Hall of The Worm

I was 11 when I first decided to give the game of basketball a chance. I wasn't very inspired and wasn't very good. I played mostly in the Ridgewood Dorm basketball court in my boarding school, a court that had some of the most unique dimensions I have ever experienced: two nine-and-half-feet high baskets, separated on a not-so-straight open court, barely two-thirds the size of a real court. The basket on one of the ends was on a tree. Yes!



But it was here that I first tried out my very limited hand in the game, and I did what every bumbling, struggling, out-of-sync newcomer does: find out that one thing that I was comfortable with, and then specialise in it. Some of the guys were great at outside shots from their hot-spots. Some were aspiring Jason Williams', focusing more on how beautiful their dribble looked than their actual shot. Some had become so familiar with the backboards that they had an uncanny and unstoppable skill of Dwyane-Wade-esque difficult layups, a skills that came especially handy when playing Air-21.



I had an awkward shot, the worst handles known to man, and little to no court vision. But I did have incredibly long arms, giving me a wingspan longer than even the boys who were taller than me. During shoot-around, we played the simple 'make it - take it' system: if you make it, you get the ball back. Otherwise, the dozen or so people standing below the basket hustle and fight for the rebound to get a chance at their own shot.



And so, my longer-than-average-arms, and the challenge to win a rebound against a dozen others against low odds, combined to gave me my first real basketball skills: rebounding. And it was during my rebounding dominant moments that some NBA-affluent friend called me a 'Worm'.



"A what?"



"A Worm. The Worm. Like Dennis Rodman."



Rodman.



I didn't know squat about the NBA beyond Magic & Michael when I first heard the name Rodman, but it wasn't going to be easy to forget him once I dug a little deeper. I found out that this cross-dressing, cameraman-kicking, hair-bleaching, strange man was also the man synonomous with rebounds. As a matter of fact, I will be shocked if Oxford made an Official Basketball Dictionary and a photograph of Dennis Rodman didn't take up the full page next to the definition of 'rebounds'.



Because Dennis Rodman, or 'The Worm' as he was nicknamed, is the greatest rebounder of the basketball in history. And now I'm going to tell you why.



A week ago, Dennis Rodman was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame, a moment he capped off with one of the most emotional speeches ever given at the Hall. At only 6-foot-7 inches, Rodman constantly played bigger than his size, defending both the forward positions and the Center with ease, and playing power forward for most of his career on the offensive end. The post-merger NBA has never seen a more tenacious rebounder: Rodman led the league in rebounding an unbelievable SEVEN times, from 1992-1998! And this was in an era where he regularly went up against the likes of Hakeem Olajuwan, Charles Barkley, Shaq, Charles Oakley, Kevin Garnett, and Karl Malone.



Here was a man who averaged just 7.3 points per game during the course of his career and now finds himself in the Hall of Fame. It was his rebounding and defense that got him enshrined in the Hall, and the rebound stats in particular tell more than their share of the tale. Since 1973, no player has had a better rebounding average than Rodman, at 13.1 a game. Since 1973, Rodman owns five out of the top eight single season rebounding records, with a top two of 18.7 rpg and 18.3 rpg in 1992 and 1993 respectively. Take a look at those dates again: these otherworldy stats weren't achieved in the 'black-and-white' era of Chamberlain-Russell NBA, where the NBA only had a few taller athletic players and a fast paced to the game meant that the likes of Chamberlain and Russell got most of the rebounds available. These stats are from relatively recent years - the 90s, an era that Rodman dominated.



And as the old adage says, "Defense and Rebounding wins championships" - and Rodman did his fair share of winning too, getting five rings. He was the defensive heart and soul of the Detroit Pistons Bad Boys teams that won two rings in 1989 and 1990, and part of his responsibility was shutting down Michael Jordan. He spent a couple of seasons with the Spurs, where he began to stake his claim as the most dominant rebounder in the league. And as most recent history will remember him, he joined Jordan and Pippen in the legendary Chicago Bulls team for their second three-peat, winning three more championships from 1996-98.



And on a sidenote: how damn great was that Bulls team? They had the greatest player of all time, the greatest wingman/do-it-all player of all time, and the greatest rebounder of all time. The best part of the Jordan-Pippen-Rodman trio was that not only were they the teams three biggest stars, but they were the three best defenders, perhaps three of the top six or seven defenders in the league at their time.



During the course of his career, Rodman was named Defensive Player of the Year twice while with the Pistons, was an all star twice (few players not named Ben Wallace become all stars by averaging below 10 points a game), and seven times into the NBA All Defensive first team.



He did some time with the Lakers and the Mavs before calling it a day, but one of the most amusing things for me to now check up Rodman's career are the names of the teams he played for AFTER his NBA career: these include the Long Beach Jam, Orange County Crush, and Tijuana Dragons of the ABA, a team in Finland (Torpan Pojat) and in England (Brigton Bears).



On the course of his journey, Rodman did a lot of crazy shit too, and it is perhaps his extracurricular activities that made him so unpredictable off the court. Out of the large number of these activities, here are my top 3:

1) He wore a wedding dress to promote his autobiography.

2) He was a part time pro-wrestler, and fought alongside Hulk Hogan

3) He was in a movie with Jean Claude Van Damme, called Double Team. Find it: it's great! (ok, keep your expectations low)



Despite all this though, his on-court production never changed, and even at an old age, he continued to hustle hard, defend hard, rebound hard, and win rings.



And now, here is perhaps the greatest part of the Rodman story: how he fought against all the odds to become what he did. Dennis Rodman was never supposed to be the greatest ever rebounder, never supposed to be a hall of famer. He suffered an unhappy childhood, struggled through poverty and tragedy, and somehow made the NBA despite having outstanding offensive skills, and even then was a rookie at the advanced age of 25. He kept persisting, kept improving, won the rings, the DPOY accolades, the rebounding titles, and became a part of one of the greatest teams ever. And by his last title, he was already 37 years old, still reading the NBA in boards!



I didn't know these things when I was 11, when I was falling in love with the art of the rebound, when someone called me a 'worm' and I failed to realise that it was a compliment and not an insult. I added several more arsenals to my game since then, but that love for the boards never changed, and neither did my respect for Dennis Rodman. What I see now is that, 'The Worm' stood for more than just the ability to get rebounds. 'The Worm' stood for perseverance, hustle, an undying love for the game.



His career, and his life, mirror his rebounding skill. Without having the size to do it, he had the uncanny skill to break the odds and position himself for success. He jumped higher than anyone else, even those bigger and more skilled than him, to either grab the ball, or tip it away, back to himself, just like in life, he was able to tip the favours towards himself, to grab the NBA's biggest challenges by its horns. And then he would secure the rebound, just like he would secure success, and then he would do it over and over again, becoming the best at one of the most beautiful arts in basketball.

2011 Conference Finals Predictions

I realise that, unlike my past prediction article, this one has a weird timing around it - after all, the Conference Finals have already technically begun, as the Bulls have destroyed the Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals already. But you have to blame Oprah Winfrey for that one: between the last game of the 2nd round (Thunder vs Grizzlies Game 7) and the first game of the Conference Finals was a gap of only 2 hours.

Anyways, I don't think it needs to be reiterated that these have been some of the most unpredictable playoffs in recent years. The Hawks and the Grizzlies caused the big upsets as they entered the second round, and then the Mavs' demolition of the Lakers left a lot of predictors (including me) shell-shocked. Still, I got three of my four Conference-Finalists (Bulls, Heat, Thunder) right - now let's see where they go from here.

Before we delve into the Conference Finals, let's take a quick recap of the second round. The story of the round was definitely the Mavericks, who rode the hot hand and mental toughness of Dirk Nowitzki to sweep the two-time defending champions. I'll hand my unofficial player of the round award to Dirk - the numbers are great, not amazing, but Dirk's value to his team is unmatched. Gotta give some credit to Zach Randolph, who despite a loss left a large impression on the league, and to his opponent Kevin Durant, who had some big games in the round and stepped up in a crucial Game 7 with 39 and 9 to lead his team to the next round. In the East, Derrick Rose continued to do his thing and LeBron and Wade played at the peak of their powers to eliminate the dangerous Celtics' side.

While the great older powers of Boston, LA and Spurs fell, the youth has emerged in the form of Derrick Rose's Bulls and Durant-Westbrook Thunder. This will be the first NBA Finals in 13 years without either Shaq, Kobe, or Duncan participating. This will be only the second time in the last 13 years that the West won't be won by either the Lakers or the Spurs - the only other time was when the Mavs won it in 2006! The four conference-finalists this year all failed to make it past the first round last season!

So here we are, on the cusp of a new era. When it's all said and then, the championship this year will either be won by a talented player with regular season success but post-season disappointed (LeBron or Dirk) or by a young player taking a leap much quicker than anyone expected (Rose or Durant). Of course, there is also Dwyane Wade, the only remaining all star with a championship ring, who won it in 2006 beating Nowitzki's Mavs.

Eastern Conference Finals: (1) Bulls vs. (2) Heat

Despite all the upsets and surprises, the East Finals find themselves exactly where they should be, in a battle between the first and second best Eastern teams of the regular season. It has been a great season for Chicago, led by MVP Derrick Rose and Coach of the Year Tom Thibodeau. The Bulls had an uncertain start to the playoffs after an underwhelming performance against the Pacers and just-about-average series against Atlanta, but they have seemingly gotten better as the playoffs have progressed. Now, after blowing out Miami in Game 1, Chicago is showing its full potential, as a team where Derrick Rose scores at will and scores the big buckets, Luol Deng plays tough defense and scores important points, Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah command the paint, and the support crew make crucial contributions. The Bulls have been the league's best defensive team, and that defense is on fire right now. They have played their best game in Game 1 - now it's Miami's turn to retaliate. They were able to shut down both LeBron and Wade, but you can't keep such incredible talents down forever.

The Heat did get exposed for their lack of depth in Game 1, but no one (including the Bulls) is expecting the other games in this series to end the same way. Chris Bosh regained some confidence after a big game today, but really, this team wins if LeBron and Wade make big contributions, which I think they will. There is too much hunger in Miami to bow down so easily - and someone else from their bench, like Mike Bibby, James Jones, Mike Miller, or Udonis Haslem - will have to step up.

These two teams have so many undercurrent connections between them: during the Free Agent Class of 2010, when Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh were all free agents, Chicago, who had the money, tried to signed each of them at some point or the other and pair them up with Derrick Rose. It never happened, and the three ended up signing together in Miami, and played well enough to finish second in the East. The Bulls, meanwhile, picked up their pieces, brought in Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver, brought in new coach Thibodeau, and saw Rose emerge into an MVP, and in the process, they finished with a better record than Miami! Additionally, Chicago is a homecoming of sorts for Dwyane Wade, who grew up there - this will be an interesting time for him since he has struggled at the United Center in the past.

When it's all said and then, I expect this to be a long, back and forth series, where perspectives will change after every game. In the end, I think the Bulls' depth and home-court advantage will help them make it to the NBA Finals after seven games. Chicago Bulls win 4-3

Western Conference Finals: (3) Mavericks vs. (4) Thunder

First off - my apology to the Mavs and the Mavs fans - I never had faith in this team. Not for their on-paper talent, because they have one of the deepest and most balanced rosters in the NBA. No, my doubts sprung from the Mavericks' shoddy track record. They never seemed to show enough mental strength and whenever a potential upset could happen with this side, a potential upset did happen! Not this year though. This year, I doubted them in the first round, and they beat the Blazers. I doubted them in the second round, and they swept the Lakers. No more doubts! Dallas is legit, physically and mentally now. I expect this team to play in a similar way against Thunder as they did against Lakers, and I expect Nowitzki to continue the hunger for his first ring. Plus Kidd, Terry, Barea, Marion, Chandler, Stevenson, Peja etc will continue making big contributions. The only negative against the Mavs currently is that this team may be slightly rusty after such a long break without games.

The Thunder, on the other hand, have been the model of inconsistency in the second round. The Grizzlies presented them with a mismatch because of their strong interior play, and OKC's troubles with finding their own identity caused this young team to stutter a few extra steps in the second round. Still, on the positive side, Kevin Durant emerged as one of the game's best closers and took the leap after the big Game 7 performance. Russell Westbrook showed the potential of this team if he played like a true point guard, and if all their other pieces play their role - Harden, Ibaka, Collisson, Perkins - this team can play well against the more finesse-minded Mavs.

Still though, the experience of the Mavs, coupled with the fact that OKC might be emotionally drained-out after the seven game series, will give the team from Dallas the advantage. The Mavericks will be better at executing the right plays, and barring a super-human effort from Durant-Westbrook, I say they will win this series in six games. Dallas Mavericks win 4-2.

So those are my predictions - A Bulls-Mavericks final - Tell me what you think will happen in this round?

Geethu Anna Jose completes tryouts with 3 WNBA teams

Former captain of the Indian Women’s Senior Basketball team Geethu Anna Jose has become the first Indian basketball player to be invited for a tryout with any NBA/WNBA teams: Between April 27 – May 4, Jose traveled the breadth of the USA to complete tryouts with three WNBA teams – Chicago Sky (April 27-28), Los Angeles Sparks (April 30-May 1), and San Antonio Silver Stars (May 3-4).

Jose reported back to the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), saying that she felt positive about her trials. “I feel like I have done well,” she wrote, “The coaches of all the three teams liked my fundamentals – it is good for Indian basketball.”

“I've given my everything,” said Jose, “I hope the coaches of all the three teams were impressed with my skills.”

In Chicago, Jose first worked out with Bill Harris, the former coach of the Indian Men’s national team, before heading for a two-day, one-on-one tryout with the Chicago Sky and their coaching team.

In the Los Angeles trials, Jose was amongst 60 talented basketball players fighting for a spot on the roster of the Sparks’ squad. Local media reported that “Despite her reserved demeanor, Jose was one of the players who stood out” at the trials.

Here are some quotes from Sparks’ coach Jennifer Gillom from FoxSportsWest:

"I noticed her the first day," Gillom said, "I thought she was definitely fundamentally sound and she just lacked the aggressiveness, being a little bit more assertive, not being as soft, because if she had that, there'd be a lot of players in trouble. That's for sure.”
"She has a beautiful shot, those types of things. But you get a little bit skeptical when she has to defend someone else and those types of things, or being physical in the post or on the wings. She has to bring it out in herself."

Jose’s final tryout was with the San Antonio Silver Stars, where she worked out with the team’s coach and GM Dan Hughes on May 3-4. You can find a short video of Jose’s tryout and Hughes’ positive comments on her here:

According to MySanAntonio.com, Jose left a “good impression” on the Silver Stars:

“What was amazing to me working her out was her listening ability was tremendous,” Hughes said. “That was really pleasing, really exciting to see an athlete that cares that much about getting better.
“She's been in Chicago, L.A. and now here in San Antonio, and she's going through every drill with an intensity. I enjoyed working with her. It was a favorable impression she left on me.”

Troy Justice, the Director of Basketball Operations of NBA in India, assisted Jose a lot in securing the tryouts and worked-out with her in Chennai before her departure to the USA. He reports that he has been in contact with all the coaches of the WNBA teams who worked with Jose.

"The coaches were impressed with her," says Justice, "They commended her on two things: firstly as a person and a representative of India to the WNBA, and secondly, for her talents on court: her skill-set, her athletic ability, and her basketball IQ were all greatly appreciated."

Justice added: "Jose is a quick learner and she improved drastically during the course of her time in the USA."

Jose was greeted warmly by the Indian community in the USA. A felicitation and media interaction session was held for her in Chicago after her tryouts with the Sky. In San Antonio, she got a another special welcome by the city’s Indian community, and she got the honour of meeting the city’s Mayor Julian Castro with the city’s council members in City Hall on May 5th.

She will now return to India and hear about the results of her tryouts in a few weeks.

Hailing from Kottayam, Kerala, the 6 foot 2 Jose has been the biggest Indian basketball star for several years: she has captained the Indian Women’s side at the FIBA Asia Women’s Basketball Championship in 2009, where she was leading scorer in Asia. She has represented India in several major tournaments, including the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Australia and the 2010 Asian Games basketball championship in Guangzhou (China). Jose, who stands at 6 feet and 2 inches, is currently working for Southern Railway in Chennai, and, representing Indian Railways, has won seven consecutive National Basketball Championship titles. She was also the first Indian women to play professionally in Australia, when she represented the Ringwood Hawks, a lower division team in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL), and won the league’s Most Valuable Player award in 2008.

NBA's Most Valuable is back in Chicago

Call it the curse of success: when a team does so incredibly well as the Chicago Bulls did in the 90s, a fall from prominence hurts more than, say, a team like the Clippers, who have been more or less un-prominent throughout. And what a decade the 90s were for Chicago! The Bulls won six championships in eight years, were the world's most popular team and the NBA's most feared. And most importantly, they happened to have the man now regarded as the greatest player to ever play the game of basketball, Michael Jordan, who bagged 5 MVP trophies over the course of his career.

The last one of Jordan's MVP awards came in 1998, the year he left the Bulls for good, and the year the team fell back into obscurity. It took a lot more false starts since then, but the Bulls got their shot at resurrection when they drafted local boy Derrick Rose with the first pick of the NBA draft three years ago. The choice couldn't have worked out better for them, as Rose quickly developed into a fascinatingly talented pro, and, as of yesterday, was named the youngest ever MVP of in NBA history.

Yes, at 22 years and seven months, Rose is five months younger than Wes Unseld of the Baltimore Bullets who was named MVP in 1969. It is an amazing achievement for a player, who in just three seasons, has achieved what most players fail to achieve in their lifetimes. He has backed up the hype with results: a first pick in the draft is always going to put pressure on a player - especially if he's the leading point guard on his hometown team - but Rose took it with stride, becoming Rookie of the Year in his first season, an all star in his second, and an all star starter and MVP in his third.

Couple Rose's development with the hiring of now Coach of the Year Tom Thibodeau for the Bulls, and suddenly, the team that was eighth-seed in the East last year finished with the best record in the entire league, 62-20. Rose finished with averages of 25 points and 7.7 assists per game this season.

What is perhaps most awesome about this award is that Rose ignored the scoffs at the beginning of the season and predicted that he could do it. And what makes it more awesome for me, personally, is that I began to believe him too, and predicted that he could do it mid-season - it seemed like the perfect year, after all - LeBron and Wade were cancelling each other out in South Beach, Durant was sharing a lot of offensive responsibility with Russell Westbrook, Dwight Howard was never going to be enough of a leader in my eyes, Kobe was deferring more and more to Gasol and co, Dirk & Chris Paul weren't being consistently brilliant enough in the regular reason, the Spurs and the Celtics had too many good players to single one out, and Amar'e Stoudemire was never going to keep up the great early season play, especially after the Knicks brought in Carmelo Anthony.

So on the whole, I think this is a completely deserving award. Unfortunately though, Rose has followed the MVP-caliber regular season with a pretty average post-season, struggling to beat a lowly Pacers squad in 5 games and losing his first game against the Hawks. This is what I call The Curse of MVP - Since Jordan retired from the Bulls in 1998, only two players (Shaq in 2000 and Duncan in 2003) have followed up MVP seasons with Championship seasons. If the curse is true, then the chances for Rose to win a ring this season are slim; on the other hand, LeBron James fans can rejoice, since the former two-time MVP didn't win the award this season but his Miami Heat are looking like favourite for the title so far.

Rose won the award pretty comfortably this year, with 1182 points. Rounding up the top five were Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Durant.

I read somewhere today that, because of the Jordan-Pippen Bulls, almost everyone who was a child back in their 90s era has a little bit of a Bulls fan in them - if that is the case, that little bit of a Bulls fan can have a little celebration over the Bulls' resurgence and their new leader. Now, Rose, Thibodeau, Noah, Boozer, Deng and co have to get serious about things if they plan on adding another championship and spawning a new generation of worldwide fans.

Playoffs... Round 2... FIGHT!

I don't know about you, but that was indeed a breathless and emotional first round, perhaps one of the more exciting ones in recent years (of course, barring that SUPER-EPIC Bulls-Celtics 1st Round series two years ago). This year was breathless because of some crucial big games and some crucial upsets, and emotional because my favourite team, the Knicks finally made the playoffs for the first time in seven years only to be shown the door in four depressing games.

Anyways, we are now in the second round, and in a few paragraphs, I will lay out my predictions for four more intriguing series. Before we get there though, let's take a quick recap of what's happened so far:

- His Hornets couldn't complete their incredible bid for an upset, but Chris Paul (22 ppg, 11.5 apg, 6.7 rpg, 1.8 spg) is my nominee for 1st Round MVP. Epic performances in Game 1 (33, 14, 7) and Game 4 (27, 15, 13) were especially impressive.
- Grizzlies created history by becoming just the fourth eighth seed ever to beat a top seed when they beat the Spurs. I'm still enjoying the afterglow of that victory. The West has indeed been pushed wide open.
- Goodbye to Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Chris Paul - great players gone fishing.
- My first round predictions were a semi-disaster. With Hawks, Mavericks, and Grizzlies winning, I only scored 5/8. Let's see how these ones go...

East

(1) Bulls vs. (5) Hawks: Chicago struggled more than they should have against the Pacers, but they still managed to pull off a neat-looking 4-1 victory. They showed two things: 1) They still needed consistent offense from someone else but Derrick Rose to beat the better teams in the playoffs and 2) They showed poise to win games where they didn't play well, a sign of a great team. I think this team will be a lot more confident now that they have survived a first round.
The Hawks will go as far as the Bulls allow them to go. Yes, I don't discount their surprising domination of the Magic in the first round, but Chicago will be a whole another animal to deal with. Hawks will have trouble scoring over an elite Bulls defense, and everyone in that team will have trouble stopping Derrick Rose, especially since news is now coming that Kirk Hinrich may be seriously injured.
Chicago Bulls win 4-2

(2) Heat vs. (3) Celtics: Adrian Wojnarowski, on his Yahoo! Sports article, predicted that this could possibly be the biggest second round series ever. I am inclined to agree. This is a match-up fit for the finals, with enough storylines to keep one's mind well and truly boggled. Here's a quick rundown of the drama that will surround this incredible series:
1) Miami showed great vulnerability against Boston all season, losing their first three match-ups, before getting their revenge in the last one.
2) Miami, with its Big 3 of Wade, LeBron, and Bosh, are the league's most hyped team this year. Celtics have done it all before with their own Big 3 of Garnett, Pierce, and Allen, who won the championship in 2008. The question now is, who wins? Players in their prime in Miami but lacking the experience that the Celtics three had/have? Or the veterans, with more experience now, and with a much deeper bench?
3) LeBron James: A year ago, LeBron played for the Cavs against the Celtics at this exact stage. We all know how that ended. Celtics helped kill the LeBron era in Cleveland, helped push the brand of LeBron as a big-game choker, and the NBA's villain. Believe this: there is NO team in the world that LeBron wants to beat more than Boston. Read Wojnarowski's article linked above to know more.
4) Dwyane Wade: Before they beat LeBron, the Celtics beat Wade and Miami in the first round last year, but Wade didn't lose without having some big individual games. He has struggled against Boston this season, but now its his chance to show that he can beat them with the right squad around him.
5) Shaquille O'Neal: Will Shaq even play? A former teammate to both LeBron and Wade, I will be looking to see if the Big EVERYTHING can be a factor to end the dreams of his former teammates.
6) Delonte West: He's a Celtic now. He was a Cav last year. Ask LeBron's mum about the rest of the story.
7) The Matchups: Kevin Garnett vs. Chris Bosh, Paul Pierce vs. LeBron James, Ray Allen vs. Dwyane Wade will all be intriguing to watch... But who's gonna stop Rondo? And will Miami have an answer for Boston's deep bench?
My answer to that last question is yes, they will. Boston are deeper and more experienced, but they are also old and past their primes. I believe that Miami have begun to peak at just the right time in this series. It will be a back-and-forth battle where the equation and the momentum could shift after each game - I know it's tough to call, but I am going to side with the home-court advantage. I expect big things from LeBron and Wade here, and I expect seven unforgettably close games.
Miami Heat win 4-3

West

(2) Lakers vs. (3) Mavericks: With the Spurs out of the equation, the Lakers have to be feeling a lot more confident about completing their three-peat now. I know they showed some hesitancy in the first round against New Orleans, but from experience, I can say that this is a team that just gets better as the playoffs progress - remember last year, when they showed hesitancy against the Thunder in the first round and then went on to win a championship? Kobe is in Warrior-Mode, Gasol showed signs of recovery, and Bynum will be the key once again. Lakers are deep enough beyond these three, as consistent play by Artest and Odom will only improve.
Mavs, on the other hand, are running out of legitimate believers. Yes, they beat Portland, but it is how they perform against LA that will define them. Kidd and Nowitzki have been searching for that championship for all their careers, and this season could be their last best chance - fitting then, that their job is to remove the reigning champs off their perch. I say that they come up short.
LA Lakers win 4-2

(4) Thunder vs. (8) Grizzlies: If you're the Thunder, you have to be happy, right? Not only did you just cross the first round for the first time, beating a tricky Denver team 4-1, but your second round just got a whole lot easier. No disrespect to Memphis, but I'm sure Thunder had the Spurs and their experience in mind all throughout. Tony Allen contained Manu Ginobili - could he contain Kevin Durant? This could be the year that Durant begins to build his playoff legacy, and a big series against the Grizzlies could go a long way in securing it.
But can the team that just beat the West's best be so easily discounted? It took some amazing basketball by the Grizzlies to defeat the consistently unstoppable Spurs. And Memphis power-forward Zach Randolph has especially impressed me with elite-level play against perhaps the greatest power forward ever in Tim Duncan. Will Grizzlies be able to keep up the momentum in the second round, especially against another youthful team? I doubt it, but I doubted them before, too, and look what they did.
OKC Thunder win 4-1

So there we go - I say that the Conference Finals will be Bulls vs. Heat and Lakers vs. Thunder - what are your predictions?

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?

George Gervin and Katie Smith to hold clinics in Mumbai and Delhi

NBA Legend George Gervin and WNBA player Katie Smith are set to hold youth clinics in Mumbai and New Delhi during the finals of the Mahindra NBA Challenge recreational leagues in both of the cities on Saturday, February 26th and Sunday, February 27th, respectively. The event is being organised by The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the National Basketball Association (NBA), who announced that they will tip off their 2011 sports envoy program with their first-ever joint trip to India.

Gervin and Smith will be in India for a total of 10 days, from February 22nd to March 2nd. The Mumbai clinic will be held on February 26th from 4:30 PM - 9:00 PM at the Don Bosco High School in Matunga East. The Delhi clinic will be held on February 27th from 10:00 AM - 2:30 PM at the Oxford Senior Secondary School in E-Block, Vikas Puri.

George Gervin was a major star in the ABA and the NBA in the 70s and 80s. He played for the Virginia Squires, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls in the ABA/NBA, becoming a three-time ABA all star, nine-time NBA all star, and named seven times to the All NBA team. He was also the MVP of the 1980 NBA All Star Game. He finished with an NBA career average of 26.2 points per game and ended his basketball playing career with a succesful stint in Europe, playing in Banco Roma (Italy) and TDK Manresa (Spain).

Katie Smith played college basketball at the Ohio State University and currently plays for WNBA team Washington Mystics. She is a two time WNBA champion (2006 and 2008) with the Detroit Shock and was also named the 2008 Finals MVP. Smith is a 6 time WNBA all star and has won the Olympic Gold Medal there times (2000, 2004, 2008) with the USA basketball team.

NBA Eye from an Indian Guy

If you're an NBA fan in India, I'm excited to announce that your weekly NBA analysis on NBA-India is about to get twice as nice! Starting this week, I will be doing two weekly articles for the NBA-India website. In addition to the feature article I write towards the end of every week, I will now have a Tuesday morning column called 'NBA Eye from an Indian Guy', a recap of all the NBA games broadcasted in India over the past week.

With the new and improved broadcasting deals for NBA in India, I have more and more reason to lose sleep, wake up at unearthly hours of the morning, and rub my eyes through live NBA action. Four, and sometimes five NBA games are now being shown in India every week, and I try to watch most of the action from most of these games. This column should give fans a chance to get a (very short) recap of the weekly matches.

In the first installment of this series, I talk about how it isn't just Kevin Durant that's made OKC Thunder a contender, I take a look at the Bulls' statement in Boston, and yes, much more!

Check out my entire blog archive of my NBA-India articles here.

The greatest sportsperson ever

I picked up today's copy of the the Times of India newspaper this morning, panned my eyes down to mid-way on the front page, and saw the words: "Is Sachin Tendulkar the greatest sportsperson ever?" The article was aiming to set off a debate and a poll to decide the best athletes amongst each sports best, the greatest of the greatest. The inclusion of God himself, aka, Sachin, was itself of certain debate, since many cricket purists believe he's second best to cricketing legend Don Bradman, but in my eyes, that debate had been put to rest decades ago. Sachin and Bradman are to cricket what Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain are to basketball: Bradman and Chamberlain hold the craziest records (Bradman's 99.94 test average, Chamberlain's unearthly averages of 50.4 ppg and 25.7 rpg in the '61-62 season). But both these greats played in a different era of the sport, and experts in both fields will agree that in terms of true talent, Sachin and Jordan are still the Greatest of All Times (G.O.A.T.) in their respective sports.

A few minutes after putting the newspaper down, I happened to pick up my gold edition copy of SLAM magazine's awesome Jordan Issue, a heady volume of all things MJ, from interviews, rare photographs, greatest dunks, his years at North Carolina, his championship stories from Chicago, his influence on the international game, and many, many Air Jordan shoes!

The Jordan reminders got me thinking deeper about this issue: this is an argument that I (and I'm sure, many of you), have had several times before, so kudos to TOI for making it sort of official. One player has been chosen from each major sport that is relevant to Indians (Sorry Baseball, Babe Ruth), and Tennis gets two sportsmen, male and female. Jordan is obviously basketball's representative, but I was a little disappointed that the article barely mentioned His Airness.

Once again, this is the list from TOI:

Cricket: Sachin Tendulkar
Basketball: Michael Jordan
F1: Michael Schumacher
Cycling: Lance Armstrong
Track & Field: Carl Lewis
Tennis Men: Roger Federer
Tennis Women: Martina Navrativola
Hockey: Dhyan Chand
Boxing: Mohammed Ali
Football: Pele
Gymnastics: Nadia Comaneci
Golf: Tiger Woods

Already, this list is controversial, to say the least. Is Roger Federer even the greatest tennis player of his era, now that Nadal has his number? Maradona (and some Zidane fans) may have a thing or two to say about Pele's selection. And forgive me, gymnastic fans, but I have no idea who the hell Nadia Comaneci is. I'm sure she was talented.

Anyways, despite my basketball addiction now, like every other Indian child, I grew up a Sachin Tendulkar fanatic. I liked him much more than I liked cricket, and I know that I will probably lose half my interest in the sport once God retires. After his 50th test century in South Africa a few days ago, his legend gets greater and greater. It was true poetic justice that Sachin was the first man to get to 200 in an ODI. And he owns more cricket records to his name than records that exist in other sports.

But despite everything, I don't think he's the greatest of this list. For Indians, yes, no doubt, but definitely not worldwide. This is why Michael Jordan is special. MJ has not only done the same record-wise for the NBA that Tendulkar did for cricket, but he has won the biggest prize over and over again with a more lethal precision and perfection than anyone else in any sport. In a competitive league of stars, Jordan shone brightest, winning 6 of 8 championships in the 90s, only losing the two years in the middle to pre-mature retirement.

But like Sachin, his influence on his sport, and the world of sports in general, actually extends BEYOND the sport. Jordan is bigger than basketball. You will still meet people around the world who haven't heard of basketball but know the name Michael Jordan. Jordan's coach Phil Jackson once famously said that he could be nowhere in the world, hiking up a mountain in Bhutan, and see a monk in a Chicago Bulls hat. This was much BEFORE NBA became famous internationally. Jordan made sneakers famous too - he made it possible for stars to have signature shoes, and shoes to be sold on brand name of the stars alone.

Sachin, too, has had that kind of effect on Indians. In a country separated by language, region, caste, economic status, religion and oh-so-many other things, Sachin is the one unifying factor, the strongest one to represent all India since Gandhi, and I don't believe that's an exaggeration at all. He is the only one in India beyond criticism, because for 21 years he has done more for the image of a successful Indian than any other.

Other athletes like Pele, Mohammed Ali and Tiger Woods have had similar 'beyond-sport' influences on the world. Ali, especially is a favourite to be revered as the best of the best in this list.

But call it my basketball bias. Call it the fact that I just respect sportsmen who dominate team-oriented sports more than others. And cricket, I'm sorry to say, is an individual's game masked behind a team concept.

This is why my vote for the G.O.A.T. will stay with Michael Jordan. Hail to His Airness!

One Decision, Three Kings, and Trading Places

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I have waiting patiently before finally sitting down to write this. Most of the memorable Free Agent class this summer, dubbed the legendary 'Summer of 2010' have finally found their homes, some old and some new, and set up a whole host of excitement for the 2010-11 NBA season.

Unless a) You have been living under a giant rock, b) You are a monk somewhere in a cave in the Himalayas without internet access, c) You've been distracted too much by the FIFA World Cup and the sound of vuvuzelas has made sure you don't here any news ever again, or d) You're from Bangladesh, you've probably heard that Miami Heat ended up becoming the second-biggest story of the off-season after bringing back Dwyane Wade and signing LeBron James and Chris Bosh to their roster, to assemble perhaps one of the greatest trios to ever land on an NBA team together (on paper, at least). With 'King' James joining the crew, the new Miami roster was introduced as the 'Three Kings' of Miami (or 'Miami Thrice'. Last I checked, only one of them, Wade, has any sort of a crown (or a ring), but hasn't had a whiff of it in four years.

The biggest story of the summer, of course, was of LeBron's shameless self-promotion and attempt to overshadow everything else in the basketball (and otherwise) world by flirting with at least six teams and finally making his cringe-worthy 'Decision' through a one-hour special on ESPN on the 8th of July.

A lot more decisions were made, most of them not as important as LeBron's, but still crucial to the new shaping of the NBA geography. With the NBA Draft having introduced a new crop of future stars and the free agents beginning to settle into their new homes, here is my list of the winners, losers, and those still squatting in purgatory after the Summer of 2010.

The Miami Heat made the biggest splash, but nay, I feel the biggest winner were actually the Chicago Bulls. Yes, they lost out on LeBron, Wade, and Bosh (as did everyone but the Heat), but the Bulls chose to use their cap space to make a ton of smart moves and bolster their squad. Unlike the Heat, the Bulls already had a stable backbone led by former-best-PG-in-the-league Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, and talented youngster Taj Gibson. They've since added Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver from the Jazz, and are on the verge of getting their hands on Magic sharp-shooter JJ Redick. The Bulls could end up with a formidable looking and balanced line-up of Rose, Redick, Deng, Boozer, Noah, with Korver, Gibson, etc off the bench. It's my early bold prediction that they will actually be the team to beat next season.

Now, when saying that, I'm assuming that the Bulls do better than all other teams that were ranked higher than them in the playoffs... Let's go through them one by one, shall we.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Oh... Cleveland! The city which had the worst luck, found their saviour in the form of hometown boy LeBron in '03, and after seven rosy-yet-ultimately-unfruitful years, lost him to the Heat in the most unceremonious way possible: Live TV. If only LeBron had been gentler (and more prompt) about his decision, the city wouldn't be reacting in pain as it is now. For now though, I predict a historical downfall for the Cavs, in which they will return to their pre-2003 days as every LeBron fan jumps the bandwagon to become a Heat fan and no one cares about Cleveland any more. Shaq's gonna leave. Big Z has already joined LeBron in Miami. Their best players are going to be Mo Williams, Antawn Jamison, and LeBron's replacement, Kyle Lowry. Ouch.

Orlando Magic: Magic get Chris Duhon and Quentin Richardson, will lose Redick. Dwight will be the same, so will Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter, and Jameer Nelson. Squatting on purgatory.

Atlanta Hawks resigned Joe Johnson, but he's peaked. Josh Smith and Al Horford will improve, the Hawks won't. Purgatory.

It's hard to believe that last season's Eastern Conference Champions Boston Celtics finished fourth in the regular season. Celtics have made a smart move in bringing in Jermaine O'Neal to replace Rasheed Wallace, and their best off-season move definitely was re-signing Ray Allen. But as much as I respect KG, Ray, and Paul Pierce brought last post-season, I feel that the Finals Game 7 was the end of the road for these old cats. Rajon Rondo, on the other hand, is going to be a superstar.

And then there's the Heat. Winners, definitely. No matter how much someone hates the process of how LeBron became a Heater, there is no doubt that now that he's there, he helps elevate them immediately into the NBA elite. Watching LeBron and Wade together in the Dream Team and the All Star Game had everyone's wildest fantasies salivating, but it was hard to imagine them actually playing together, in the same team. Well, here they are, as team-mates, along with all star big man Bosh. Miami will always be Wade's team, and LeBron will benefit from being spectacular while not being entirely responsible, just the way he would like it. The responsibility will fall on Wade, who is no doubt the ultimate winner of the free agency - he got to stay loyal to his team and he was able to coax the league's best player and one of the best men to join him to now attempt another shot at the title. This is the best set of team-mates any of them has ever had, and their chemistry together will be crucial when predicting how they will end up.
I do feel this team has titles in them - they will have a backing squad of Mario Chalmers, Mike Miller, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Udonis Haslem, and I'm hoping a few more, but I don't think that they will see the ring their first season together. It will take some time, but when it happens, it is going to be devastating. Until then, I'm excited just with the possibility of seeing these three go at it together.
And oh, let me not skip LeBron James the winner/loser/most wanted/most hated person in the world right now. LeBron's shameless flirting with the Cavs, Heat, Bulls, Knicks, Nets, and Mavericks had team-owners begging around his arrogant self to join them, and in the end, the world realised that the decision was never about what team LeBron wants to play for, it was about what LeBron can get out of this situation. He turned it into a marketing ploy, broke a million hearts, and in the end, chose the one situation in the Eastern Conference that would make life easiest for him by joining Wade and Bosh. Sure, this classifies as 'wanting to win', but more than that, it classifies as 'not wanting to be his own legend'. Starting from the shambolic end to the Celtic playoff series back in May, the last two months have taken LeBron from being one of the most admired to one of the most hated people in sports right now. How's that for successful self-promotion. His only redemption? Stop acting like a 'Chosen One' and a 'King' (he won't) and quietly stack up NBA Championships (quite possible) like Number 24 out west in LA.

And the other Eastern Conference playoff teams? Bobcats made a few moves but aren't getting anywhere. And does anyone even remember that the Bucks were a game away from the 2nd round?

Raptors are done, Pacers and Pistons are pretty much the same, and the Sixers and Wizards got a couple of exciting rookies but won't be shaking the world any time soon.

Which leaves the Knicks and the Nets, two teams hungry for the LeBron sweepstakes. Knicks made the smart early move and didn't wait for His Royal LeSellOut to sign Amar'e from the Suns. Not the biggest of upgrades, but a force on the block nonetheless. I'm saddened by the loss of my Knick favourite David Lee, but the team received three good players in the form of Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf, and Kelenna Azubuike in return from the Warriors. The addition of Raymond Felton at the point helps to complete a starting five of Felton, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Amar'e, and Randolph, with Azubuike, Turiaf, Toney Douglas, Bill Walker, and newly signed Russian big man Timofey Mozgov off the bench. Not the best team, yes, but definitely a playoff team. The Knicks win.

The Nets, for their efforts, got talented big man Derrick Favors from the draft and replaced LeBron dreams with Travis Outlaw and Jordan Farmar. Yes, losers.

On to the west coast then, which was relatively quieter from the drama. Mavericks made the right moves by re-signing Dirk Nowitzki and also getting Tyson Chandler from the Bobcats. They will be better, but still no Laker-beaters. Nuggets scored with former Knick Al Harrington, but will not be a better team. They should keep their eye out on keeping next year's big free agent Carmelo Anthony happy. Jazz lost Boozer and Korver, but have made up for it somewhat by getting Al Jefferson from the Timberwolves for shits and nickels.

The Suns will have a new-looking roster next season. After losing Amar'e, they signed Hakim Warrick and smartly, signed Hawks/Olympiacos swingman Josh Childress, who could become the underrated signing of the summer. The team is also close to replacing Leonardo Barbosa with Raptor flop Hedo Turkoglo. Steve Nash has given new life to many has-beens before, and I actually believe that Turkoglo, Childress, Jason Richardson, Grant Hill, Frye, Warrick, Robin Lopez, etc will flourish with the star point guard's final season in top-tier relevance.

Blazers stay pretty much the same (but will improve with the return of Oden, if he returns), Spurs stay the same (except for a maybe genius signing), and the Grizzlies wasted a bit too much money on keeping Rudy Gay.

Now, how about the Thunder? The young, exciting team that toppled the Laker ship in the playoffs will be the squad to watch next season. Kevin Durant is a bonafide superstar, finishing as the league leader in scoring and second in MVP voting last season. He also made the anti-LeBron gentlemanly move of the off-season when he quitely extended with his team, giving a clear sign of loyalty to his talented teammates Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and others. By not changing much, the Thunder have improved.

Houston will be better if Yao returns, worse if he does not. Hornets and Chris Paul are going to spend a season (or two) in a lot of pain before Paul eventually gets frustrated and (probably) leaves for the Knicks. Clippers will improve with the play of Blake Griffin, but will still be the Clippers. Warriors should enjoy the improving Stephen Curry, along with David Lee and Monta Ellis. And the Kings will just hope that former ROY Tyreke Evans continues to improve and incorporates talented but troubled rookie DeMarcus Cousins.

Now, where do I start my Minnesota Timberwolves rant, a failure in management that is starting to make Isaiah Thomas' reign with the Knicks look flourishing. David Kahn has made some confusing moves over the past two off-seasons, and has now finished with a roster that refuses to improve. Sure, Jonny Flynn, Kevin Love, new signing Michael Beasley, Corey Brewer, Darko (gulp!), talented rookie Wesley Johnson, and soon-to-be-new-point-guard Luke Ridnour are good players, but the team was supposed to be done with young-maybe-potential-talents by now. Instead, they continue to be where they always were, still giving false hope. They still own the draft rights to Spanish phenon Ricky Rubio, but I'm willing to bet Darko's new 20 million dollar contract that Rubio's never putting on a Minnesota jersey.

But in the end, the real Kings remain the Kings. Not the Sacramento Kings, or the Miami Heat Three Kings. I mean back-to-back NBA Champions, the Lakers. Phil Jackson is back, Derek Fisher is back, Steve Blake was smartly added to this team, and of course, Kobe, Gasol, Artest, Bynum, Odom, etc are still there, still dangerous.

After a lot of noise and shifting and rumours and flirting and talking and moving and all that, the Lakers are still the team to beat, still looking favourites to make it a three-peat.

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Wizards select John Wall with 1st pick of the Draft

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The NBA Draft offered no surprises - as expected, the Washington Wizards selected John Wall from the Universty of Kentucky with the number one pick. Evan Turner, Derrick Favors, Wesley Johnson, and DeMarcus Cousins rounded up the top five.

Here is the entire list of the first round picks:

1. Washington Wizards: John Wall, PG
2. Philadelphia 76ers: Evan Turner, SG
3. New Jersey Nets: Derrick Favors, PF
4. Minnesota Timberwolves: Wesley Johnson, SG
5. Sacramento Kings: DeMarcus Cousins, PF
6. Golden State Warriors: Ekpe Udoh, PF
7. Detroit Pistons: Greg Monroe, C
8. Los Angeles Clippers: Al-Farouq Aminu, SF
9. Utah Jazz: Gordon Hayward, SF
10. Indiana Pacers: Paul George, SF
11. New Orleans Hornets: Cole Aldrich, C
12. Memphis Grizzlies: Xavier Henry, SG
13. Toronto Raptors: Ed Davis, PF
14. Houston Rockets: Patrick Patterson, PF
15. Milwaukee Bucks: Larry Sanders, PF
16. Minnesota Timberwolves: Luke Babbitt, SF
17. Chicago Bulls: Kevin Seraphin, PF
18. Oklahoma City Thunder: Eric Bledsoe, PG
19. Boston Celtics: Avery Bradley, SG
20. San Antonio Spurs: James Anderson, SG
21. Oklahoma City Thunder: Craig Brackins, PF
22. Portland Portland: Elliot Williams, SG
23. Minnesota Timberwolves: Trevor Booker, PF
24. Atlanta Hawks: Damion James, SF
25. Memphis Grizzlies: Dominique Jones, SG
26. Oklahoma City Thunder: Quincy Pondexter, SF
27. New Jersey Nets: Jordan Crawford, SG
28. Memphis Grizzlies: Greivis Vasquez, PG
29. Orlando Magic: Daniel Orton, PF
30. Washington Wizards: Lazar Hayward, SF

Although the top two picks are guards, this has been a particularly good year for big men, and really, the league needs them more than ever before. The likes of Derrick Favors, DeMarcus Cousins, Ekpe Udoh, Greg Monroe, Cole Aldrich, Ed Davis, and Patrick Patterson were all chosen in the top 14.

The winners of the draft day were really the Bulls, who traded away their 17th pick and Kirk Hinrich to the Washington Wizards, and were thus able to clear enough cap enough for the available class of excellent free agents, including LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer, Amar'''e Stoudemire, etc, etc, etc...

With John Wall and Kirk Hinrich in the back court, now it seems more and more likely that the Wizards will trade away Gilbert Arenas.

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The RonDemption

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"Everybody in LA expects a second ring. And if we don’t then yeah, they should point it right at me, throwing tomatoes and everything." Ron Artest, September 2009.

11 months ago, still hoarse smoking the victory cigar, the Los Angeles Lakers made the boldest of bold moves. Staring forward Trevor Ariza refused to agree and extend his contract with the Lakers, instead signing with the Houston Rockets. The Lakers immediately made a move, signing the then 29-year-old Ronald William "Ron" Artest from the Rockets. It was a move that raised a considerable amount of controversy for the defending champions, as if life for the Lakers wasn't already crazy enough.

The pros said that Artest would bring the neccessary toughness and defensive tenacity that the Lakers had been lacking - if Kobe was Jordan and Pau was Pippen, Artest was supposed to be the Dennis Rodman - unpredictable, efficient, tough.

But there were many cons, many questions about his character and his decision-making. Could Kobe and Phil Jackson tame the Ron Monster? Artest made the quote above in September last year, a couple of months before the season began, taking full blame if the Lakers weren't to repeat as champions. And he was right, too - on paper, his virtual trade-off for Ariza was the only difference that Lakers 2009-10 were going to have from Lakers 2008-09.

Fast forward to June 17, 2010. Less than a week ago. It is Game Seven of the NBA Finals, the biggest stage in the NBA, Artest's Lakers going against historic rivals Celtics, just one game to decide the fate of both teams. Blame me if we don't repeat, Artest had said. He had one shot at redemption, one game to turn around all the other crazy shit that he has gone through in his life.

This is my re-imagination of what went off in the head of Ron Artest, aka Ron Ron, aka Tru Warier, minutes before the biggest basketball game in his life.

- Childhood, in the ghettoes of Queensbridge, New York, where he was born on November 13, 1979.

- The murder of Lloyd Newton: Playing basketball in one of the toughest neighbourhoods in the world. During a YMCA Sanctioned Basketball tournament in 1991, Artest witnessed the on-court murder of 19-year-old Newton, who was stabbed in the back with a broken-off table leg during an altercation. "It was so competitive, they broke a leg from a table and they threw it, it went right through his heart and he died right on the court. So I'm accustomed to playing basketball really rough," Artest had said.

- Early success in basketball, in New York's Summer Tournaments, high-school basketball at La Salle Academy and college basketball at St. John's University.

- And with the 16th pick of the 1999 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls select... Ron Artest!

- During his early years with the Bulls in the NBA, drinking Hennessey cognac during halftime of the games. "I [kept it] in my locker. I'd just walk to the liquor store [near the stadium] and get it."

- With the Indiana Pacers, getting suspended twice in 2003 - the first time for destroying a television camera during a Knicks game at the Madiscon Square Garden, and the second time for a confrontation with then-Heat coach Pat Riley.

- Having the best season of his professional career that same year, averaging over 18 points and nearly six rebounds for the Pacers, making the 2004 All Star Game, and named Defensive Player of the Year. The Pacers ended up with the best record in the NBA, but lost to the eventual champions Detroit Pistons in the Conference Finals.

- Once showing up to practice with the Pacers in his bath robe.

- Being suspended again, for requesting his coach for a month off because he was tired from promoting an R&B album for the group 'Allure' on his production label.

And at this point, halfway through the flashback, there is a glitch in Ron Artest's memory. There is something he can't remember, something big, something important. He looks up from the court and sees a fan holding on to a cup of beer. That's when he remembers.

- November 19, 2004, the Malice at the Palace, probably the worst brawl in NBA history: Still with the Pacers, with less than a minute left in their game against the Detroit Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Artest got into a little confrontation with the other great defensive stalwart, Ben Wallace. During the argument, Artest laid down on the scorer's table. A spectator, John Green, then threw a cup of Diet Coke/beer/unidentifiable liquid at Artest while he was lying on the table. Artest responded by running into the stands and punching a man whom he mistakenly believed was responsible. Artest's teammate Stephen Jackson also ran into the stands shortly after and threw punches at fans, and eventually players from both teams entered the stands while many fans spilled out on to the court to escape the altercation. Another melee started when Artest was confronted on the court by two fans, both of whom Artest punched/knocked out. Jermaine O'Neal intervened by punching one of the fans in the jaw after a running start. The scene became chaotic and outnumbered arena security struggled to keep order. As the aftermath of this melee, Jackson, O'Neal, and Artest, and five others from both teams were suspended by the NBA. Artest's suspension was the longest, for the remainder of the season (73 regular season games and 13 playoff games). Artest lost approximately $7 million in salary due to the suspension.



- "Betraying" the Pacers in 2005, when he demanded a trade, and received it, to the Sacramento Kings for Peja Stojakovic.

- Succeeding with the struggling Kings team, and bringing them back to the playoffs.

- Releasing his first album 'My World' in October 2006, which was a mix of rap, R&B, and crazy.

- Spending 10 days in jail in 2007 after being arrested for domestic abuse, and subsequently, being suspended by the Kings.

- June 17, 2008 - AFter the Lakers had lost Game 6 of the NBA Finals (and the Championship) by an embarrasing 39 points to the Boston Celtics, he approached Kobe Bryant in the locker room after the game, while Kobe was taking a shower. "I want to come help you," Artest told Kobe. "If I can, I'm going to find a way to come to LA and give you the help you need to win a title."

- Being traded to the Houston Rockets in 2008, and helping them reach the second round of the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. Also, making life hell for Kobe Bryant, who was on his way to the 2009 Championship.

- Becoming a Laker in July 2009.

- Changing his jersey number from 15 (in honour of his father) to 23 (in honour of Michael Jordan) to 91 (in honour of Dennis Rodman) to 93 (because it apparently looks like qB- Queensbridge) to 96 (same reason) to 37 (because that's how long Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' was on the top of the pop charts).

- Going crazy in LA, from releasing random work-out videos to showing up at a talk show in his boxers.

- Still defending harder than a mutha. Still taking stupid three-pointers.

- May 27, 2010: Game 5, Conference Finals, Phoenix Suns. The buzzer-beater that made him famous, again, that made him a hero, banking a shot in at the final second to give Lakers the win and a 3-2 lead against the Suns.

- Shutting down 2008 Finals MVP Paul Pierce for most of the NBA Finals.

- Running what is now being called The Worst Offensive Position in Finals History in Game 2 - Artest did a Benny Hill impression, where his foolishness helped give the game away to the Celtics.

- Still defending harder than a mutha. Still taking stupid three-pointers.

And then he blinks. And then he's back. Game 7. This was his chance at redemption. At burying the horrors of that YMCA tournament in New York, of that Chicago Bulls locker room, of the brawl at Detroit, of all those suspensions, and fines, and criticisms, of Trevor Ariza's shadow, of Game 2.

Here was his chance to show the 'good' Artest - that which won defensive player of the year, that which made every team he was ever a part of better, that which hit the game winner against the Suns.

And at the biggest stage of his life, here he was. Artest has a game-leading 12 points in the first half, and he finishes the game with 20, second highest for the Lakers. He also holds Paul Pierce to a 5-15 night, and has clutch play after clutch play, including a dagger three, and becoming the hero of the Game, as Lakers win the title.

After the game, Artest gave perhaps the second-greatest post-game interview ever (my favourite is still Garnett's in 2008). He thanked his hood, his family, and his psychiatrist, who helped him "relax a lot." He even manned-up for betraying the Pacers, saying that he felt like a coward after bailing on his teammates.

And then he stops, and he has a flashback again, and adds one more memory to his life.

- Ron Artest, NBA Champion.

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