Clinton come and talk about haiti support. bush looks like an idiot. haha i can't stop laughing. its great that nba is supporting haiti. but bush is still an idiot.

YEAH!!! 3 POINT SHOOTOUT! GO Danilo!

- this is a good lineup... paul pierce, chauncey, curry, gallo
- i'm talking to my friend about shaq... just realized, that they should put HIM in a 3-point challenge.
- actually... they should put shaq in the skills challenge. i might die laughing. seriously.
- the all star game without game without shaq will suck
- barkley looks stoned. He's talking shit.. well, barkley always talks shit... but more than usual this time.
- chauncey's jump shot is beautiful. sexy, actually.
- stephen curry's got an impressive jumper, too.
- gallo, my great Knick hope, has dissapointed
- curry loses... The truth wins. paul paranoid pimpin 3-pointing pierce ... Arnold The Governator is in the crowd, and he is happy too. So is KG, obviously.

- its fitting that pierce is the first celtic since larry to win this. It's also hilarious that he called himself "One of the best shooters in the world." He is The Truth, after all.

finally... slam dunk! slam dunk! slam dunk!

- two good things about not watching this event live
1. i don't have to wake up at an ungodly hour
2. we get to skip all the misses. no thanks, nate 2006
- i think DeMar DeRozan (who beat eric gordon in the dunk-in) will take it.
- apparently, derozan had his first dunk at 11... sixth grade... awesome...
- take that back--- the misses are not skipped
- all dunks look good in slo-mo
- derozan/shannon are mildly impressive, gerald "crash" wallace underwhelms - i want vince.
- NATE!!! - not bad..!
- im very much against fan voting in this... let's keep the fan bias out of the actual event.
- we have a kobe appearance
- i expected better, shannon
- ok, so i like gerald's 2nd dunk
- barkley is still talking shit

- oh my GOODNESS!!! derozan finally gets EVERYONE off their feet... amazing dunk... that's a 50 isn't it?
- nate: nice
- nate vs derozan for the finals...
- and after missing the 1st dunk a couple of times.... that's it? that's the final dunk?
- nate is bored of this. derozan should win.
- derozan's dunk: not bad, but its been done before.
- now that's a dunk... nate's second ones's good... plus he grabs a pompom from a dallas cheerleader... awesome.
- Ugghhh! this is the worst dunk contest ever. i don't care who wins anymore.
- wow, great time for commercial break. leave me hanging over a decision i dont even care that much about. damn you star sports.
- Nate Robinson wins... 3 times champ. knicks, go! very uncreative... barkley actually added "maybe nobody should win". and i agree.

So that's it. I wasn't impressed by the events tonight, except perhaps that one derozan dunk and by paul pierce. And steve nash's facial expressions. Hopefully tommorow morning's game brings more to the table.

So, I woke up Sunday morning, 7 AM, definately expecting better. The Slam-Dunk contest was embarrasingly bad. The NBA needs to learn from this, and the superstar players need to have less of an ego about participating in this event. I'm calling out Vince Carter, Wade, LeBron, etc. here.

Now, on to my notes for the All Star Game:

- ive always left the player intros... friggin hilarious. Shaq's dance with the Jabbawokeez last year was probably the best intro ever.
- steve nash is still funny.
- duncan is showing emotion, and it seems like he's trying hard doing it. I know he'd rather be on sleep mode
- usher is there from 2004.
- dirk is starting instead of kobe... but joe johnson instead of AI?... where's rondo?
- the crowd of 90,000+ is the largest to ever watch a basketball game... twice more than any other all star game!
- east will win... i know it

1st quarter
- dirk starts with a crowdpleasing jumpshot
- dirk again! - they're really hoping for a dirk hometown mvp arent they?
- wade does a self-alley oop... nice!
- Dwight just hit a three!!! hilarious
- duncan is still taking bank shots
- wade to lebron is a great combo. i'm knick dreamin
- my main man boshasaurus check in


- melo's on fire

2nd quarter
- david lee is in, and he scores...
- rose and horford in for the east too, nice to see new players getting the attention on the big stage. There are 9 first time all stars this year.
- beautiful move by rose
- deron to durant, another alley oop - they did this several times tonight
- wade!!! oh this game is getting great
- durant is showing the world how damn good he is.
- its amazing to think that gerald wallace gets nearly 11 rebounds a game
- "One of the best shooters in the world" is still shooting.


- east make a comeback and take a big lead, thanks to lebron who is doing whatever he feels like, and al horford.
- lebron blocks melo, it's a goldtend, and lebron jumps on melo in celebration
- great passing, lebron to bosh to rose
- bosh is now playing point guard.
- jason kidd is sucking
- dirk is DYING to be mvp, taking every shot in sight
- melo again - 17 points in the half + 8 rebounds... wade has 10 pts and 7 asssists
halftime score: a defensively mindblogging east 76-69 west

- halftime performers are alicia keys and shakira. i'm getting myself a cup of chai to watch this
- rule of life: you cant go wrong with a half-naked shakira in a cage. in barkley's words: "can you say sensory overload?"
- alicia keys is milking that uber awesome empire state of mind chorus as far as she can... we need jay-z... She's changed the lyrics to "welcome to all star..."
- kobe got a bigger cheer/ most fanfare in the team usa player introductions... more than lebron. I'm just saying.

third quarter
- dwight coast to coast
- and just as i celebrate that... the power goes... i think I heard alicia keys singing "welcome to ind-iaaaa". Lame.
- ok, so 8 mins later, power is back. phew! east is up 97-88
- amazing lebron to wade alley oop... seriously, they work well together.
- bron is doing some awesome playmaking now
- wade has 18 and 10
- kobe calls the all star game the "greatest pick up game in the world". he's right.
- deron steal, nice move... he has 14, kicking ass
- nash is on the jumbotron singing the canadian national anthem. legend.
- another three for paul "best shooter in the world" pierce
- the durantula hits a buzzer beating three to end the third.
- attendance is 108,713... AMAZING!

4th quarter
- west are cutting the lead down. It's suddenly a 2 point game
- this looks like its gonna be a good finish. 120-119 east with 9 mins to go
- great sequence of crazy passes between wade, lebron, and rondo, finally getting wade to the free throw line
- CHAUNCEY!
- ah, nothing better than some good ol defence
- rondo to wade alley oop again. Flash has had around 80 of these tonight.

- alley oops remind me of NBA 2K5. actually more of NBA Street.
- deron is playing major minutes here.
- lebron playing pg now
- bosh has 21 and 10
- class of 2003 REPRESENT
- but where's melo?
- big shot AGAIN by chauncey.
- bosh misses an easy alley oop from LeBron.
- chauncey again! that shot was so well defended by wade too. game tied at 137, 1 minute left.
- wade steals it with 20 seconds left!!!! game tied at 137
- deron sends wade to the line unnecessarily
- wade hits both 139-137. 12 seconds left
- i agree with reggie commentating right now. give ball to chauncey
- who takes final shot for west?
- dwight fouls nowitzi! 7.7 seconds. two free throws. game tied at 139
- east now has final shot... i say wade
- bosh is tripped, 5 seconds, he gets 2 shots. another dallas native, btw
- bosh hits both 141-139
- my (west-biased) friend thinks that this game would've been over ages ago if kobe was playing.
- melo misses the three...bad shot... east win 141-139... well defended by wade
- bosh's free throws win it
- funny that dallas had to see another d-wade takeover. Memories of the 2006 finals are still haunting the crowd.


Wade is mvp with 28, 11, and 5, shooting 12-16.

So, an exciting end to a fun game. The game was broadcast in 215 countries in 41 languages. 215 countries!!!! They're not many places where it wasn't shown. Maybe Antartica. And Bangladesh.

Another fun fact: This was the first all star game to be played without Shaq AND Kobe since 1997 (Kobe's rookie year). In the end, the West had many options of the final shot-taker, was it going to be Melo, Chauncey, or Dirk? If Kobe was playing, I don't think there would have been any question about it. Actually, a Kobe-less result will always have an asterix with it, won't it?

Great performance by the 2003 Draft Class. Apart from Wade's MVP heroics, LeBron added 25, 6, and 5, Bosh had 23 and 10, and for the West, Melo scored 27 points with 10 rebounds.