Upset Watch 2014: NBA Playoffs 1st Round Preview

Welcome to the 2014 playoffs’ edition my now trademarked, annual, ‘Upset Watch’ feature. For the first round every year, I like to present a preview in terms of percentage probabilities; as in the probability of an underdog (lower seed) to upset the favourite in every series (the higher seed). It’s an inexact science, occasionally wrong, but I promise you, thoroughly entertaining.

Here – in ascending order of least probably upset to most – is my preview of all the series in the First Round.

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The Culture Changer: Why Kevin Garnett will prove to be invaluable to the Brooklyn Nets

With much fanfare and hype, the Nets moved from New Jersey to Brooklyn last season. They seemed to have all the talent - but none of the heart. Enter Kevin Garnett, the Culture Changer. Known throughout his career for instilling leadership and passion wherever he goes, Garnett will bring a mental edge to the Nets this year. The Eastern Conference needs to be worried.

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Dreaming up a Team: USA 2012 ‘What If’ Squad

If all the talent was willing and available, USA could’ve fielded one of the greatest basketball squads of all time in 2012.

So I’m going to pretend to be Jerry Colangelo – the director of USA Basketball, and the man responsible for building the team – for a while. I’m going to pretend that every injured player was healthy, every old player willing to sacrifice his body for the team, every young player given a chance, and no other players unfairly ignore. I’m going to reconstruct the team as I see fit based on talent and a winning system. I’m going to imagine a team that could be really capable of beating the 1992 Dream Team.

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Goodbye Jersey, Hello Brooklyn

Hello Brooklyn… How you do? Where you goin’? Can I come too?

After 35 years in the NBA (and 10 years previously in the ABA), professional basketball is leaving Newark, New Jersey, and shifting to Brooklyn, New York. The team played its final game as the ‘New Jersey Nets’ versus the Toronto Raptors on April 26th, an embarrassing 98-67 loss, their sixth in a row which ended their final season in Newark with a forgettable 22-44 record.

A tribute to the end of the New Jersey Nets era... And a future for the Brooklyn Nets.

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Should I stay or should I go?

With only one and half months to go in the regular season after D-Day, the deadline can be a crucial time for teams taking aim at the NBA championship. So who will be in a different jersey one week from now? Which team will take a bold risk and who will make the foolish mistakes? Here are my top nominees for player’s most likely to be traded before the trade deadline:

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Rising Stars, Shining Stars, & Fading Stars – Preview of the 2012 All Star Weekend

Cleveland. Minnesota. Charlotte. Utah. Night in and night out, NBA players across the North-American hemisphere are putting in work, some are putting on a show, while others are quietly stacking up wins. Distracted by the big city/big team hype, you may not hear about many regularly, but nearly every NBA city has a rising star to watch for the future, a shining star enjoying his prime, or a fading star that still has enough in his tank for a few last miles.

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Lost Ones

This post right here goes out to all of those great NBA players stuck in below-average teams, surrounded by bad talent or sometimes bad management, losing games night-in-and-night-out, but keeping their heads up high as true professionals should. They are some of the best players in the league today, but haven't received the hype or the respect because of their poor squads. Some of them need to be released from their misery and traded away, some just need a little more help on their side to show the world what they're capable of.

These are the NBA's Lost Ones, players who all play in Sub .500 teams in the NBA (sorry Love and Rubio, T-Wolves touched 12-12 last night!):

Steve Nash: The former two-time MVP is the poster boy of this list, qualifying for all of the above categories as a 'Lost One'. Nash is still a top player in the league. He's averaging 14.7 ppg over an incredible 54.7% shooting in addition with league-leading 9.9 assists a game. Yes, two days away from his 38th birthday, Nash is STILL leading the NBA in assists. His team, however, is only 9-14 so far, and after spending the golden years of his career in Phoenix with Amar'e Stoudemire, Shaun Marion, and Joe Johnson, his best teammates are now Marcin Gortat and Jared Dudley. But Nash remains a pro, and just a few days ago, broke the Suns' franchise assist record. I've always been a fan of the Suns, but this legend needs to be traded to a contender so that Phoenix can rebuild and Nash, still chasing that elusive championship, can get one last shot at the promised land.

Deron Williams: A few years ago, the 'best point guard in the NBA' argument featured Williams and Paul. Whatever the hell happened? New Jersey happened. Ever since being traded from Utah to one of the worst teams in the NBA, Williams has been in the league's lostlands. At this point last year in Utah, Williams was having the best season of his career, averaging 21.3 ppg with 9.7 apg before being traded to the Nets. He saw out a injury-plagued second-half of the season with the poor team before having a great summer vacation playing for Besiktas in Turkey, getting his jersey retired in the process. His name may not be mentioned regularly amongst the best PGs in recent months, but Williams is still getting consistent averages of 20.2 ppg and 8.7 apg. Unfortunately, the Nets are awful, holding on to a 8-17 record and have been playing mostly without their only other legit starter, Brook Lopez. Williams is in the last year of his contract: will the Nets trade him away or bring in someone else - like Dwight Howard - to keep him when they make their move to Brooklyn? Or will Williams see out this year and return rejuvenated after signing with a different team next season? Still only 27, he has many good years left under his belt: expect Deron not to be a 'Lost One' for too much longer.

Monta Ellis & Stephen Curry: The Golden State Warriors backcourt deserve a mention together. Ellis (21.5 ppg) and Curry (16.8 ppg) are on paper one of the most explosive backcourts in the NBA. So why the stacked losses? Golden State are 8-13, but their is cause for optimism in the Bay Area. This is an improving team under coach Mark Jackson, and although Ellis (25) and Curry (23) still haven't been able to carry their squad into the playoffs, they are both young and have a promising future ahead. Now only if they can stop getting injured every couple of weeks...

Kyrie Irving: Why am I putting a rookie just 21 games into his NBA career on this list? Because this rookie really deserves more shine and more victories than his current 9-13 Cavaliers. Irving is living up to the hype of being the #1 draft pick, rewarding the post-LeBronacalypse-era Cleveland with 18 and 5 early in his career. More importantly, the Cavs are winning... well relatively. This is a team that only won 23% of their games last year. Now, because of a depleted Eastern Conference, Cavs are only one and half games away from grabbing a playoff spot! And even if they don't, and this continues to be another losing season in Cleveland, few people in the city will notice because they know they have a team leader to build their future around. Hopefully he can be surrounded by some good talent over the next few years to show his complete potential.

John Wall & Tyreke Evans: I have a reason for putting these two former Kentucky guards together. Both are monsters of the stat-sheet and exciting talents to watch, both are only a few years into their career, and both of them have the same question marks hovering over them: leadership and maturity. Wall's Wizards (4-20) and Evans' Kings (8-15) are two of the biggest stinkers in the NBA. The talent in these two guards is undeniable, but neither has yet figured out how to convert that talent into team wins. Surrounded by young talent, both have a long way to go before graduating away from the 'lost ones' list (Wall's way up is much longer than Evans'), but these two are too gifted to be ignored or denied. One day, one or both are going to figure it out and become superstars in the league.

Carmelo Anthony: Wait, WHAT? you may ask me... Isn't this guy a starter in the All Star Game this year? Doesn't he play under the flashing lights of New York City, along with fellow stars Amar'e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler. Doesn't he average almost 24 points a game? Hell, isn't he one of the best offensive players in the NBA? Yes, yes, yes, yes, to all your questions. Yet, Melo embarrassingly finds himself on this list. His much-publicised trade to New York hasn't been working out too well so far for Anthony or his teammates. The Knicks are losing a lot, and despite the talent on their roster, find themselves at a lowly 9-15 and below Cleveland in the East. Without a talented point guard to run the squad and a consistent focus on team defense, the Knicks are imbalanced and Anthony's individual brilliance isn't enough to fix that. Still, a talent like him - and the talent that surrounds him - can't be kept quite for too long, can it?

Countdown: NBA is Back! Top 10 things I'm looking forward to this season!

The NBA is (pretty much) back, baby!

After it was all said and done, the 'nuclear winter' of the NBA came to an end before the real winter began. The NBA Lockout unofficially lasted nearly 149 days, 149 days of despair, destitute, cluelessness, and existential crises. 149 days of NBA players going international, going ballistic in charity games, or going plain crazy. 149 days of the average NBA fan (yours truly included) nearly losing his NBA religion and thankfully, finding it again.

But it's back, yes it's back. NBA players still have to vote for the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, but this remains as a mere formality. I was tentative to celebrate at first, but the signs around me were encouraging. NBA.com finally replaced photographs of Billy Hunter in a suit with those of LeBron James in a jersey. December 25th - Christmas Day - was chosen as the 'return of the NBA', with five games slotted for opening night. And soon-after, entire schedules for a shortened, 66-game season, were released for all the NBA teams. Even before teams and players were allowed to talk to each other, we were already hearing trade rumours and free-agency news.

So what if there remain some questionable red flags about this whole ordeal. The lockout came to an end, but not before one of the worst series of official debates and negotiations in sports history. Plus, as Dave Zirin wrote in his excellent SLAM article,, the NBA players got 'played' by the new deal.

Another issue is going to be with the new-look schedule: teams will play 66 games in about 120 days, means, there will be several back-to-back-to-back games, and several teams will be playing five or six games a week.

But that said, it truly is a Christmas miracle for hopeless NBA fans that there will indeed be a 2011-12 season, and that it is going to begin in about 18 days (!!!). Gifted with sudden optimism after months of the 'dark ages', we now have tonnes of basketball-related (and not money/negotiation related) things to discuss, watch, appreciate, criticise, and experience again.

So without further ado, here is my Top 10 Countdown of the Things I'm Most Looking Forward For the 2011/12 NBA Season:

10. Where will the Free Agents end up?

Free Agency is usually the first order of events during any NBA off-season. This year, with the official 'off-season' lasting just about two weeks, the free-agency period is expected to be crazier than usual. The 2011 Free Agents do not have the star power of 2010 (LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Amar'e, Joe Johnson, Boozer) or the star power of 2012 (Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Deron Williams), but what it does have - in buckets - is the NBA's most precious commodity: size. With solid post players becoming rarer and rarer in the NBA, I'm expecting the current crop of free agents to be rated highly and paid generously.
Amongst the bigs, the free agents include Nene, Marc Gasol (restricted), David West, Tyson Chandler, Glen Davis, DeAndre Jordan, Samuel Dalembert, and Carl Landry. Other free agents of note are Jason Richardson, Jamal Crawford, Thaddeus Young, Grant Hill, Tayshuan Prince, Jeff Green, Caron Butler, and JJ Barea. Oh, and by the way, there are the guys in China - Kenyon Martin, Wilson Chandler, JR Smith, and Aaron Brooks - who may or may not be able to return to the NBA before March.
I love it when a team comes together, especially when the starting five fits neatly, and each player is capable enough for his position and a good fit for the team as a whole. This current crop of free agents may not have guys who could revolutionise a team's system, but there are several who can 'complete' a starting line-up. With salary caps and trade scenarios, it's hard to predict who will end up where, but over the next few days, I can't wait to witness the shifting around.

9. John Wall

There is one player every year who breaks out and improves more than we expected him to improve. This season, I'm predicting that the player will be John Wall. The Wizard's PG will come into his second year with his role clearly defined, with the keys to his team's offense clearly in his hands, and with the sky as the limit! In a shortened season with games crammed in close together, expect the younger, fitter guys to perform better: Wall, with his speed and athleticism, is going to outrace almost everyone else on the basketball court. I'm expecting him to clearly be have an All Star season and for the Wizards to become one of the most exciting (but still relatively unsuccessful) teams in the league.

8. Watching early morning live games in India

Last season was a golden period for the NBA fan in India. Thanks to the Ten Sports and Sony PIX deals, four live games were shown weekly here, and by the latter part of the season, the number was increased to six a week. Live in India means tip off usually between 5:30-8:30 AM - for a geek like me, this meant that I was up at the crack of dawn six days a week out of seven. The lazy boy in me complained at first, but the NBA lover in me soon shrugged off the complaints and got accustomed to a cup of hot chai, a comfortable couch, and early morning NBA action. I can't wait to become a morning person again.

7. The 2012 Draft-Class Tank Off

You know what the lockout did? It forced several up-and-coming basketball stars who would've been top picks in the 2011 draft to stay in college for another year. 2012 was supposed to be a big year regardless, but now, it seems that it could be one of the best draft classes ever (probably the best since the LeBron-Wade-Melo-Bosh class of 2003). If the 2011 rookie class turns out to be a little underwhelming, have no fear, because 2012 is on it's way. Between the likes of Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond, Harrison Barnes, Jared Sullinger, Perry Jones, Bradley Beal, Jeremy Lamb, James McAdoo, Michael Gilchrist, and Austin Rivers, there is enough talent here for NBA teams to build around for their future.
Which brings us to the upcoming NBA season: a lot of non-playoff teams will clearly have an eye on the draft, especially in bagging someone from the big three of Davis, Drummond, or Barnes. While the draft lottery is supposedly a fair system that should prevent NBA teams from 'tanking' (losing games on purpose to get a higher probability of a top draft pick), a lot of teams may sneakily do it anyways. So, as the season gets to it's last 10 or so games, watch for some of the worst teams in the league (Raptors, Cavs, Pistons, Bobcats, etc) to enter the 2012 Draft Sweepstakes a little early.

6. Ricky Rubio

Few players have gone from underrated to overrated to loved to hated to just ignored all before their 21st birthday, all before a second of NBA experience. Former Spanish teenage Phenom was the world's best teenage player at 15, gathered up success, accolades, and incredible YouTube highlights before he turned 18, had memorable Olympic performances, got drafted into the NBA, never showed up to the NBA, and then buckled under the pressure of his young fame to perform at a high level. But he's finally here: Rubio will start the new NBA season finally with the Minnesota Timberwolves. At 21 years and 2 months old, he already has wealth of international and professional basketball experience. But can he run with the best of the world night in and night out in the NBA.
I've always had a soft spot for Rubio, and despite his recent failings, I predict him for NBA stardom in the future. Like most international players, it will take him a few years before getting into his stride, but when he does, this intelligent and exciting point guard is headed for big things. Currently, he will start as the motor that runs a young Timberwolves squad, who will surely be most fans' favourite-bad-team. Rubio, Kevin Love, rookie Derrick Williams, and Michael Beasley (if he stays) will make a strong nucleas for this team. I can't wait to watch them run!

5. A full season with Melo & Amar'e in New York

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you'd know that I haven't exactly kept my Knick-fandom a secret. The Knicks have been my favourite team since the dawn of my interest in the NBA, and for the first time in over a decade, they actually have a squad that could challenge the NBA's best contenders.
Carmelo Anthony was brought to New York a little too late last season, and didn't really get a chance to gel with the Knicks' other All Star, Amar'e Stoudemire. They both had their moments of brilliance, though, and left us fans excited for much more. Melo may not be in the elite class of superstars like LeBron, Durant, or Wade, but he is an unquestionable offensive talent. This season could be his perfect year: if he can get his act together, become a better leader, and play a little more defense, he could be looking at a career year. I'm hoping that Amar'e provides consistent support from the post, Chauncey Billups keeps the team running, and the role players step up, and all added together, the Knicks could be a force to reckon with.
If Carmelo Anthony was ever going to have an MVP-caliber season, it's now.

4. The extended Dwight/CP3/Deron melodrama

Unless you're a fan of the Magic, Hornets, or the Nets, this point will rank high on your list, too. Three superstar players - Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, and Deron Williams - are all set to become free agents next season. Now, free-agents-to-be can take three routes of dealing with a situation where they don't want to remain with their current teams:
1. Openly refuse the contract extension before they become a free agent.
2. Do the Carmelo thing, which means, make it clear to their team that they won't resign, so that the team can then sign and trade them somewhere else and get back some value for them. Carmelo Anthony wanted to leave the Nuggets, but he got them a lot of good value (Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton) in return from New York.
3. Do the LeBron thing, which means, not give the team any clues to his future all season, and when free agency comes, surprise the team by leaving them and getting them nothing in return. LeBron did this with a spectacular fail otherwise known as 'The Decision'.
The drama is about to start for Dwight/CP3/Deron: will they stay, will they go, where will they go, who will they be traded for, who will be heart-broken????? Even before the players' CBA agreement was to be signed, we already heard of several rumours, including Chris Paul wanting to play for the Knicks, the Celtics offering New Orleans Rajon Rondo in exchange for Paul, Deron Williams turning down the extension offer from the Nets, the Mavericks targeting Williams for next summer, the Bulls considering a trade package to team up Dwight Howard with Derrick Rose, and the Lakers offering everyone in their team not named Kobe Bryant to acquire both Chris Paul and Dwight Howard.
The rumours are going to get crazier and crazier. YES!!

3. Young squads - Bulls & Thunder - take the next big step

Led by two of the best young players in the league in Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant, the Chicago Bulls and the OKC Thunder are similar teams since they have been both on 'the come up' over the past year. Both teams arrived till their respective conference finals before losing out to more experienced squads. This season could be very different. A couple of shrewd trades or free agent pick ups will make the supporting roles around Rose and Durant stronger. A shorter but more dense season will help squads with young legs. With experience on their side now, we could be looking at the future of the league in these two teams. Rose and Durant are also both humble, hard-working players, who have strong organisational support behind them to help them in their success. Could one of these teams make the NBA Finals. With Miami in the East, Chicago's way to the promised land looks much tougher. But this may be the Thunder's year to finally breakthrough to the NBA Finals, especially in an ageing Western Conference (and especially if the Lakers don't pick up Chris Paul and/or Dwight Howard).

2. Metta World Peace

I'm sure - no, I'm convinced - that I'm not ranking this too high.
A few months ago, a player named Ronald William Artest, Jr. who is a Small Forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, a tenacious defender, an occasional big-shot hitter, a part-time rapper, and a part-time nutcase, decided to legally change his name to Metta World Peace.
Why does this matter so much to me? Because I'm already imagining the flurry of changes we can expect from this historical move. 'Lakers - World Peace' jerseys will be flying off the shelves, commentators in NBA games will have to blame World Peace for taking bad shots, the name 'M. World Peace' will be on NBA programmes, World Peace will make a rap album, World Peace will stop a potential altercation, and World Peace will be called for technical fouls.
And, if my ultimate dream comes true, some genius somewhere will use his or her powers of persuasion to make sure that Metta World Peace is picked as the designated defensive stopper for USA's Olympic Basketball team at the 2012 London Olympics. The jersey will say USA in the front and 'World Peace' in the back. If that isn't diplomacy, then I don't know what is.

1. Christmas Day (Or, because of the time difference, the morning after Christmas)

I'm by no means a person who gets into the 'holiday spirit': Christmas hasn't necessarily been anything more special than another day off school (in my childhood) or work. But Christmas 2011 is looking to become my favourite once, since, well, ever. That is the night that, 54 days later than expected, the NBA season will begin.
Five games are already scheduled for Christmas night, or for us in Asia, the morning after Christmas: Celtics @ Knicks, Heat @ Mavericks, Bulls @ Lakers, Magic @ Thunder, Clippers @ Warriors.
Boom! That means that, after an extended lockout, we get to see Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e, LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Nowitzki, Rose, Kobe, Gasol, World Peace, Dwight Howard, Durant, Westbrook and Blake Griffin all on the first night! We've been presented with a rematch of the NBA finals, an exciting match-up between the Celtics and the Knicks at the Madison Square Garden, a face-off between powerhouses Bulls and Lakers, and Blake Griffin vs. an awful defensive team so that we see as many incredible dunks as possible.
The NBA's past, present, and future are all there together on opening night.

The lockout - an ugly period where green bank notes threatened to kill the soul of the beautiful, orange, bouncy, basketball - is over. There will be no nuclear winter this year. Time to get hyped again. The NBA is back!

Locked out NBA players should play a 1-on-1 tournament, Part 2

If the NBA's best players took part in a 1-on-1 tournament, who would win?

In Part 1 of this article, which I wrote yesterday, I argued that right now, with the NBA's players locked out of playing in the NBA, and with the common fan too bored out of his wits, the players need to play in an epic 1-on-1 basketball tournament. An event like this would bring more attention than any meaningless charity game, and spike fan interest like never before. We have all dreamed about the NBA's best players facing each other: now's a chance for them to actually do it.

Read my article from yesterday to know about all the logistics of making it happen, and the rules of the tournament. Basically, each half-court game will be up to 21 points, or up to 15 minutes. We play 'Loser's Ball' after each basket. I've also chosen to carbon copy the FIFA World Cup format for this tournament: 32 players in 8 groups of four each, and then the top 2 from each group move on to the knockout stage of 16, and so on and so forth.

Now, a little about the 1-on-1 format: to anyone who has played basketball 1-on-1 (which means, pretty much anyone who has played basketball, ever), you know how it differs from the 5-on-5 full-court game. The 1-on-1 game favours players with different talents. The best 1-on-1 players will be those who are good ball handlers, good shooters, players with speed, players who can finish well around the basket, good man-to-man defenders, players who can steal and block well, good rebounders, and those with good stamina. Big players who can't dribble well, create their own shot, or have a bad jump-shot wouldn't do too well.

So here is my fantasy tournament. I first picked the 32 best players in the NBA - not the 32 best 1-on-1 players - I mean the absolute best. This way, we can actually see how much better certain players are in this format than others. Secondly: I divided the players by their talent into four 'pots': 1-8, 9-16, 17-24, 25-32. Third step: I wrote the names of all the players of each pot separately, and then, one by one, I picked a chit of paper from each pot to make each group in my tournament fair. This was just like the FIFA draw, y'all! You'll have to go by my word here: I kept the system a 100% honest. Each group had a Pot 1, Pot 2, Pot 3, and Pot 4 player. Finally, I played out the fantasy tournament using my own knowledge and opinion.

Now, a lot of you will debate my decisions: my decision of the top 32, my decision of which player goes in which 'pot', and my decision of which player beats whom. I'm sure that no one will agree with everything, but I hope that you are able to see some sort of logic in my decisions by the end of it. If not, you're welcome to tell me how your own fantasy tournament would play out!

Players Qualified for 1-on-1 Tournament (Alphabetic Order): Al Horford, Amar'e Stoudemire, Blake Griffin, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Chris Paul, Danny Granger, Deron Williams, Derrick Rose, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, Joe Johnson, John Wall, Josh Smith, Kevin Durant, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Love, Kobe Bryant, LaMarcus Aldridge, LeBron James, Manu Ginobili, Monta Ellis, Pau Gasol, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, Steve Nash, Tim Duncan, Tyreke Evans, Zach Randolph.

Player Seeding

Pot 1 (1-8): Carmelo Anthony, Derrick Rose, Dirk Nowitzki, Dywane Wade, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant
Pot 2 (9-16): Amar'e Stoudemire, Chris Bosh, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Pau Gasol, Rajon Rondo, Russell Westbrook, Zach Randolph
Pot 3 (17-24): Blake Griffin, John Wall, Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge, Monta Ellis, Paul Pierce, Steve Nash, Tyreke Evans
Pot 4 (25-32): Al Horford, Danny Granger, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Kevin Garnett, Manu Ginobili, Stephen Curry, Tim Duncan.

Then followed the group draw... After fairly picking one chit each from each pot, these are the eight groups we got. Remember, each player plays against the three players in his group, and the top two players from each group move on to the next stage. The standings will be based on wins, head-to-head win, and then, on point difference.

Groups

Group A: Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Kevin Love, Joe Johnson
Group B: Dirk Nowitzki, Amar'e Stoudemire, Monta Ellis, Kevin Garnett
Group C: Kobe Bryant, Deron Williams, Steve Nash, Tim Duncan
Group D: Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, Tyreke Evans, Manu Ginobili
Group E: LeBron James, Rajon Rondo, LaMarcus Aldridge, Danny Granger
Group F: Derrick Rose, Zach Randolph, John Wall, Josh Smith
Group G: Kevin Durant, Chris Bosh, Blake Griffin, Stephen Curry
Group H: Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook, Paul Pierce, Al Horford

As you can see... We already have some interesting match-ups already. Wade vs. Paul, Rose vs Wall, etc. Now let's move on and quickly decide who wins each group.

Group A: A lot of you may be questioning my decision to keep Chris Paul in the second pot, but he wasn't top 8 to me (he was 9), and thus, we have this interesting match-up straight away between Wade and Paul, two of the best 1-on-1 players in the world. Joe Johnson will be a dark horse here, of course, but although he has the talent, I don't think he has enough heart to defeat Wade or CP3. Kevin Love isn't going to win any games - the 3 guards will be too quick for him. Wade finishes this group at the top, beating Chris Paul in their head to head match. Paul ends at second place.

Group B: This will be an amazing group, I think - each player brings their own specialty to this format. Dirk will have the best perimeter pull up jumper, and thus, the best fake-and-attack-the-basket move. Amar'e is quite athletic for his size, and will be able to hit the mid-range jumper. Monta Ellis is brilliant in 1-on-1 format, as quick, can shoot well, and can hit tough layups. Kevin Garnett, though old, will be a great defender and a good mid-range shooter for his height. It will be very tough to score on him. I think Dirk will be able to beat Amar'e quite easily, but will struggle against Monta's speed and KG's length: still, I'll favour Nowitzki to survive those two tough games and end at the top of the table. Second place will be interesting: I think Garnett will beat Amar'e, because of his sheer intensity which Amar'e won't be able to match. But Monta Ellis will be the surprise package here, as I think he'll speed by both the big men to end at second. A young KG would've probably topped this group, but he's much older and slower now.

Group C: OOOH! This is a group of vets, and all technically gifted players: Kobe, Deron, Nash, Duncan. I'm looking forward to see Kobe go toe to toe with his two great playoff nemises: Nash and Duncan. Duncan will honourably lose all three games he plays in, but Nash, because of his shooting ability and speed will remain a pest. Kobe though is too gifted for anyone in this group and will finish at top. The game to watch will be between Deron and Nash - Nash has the better jumper and can score quickly, but Deron Williams is stronger and Nash, a bad defender, may not be able to stop him. I say a close 21-19 win for Deron Williams decides this group and takes Deron into the next round. On a sidenote: Kobe beating Duncan in this group will be the largest win of this tournament. I expect Kobe to win around 21-5 here.

Group D: First off, this group satisfied an old fantasy of mine: Dwight Howard vs. Pau Gasol, two players who visited India last year, and two of the best post players in the NBA. Although I admit now that Howard is a better overall basketball player, the 1-on-1 game will favour Gasol, and he will win this iconic match-up. But really, none of the two are moving on to the next round (Yes - I said it!). Because both Tyreke Evans and Gibobili will be specialists in this format and will cause upsets against the big names. My older brother believes - and I agree with him to a certain degree - that Evans may be one of the best suited players for this format, because of his size, strength, ball-handling, and ability to finish around the basket. Tyreke will top this group, Ginobili will come second.

Group E: LeBron's fodder? No one but Rondo is going to give LeBron any trouble, and even against Rondo, LBJ should do okay. LeBron will steamroll past all three opponents to finish on top. Danny Granger may cause some trouble to Rondo, but I think Rondo's speed and fighting spirit will be too much. Too many 1-on-1 games are won by players solely on confidence, and Rondo's confidence may make up for his lack of a jumpshot. He'll finish second.

Group F: Derrick Rose vs John Wall, I'm already salivating. Two of the fastest, most athletic point guards in the history of the game. This group belongs to them. Randolph and Smith will be too big and slow to keep up with the PGs. And in the dream game, Rose will have the better of Wall because of his better outside shot and his experience. Rose finishes 1st, Wall 2nd.

Group G: Three athletic forwards - Durant, Bosh, and Griffin - make this group exciting. And then there's Stephen Curry, who is as good a shooter as he's a dribbler. Expect nobody to have an answer for Durant - his jumpshot will be on fire, and he has the length to matchup to the other forwards. Durant will finish on top, and I predict that Curry will surprise the other two to finish at second place. Bosh vs. Griffin will be an interesting game: although Griffin is more athletic, I think Bosh can post up and shoot better, which will help him win the close game in over time.

Group H: I'm calling upset here, folks. This group has Melo, Westbrook, Pierce, and Horford. Horford will lose all his games. The other games will be incredibly close. Melo vs. Westbrook, Westbrook vs. Pierce, Pierce vs. Melo. Carmelo Anthony may be the most talented player here, but he has one glaring weakness: comfortable creating his own shot from the perimeter. Melo needs to find his spot, get the ball, and then drive in or shoot - with a man constantly guarding him, this may not be possible. Plus, Melo is the worst man-to-man defender here. I say Westbrook wins all the games and tops the group. This leaves an amazing Paul Pierce vs. Carmelo Anthony game to decide second place. And guess what? I'm calling Pierce. It will be a grueling game, but Pierce has the ability to dribble, create his own shot, and get contact better. Anthony will have the better mid-range shot, but Pierce's isn't too bad, either. The game will go into overtime, Pierce wins, making him the final and unexpected entry into the last 16.

Second Round

I'm sticking really close to the FIFA model. So this is what happens in the second round, the knockout stage of the 16 remaining players.

A1 vs. B2 - Dwyane Wade vs. Monta Ellis
C1 vs. D2 - Kobe Bryant vs. Manu Ginobili

E1 vs. F2 - LeBron James vs. John Wall
G1 vs. H2 - Kevin Durant vs. Paul Pierce

B1 vs A2 - Dirk Nowitzki vs. Chris Paul
D1 vs. C2 - Tyreke Evans vs. Deron Williams

F1 vs E2 - Derrick Rose vs. Rajon Rondo
H1 vs G2 - Russell Westbrook vs. Stephen Curry

Wade vs. Ellis: Ellis is good, just not Wade good. This game will be one on Wade's defense versus Ellis lack of D. Wade will attack the basket at each opportunity, win fouls, and on the other side, hound Ellis. Wade wins.

Bryant vs. Ginobili: Oh boy! Another match-up of two guys who have fought many playoff battles against each other. And by fought, I mean literally, fought. But Ginobili, for all his wily skill, is now way past his prime, while Kobe has remained skilled and deadly. Kobe will end this old rivalry with a win. I'm assuming that flopping wouldn't get Manu any calls.

James vs. Wall: Wall will try to speed past initially, but LeBron James, with his length, athleticism, and strength, will be way too much for the young Wall. LeBron is a better shooter too, and Wall wouldn't be able to defend him. LeBron wins.

Durant vs. Pierce: This is where the Pierce fairytale end. He'll meet a bigger, better version of Carmelo Anthony vs. Durant, and Durant will use every trick in his offensive skill-set to get past Pierce.

Nowitzki vs. Paul: Two completely different dominant players, two completely different styles. How will this play out? How will Paul defend Dirk's jump-shot. How will Dirk defend Paul's drive to the basket. Dirk isn't a good 1-on-1 defender, and to me, that will finally be the difference. Trailing in this game, Dirk will start relying on three-pointers to make a comeback, but Paul will be able to pester him and take advantage of Dirk's below-average dribbling ability. In a close fight to the finish, Chris Paul will win to advance to the Quarter-Finals. Sorry Dirkophiliacs.

Evans vs. Williams: Evans is suited for this format, yes, and will be trouble, yes. He is stronger and taller than Deron Williams, but Deron isn't too weak himself. Plus, Deron's advantages are shooting ability and quickness. It will be a battle which will leave Deron bruised for the next round, but he will survive to move on.

Rose vs. Rondo: Another amazing matchup. If you aren't excited to watch these two play against each other, then you don't like basketball. Rose is slightly quicker, Rondo slightly stronger. Both can finish well around the basket. But Rose's jump-shot is better, and when these two start getting tired and settling for outside jumpers (it happens all the time in 1-on-1 games), Rose will prevail.

Westbrook vs. Curry: Russell Westbrook has a similar skill-set to Rose, and with his confidence to attack, he is a very dangerous 1-on-1 player. Curry will have moments of brilliance, but this game belongs to Westbrook.

Quarter-Finals

I couldn't have scripted the line-ups better. Through my random picking and groupings, we have now reached a stage of four games, each of which more amazing than the last. These are my Quarter-Finals. Hold your breath tight.

Dwyane Wade vs. Kobe Bryant
LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant
Chris Paul vs. Deron Williams
Derrick Rose vs. Russell Westbrook.

Oh. My. God. If I asked four people to vote on their favourite match-up, we would get four different answers. I'm dying just thinking about it. In each game, both the players play the same position, and in each game both are amongst the best in their position.

Wade vs. Bryant: The league's best shooting guards. The two best shooting guards since Michael Jordan (sorry, Iverson (But on a sidenote: if there was a 1-on-1 tournament 10 years ago, no 1 would be touching AI)). In their different ways, these two players have embodied MJ like no other. Wade finishes like him, has the winner's mentality like him. Kobe has the same style of movement, shooting, and of course, the winning mentality. If there are two players who hate to lose in the world, it's these two. So who wins this amazing match-up? Kobe's a better jump-shooter, he's taller, better free-throw shooter, and he's smarter. Wade is far more athletic now, can finish better than anyone in the world around the basket, is better at creating his own shot, and is quicker. Both are great defenders, but Kobe's slightly taller. My prediction: Dwyane Wade's drives to the basket will be the key to this game. Two years ago, Kobe could've stopped him, but Wade today has the edge today. Still a tough call though. Kobe will hit his outside shots, and he'll beat Wade off the dribble a few times. But with the game tied at 20, it will be Wade who will pull his deadly two step/euro step, and rush to the basket, leaving Kobe behind and qualifying for the Semi-Finals. When I had asked about this tournament to Indian followers on Facebook, an overwhelming majority had voted for Kobe. Sorry guys, but 2011 KB24 isn't 2008 KB24 or 2005 KB24 or even 2001 KB24. He faced a tough opponent too early and he's eliminated.

James vs. Durant: The league's best small forwards. One is the ultimate all-round player, one of the greatest the world has ever seen. The other is a shooting guard in a power forward's body, and also the league's best scorer. Because of his size, Durant matches up well with LeBron, even though he is weaker. Durant will be dangerous from the three-point line and might take a big early lead. But LeBron will crawl his way back, defeating Durant on the defensive end first, and then tiring him out with his strong drives to the basket. LeBron may be a better team player than a 1-on-1 player, but in this instance, he will be good enough to defeat KD. Only a few people can stop Durant's outside shot, and I think LBJ is one of those few.

Paul vs. Williams: Two of the best 'pure' point guards. Drafted in the same year, into similar teams, with similar needs, and picked just one spot apart from each other. There is little to say between Paul and Deron, who PGs whose careers have been eerily similar. There is very little to call between these two: Williams is stronger, but Paul is quicker. Both have equally good outside shots. Deron could post up against Paul, but Paul is good at taking contact and finishing lay-ups + floaters around the basket. In another game that will go to the wire, Paul will win by two or three points.

Rose vs. Westbrook: Two of the best new-age point guards. Rose is the MVP, Westbrook is a very similar style of player and Rose's toughest challenger in his style of play. Still, I think that, in everything that Westbrook is good at, Rose is a little bit better. And Rose seems to have more of a level head on his shoulders, which will help him when the going gets tough. Rose wins.

Slam Dunk + Three-Point Championship

Hey! It's time we take a break before the last two rounds - so, as I had suggested yesterday - we need to have some exhibition competitions here.

Slam Dunk Competition: Blake Griffin wins, duh. If you doubt me, go here and see. It doesn't matter who else is participating, but just so you know, the runners-up will be Dwight Howard, John Wall, and Amar'e Stoudemire.

3-point Competition: The field is set with self-proclaimed 'best shooter in the world' Paul Pierce, the Warriors' sharp-shooting duo of Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Durant, Steve Nash, Danny Granger, and Carmelo Anthony. This will be Dirk's opportunity to make up for his early departure, and he'll defeat his old teammate and friend Steve Nash in the last round to win.

Semi-Finals

Back to business, then. Things are getting serious, and so are the matchups.

Dwyane Wade vs. LeBron James
Derrick Rose vs. Chris Paul

Wade vs. James: Obviously the pick of the round, and perhaps the most important game of the tournament. Two close friends, two team members, two team leaders, two scorers, creators, two guys from the same draft class, two of the most similar dominating players of the league, and in my opinion, the league's two best overall basketball players. Could you really ask for more drama? The world has been wondering ever since Miami paired these two together about who is the alpha dog amongst them, who is better. They took turns dominating the league the whole season. In the NBA Finals, with LeBron playing passively in Game 3, Wade finally called him out, showing the first sign of friction between the eternal super-buddies. It's time to capitalise on that and build a spicy rivalry. Who do you think wins in a 1-on-1 game? LeBron may be a better all-round talent, but can he really match Wade, who is a 1-on-1 specialist? LeBron is bigger and a slightly better three-point shooter. Wade is quicker, more creative, and can finish better. LBJ will use his size advantage defensively, and will also test Wade's iffy outside shooting. Wade will counter it by driving hard to the basket and winning fouls. LBJ will do the same. This will be a tough, defensive game, and I say both of them will have a tough time in scoring. After 15 minutes, both LeBron and Wade will be tied on 17 each. We go into a 3 minute overtime. It is here that the winning mettle will show, and LeBron's close-game crisis will overcome him. Wade lives for tense moments, LBJ has recently died by it. Both players will get to the line, Wade, a better free throw shooter, will make more of his shots. Wade wins the emotional game, hugs his team-mate, and heads to the final.

Rose vs. Paul After the emotional roller-coaster of the last semi-final, this one will be relatively underwhelming. Chris Paul doesn't have the deadly scoring instinct that Derrick Rose has. Plus Rose is a quicker player. Paul will be settling for his jump-shot a lot and will rely on tough defense to stop Rose, but Rose is another player designed to be unstoppable in this format - he will beat Paul and enter the final.

Final

Dywane Wade vs. Derrick Rose Fitting, I think, because before starting this tournament, I would've imagined these two to be the best 1-on-1 players in the NBA. Well, here we have it now: two incredible guards, both hailing from Chicago, and players with similar styles and intensity, going head to head in the final against each other. Rose will rely on his speed once more, but Wade matches him in ball handling ability and quick change of direction. The one advantage that Wade has is that he can dominate defensively and play well even when the game is slowed down. Rose will get quick early baskets, but with both of them tiring out, it will be Wade who will be stronger towards the end. Both players will use similar weapons from their arsenal against each other, but being bigger, stronger, and better on the defensive end, it is Wade who will hold the advantage. In a down to the wire game, Wade will be the first to the finish line, beating Rose 21-18.

WINNER: Dwyane Wade

So there you have it: After several exciting match-ups, close games, upsets, and with the settling of many old rivalries, the creation of many new ones, Dwyane Wade will be the last one standing and the winner of the 1-on-1 championship.

Agree? Disagree? Overjoyed? Fuming? With the format that I have presented, how do you think the tournament will proceed? Who do you think will the ultimate 1-on-1 champion? Let me know your thoughts, where I went wrong, where I went right, whom I overrated, whom I underrated.

Whatever your opinion, I'm sure we'll agree on one thing: THIS NEEDS TO HAPPEN. This will be every fans dream, and will settle numerous debates and confusions about 'who is better' (1-on-1 at least). And after that, we can start hoping to finally seeing these guys do what they do best: play REAL 5-on-5 basketball for their NBA teams. Until then, enjoy the court(room) drama.

Locked out NBA players should play a 1-on-1 tournament, Part 1

Go ahead and mourn first: The NBA is in a lockout. The owners gave the players a terrible collective bargaining agreement 'final' offer. Yesterday, the player's rejected the deal, dissolved the union, and are now threatening to take the matter to court. The 2011/12 season which should've begun 2 weeks ago is still locked out, and it seems that, with the court battles and the chaos that is now following, we are a long way away from seeing NBA basketball again.

No matter what side you think is the bigger 'villain' here, I think both share some fraction of the blame for this 'nuclear winter'. But one thing is clear to me: the NBA is famous, and thus the players and the owners are rich, mostly because of the players. Not anything else. The Cleveland Cavaliers weren't a popular team because of their owner, Dan Gilbert, they were popular because of LeBron James. With him gone, I wonder how many former 'fans' are rooting for the owner. Fans like players, and therefore, the players need to prove that it is they who have the power to draw more fans.

Now, few voices spoke out in support of NBA players creating their own, separate basketball league if they can't agree on a deal with the NBA. But this kind of operation is much easier said than done, especially in the short term. The NBA is too well-organised, connected, and popular around the world: any new league created by the players will of course be attractive, but still, it would take a long time before it will reach the standards of the NBA. It will have problems with the infrastructure, TV deals, etc etc. Plus, it would be a long time before a league like this would be organised enough to take off, and honestly, by then, they might as well fix their problems with the current NBA.

The players have tried other ways to play basketball and enjoy their 'freedom' from the NBA during the lockout. They have taken part in streetball championships, in numerous box-score stuffing charity games, and even planned (and failed) to take part in an All Star World Tour. These charity/streetball games are exciting for a while (OMG LEBRON CARMELO WADE PAUL MELO ON THE SAME TEAM OMG!!!) but eventually, they get boring and useless, since their is little at stake in terms of competitiveness and player legacy.

So here's my ultimate solution to the current state of affairs we find ourselves in, a solution that will help temporarily satisfy the NBA fans, give the players a competitive platform to flaunt their star power, and of course, satisfy the behind-the-scenes sponsors who would like to continue promoting their brands with the big-name players they pay:

The NBA's best players need to take part in a first-of-its-kind, historic, 1-on-1 tournament.

First off: 1-on-1 basketball is not REAL BASKETBALL. Let's get that straight. Basketball, in its purest, and most beautiful form, is a 5-on-5 unselfish, full-court game, where ideally every person on the court runs, passes, scores, rebounds, and defends with equal effort.

That said, for a short time (perhaps just 4-5 days), a tournament like this will be incredible. Every NBA player has played 1-on-1. As a matter of fact, every living, breathing soul who is a casual or a serious or a professional basketball player has played 1-on-1. It is not the purest form of the game, but it's still a fun form. I want to see 32 of the league's best players (will explain that number why later) play in a short tournament to decide the league's best 1-on-1 player, and thus win bragging rights to call themselves the 'best player', too. There is too much peace and love in today's NBA, anyways. With money and hype over everything, players don't go hard at each other individually that much anymore.

Case in point: LeBron James vs. Kobe Bryant, everyone's favourite 1-on-1 dream scenario. Yes, they have very different styles, and yes, they are in different stages of their careers, but Kobe and LeBron are nearly the same height, play nearly the same position, and are the league's most popular, divisive, and amongst its most talented players. Most NBA fans are either on the Kobe corner and on the LeBron corner. The 'who's better' argument has been raging for years, with no way of truly finding an answer. Same goes for other similar players, such as Deron Williams vs. Chris Paul, Derrick Rose vs. Russell Westbrook, or Kevin Durant vs. Carmelo Anthony. Or how about, players in the same NBA team for a pinch of drama: LeBron James vs. Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony vs. Amar'e Stoudemire, Kevin Durant vs. Russell Westbrook. This is a chance to really play out those countless video game fantasies that you have been harbouring.

And now listen to this: Last October, Kobe Bryant claimed that he would beat LeBron 1-on-1. A few weeks ago, Kevin Durant said that Kobe would beat LeBron, too. Yesterday, a video surfaced where LeBron was asked if Kobe would beat him 1-on-1, and he said that he would be 'victorious' over anyone. The players are already talking about it, the wheels are in motion, it's now time to make this happen!

How to 'make it happen', though? Here is the main stipulation that will have to be taken into consideration: The players will have to ignore the risk of injury and the perhaps bigger risk of public embarrassment. With no NBA future on the cards, this may not be as far-fetched a stipulation as you may think.

There are a multitude of sponsors who will be able to fund this type of massive event, especially since many of their sponsorship deals are suffering with the absence of an NBA season. I had first considered shoe companies like Nike/adidas, but they have too much power over who plays or doesn't play and may try to only field players signed under their banner. No worries: there are plenty others, and this is a lucrative venture. What will make it even better is if the proceeds go to charity.

The tournament doesn't need to be stretched out longer than a 4-5 days, as with the format I'm about to suggest later, any player will play a maximum of only seven short 1-on-1 games. ESPN can broadcast it (hey, they broadcast the friggin' Decision).

Now, I was thinking about what would be an ideal venue for an event like this, and I thought no further than Las Vegas. The city of Vegas has already been rumoured to be a future destination for an NBA team. The 2007 NBA All Star Game was held there. Players head to Vegas for the Summer League before every season (not this one, though!). And of course, the 'Impact Basketball League' was held in Vegas two months ago. It will be a neutral floor but a place which will guarantee investor interest.

And the fans - I'm sure - will watch this tournament in flocks. Fans will watch it in the arena, watch it on TV, see highlights on YouTube, and discuss it on blogs and social networking sites in great numbers. We're DESPERATE. And the only thing second to the news that the real NBA season is returning will be the news that the NBA's best players will be putting their talents, their egos, and their legacies on the line against each other. Because, let's face it, 1-on-1 basketball is the ultimate ego-showcase. No one has to pretend to win for the team anymore. It's going go be every man for himself, a prospect that will create unique drama like never before. Hell yes, the fans will be excited. There are too many arguments to settle here.

Now, on to the tournament rules. I'm going to unabashedly steal from a very simple and efficient, tried-and-test format: the FIFA World Cup. The World Cup has 32 of the best teams, divided into eight different pots of four teams each. Each team plays three games against those in the same group. The best two teams from each group goes into the knockout stage. The knockout stage starts with the Second Round (16 teams), Quarter-Finals (8 teams), Semi-Finals (4 teams), and Finals (2 teams). I think this is a good and fair system, and it means that a participant plays a maximum of seven games.

In the middle of this tournament, I also propose a Slam Dunk competition and a Three-Point Shoot-Out. Why not?

I propose that in each game, a coin toss wins starting possession. The games will be on the half-court, of course, and after each basket, the possession will start from the three-point line. I want the players to play the 'loser's ball' system, meaning the player who has just scored will then have to defend his opponent in the next start of possession. The scoring will be normal (two pointers, three pointers, 1 point for free throws) up to 21. But I'm willing to give the players 15 minutes max, after which the game stops and the higher score wins. There will be no breaks/time-outs. If scores are tied at the end of regulation, add three more minutes of overtime.

A big issue in 1-on-1 games is fouls: I want the foul calling to be much laxer, meaning, only rough and very obvious fouls should be called. Any shooting foul will be free-throws, as normal. But to stop players from fouling bad free-throw shooters too much, I want to set a five foul limit - any player who fouls five times will give up 1 point to his opponent.

So there it is: these are my proposed scenario and rules for my dream 1-on-1 tournament. But I'm not done, because why dream up such an incredible scenario and not dream of how it would play out? That is why this is just Part 1 of this story. In Part 2, I'll pick the 32 players who will be making the cut, divide them into the groups, and then, based on the style of the 1-on-1 format, play out the entire tournament.

So for all the times that the NBA promoted the 'There can only be 1' ads, we will finally have an appropriate platform for determining the last '1' standing. Yes, this is indeed going to be epic.

NBA players go Wild, International

It's been 55 days, 7 hours, 5 minutes, 14 seconds, and counting since the NBA announced that it will commence a lockout of its players, until a new collective bargaining agreement is reached with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), as per the excellent counter on SLAMOnline.com. There was never going to be basketball in the off-season, anyways, but with a lockout, there will be no official training camp, no Summer League, no pre-season, and no regular season until the agreement is reached.

Take a deep breath, inhale the disaster and depression of this happening, and then exhale it all out. There is an extremely faint silver lining to all this doom and gloom.

One of the most interesting lists currently online is on the excellent basketball website, HoopsHype.com. Go to HoopsHype.com/Overseas.htm and you will immediately unlock a wealth of information in one short html page. This is because this page currently lists NBA players who have signed a contract to play with international teams during the lockout, and another list of players who are considering it. NBA players aren't just the world's biggest basketball superstars, they are also the world's hardest working basketball players, and like you and me and your cousin and that guy you punked on the court last week, they really, really love the game. A prolonged period without competitive basketball can be hell for even the best of them, and that's why, many NBA players are opting for the next best solution: playing overseas until the issue is resolved. FIBA cleared the way for NBA players under contract to play overseas until work stoppage, and many players are taking advantage of this.

Now, NBA players have been flirting with the overseas option for a long time. Amongst the American players who have made the jump recently have included former MVP Allen Iverson (who played for Besiktas in Turkey last year), Stephon Marbury (played in the Chinese Basketball Association, the CBA, for the Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons and the Foshan Dralions, and was the CBA's all star MVP!) Josh Childress (played for Olympiacos in Greece from 2008-10), Rafer Alston (for Zhejiang Guangsha in China), Casey Jacobsen (who has spent several years in the German League, and has dominated, winning Finals MVP twice), and Steve Francis (who had a failed stint with the Beijing Ducks in China). Of course, a lot of the NBA's international players have also chosen to go back to their home countries in the past after a stint in the NBA, such as Rasho Nesterovic, Juan Carlos Navarro, Fran Vasquez, and many many more whom I can't think of right now.

But now, the situation is different. Of course, the NBA is considered to be the Mecca for basketball stars, as the ultimate destination for the world's best players. Earlier, NBA stars went overseas if they weren't getting their desired salary/role/opportunity to play with the NBA; now, with the lockout, none of the players will be getting their desired salary/role/opportunity. It's a free for all.

The biggest name to sign an overseas contract so far in this lockout has been Nets' point guard Deron Williams, who made waves by announcing that he was going to sign with Besiktas in Turkey for the duration of the lockout. Williams, one of the best point guards in the NBA, immediately becomes the best "in his prime" player to take his talents outside the NBA, at least in recent years.

Since the lockout, Williams has been followed by many more. A quick glance of the list of 30 players (and growing) on HoopsHype shows up names such as Toronto's Leandro Barbosa, who has signed with Flamengo in his home country of Brazil, Nenad Krstic, who will be heading to play for CSKA Moscow in Russia, Ty Lawson has signed a contract with Zalgiris Kaunus in Lithuania, and Nicolas Batum of the TrailBlazers is going back to France to play for Nancy.

The biggest name who has been linked with overseas play though has been Kobe Bryant. Kobe was recruited heavily by Besiktas in Turkey and by Shanxi Zhongyu in China. So far, there has been no formal commitment by Kobe, but watch this space.

China seems to be by far the best destination for NBA players, and funny, that the one to make the breakthrough in this country was NBA-nutcase Stephon Marbury. But the problem with China is that the CBA have aren't happy with NBA players using them and leaving them: they have decided to ban players already with an NBA contract to sign a contract with a Chinese team. Immediately, players like Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, Amar'e Stoudemire, etc, who had expressed interest in China before, had to back off a bit. Kobe could still play in China though, as Shanxi Zhongyu has invited Kobe to play for the team in some warm-up games or exhibition games before the CBA season starts, which is not against the rule.

Amongst the other players who are showing interest in going the international way include Ron Artest, who has been flirting with the Cheshire Jets, a team of the British Basketball League. Brandon Jennings, who spent one year playing in Italy before coming to the NBA, is considering heading back out there again. Other players showing 'high' interest to jet overseas include Stephen Curry, Andrei Kirilenko, Aaron Brooks, Jared Dudley, and many, many more.

Not everyone, of course, feels that it is necessary to sign a professional contract overseas to play overseas: the mother of all lockout/international news came from the Philippines, where Kobe Bryant, Derrick Rose, Durant, Chris Paul, JaVale McGee, James Harden, Derrick Williams, and Tyreke Evans played in two exhibition games. News is that after the success at Philippines, NBA stars like Durant, Rose, Paul, and Pau Gasol will head to Australia for a tour next.

Back in the States, Kevin Durant has been absolutely killing the street basketball world this lockout, including an impressive 66 point game at the Rucker Park. Kobe and James Harden have had impressive performances at the Drew League. There have been several other notable streetball appearances by NBA stars.

And then there are players who are getting even more creative with their time: The Lakers Luke Walton has joined the University of Memphis as an assistant coach. Former Kentucky players like John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Rajon Rondo, Eric Bledsoe, and Jodie Meeks might go back to complete their education. A former Volleyball superstar, the Rockets' Chase Budinger returns to try his hand again at the sport.

And it's a good thing, too, because there is nothing more dangerous and being idol in many cases. Already, the off-season has seen NBA players get themselves in all sorts of wildness. Michael Beasley was caught with weed, and later shoved a fan during a streetball game. Matt Barnes punched a fan, too. Darius Miles, who was arrested for trying to bring a loaded gun through airport security, Rafer Alston, who was sued over his alleged role in a strip club fight, and Samaki Walker, who allegedly tried to eat eight grams of marijuana during a traffic stop in Arizona, during which police also confiscated prescription drugs and liquid steroids. The great Kobe Bryant is being accused of hitting someone who tried to take a cell-phone photo of him in church.

Aaaaahhh... How I miss the good ol' days when the daily basketball related news items were about Derrick Rose winning an MVP or LeBron James choking against the Mavericks. Now, we have to deal with an off-season of emptiness, with no horizon in sight, although it has been mildly improved by the NBA players' enthusiasm at playing the game they love, whenever and wherever!

The NBA may or may not be coming soon (probably the latter), but there is hope ahead: The European Basketball Championship, or EuroBasket, featuring the best players in Europe, including several NBA stars, kicks off in Lithuania in a little more than a week. As the message on the T-shirts that some NBA players wore of the Goodman-Drew streetball game says: 'Basketball Never Stops'.

NBA Playoffs- The Best Absentees

The playoffs are now only days away and I'm sure that if you're like me, you're barely able to sit still with all the potential drama that's going to follow in the NBA's postseason. But like every postseason, there are always those who aren't good enough to make it. 14 of the NBA's 30 teams are going fishing early, and some of these 14 teams have serious talent, too.

In the playoffs, we will get a chance to watch the likes of Derrick Rose, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard, Joe Johnson, Al Horford, Amar'e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, and many, many more stars... But before we splurge into the future and see who amongst these will rule the roast, let's take a moment to celebrate those whose season has already ended.

Steve Nash - Suns: Steve Nash is once again going to be the league leader in assists, and its a shame that he will not be able to step into the postseason to battle once more. The 2-time MVP perhaps saw his finest moment last year when he took the Suns to only a few games away from the NBA Finals. Ever since, Amar'e Stoudemire left and the team has been subpar at best without him. Of course, the 37-year-old point guard's efforts are not to be blamed, as he continues to be one of the strongest players not making an appearance in the post-season.

Deron Williams - Nets: Oh, poor Deron... Remember him? Just last year he was considered to be perhaps the best point guard in the league. With a mid-season trade to New Jersey, went from a team contesting for a playoff spot to one just hoping to not be the league's worst. His departure saw Utah plummet away playoff contention too, but this perennial playoff superstar will be missed this post-season.

Kevin Love - Timberwolves: Yes, Love has never made the playoffs before, and no, there wasn't even a chance for the lowly T-Wolves to make it this year, but he is the league leader in rebounds - that has to count for something, right? Hopefully we'll see his hustle in the playoffs soon in the near future.

Blake Griffin - Clippers: Along with Deron Williams, Kevin Love, and Yao Ming, Griffin is the fourth all-star this season not in the playoffs. Too bad, because the electrifying rookie would've been the toast of the league for a couple of games. At least he'll be able to drown his sorrows with the Rookie of the Year trophy.

Monta Ellis - Warriors: Some believe Monta is only a few steps away from being one of the most talked-about players in the NBA. After all, he did spend the season averaging 24.1 ppg, which by the way, makes him the highest-scoring player not in the postseason.

Special Mention - Kevin Martin & Yao* (Rockets), Al Jefferson (Jazz), Stephen Curry & David Lee (Warriors), Brandon Jennings & Andrew Bogut (Bucks), John Wall (Wizards), Tyreke Evans (Kings).

*Yes, I had to mention Yao.

And then there are those who are missing due to injury; these guys have teams in playoff contention but we will probably not be seeing them in action this postseason - Caron Butler (Mavericks), David West (Hornets), Greg Oden (Trailblazers). Fans will be wishing to see the likes of Shaq (Celtics) and Udonis Haslem (Heat) return to their squads sometime in the course of the playoffs.

The NBA - where even the losers are pretty damn good!

NBA + London = Winning

When was the last time you saw the entire basketball world excited about a Raptors-Nets game? No seriously, when? Back in the Vince Carter/Jason Kidd era, probably. I admit, I've always had a soft spot for the Raptors before my favourite player from 10 years ago, Carter, turned a little too soft himself.

But last week, the two teams fighting each other for the battle of the worst team in the Eastern Conference became part of history. On back-to-back games over the weekend, the Nets and the Raptors made NBA history, as the first ever NBA regular-season games were held in Europe, at the fantastic O2 Arena in London. The venue had previously played host to a few pre-season games, including a Lakers-Timberwolves match-up before this season, but a regular season game, where players play hard because it matters, is a wholly different issue.

So what if the two teams had a combined all star - Deron Williams, recently brought to New Jersey from Utah - to boast? The rest of the 'big' names in the match-up included former number one pick and Italian Andrea Bargnani, slam-dunk participant DeMar DeRozan, underrated but dominating big man Brook Lopez, and Kris Humphries who is famous because he has a famous girlfriend, who in turn is famous for being famous. At least the two teams had similar (awful) records coming into the game - Nets at 17-43, Raptors at 17-44. Of course the games were going to be competitive.

Anyways, the two games benefited many different parties:

1) The two teams, underrated back in North America, got a little international exposure and experience.
2) NBA fans in England, who may otherwise be too busy watching football, rugby, or cricket, finally got a chance to see a meaningful game in their own backyard.
3) England's 2012 Olympic campaign got a major boost, as the organising committee got the chance to hold two high-quality (relatively), close games, and thus create more hype for the Olympic basketball tournament featuring the best international teams in the world that will be held at the same venue next year.
4) Me, and other NBA fans in India, got the opportunity to watch the extra two games broadcast live on TV, taking last week's toll of live games to SEVEN. Awesome.
5) Famous people, and people who live famous people: Like any NBA game, the celebrities game out to support the London NBA Games, and as we all know, whatever celebrities like, the rest of the world follows. In the audience for the two games were football players from two of London's biggest clubs - Peter Cech, Didier Drogba, David Luiz (Chelsea) and Jack Wilshere, Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas, and Gael Clichy (Arsenal). A couple of famous Non-Resident-Indian Punjabis - Monty Panesar of the English Cricket team and Canadian Nav Bhatia, the Raptors' Super Fan and entrepreneur - completed the mix.
6) The NBA

Yes, the NBA were clearly the biggest winners. For a long time, David Stern has been mulling over the possibility of expanding the NBA to Europe. What that means hasn't really been exactly clear: Does he mean to have NBA franchises in Europe? Does he mean to play more regular season games there? Or will he be able to launch his pet project - a five-team European division within the league? All of the ideas above have various drawbacks, including the crazy travelling involved between the two continents, the finances involved in launching any kind of ambitious project between the NBA and Europe, and the organisational difficulties in managing it.

Yet, if this was the first major test for Stern to see if the NBA could work in Europe, it has succeeded. Many fans in London may not be completely well-versed in basketball yet (Check this out from the CNN report: in order to make sure anyone new to basketball understood what was going on, an announcer explained who the players, teams and coaches were and gave a commentary to explain the scoring to the crowd.) But at least they showed up and a majority enjoyed the action. I mean - its NBA basketball - who cares if it's just Raptors vs Nets - it's gonna be fun, right?

The two teams played hard, too. The Nets became the most successful NBA team ever, in London, as they won both high-scoring games. In the first contest, Brook Lopez dropped 25 points to lead the Nets to a 116-103 win. The second was a classic, as the teams battled way into triple-overtime, showcasing to London every emotion and piece of action that involves amazing NBA games. Lopez was again the star 34 points and 14 rebounds, while Europe's sweetheart Bargnani had 35 points for the losing side. Travis Outlaw stepped up in the end to seal the win, scoring the last 8 points for the Nets.

Now looking ahead, I'm not sure I approve or disapprove of what the future of the NBA holds in store across the Atlantic - it is hard to say since it is still early days and no one is sure exactly how things are going to develop. But it was a successful exhibition for the NBA and for basketball in England.

The NBA's now held regular season games in England and tonnes of pre-season games in other parts of Europe, South America, and South-East Asia. But what about us? About 11 months ago, I wondered if the NBA could ever hold a pre-season game in India. As a great open market, it would make sense. But we are far, far, faaaaaar behind in our infrastructure and organisation. Does anyone remember the Commonwealth Games? Yea - I don't think Suresh Kalmadi and David Stern would be a compatible partnership.

But, the NBA will send us something one day. The Cavs, maybe. An NBDL side? A WNBA side? Something. It's going to happen though. I know it...