For many basketball fanatics, the simple basketball charge advancement of the EWE Baskets Olenburg over the Telekom Baskets Bonn seemed like it would be a routine task and as typical as many think Lebron James and the Miami Heat will win back to back titles, seeing Diddy, Beyonce and Chris Brown in the tabloids daily or seeing the New York Yankees a top the MLB east standings, but instead Bonn made life very tough for the 2009 Beko BBL champion taking them to five games. Detroit native and 2004 Pistons draft pick Rickey Paulding already had a big scare in the 2009 finals almost not tasting his first professional title as Bonn was already feisty then with penetration sprinter EJ Rowland, Chris Williams clone Brandon Bowmann,  Ohio athletic wizard Patrick Flomo and shot block monster Ken Johnson giving away the title after blowing a three point lead with 43 seconds to play as Jason Gardner and Je kel Foster won the game with free throws 71-70. Paulding was the top scorer for Oldenburg with 20 points in the game five win in 2009 and in the 2013 game five quarterfinal clash had to watch Chris Kramer lead the team in scoring with 19 points, but Paulding surely remembered that 2009 game and didn´t want to make the game get any more exciting as Oldenburg was able to pull away in the second half and he finished with 12 points hitting some in your face three point clutch shots.  Bonn played their hearts out, but remain known for being unable to win big games or titles, while Paulding skips merrily to a semi final bout with ratiopharm Ulm.

The cities Munich and Ulm have very little in common in that Munich is a lot bigger, might  be the most known German city in the world and is just  more visited because of the famous October fest beer party while Ulm is  a lot smaller, has the beautiful  gothic minister and best player in the league with John Bryant. Ratiopharm Ulm and FC Bayern Munich have very little in common in basketball as well, except that both teams got to the semi finals as quickly as Bamberg guard Anton Gavel fires a shot to the basket. Both swept their opponents and not only Jared Homan and Tyrese Rice would look dapper in chimney sweeper attire, but imagine the sweeping duo of John Bryant and Per Guenther sweeping that chimney clean to perfection. If it is just sweeping out a chimney or actually getting behind the camera to make an advertisement on how to blow away an opponent without losing a game then it would be these two Ulmer players  that could probably convince the most people with their two abilities in the chimney or on the court as they both can be as dominating as a Lebron James and Dwayne Wade when they need to be. Both Ulm players remember the final sweep loss to the Brose Baskets Bamberg last season and decided to get some practice against the Artland Dragons. FC Bayern Munich most likely will need a horse shoe if they want to sweep Bamberg as that happening is as unlikely as a non German team winning the Champions league. However with Ulm very much rested and Oldenburg only having 72 hours rest before game one against the Schwaben  team, the chances of Ulm to sweep an Oldenburg team is a lot greater, but in reality it is most likely that it wont happen. Bryant and Guenther will just be happy to reach a second final in a row and if necessary keep their sweeping uniform in their closet.

The Ewe Baskets Oldenburg used their home court advantage to the fullest winning every game at home while the Telekom Baskets Bonn played them tough at home winning  88-80 and 88-82. In both losses in Bonn, Oldenburg shot very poorly and Jared Jordan was able to control the game while his team shot very well. Oldenburg had no problems winning game one and three at home while winning game three by 30 points. The thin bench at times left them hanging as more times than not it was Americans Jamel Mcclean and Kyle Weems that led the team on offense including a 34 point effort by Weems in game four. In game five, Bonn fought for 40 minutes and kept the game close in the first half 43-42. However in the second half, Oldenburg continued to be very consistent on offense as the Americans Chris Kramer, Adam Chubb, Julius Jenkins and Ronald Burrell hit timely shots while Bonn was more inconsistent on offense and had some costly turnovers. Bonn did cut the lead to three points with a minute to play and had Mcclean had more fortune on two shots inside then who knows if Oldenburg would have pulled out the win. Oldenburg showed the whole series that they could rely on many players on offense as they had four different top scorers in the five game series including unsung hero Robin Smuelders twice.

One could say that ratiopharm ulm had a cake walk in their series against the Artland Dragons. The Artland Dragons underachieved this season and were a major disappointment being swept by rtaiopharm Ulm. Ratiopharm Ulm won their two games easily at home by 35 points, but were challenged in Quackenbruck, but escaped the dragon dungeon winning 90-85. In both victories at home, ratiopharm Ulm dominated the boards and shot very well and had an amazing only five turnovers in game one.  Ulm usually has a very healthy knack of spreading around the basketball love as they had six players in double figures so if a John Bryant and Allan Ray combined for 48 points of the team 83 in game one, then no one was mad, but simply a showcase like that is always possible with their offensive weapons. In the game that was tight at Artland, the home team was able to cut it to four points in crunch time, but Ulm always had an answer and Per Guenther exploded for 35 points as nobody could stop him not even Toby the Dragon who´s fire was useless. All in all ratiopharm Ulm was a class to high for the Artland Dragons and they also had three different top scorers in all three games. Even when it seems like big John Bryant didn´t play much of a role, he still ended the three game series with 14,7ppg and 10,0rpg as he played very solid with the combination of his supporting cast also producing. Ratiopharm Ulm also cleaned up on defense allowing 75 points in the series never letting Artland really explode except in game two.

Ratiopharm Ulm swept the season series and were able to win on the road while the EWE Baskets Oldenburg have the home court advantage. In the first meeting in Ulm this season, Oldenburg was blown away 96-66 as the game was pretty much decided at halftime already after a 31 point first quarter explosion by ratiopharm Ulm. John Bryant was unstoppable tallying 26 points and ratiopharm Ulm dominated the boards 44-27 and shot 45% from the field and from the parking lot. Oldenburg never found a rhythm on offense and drained much energy needing to come back in the hostile environment in the Ulm arena. Ratiopharm Ulm completely shut down the playmaking of Dru Joyce and Chris Kramer. In the return game in Oldenburg, ratiopharm Ulm snuck away with a 95-91 shoot out win. The game was very tight in the fourth quarter as Oldenburg led four times, but California native Jon Bryant slammed the door shot in the last minute with four clutch free throws. Ratipharm ulm had a very good shooting day while Oldenburg rebounded better and only had nine turnovers. Ulm go into this series well rested with no game in more than a week while Oldenburg don´t have much time to recuperate after their game five win against Bonn and will be in very good game shape. These are two offensive forces going head to head where the defense most likely will take a back seat to the offense. Oldenburg will need to keep John Byrant in check and Adam Chubb will have to be at his best and improve on the 45-14 head to head points that Bryant led over him. Even if you can get a Bryant somewhat into foul trouble, then there is the second beast waiting in the wings with Omar Samhan. Controlling the boards will be vital and just defending their perimeter shooters as guys like Allan Ray, Philipp Schwethelm and Steven Esterkamp are always dangerous and even a Keaton Nankivil  can hit big shots not too mention the much improved parking lot shooting of Per Guenther who shot 48% during the season. Oldenburg can´t lose game one at home or it could be a short series and find a rhythm early on offense. Ratiopharm Ulm enter the series as the favorite and have come into the playoffs reaching their peak having won 12 of their last 13 games. Their offense just continues to rock and seldom falters as they just score, score and score having connected for less than 80 points only three times in the last 13 games. If ratiopharm Ulm can control the boards, play their game, limit Joyce and Kramer then they will win this series. Mr Oldenburg Rickey Paulding is one of the hardest competitors in the league and he deserves a second title as much as John Bryant a first, but ratiopharm Ulm is simply the better team, have a deeper bench and have John Bryant. Ratiopharm ulm will win the series in four games and just be too much for the EWE Baskets Oldenburg.

 

 

 

 

Richie Williams is a 25 year old 178cm guard that played for SC Rasta Vechta this season and is sitting in the Pro A finals against the Duesseldorf Baskets. He is a very fast guard that can play either one or two. Great at pushing the break. Can score by shooting the three or using his explosiveness to beat his man. Gets to the basket and scores in traffic. A specialist in steals that uses his quickness to intimidate on defense. Great ball control. Gets the whole team involved when playing the point but can takeover a game at any time. He started his basketball career at  San Diego St. (NCAA) in 2005 where he played until 2009. In his senior year he played  36 games: 7.2ppg, 4.3rpg, 3.5apg, 2.1spg, FGP: 40.9%, 3Pts: 37.5%, FT: 64.2%. In 2009-2010, he started his professional basketball career for The San Diego Surf (ABA), in Jan.’10 moved to FSU Selfoss (Iceland-Express League, starting five): 8 games: 27.5ppg, 8.1rpg, 3.4apg, 2.8spg, FGP: 51.6%, 3PT: 46.2%, FT: 72.7%. Last season he played for  UBC Hannover Tigers (Germany-ProB, starting five): 33 games: 18.3ppg, 5.1rpg, Assists-4(5.7apg), Steals-2(3.2spg), FGP: 48.1%, 3PT: 36.1%, FT: 75.8%. He spoke to German Hoops after beating Duesseldorf and winning the Pro A title.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congrats on winning the 2013 Pro A title. How proud are you of the team that they pulled it out despite not having you in the lineup?

 

 

 

Very proud and I expected it. They’ve done it before against Gottingen at home and in Karlsruhe in the second half of the season. It was never a one man show this season

 

How tough was it not playing. When did you find out that you wouldn´t play and why didn´t you play?

 

 

 

It’s the worst feeling ever. We put our blood, sweat and tears into what we do to play for moments like this and to not be apart it sucks.

 

Remembering winning this Pro A title will not be difficult, but what about the scores of the two final games were 84-78. Do you think anyone will ever remember these identical scores in 10 years or will that Pro A title always stick in the minds?

 

 

 

 No way, being crowned champion means a lot more than the exact score of the game.

 

 

 

Was the quick start where SC Rasta Vechta led 30-16 the stepping stone of getting the 84-78 win?

 

 

 

Definitely. Dusseldorf rallied back in the second half but in the whole they created was too much for them to rebound from.

 

What was key in getting the two wins in the Duesseldorf Baskets series?

 

 

 

 I would say “I believe you”. Being champions is a goal that every team strives to achieve. The actual belief, confidence, hard work and togetherness is what separates teams from others in making that dream happen.

 

How vital was the work of head coach Pat Elze? What was his strongest suit in leading the team to the Beko BBL?

 

 

 

 He’s a players coach. He never lost confidence in us even when we started the season 0-3. Trust and confidence in your players goes a long way when coaching a team and he exemplified that all season long

 

SC Rasta Vechta will play in the Beko BBL. Hpw good are the odds that you will be playing against the Artland Dragons this coming season with SC Rasta Vechta?

 

 

 

 I believe that we have a good chance. By no means am I saying we’re better than the Artland Dragons but we can definitely compete and give them a run for their money

 

How did your game develop in your second season as a professional? Do you think you can make the next step to the Beko BBL and be a force in the best basketball league in Germany?

 

 

 

 I pride myself in working the hardest and winning. I’ve never been the strongest, best shooter, highest jumper but I feel I have great leadership skills, a fighting spirit and I will my teams to win. The BBL is for sure a different level of competition but I know I will be ready to make noise in the league next year. Being ready is never an issue

 

Who was the unsung hero of SC Rasta Vechta this season?

 

 

 

The Unsung hero for me is Jacob Doerkson. Dude is a work horse and by far the craftiest player I’ve played. He posts hard, always aware of where he is on the court and he just makes things happen. The things he does you wont see on the stat sheet

 

What will be the first thing that you will do when you touchdown in the States?

 

 

 

I will land in San Diego and head straight to the Taco shop to get a Carne Asada Burrito!

 

Which two NBA teams will reach the final and will the Miami Heat win again?

 

I think the Spurs will meet Miami in the finals but Miami will win it again

 

 

 

After you watch any given sunday, were you positive that SC Rasta Vechta would win the Pro A title?

 

 

 

Any Given Sunday gets me super hyped! Al Pacino gives one of the greatest pre-game speeches ever. After that I truly believed great things would happen

 

 

 

Thanks Richie for the chat.

 

 

 

Kelly Beidler is a 24 year old 199cm forward from Virginia Beach, Virginia that will played his third professional season and first in Germany in the Beko BBL for the Mitteldeutscher BC playing 34 games averaging 9,3ppg, 4,8rpg and 1,6apg. He played at Mt.St.Mary’s (NCAA) from 2006-2010 playing a total of 119 NCAA games. In his senior year, he played 31 games: 10.7ppg, 7.1rpg, 1.5apg, 1.7spg, 1.4bpg, FGP: 41.8%, 3PT: 35.6%, FT: 74.1% . In 2010-2011, he was a rookie playing for : IR Reykjavik (Iceland-Express League, starting five): 24 games: Score-4(21.7ppg), Reb-2(12.4rpg), 3.8apg, Steals-5(2.5spg), Blocks-3(2.0bpg), FGP: 54.1%, 3PT: 34.4%, FT: 72.9%. In 2011-2012, he played for Karhu Kauhajoki (Finland-Korisliiga, starting five): 44 games: Score-4(19.2ppg), Reb-5(9.8rpg), 1.4apg, Steals-1(2.3spg), Blocks-1(1.9bpg), FGP: 57.1%, 3PT: 37.2%, FT: 70.8%. He spoke to German Hoops about the 2013 Beko BBL quarterfinal games.

You played your first season for MBC in Germany. How did you like the experience and what was your fondest memory on and off the court this season?

The experience of playing ball here in Germany has been memorable. To play in a country where the league is respected and to have basketball fans throughout all of Germany makes playing here special. I think the best memory is the excitement and appreciation of our fans when it was announced that we kept MBC in the BBL for the following season

MBC finished in 16th place. How would you summarize the season. Was this finish respectable from a team that had moved up from the second division?

This has definitely been an up and down season and one of the toughest ones to deal with as a competitor. To experience the challenge of being on a team that no one really had expectations for was a challenge in itself. We finished 16th which is good enough to stay in the league but we expected better for ourselves. Sitting in 11th place with 2 weeks left definitely was a better feeling then finishing in 16th place.

You averaged 9,3ppg, 4,8rpg and 1,6apg in the Beko BBL. How happy were you with your season and will you return to Germany?

My personal stats are a little under what I expected of myself for this season but still I can build off of this for the following year. I’d like to think my team and other teams in the league recognized that I have a passion for the game and I bring it to the court every chance I get. A player who plays hard for himself as well as his teammates and the ball club. My plans are to continue playing and Germany would be a country I’d be happy to keep playing in.

The 2013 quarterfinal Beko BBL playoffs look to have some nice matchups. The most interesting is Alba Berlin-FC Bayern Munich. What kind of series can we await, will it go five games and what will be key for each team winning?

I saw the matchup between Alba and Munich and it’s disappointing they have to meet in the first round. I think the series will go 5 games, both having well respected coaches who know the game and will prepare their team accordingly and the players who execute the game plan better than most players in the BBL. The battle between Wood and Rice will be very interesting and whoever can make more plays for the team, that team I think will win.

The Brose Baskets Bamberg have a real tough opening round with Phoenix Hagen. I see this as being a sweep by Bamberg if they are on or going five games. What kind of series can we await and what will be key for each team moving on?

I have Bamberg winning this series easily just because of the experience and discipline alone. Veteran team with great playmakers is a hard team to beat. Hagen also a respectable team that can shoot the ball and the lights out but against a team such as Bamberg, there’s more to it than just scoring

Bonn plays Oldenburg a rematch of the 2009 Beko BBL final where Oldenburg won the title. What kind of series can we await and what will be key for each team advancing?

This could be a good series if Bonn shows up to play because I know Oldenburg will without a doubt. I have Oldenburg winning this series in 4 or 5 games depending on how Bonn plays like I said. I think if Oldenburg plays their fast pace style of play, they should come out on top in this series.

The Artland Dragons have to tangle with ratiopharm Ulm. This is also one of those series that can end quick for Ulm or possibly go five games. What kind of series can we await and what will be key for each team getting to the next round?

Between Ulm and Artland is easy to decide. It all falls on to John Bryant’s shoulders. If he can be efficient offensively and defensively then they should win this series along with the help of his teammates of course. If Artland finds a way to slow Bryant down then they will win this battle with the weapons they bring to the court

NBA player Jason Collins came out saying he is gay. Do you see more professional athletes to follow his lead in the future?

I think with Jason Collin’s coming out and being honest about his sexuality definitely opens the door for other athletes to do the same especially with male athletes. It’s a step in the right direction for society I believe. An eye opener to show that Professional athletes and superstars are human just as everyone else and they face the same life challenges as we do in our everyday lives. I commend Jason Collins for being the first one to take that step

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

The Iran job. Which was a good movie and I recommend it to other athletes that are playing a professional sport in a country other than their own

Thanks Kelly for the chat.

As the Boston Celtics were down 3-0 to neighbors the New York Knicks, being a Boston Celtics fan was about as tough as if Derek Jeter awakened a hard core Red Sox fan with a self made cooked breakfast on a Sunday morning wearing the Yankees uniform. Fans had been wondering will one ever see Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo ever play again as the futures of the trio was as unknown as that of ratiopharm Ulm player John Bryant. The rise of ratiopharm Ulm has gone steadily not too fast after the club reached the Beko BBL cup and playoff final last year, moving into a new arena this season and having another stellar regular season and strong Eurocup season, but the 2013 Beko BBL playoffs could be the last time that John Bryant could help Ulm win a title. Bryant has won the Beko BBL MVP two seasons in a row being the best center in the league giving the word double double a new meaning and without big John, ratiopharm Ulm would not have reached two finals. Also in Quackenbruck, the Artland Dragons seem to be at a kind of cross roads. They are now in their third season with Stefan Koch, but despite reaching three playoffs in a row, it seems like the team has been a bit underachieving especially with the strength of their rosters. The last time, the Dragons won a title was the 2008 Beko BBL cup in Hamburg. Fans are thirsty for a title and the dungeon of Toby the Dragon and the fire inside seems to be getting a tad weaker. The expectations are high despite the average season by the Artland Dragons and this could be that last chance before another rebuilding and possible total restructuring of the roster could happen as it seems to be more the case now a days with professional basketball teams. Recently the 2000 cup winning head coach of the Opel Skyliners announced he wont return to Quackenbruck.

Ratiopharm Ulm had another very strong season not as potent as last season where they finished in second place with a record of 27-7, but this season in third place with a record of 24-10. One cant forget that this season every team was gunning for the Swaben team and that surprise effect like last season wasn´t present, plus they had the strain of the Eurocup season. Despite all this, the club was able to play like a top team and the players from last season and head coach Thorsten Leibanath were able to develop further in their functions and as a team as the chemistry stayed intact from last season coupled with the integration of the new players.  The club strung together a six, five and four game winning streaks. Their biggest wins of the season were sweeps of Alba Berlin, EWE Baskets Oldenburg and the Artland Dragons. Who could forget the buzzer beater of Keaton Nankivil last season against FC Bayern Munich and this season they beat Germanys most famous team again at home. Ratiopharm Ulm also have a strong offense as they averaged 84 points per game and scored 80 points or more 24 times. Defense isn´t their strong suit as they were only able to give up 70 or less points nine times. They kept Bayreuth, Trier and MBC under 50 points and even combined the perfect offense/defense combination beating Giessen 100-46, but then again that is no feat. Giessen surprised them in the Osthalle giving them a hard fought loss, defining the meaning that anything is possible in the Beko BBL.Their strength is their scoring power and depth on offense. With John Bryant and Per Guenther they have a powerful duo with the young German always creating points with his penetration or pick and roll play and the American just makes men look like boys in the paint. With Allan Ray, Steve Esterkamp and Daniel Theis, they have very formidable scorers. They also have unlimited potential from the bench with Philipp Schwethelm, Keaton Nankivil, Lance Jeter and Sebastian Betz. Even when Dane Watts went down for the season with an injury, nobody panicked and the late season pick up of Omar Samhan has added stability to the paint. The late addition of Pro B monster Myles Hesson has been a pleasant surprise as he has given strong minutes. For some a weakness is that the club is too dependent on Bryant, but if you look at the team, there is enough firepower and even if you take away the 10 rebounds per game by Bryant, then the team still has 29 which is what many lower ranked teams average. No matter how the game goes, one is never totally able to take Bryant out of his rhythm. Their defense is also suspect which could be a liability when Artland has good shooting nights and Ulm is not on as much on offense.

The last two seasons the Artland Dragons have been my sleeper team, but each season the y have underachieved. At the start of the season, I had them as one of the deepest teams in the league, but seven months later, they ended the season only in sixth place with a record of 20-14 and remained a riddle why such a talented team couldn´t perform better. There were some reasons in that Demond Mallet was injured to start the season and they never had a classic point guard and the big problem of the season was the power forward position as guys came and went like fleas do after having dinner on Beethoven the dog as ex NBA players Ryan Gomes and Dennis Horner as well Andrew Drevo left. Kristaps Valters also played for  a few months before having to pack his bags. All in all the club has been searching for a team chemistry and identity all season long, but have always had disturbances of players departing and coming. The team still is a very strong offensive team averaging 77 points per game, but could never go for a very long time with consecutive wins as they had a quick four game winning streak in the first month and after that four three game winning streaks. They actually did have some success against top teams as they beat Alba Berlin and even swept the Brose Baskets Bamberg including being only the third Beko BBL team to do in Bamberg since June 2010 which is definitely something to tell your grand kids. Dragons head coach Stefan Koch has a very strong 11 man rotation and even has started with German Acha Njei, a guy who was usually a garbage time player his whole career. With Branislav Rathkovica, who came recently, they have a classic point guard and with the guard trio of Bryce Taylor, Demond Mallet and Marquez Haynes possibly the best in the Beko BBL. The heart and soul of the team is German Johannes Strasser who is the ultimate team player. The center duo of Anthony King and Petar Popovic is solid and King belongs to the most underrated big men in the league. With Brad Buckman, the team has the perfect power forward who has stepped it up in the last weeks and will need to continue to get touches and shots. Their weakness is that they are still looking for their 100% team chemistry, but that may have been found as they ended the regular season with a three game winning streak beating Bamberg and the red hot Phoenix Hagen.

Ratiopharm Ulm swept the season series as Artland lost 80-69 at home after leading at halftime, but losing control in the second half and then being embarrassed in Ulm 88-60 as the game was already decided at halftime and Artland only mustered eight points in the fourth quarter. In the loss in Ulm, Artland was clobbered on the boards.  The duel of the game could be John Bryant-Anthony King. Bryant had Artland for dinner in both games as he scored combined 34 points and 27 rebounds. Artland has to find a way to somehow keep Bryant out of his comfort zone with aggressive post defense and denying him the ball, but that is easier said than done.  Both teams have very strong offensive teams and this could be a high scoring series and in the end it will be the team that decides to defend more consistently that will win. Artland needs to change the tempo of the game as well and get out running and try to get Bryant in foul trouble. German Daniel Theis who has been rumoured to have entered the 2013 NBA draft has developed well and even he could have big games if a Bryant has to sit down, not to forget the Egyptian tank Omar Samhan. The Artland Dragons also need a potent Branislav Rathkovica or this could be a short series. All in all ratiopharm is stronger  on offense, deeper and has John Bryant. They will be too much for the Artland Dragons and win the series 3-1.

If one had to choose one Beko BBL player that could challenge ex NBA player and sunny boy Casey Jacobsen´s professionalism and his identity rate to his team Brose Baskets Bamberg, then it wouldn´t take long to come up with EWE Baskets Oldenburg American Rickey Paulding. The Detroit native like Jacobson has lesser ties to the NBA than the California native in that he never played, but was drafted by his hometown Detroit Pistons. However Paulding is the kind of guy that can smile with the best of them when one mentions his good friend Jimmy Mckinney after  a game, but also unleash that focused and straight ahead look similar to the way one can observe on a Jacobson on the court. Recently Oldenburg played their last regular season game in Giessen as it was more of a Sunday stroll than any player needing to sweat hard as they easily dismantled them 90-59 and after the game, Paulding as usual was prepared to answer any questions and did like a professional. He and his team after the win were exerting a careful confident, but not arrogant type of body language with their task the Eurochallenge Final 4 in Izmir. Nobody wanted to admit it really, but in a way they were favorites and why shouldn´t they have been after they went undefeated in the regular season of the competition. It was so much more of a shock when they lost in the semi final to Krasiyaka 66-62. Oldenburg wanted so badly to win their second team title in their history, but the blow of not winning another hardware must have been as disappointing as it is for a Chevy car fan finding out that the car plant in Detroit only has Ford cars. Even if Oldenburg got third place beating French team Gravelines, there is no justice in that, but at least they still have the Beko BBL playoffs now.

So now the main focus for Oldenburg lies in the playoffs. The team led by 1995 Korac cup winner Sebastian Machowski as head coach came into the season as one of those teams that would be near the top and might be able to annoy some of the top teams. They didn´t disappoint anyone by finishing the regular season in second place and reaching the Eurochallenge final 4. During the season, they whipped up winning streaks of six, five, four and three games. They were able to sweep FC Bayern Munich, Alba Berlin, Artland Dragons and the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg. Oldenburg is a team that can put points on the board averaging 78 this season. They may have the best starting five in the league. Machowski did a good job this season making their defense stronger as the team gave up under 70 points 17 times, finally brought in a classic point guard with Dru Joyce and lets his players use as many options as possible within the individual qualities that each player possesses. Machowski really has a very versatile lineup with Joyce/Kramer at the pg position, maybe the best  shooting guard/small forward tandem in the Beko BBL with Julius Jenkins and Rickey Paulding, a good inside presence with experienced ex ACB American Adam Chubb and inside out player Ronny Burrell who showed Frankfurt why you can´t leave him open from the parking lot. The bench is also has stability, but not depth with ex Skyliners Konrad Wysocki and Dominik Bahiense De mello. Robin Smuelders was a big surprise and should could have won most improved player. Their biggest weakness could be the possibility of underachieving, because everything is possible with this team and also consistency on defense as they haven´t been as strong as in the first half of the season.

Who could forget the end to last season as the Telekom Baskets Bonn won a do or die game against Frankfurt on the last game day and then shocked Bamberg on the road in game one with an upset as Tony Gaffney and Andrej Mangold danced on the court celebrating just the second win in Bamberg in two years for any Beko BBL team. Even though Bonn had to fight to get into the playoffs, this season was a bit less unspectacular than last season, but they did beat FC Bayern Munich in OT, the second win in a row at home. Possibly the biggest headline this season wasn´t the play of Bonn, but the departure of Marquis Blakely. How much the departure of sniper Robert Vaden will effect the team now in the playoffs will be interesting to see. The season was pretty much up and down. Except for a five game winning streak in January/February and  a three game winning streak recently, the team didn´t have much to cheer about. Their two biggest highlights was sweeping ratiopaharm Ulm and beating Bamberg at home. Bonn is definitely a team with scorers, but that they would average 81 points per game as a team most certainly must have surprised some people. They scored over 80 points 17 times including 100 points or more five times and even out slugged Phoenix Hagen 103-101 which isn´t easy to do beating them at their game.  Their biggest strength and weapon is Jared Jordan. The team goes and sputters depending how he plays. It doesn´t matter if he is held scoreless in Trier, he still effected the game with 17 assists or if he needs to be a scorer against MBC with 21 points or does it combined scoring and playmaking against FC Bayern Munich with 19 points and 13 assists, Bonn wins.   However when he is shut down as he was in Frankfurt with two assists in 30 minutes, then Bonn is more prone to losing. Just the presence of dinosaur Chris Ensminger on the court or bench is  a plus even if his minutes were strongly reduced. Bonn has a strong offense that has deadly scorers like Benas Veikalis and Kyle Weems. The addition of American Jamel Mclean has been a huge spark as he needed little integration and has been very solid finishing very well near the rim. David Mccray and Andrej Mangold are aggressive defenders that make the game faster and make their transition game more effective. The biggest weakness was the departure of Robert Vaden who puts a dent into their scoring and their thin bench. German Jonas Wolfarth-Bottermann has made big strides, but the development of Fabian Thülig has stalled a bit with less minutes. Both will be needed to supply power in this series.

This will be an interesting series as you have the potent Oldenburg team against a weakened, but annoying Bonn team who will want to leave a lasting impression on this season. Oldenburg is the favorite in this series not only having the home court advantage, but because they have more talent and the deeper bench.  The duel of the game could be Kyle Weems vs Ronny Burrell. Weems will have to have a very good series, while Burrell who has the stronger supporting cast won´t have as much pressure to perform, but if he plays solid will be a thorn in the side of the Bonn defense. If Oldenburg can keep Jared Jordan from wheeling and dealing and making a mess in the Oldenburg defense then they will have good chances of easily winning this series. One can´t forget that the teams split the season series. Bonn showed how effective they can be when they defend beating Oldenburg 90-57 and keeping Lebron James friend Dru Joyce scoreless and paralyzed forcing him to six turnovers and keeping them to 32% from the field and 17% from outside and dominating the boards. Rebound work will also be key for Bonn in this series. In the return game, Bonn lost 84-74 in Oldenburg where they had a very bad shooting day. Bonn will have to defend with heart to make any kind of progress in this series. They will have to find a way to contain the Oldenburg inside game as well as their dangerous perimeter shooters. Oldenburg should be able to win this series 3-1.

The biggest news story in the German city of Hagen now is the success of basketball team Phoenix Hagen and them reaching their first playoffs in their short history. There have been quite a few surprises this season in the German basketball world like Tim Ohlbrecht reaching the NBA,  the immense quick rise of German Dennis Schroeder who might be sooner in the NBA than Davin White can sneak penetrate to the hoop or the rapid development of TBB Trier German center Andreas Seifert, but most likely the biggest surprise this season and biggest story is the consistent season of Phoenix Hagen and actually having the opportunity of playing in May. Three seasons ago, they were the laughing stock of the Beko BBL as not even a Michael hakim Jordan locker room tirade in Frankfurt could steer the club in the right direction. However no one is laughing at Phoenix Hagen anymore as the team has arrived in the Beko BBL playoffs and no one is prouder than the long thunderbird Bernd Kruel who is playing his 16^th season in Hagen.

Even if a certain basketball philosophy doesn´t work right away, one could take a shooters slump and just keep shooting and try try try again. The basketball style of Ingo Freyer and his club since reaching the Beko BBL in 2009 has been run and gun and just score more than their opponent. Phoenix Hagen has had massive shoot outs the last three seasons losing the most, but this season their incredible knack of scoring rose even more, but they also decided to play defense something which had been irrelevant in the past.  Larry Gordon has stressed all season long that we focus more on defense than our offense everyday. We know defense is what Wins. Phoenix Hagen reached the playoffs as the last team, but from all the teams that were fighting for that last spot, they definitely deserved it the most. They averaged a mind boggling 86 points per game and scored 80 points or more 21 times. They beat all the top teams in the Beko BBL, including Bamberg, Berlin and Oldenburg all in a row at home. There were times that they defended in a first class way keeping Oldenburg to 67 points and holding the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg to an average 67 points in the two games. Besides being a scoring machine and on certain nights being able to shoot out the lights of any team, they are also a very strong rebounding team despite being a smaller type of shooting team. Larry Gordon is one of the most underrated rebounders in the Beko BBL. He gives the word effort a new definition when hauling down rebounds. Another strength of the club is that their starting five of Davin White, David Bell, Larry Gordon, Adam Hess and Dino Gregory never missed a game playing all 34 games. Another strength is how the self confidence of the team has risen game by game. Knowing that they beat Bamberg at home will motivate them, but stealing a game in Bamberg is easier said than done and is like telling Anton Gavel to never defend again which is unlikely. Weaknesses of Phoenix Hagen is their bench. Their starters make 62 of the team 86 points, so the club is very dependent on their starting five something the Nordlingen Giants also were in the 2008-2009 season in the Beko BBL. The club have solid back ups with Mark Dorris, Abe Lodwick and Ole Wendt, but that’s about it. One can´t forget Bernd Kruel who is the Chris Ensminger of Hagen who is 36 and keeps coming back each season and can still bang with the best of them.

For the Brose Baskets Bamberg, it was another typical Beko BBL regular season as they finished in first place with a record of 25-8, but it was the most loses that they had since their first Beko BBL title in their three peat 2009-2010 as they lost 12 games. In the last two seasons 2010-2012 they only lost six games. With their nine game losing streak in March with Beko BBL/Euroleague games, it was obvious that Bamberg wasn´t that invincible team that they once were. One can´t forget that they also had much misfortune in the Euroleague losing many games by fewer than five points. Despite having winning streaks of eight and 11 games and winning 19 of 20 games in the Beko BBL, the Euroleague travel did have a strain on them as they lost three games in a row to weaker competition like Phoenix Hagen and the Fraport Skyliners. Injuries to guys like John Goldsberry, Matt Walsh, Maik Zirbes and Andrew Ogily disrupted the building of the team chemistry as well as the coming and going of players like Teddy Gipson. Jeremiah Massey also was unable to live up to the expectations of manager Wolfgang Heyder and had to go.  Despite all the drama this season, the Brose Baskets Bamberg are still the team to beat. They have the second best offense and have a strong core of scorers with Casey Jacobsen, Bostjan Nachbar, Anton Gavel, Sharod Ford, and Matt Walsh and belong to the best on defense giving up an average of 73,0ppg. They continue to play with a lot of discipline and like FC Bayern Munich like that quick offense where their amazing quick ball movement gets good shots fast. They also have the ability to find the mismatches and use them. They continue to play with the heart of a lion led by ex NBA player Casey Jacobson who still is the most professional player in the league. The key duel of the series could be Anton Gavel against Davin White who led the Beko BBL in scoring. Both players are their teams MVP. If White is shut down which is seldom, then Phoenix Hagen may still win, but in a five series against Phoenix Hagen, they will need the production of White. White has led the team all season long and he sparks his teammates. Gavel does everything for Bamberg and even if he seems to have been burned out a bit in the last months, Bamberg needs their spark plug to be on each night. The two teams split the season series 1-1 as Phoenix Hagen played their typical run and gun and forced the five time champion Bamberg to their style of having shoot outs. Bamberg will have to defend a lot better especially the three as Phoenix Hagen shot 20/45 in the two games.  If Phoenix Hagen wants to have any chance then they will have to defend and find a way to get around the Bamberg keen ability of using the mismatches. Bamberg should play pick and roll and just push the ball inside more, because despite Hagen having strong defender Dino Gregory, he can´t cover the whole paint. Bamberg has had a long season and are used to the grind and just have so much more experience then does a Phoenix Hagen. This is a series where anything can happen. I could see Bamberg sweeping, but also going to five games , but in the end Chris Fleming will display a smile because Bamberg will win this series, but Phoenix Hagen will not make life easy for Bamberg and this is the perfect opponent for Bamberg to get warmed up for the winner of the Berlin-Munich series. Phoenix Hagen will fight until they fall over, but Bamberg will just be too strong and too experienced and clip the wings of the Phoenix Hagen thunderbird even if it will take a fight.