Attempting to win a third consecutive championship, the Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix remain the beast of the East.

The first-place Phoenix, thriving under rookie head coach Ryuji Kawai, could equal the title-winning exploits of the Osaka Evessa, who won the bj-league title in 2006, 2007, and 2008.

After his team swept the Chiba Jets last weekend, Hamamatsu forward Jeffrey Parmer, the league's 2010-11 regular season and playoff MVP, spoke to The Japan Times about the challenges of staying focused before the playoffs commence in May, while at the same time developing greater effectiveness with recent additions Lawrence Blackledge and Gyno Pomare.