The Japan Times will be featuring periodic interviews with individuals in the bj-league. The league's fifth season began in October. Head coach Bob Pierce of the Shiga Lakestars is the subject of this week's profile.

Looking ahead: The Lakestars, a second-year franchise, posted a 29-23 record during the regular season and qualified for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Shiga faces the host Osaka Evessa (34-18), the league champion in 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08, in the opening round of the playoffs this weekend in Kansai. The Western Conference champion Evessa won four of six regular-season contests against the Lakestars this season.

Before the playoffs begin, Pierce breaks down the series and offers his insights on the upcoming games, including his thoughts on Osaka's talented veteran mainstays Lynn Washington, Nile Murry, Ryan Blackwell and David Palmer, as well as Shiga players Gary Hamilton, Mikey Marshall, Masashi Joho, Chris Schlatter and Ray Schafer. . . . Hamilton led the bj-league in rebounds (14.3 per game).