Hoopistani on... Basketball Babas!

I love the NBA Playoffs more than I love most things in my life.

Real life is filled with little daily challenges, like bargaining with the auto-wallah, or worrying about the elections, or making sure I don't crack my laptop's motherboard again. But the NBA world is the tonic for all the pains, and there is no better amrit for long life like the postseason.

And this time, thanks to the help of Nation of Sport, I was able to crank up my playoff-enthusiasm to the next level. Earlier this week, I joined the NoS YouTube programme 'Basketball Babas' - as the third 'Baba' alongside Jonathan Rego and Ashwin Gopinath - to sit down for nearly two hours and discuss the long road ahead for each team in both conferences. In this special two-part episode, we spoke about each of the eight first-round matchups, made our predictions for which teams will work their way to the Finals, and even imagined the best-case narratives for each of the 16 teams to possibly win the 2019 title.

So please watch, comment, shout, murmur, share... and enjoy the playoffs!

Part 1: Eastern Conference



Part 2: Western Conference

Hoopdarshan Episode 33: NBA Free Agency Reactions with Jonathan Rego

It's been a hell of a summer for the average NBA fan, and Episode 33 of the Hoopdarshan podcast takes a deep, long dive into the most pressing issues on our mind in this historic offseason. NBA superfan and India's first FIBA agent Jonathan Rego joins hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok to talk about all the ramifications and reactions to Kevin Durant in the Warriors, the response from Russell Westbrook and LeBron James, the ever-changing concept of NBA loyalty after Dwyane Wade's move to Chicago, and the news of Tim Duncan's retirement that made Jonathan physically ill. It's all here, and it's going to blow your mind!

Aside from the NBA news, Episode 33 of Hoopdarshan also checks up on recent events in Indian basketball, including India's qualification for this year's FIBA Asia Challenge, the cold war between the BFI and the UBA, and the third season of the UBA Basketball League.



Hoopdarshan aims to be the true voice of Indian basketball, and since we're such hopeless fans of the game, it will become the voice of everything basketball related we love, from the NBA to international hoops, too. On every episode of Hoopdarshan, we will be inviting a special guest to interview or chat to about a variety of topics. With expert insight from some of the brightest and most-involved people in the world of Indian basketball, we hope to bring this conversation to a many more interested fans, players, and followers of the game.

Make sure to follow Hoopdarshan on Soundcloud or search for 'Hoopdarshan' on the iTunes Store! Auto-sync Hoopdarshan to your preferred podcast app NOW!

Hoopdarshan can be found on...

• - iTunes: Hoopdarshan 
• - Hoopdarshan on Soundcloud 
• - On Twitter: @Hoopdarshan 
• - Facebook.com/Hoopdarshan 

Hoopdarshan Episode 9: Jonathan Rego and the mind of an Indian FIBA basketball agent

On Episode 9 of the Indian Basketball podcast Hoopdarshan, hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok are joined by Jonathan Rego, India's first FIBA agent. Armed with experience of developing and promoting the sport at various levels in India, Rego talks to us about the business side of Indian basketball, the prospect for India's best young players to play in professional leagues abroad, the NBA Finals, and screaming (with joy) at Kevin Garnett. We discuss a variety of more topics, including how Rego became a FIBA agent, the NBA draft prospects of Satnam Singh Bhamara, elite training camps for India's most talented youth, and gorging on Mutton Sukka.

Originally from Mangalore and raised in Abu Dhabi, Rego (32) now works in Mumbai as the senior manager of operations of the ISL's Mumbai City FC. He is also working on a few sports exchange programmes with international universities, where he says he is starting with a basketball programme to test the waters before moving on to other sports. Additionally, he is looking to put together a team with the hopes of managing a franchise in the future Indian professional basketball league.



Hoopdarshan aims to be the true voice of Indian basketball, and since we're such hopeless fans of the game, it will become the voice of everything basketball related we love, from the NBA to international hoops, too. On every episode of Hoopdarshan, we will be inviting a special guest to interview or chat to about a variety of topics. With expert insight from some of the brightest and most-involved people in the world of Indian basketball, we hope to bring this conversation to a many more interested fans, players, and followers of the game.

Make sure to follow Hoopdarshan on Soundcloud or search for 'Hoopdarshan' on the iTunes Store! Auto-sync Hoopdarshan to your preferred podcast app NOW!

Hoopdarshan can be found on...

• - iTunes: Hoopdarshan
  
• - Hoopdarshan on Soundcloud
  
• - On Twitter: @Hoopdarshan
  
• - Facebook.com/Hoopdarshan
  

Indian Basketball Player's Association (IBPA) officially kick-started in New Delhi

They say that necessity is the mother of invention. In basketball terms, tactical necessity arises when a defensive scheme fails on an exceptional offensive player, or vice versa. It is in these cases that the best coaches and players invent a solution, or make an adjustment to turn things around in their favour and give birth to a new system.

In India, the best basketball players in the country have had a different, more pressing necessity than the one that troubles them tactically on court. For years, the federations and associations that have represented the players at the state or national level have failed to properly represent the individuals that make the heart and soul of the game: the player's themselves. In more recent months, the Basketball Federation of India has been further rocked by political infighting, leaving Indian Basketball headless and coach-less with the FIBA Asia Championships looming in the near future.

Finally, these necessities have led the former players of the nation to a fantastic invention. Aiming to give a voice to Indian basketball players - current and past - the Indian Basketball Players Association (IBPA) was officially formed at the Indian Medical Association hall in New Delhi on Sunday, June 7. The first meeting of the IBPA was attended by various legends of Team India, including several Arjuna awardees, Dhyan Chand awardees, an Asian all-star player, former Indian captains and a number of international and national players.

The members nominated Sajjan Singh, (Arjuna Awardee) as President of IBPA, Jayasankar Menon (Asian All Star Basketball Player) as General Secretary and Ashok Sharma (National Player and FIBA Commissioner) as Treasurer. Abbas Moontasir has been named IBPA's Chairman Vice chairpersons are Manmohan Singh and Suman Sharma, all of whom are Arjuna Awardees. President Sajjan Sajjan welcomed this initiative to promote basketball but cautioned all the members of IBPA not to end up into politics of any kind.

Jonathan Rego, India's first FIBA agent, said that it is the need of the hour to recognize the contributions of Indian Basketball and to expose young Indian players to the contributions of Indian Basketball legends. "Through this association we would also like to bring to light that playing basketball can lead to a stable, lucrative corporate career."

Shiba Maggon, former Indian captain, suggested that we should bring the legends to the coaching centers to show case their signature move to the kids to improve the fundamentals of the game. It will also increase the interest of the kids to follow the game more.

Jayasankar Menon stated that the IBPA is by the players for the players. He thanked everyone who rendered support to this initiative and requested to provide commitment to achieve the objective of IBPA.

Jonathan Rego becomes India's first FIBA agent

Basketball is becoming more and more an international sport, not just in terms of the spread of the game to different countries, but also in the manner of how there are no borders anymore for basketball professionals on the globe. As opportunities grow, players from across the world are crossing international boundaries to ship their talents to leagues in the Americas, Africa, Europe, Oceania, and of course, Asia, too. But global basketball transactions are a complicated process, and FIBA - the world's governing body of basketball - have employed the use of player's agents to handle the business of the game between players, teams, leagues, and nations.

A few weeks ago, Jonathan Rego became the first Indian to be certified as a FIBA agent, after passing the necessary qualifications at the FIBA House of Basketball in Mies, Switzerland.

Originally from Mangalore and raised in Abu Dhabi, Rego (32) now works in Mumbai as the senior manager of operations of the ISL's Mumbai City FC. He is also working on a few sports exchange programmes with international universities, where he says he is starting with a basketball programme to test the waters before moving on to other sports. Additionally, he is looking to put together a team with the hopes of managing a franchise in the future Indian professional basketball league.

Rego previously worked for CAA KWAN and GLOBOSPORT. During this time, he managed and executed nearly every NBA India event 2008-2013, working at both grassroots and mainstream events across the country. Rego also covered the NBA All Star Weekend for NBA India in Houston in 2013.

"I hope to give Indian basketball players the opportunity to make a living playing professionally," Rego said after receiving his FIBA agent credential, "Thus, encouraging parents to allow and encourage their kids to pursue basketball seriously, leading to the proliferation of basketball in India, and eventually making it a global basketball superpower."

India doesn't have its own professional league yet, but we definitely have a number of talented players who deserve to play at the professional level. Playing abroad may be the only option for many at this point, and it will only be with the help of FIBA agents like Rego that our best players can wade through the complicated process of finding teams and conducting transactions to make that option into a reality. Hopefully, as basketball talent grows to make India a stronger hoop-playing nation, the business side of the game continues to evolve and mature as well to provide a backbone that helps the players succeed at the highest levels.

The Age Old Question

Age frauds hurt the present & the future of Indian Basketball

This article was first published in my column for Ekalavyas.com on September 8, 2014. Click here to read the original post. 

Illustration credit: Deepak 'Chuck' Gopalakrishnan for Ekalavyas.com

“Everybody does it.”

The first Indian national basketball tournament I closely covered were the Sub-Junior (under-14) nationals in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, back in September 2010. The tournament featured the youngest members of the Indian basketball family from dozens of different states. While my first order of interest was obviously the result and the performances of the teams during the week-long tournament, it was also fascinating to wonder which of those young players could one day grow to become future stars of India’s Senior teams.

Scouting talent – especially among 12 or 13 year olds – is a wild and hugely unpredictable science. When a young player shows promise, the scout has to think more about their potential for growth over the next six or seven years instead of their performances in the present day. In many cases, the best performers at the sub-junior level can fizzle out and never reach their potential. In other cases, the converse could happen, and a wiry-thin bench warmer at 13 could enjoy an unbelievable growth spurt and become a superstar by 18.

There was one player in Kangra who stood head and shoulders above the rest, a player with performances so sublime that even the casual observer could bet that this young man was destined for stardom. He was taller, stronger, and quicker than the rest. He attacked the basket with ease and bullied his opponents on the way to a dominating performance. No matter who won the tournament, it was this individual that stole the hearts of all observers.

But then, like there always are in such cases, there were whispers. Whispers of cheating, of a lie. Whispers that said that there could be no possibility of this star player being under 14. Whispers of ‘age fraud’.

There is a reason why those whispers never turned into louder discussions in Kangra, and why, in every junior level national tournament in India (under-14, under-16, or under-18), there are similar whispers that go ignored. That is because most of those whispers come from guilty parties themselves. There are rarely any innocents in Indian basketball when it comes to age fraud. Only ones without sin could throw the first stone, and thus, there are no stones thrown at all.

And over and over, the whispers die down with the same sign and defeated acceptance. “Everybody does it,” they say.

That star player from Kangra – along with many of the other young talents I saw in 2010 – are now on the cusp of senior level in India. Many of those under-14s are at the under-18 level, and some of them were even part of the team that represented India at the FIBA Asia U18 Championship in Doha (Qatar) last week. India didn’t perform very well in Doha for a variety of reasons. India rarely performs well at the Asian/international level at all. Age fraud from a younger age isn’t the only ailment that hurts us at the national level, but a senior referee from Maharashtra recently told me that it doesn’t exactly help either.

“Our federations want better performances at international level,” he said, “But rather than focusing on our players getting better, they focus on trying to get better results from older players.  Meanwhile, the younger players don’t get a chance to shine and improve. The older ones only play for instant glory instead of long-term improvement.”

Because “everyone does it”, it has become the only way for various state teams at the National tournaments to remain competitive. At every national tournament, the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) appoints an Age Verification / Medical Committee to conduct a medical test. Every once in a while, a handful of players are adjudged to be older and barred from taking part. But this test – and its results – only hit the tip of the iceberg.

Frankly, the numbers of age frauds at these nationals are much larger than what the Medical Committee reveals. It is easy to forge documents for the kids at a young age, and unless they truly stand out in their muscular built, they are rarely suspected of age fraud. The result is that it becomes common to see 16-year-olds at the under-14 nationals, 18-year-olds at the under-16s, and 20-year-olds at the under-18s.

So how deep rooted is the problem truly? Experienced Indian basketball scout and development expert Jonathan Rego believes that around 80 percent – if not more – of participants in any junior level national tournament may be lying about their age.

“It is way too rampant and blatant for my comfort,” Rego told me, “It’s a problem so deeply entrenched in the system that those who cheat, continue to do so because those who don't have accepted it as part of the system. There are protests, but more often than not those protests are dismissed by verification of a birth certificate, which can be easily forged especially in smaller towns and cities which is where most of the better players come from.”

It might sound like a quick and easy solution to get a result by playing an older player at a younger tournament, but in the long run, age fraud hurts both the player involved and the teams he plays for, including India’s national teams. For the player, it keeps him or her at the lower level for too long, denying them the opportunity to practice and glean experience by facing off against more players of their own age group. A 20-year-old might dominate a field of 17-18 year olds, but by the time he’s 22, he is inexperienced against foes his own age.

“For players who aren't cheating, they constantly feel like they are going up against ‘better’ competition and that maybe they aren't cut out for the game,” said Rego, “This is also a big factor since juniors are easily impressionable and take their early victories and defeats to heart.”

Eventually, the problem hits India where it hurts most: the national team. "As younger talents are forced to play second-fiddle in the appropriate age group, age frauds deprive them of much-needed early exposure and the chance to develop in the appropriate way as they get to the senior level. Meanwhile, Team India stuffs up with players who had made a name for themselves domestically at a junior level before realizing that many of the same players peaked too early against younger and less developed talent.

A lie is like an errant pass: once you commit the turnover, it is difficult to recover the ball in the same possession. Once a player begins to falsify his or her records, it is difficult to undo the deed. Age fraud denies certain players who have the talent to play high-school or college basketball abroad from starting their development and education at the right age. While they pretend to be younger, they really get older, and are only wastefully repeating those years of their youth instead of improving (on the court as well as the classroom) with their own age-group.

The problem is beyond basketball or sports, and is entrenched as a systematic part of corruption in India. In smaller towns, registration offices will happily take a bribe to change birth certificates. District level or state level tournament organizers will gladly turn a blind eye to favoured coaches or teams that are fielding clearly older players.

It’s incorrect to only blame the players in this regard. All of them are influenced to make a decision about changing their age by an adult when they are only in their pre-teens, and thus may not understand the long-term consequences of their mistake. It could be a parent, the first coach at the district level, the coach of the state team, or the team manager who encourages the age fraud: and by the time the player is passed on from academy to academy and coach to coach, it gets murkier and hazier to identify the true culprit.

So how do we curb this rampant problem? In 2009, India’s Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports – at least officially – set up the rules and consequences of age fraud. The ministry told state federations to ban any overage athletes for two years if caught cheating in first detection and for five years with any subsequent detection. The ministry also asked for mandatory ID cards for all athletes and conduct random age verification at regular intervals.

But these policies have been more talk and less action. As mentioned earlier, any type of age verification document is easy to forge. Secondly, despite the rule to ban overage athletes for two (or five) years, in practice, the ban ends up only applying to the player for the duration of the said tournament, before they are reinstated to be back in action the next time around.

As a solution, Rego suggested that players should be registered in a central database from the very first moment they play in a tournament that is affiliated or authorized by the Federation. Once registered, the centrally-managed database should be made available to all state federations and thus make tampering with age more difficult.  

He also believes that a more advanced physical test by the medical committee at the nationals could make a difference, too. “The bone density test is still a widely accepted and respected method of determining age,” he said, “There is argument against its high cost, but my counter is that, if administered and recorded properly, there is need to do it just once in a player's lifetime.”

“Nobody follows the rules,” said the referee from Maharashtra, “We need to hold both the state associations as well as the BFI accountable for letting this problem get worse. It shouldn’t be allowed to go haywire.”

Unfortunately, as of now, the problem has clearly gone haywire with no real resolution in the horizon. It will take a few brave and honest coaches, managers, or state associations to swim against the tide and refuse to play older players in junior tournaments – no matter the consequences. But, this being a circle of cause-and-effect, their efforts will only be recognized and emulated by others if they are able to be successful. With so many cracks in the system, it will ultimately come down to the honour of the coach to stick to doing the right thing.

Four years ago, I was in awe of that star player at the Under-14 nationals in Kangra as he dominated his competition with ease. Four years later, as the same star player reaches adulthood, I have begun to pity him a little: for the last few years, he was always the alpha dog in any team he played for or against. No doubt he was talented, but this was mostly because he also usually went up against those younger than him. Now he reaches an age where the difference of two or three years doesn’t matter as much anymore, but since he never learnt the ability to muscle past those as strong, fast, tall, or talented as him, he remains in grave danger of getting left behind. He might be a participant for India at the international stage but it’s unlikely that he’ll ever be a star.

Pity, because Indian basketball could sure use young superstars to peak at the right time. Hopefully, there is a steady change in the system so we can look past instant glory to ensure more long-term success.

If “everybody does it” then perhaps, together, everybody can stop, too. 

How India invaded the NBA All Star Weekend

No, there are no Indian players in the NBA, much less than players with the elite talent to make it amongst the world’s best that played the NBA All Star Game on February 17^th. But the Indian presence at the world’s largest annual NBA gala got bigger than ever at Houston 2013.

As SLAM Magazine veteran Lang Whitaker noted in his GQcolumn a few days ago, the “All-Star is about basketball, but it's really the biggest industry convention for people who cover the NBA.” Let me add to that point that the weekend (or half a week) is the biggest industry convention for anyone and everyone even loosely connected to the league. Having covered the craziness, excitement, and the superstar overload first hand at the All StarWeekend in Los Angeles two years ago, I can attest that – even though the official events at the Weekend may not be of anything more than exhibition value – it is still the ultimate basketball festival, the centre of the NBA universe.

And with NBA’s interest growing in India (and other Asian/international markets), it was inevitable that India’s interest would grow reciprocally for the NBA…

This year, the NBA held for the first time the ‘Sprite Uncontainable Game’: 22 amateur ‘undiscovered talents’ between the ages of 14-30 were chosen from nine countries around the world to win an all-access trip to the All Star Weekend and play in the ‘Uncontainable Game’. Two young Indian players – Bopanna Pardhana Nanaiah (22) and Akilan Pari (23) – won NBA India’s national3x3 tournament last year and were the lucky two chosen for this event. Thousands of players from Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Mumbai took part in the NBA 3x events last year, with the Finals held in Mumbai in October.

Players from Canada, China, Estonia, Lithuania, Mexico, Philippines, Puerto Rico, and the United States added flavour to the final international rosters.

Nanaiah (from Kodagu in Karnataka) and Pari (from Pollachi in Tamil Nadu) were divided into ‘Team Intense’ and ‘Team Sudden’ respectively. They were lucky enough to be in the presence of some great NBA players: Team Intense was ‘coached’ by Kobe Bryant, Andrea Bargnani, and Al Horford; while LeBron James, Omri Casspi, and Serge Ibaka were the coaches of Team Sudden.

There were many more familiar faces at Houston last week. NBA India’s Senior Director of Basketball Operations Troy Justice and his young padawan for NBA coaching in India Eban Hyams also soaked in the non-stop action at the weekend. Justice even conducted an NBA Fit clinic with legendary point guard (and my childhood favourite) Gary Payton!

For the past few years, the NBA has invited top representatives of basketball federations from around the world to the All Star Weekend, and India was represented until recent years by former Basketball Federation of India (BFI) CEO Harish Sharma. Sharma passed away last year, but the presence of the federation at NBA’s biggest ‘industry convention’ continues.

And of course, those following the NBA from back home in India would’ve noticed a continuing increase of mainstream media coverage live from the league into Indian daily newspapers, our TV channels, and our webpages. NBA fans in India had their most in-depth look at All Star events ever this year, as both Sony SIX and CNN IBN were on-site, gathering footage and conducting interviews of the weekend’s events.

The Times Group (behind the Times of India newspaper and Times Now) has a digital partnership with the NBA, and have been sending correspondents to cover the league on-site for years. This year, Saibal Bose was there feeding back daily stories from the events. On Saturday, Bose reported that the NBA Commissioner David Stern considers India  a ‘potential basketball giant’, and about how he would like to emulate the success of the IPL to help grow NBA in India. On Sunday, Bose spoke to superstar Kobe Bryant about potentially coming to India, to which Kobe replied: “I am working on my cricket skills.”

I couldn't be in Houston this year, but NBA.com/India handed the baton to fellow hoops-geek Jonathan Rego to cover the Weekend through his Fan Blog daily. Rego’s blog is an entertaining read, following his journey as he met the game’s biggest stars, reported on little-but-important things that the television audiences may have missed, and put into words the indescribable experience of being immersed in the fantastic world of the NBA for the first time!

Beware NBA: the floodgates have opened. And the Indians are coming!

(Now can we get a player good enough to actually play in the league? Please pretty please?) 

Lakers vs. Celtics - The Great Battle Begins

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I wrote this article in collaboration with Jonathan Rego at iSport.in, and the article was published on iSport on June 3, 2010.

Jonathan Rego is a huge Celtics fan, and Karan Madhok favours them too. While Jonathan feels that the Lakers are a no-brainer to repeat this year, Karan does not agree.

So to settle they have have decided to go public with their spat. Once again for the record, Jonathan = Lakers, Karan = Celtics.

It's not every day you get to see a team cast off as washed up and done, steam roll their way into the NBA finals. And nothing makes me...make that us (Karan and me) happier than to see our beloved Boys in Green (read KG) in the Finals once again.

They shifted gears when it mattered and showed Dwight and his Magic a team game that kills you on all ends of the floor rather than from just beyond the arc and in the paint. The CELTICS ARE BACK BABY!!!

Ahem.

The Lakers did not have it easy this time. Kobe, Gasol and (shockingly) Fisher kept bailing them out of tight spots. Right from their surprisingly tough series against the OKC Thunder down to a resilient Suns team that almost took them to a Game 7 (damn you Artest!), the Lakers have been a bit unpredictable this playoffs. They were written off and exalted in the same sentence. From being cast as mediocre to being hailed as the eventual NBA Champs, the Lakers have seen it all this time.

So now that they are up against the resurgent Celtics, how will this Finals play out?

Will Kobe cave in under the responsibility and do a repeat of his 2008 debacle, or will he put on one of the greatest series of his career? (A second championship in a row will his etch his name in titanium and wipe all previous aberrations including the aforementioned 2008 Game 6 stink bomb).

Will the Celts stop showing up after 20 point leads and see off the final window for a shot at the Championship, or will they gather their best men and steal the O'Brien trophy from under the nose of the defending champions?

Without further ado, I am drawing first blood.


Jonathan R: A healthy rested Kobe + A consistent Gasol + A resurrected Fisher have delivered throughout the playoffs. What makes you think they cave in now? Also, the Lakers have home court advantage and are 28-3 in their last 31 home court games.

You may also want to consider that Phil Jackson is 47-0 when he wins the first game of a series.

And is thinking of quitting this year.

And will coach his backside off because of that.

You still picking the Celtics, my friend?


Karan Madhok: So here we are - at the biggest stage in the world of basketball, and who do we have in front of us? None other than two of the most storied franchises in the league, who have shared 32 titles between them and will add a 33rd by the time the dust settles on this series.

Taking care of business. One super star at a time.

Now, anyone following basketball all season would've probably agreed with your points about the Lakers - Kobe's playing well and healthy, Lakers have home-court advantage, Gasol's consistency, etc...etc. But as we know, the playoffs are a whole different game, and for the Lakers, the Celtics are going to be a matchup nightmare.

Yes, the Lakers DO have home court advantage, but guess what? The Celtics are the only team to ever reach the Finals after performing better on the road than at home! So to the Celtics, as you can see, home and away doesn't really matter.

Hell - they're probably happier to be on the road!

Kobe IS playing well and healthy, and no, there's no denying he will be the best player in the series. But so far, he has come across defences in the West that are more porous than chai-sifters! No one on the Thunder, Jazz, or Suns was equipped to stop him. The Celtics on the other hand, have stopped three All-Star starters in the last three rounds: Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Dwight Howard. As the 2008 Finals showed us, if there's anyone that can stop Kobe, it's the Celtic defence.

And finally... Gasol. I love Gasol and love what he brings to the table, but the man has consistently suffered against Garnett. While he probably will average more points than him, KG will make his Gasol's miserable, forcing him to compromise on his efficiency. Gasol was bullied and made worthless in the '08 Finals. The winner of this match-up will win the series I feel, and I'm going to give KG the edge here.

I'm surprise you missed out one important point. How do you think the Lakers plan to deal with Rajon Rondo, who has arguably been the best player on the best team in the playoffs so far? Are you seriously suggesting Derek Fisher's old legs are going to keep up with the fastest player in the league?!


Jonathan R: I like where this going.

Firstly, my worthy adversary, we both know that the Celtics are not winning two games in a row against a healthy Lakers team. (Yes, I think this series goes 7) which means that even if they were to win Game 1 at LA and take home court advantage, the Lakers come back and beat them in Game 3 at Boston, where, as per your cited record, the Celtics aren't as good as they should be. LA is 34-7 at home (2nd best in the league) and on the road and 23-18 on the road (just three games short of Boston's home record). That Boston record you brandish? May not help.

Secondly, as much as I liked the chai-sifter comparison and want to admit the Celtics are a great defensive team, I'd like to take us moment to remember who shut Kobe down during the 2008 campaign. Yes, James Posey. The same Posey who was infamously let go by the Celtics the very next season! Considering their weakening knees the Celtics can play good team defence for a maximum of two games at a stretch. In Game 6 against the Magic they weren't half as good as they can be; they won that game only because the Magic kept missing wide open shots and shot an abysmal 27% from 3pt.

The Heat, Cavaliers and Magic are all one dimensional teams. Wade won one and Lebron won two games on their own and the Magic won two games because of Dwight and their dead-eye

3pt shooting.

Now the Celtics have to deal with two superstars in Kobe and Gasol a borderline star in Odom.

Thirdly, I think the following are key factors to the series.

1. Rondo-Fisher
2. Bench Strength
3. Garnett-Gasol

Rondo, if healthy, will take Fisher apart. But, if his (Rondo's) injury holds up, I think Rondo and Fisher will cross each other out. Also, Fisher hasn't really been a pushover in these playoffs. You don't want to leave him open.

Yes, the Celtics have a better bench. But expect Phil Jackson to get into the heads of Bynum, Brown and Farmar to deliver their backsides off. This has legacy potential for Phil Jackson, i.e. one of the few coaches who has won back to back titles with two different teams!

Also, the technicals on the Celtics are a huge factor. Phil Jackson is a sneaky customer. He will play Bynum on Perkins just to piss him off.


Karan Madhok: Good points all, Jonathan,

Yes, Phil Jackson being the master of all coaches, will be playing to piss off Perkins (and possibly Rasheed Wallace) and forcing a slew of technicals.

Yes, James Posey was the one that defended Kobe the best in 08,

Yes, the Celtics are an older, weak-in-the-knees squad,

But...with the Celtics, it has never been just one person - this Celtics team have defended as well as they did two years ago, this time without Posey.

Also, injury woes could crop up in the case of Andrew Bynum, who was supposed to be the X-factor for the Lakers - Bynum played minimal minutes against the Suns, a team that was supposed to let offenses thrive.

As the playoffs have shown, the Celtics have had no change in desire whether playing home or away, and especially after Game 3 against the Cavaliers, they went on to win six straight games, both at home and away. This is proof that they are more than capable of winning several games in a row.

Sure you may term the Heat a one-dimensional team, but the Cavaliers and Magic had two of the best three regular season records this year. Cavaliers actually had a better record than LA. You can't tell me they were a one-dimensional team all season?! The Celtics FORCED them to become one dimensional. I feel that Celtics will do the same against LA, i.e. force Kobe to make all the offense work thereby disrupting team chemistry.

Finally, I feel that the winner between the Gasol-Garnett match-up will decide who wins the series. If Gasol can hold his own and be productive, Lakers will have a chance. If KG steps up, he will negate Gasol both offensively and defensively.

I agree that this series goes seven games, but I feel that it will be Boston that will be left crowned champions at the end, ultimately due to KG's match-up against Gasol.

What do you feel?


Jonathan R: While it is true that the Celtics did win 6 games on the trot (both at home and away) I disagree with the observation that the Cavaliers and the Magic aren't one dimensional teams.

The Cavaliers did not progress only because the Celtics crowded Lebron and forced the rest of the team to beat them. Similarly with the Magic...stay tight on Dwight and force the team to beat you from the 3pt line (the Magic shot the lights out in the two games they won).

The Lakers are not one dimensional. They have three people who are legitimate threats to break the 30 pts barrier and keeping an eye on all three will be a task for the Celtics. Even if they lock down others and force Kobe to win this game on his own, we all know Kobe can deliver. Besides, as much as I love Allen, he is a defensive downgrade from Posey. His responsibility on Kobe will undoubtedly affect his own offensive game.

I agree with your Garnett-Gasol analysis. However, in my opinion, it is the Celtics bench that can win them this series. Everyone from Glen 'Big Baby' Davis to Nate Robinson have to deliver if the Celtics are serious about winning this series.


Karan Madhok: You make a good point about the Celts bench - during the regular season, they weren't much to count on, but they have definitely stepped up in the playoffs. When Nate Robinson and (gulp!) Rasheed Wallace are being productive, you KNOW the team's going to be hard to beat.

Lakers have fallen victim to their own complacency in the past, when they lost two games to the Thunder, and were one lucky-Ron-Artest-tip-in away from being down 3-2 to the Suns. The Celtics are a far more efficient team than those two, and what's more, they have improved as the playoffs have progressed. I feel the Celtics can mentally break the Lakers down.

For all the talent they have the Lakers are just not strong enough to keep on responding to Celtic attacks. Phil Jackson and Kobe maybe, but the rest of the team do not share the same consistent toughness.

When the dust settles, I say Celtics in 7!


Jonathan R: Are we really talking about complacency on the part of the Lakers when the Celtics are famed for giving up 25 point leads? They will need every ounce of will power to keep them going (no matter the lead) and that is something the Lakers understand.

Look for them to make the Celtics work. Work Hard.

Lakers in 7

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!

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