NBA All Stars selected: Who Cares? (Or, Another Pointless Popularity Contest)
Last week, I railed about the NHL All Star Game voting and how slanted it seemed to be. With it being that time of year for both the NHL, and the NBA, it was just a matter of time for the voting to come out for the NBA's Midseason Classic. Once again, popularity reigned supreme, as fans picked the starting lineups, and left the reserves to the coaches.
Unlike the Pro Bowl, which has roughly 37 billion people in it, or even the NHL All Star Game, which features close to two dozen players per side when all is said and done, the NBA has only twelve per conference. Inevitably, that means people get the shaft, and players who aren't truly All Stars get picked to fill a spot.
So when the starting lineups were announced this past week, I took some time to mull them over, test the waters so to speak. To be honest, I've seen a worse fan collection than what was selected to start in the Valley of the Sun in mid February. However, one glaring thing that bothers me:
Allen Iverson is NOT an All Star this season. He was dealt by the Nuggets to the Pistons in a deal that sent Chauncey Billups back to Denver. The Nuggets have thrived since the deal. The Pistons? They've lost seven of 10, including last night to the restreaking Celtics, and are just five games above .500, eleven games behind the Cavaliers. Their point differential is nil. As in, zero, zip, zilch, squat, bupkus, nothing, flat.
Iverson is averaging a career low 17.7 points a game, which is a staggering 9.5 points below his career mark of 27.2 a game. His assists number is down two a game from last season, and his field goal percentage has dropped nearly four points to 41.9 percent since coming to Detroit from last season. These are NOT All Star numbers.
The other issue in the East is the selection of Chris Bosh of the Raptors. Not because he is undeserving, but because of the fact that he has been slotted as the reserve center. Bosh is NOT a center, he is a power forward. Just because the Eastern Conference is not laced with talented big men, does not mean that the rules should be altered to accommodate adding another player. You don't see a goaltender picked to play forward in the NHL, nor do you see Peyton Manning picked to play defensive back in the Pro Bowl. Why do this now?
In the West, the biggest problem is not with a starter, but a reserve: David West of New Orleans. Sure, he averages 19.8 ppg and over 7 rebounds, but he just missed five games with back spasms and tends to fade late in games. He returned last night, against a less than top flight front line of the Golden State Warriors. The other big issue is with Shaquille O'Neal. O'Neal is hardly a dominant force in the middle at 36, averaging 18.1 points and 9 boards a game. If it came down to someone to represent a weight loss supplement, then I might vote for Shaq, but not for basketball talent now. Mehmet Okur of the Jazz has similar numbers (17.3 ppg, 8.4 rpg,.plus the ability to stretch the defense), yet was snubbed in favor of the hometown big man.
Danny Granger of the Pacers? A nice player, but rather one dimensional. A scorer, a shooter, but not much of a producer for other players. His shooting percentage is rough as well, at 43.9 percent. Jameer Nelson of the Magic? A nice player again, but one who is successful based on the talent (Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis around can help anyone look good.) There are others who are better selections for the spots, but these two are ones that stick out for me as reserves.
So, once again, a popularity contest and placating the home fans takes precedent over actually putting together the best players to form a TEAM. Not the best offensive players, guys who treat defense as the red headed stepchild of the game. This is supposed to be a showcase, not a dunk fest. Maybe one day David Stern and company will get it right.
Until that day, the All Star Game will continue to be nothing more than a pointless exhibition that caters to a small slice of the league and its fans. At that return on investment, I'll find something else to watch that day.
Unlike the Pro Bowl, which has roughly 37 billion people in it, or even the NHL All Star Game, which features close to two dozen players per side when all is said and done, the NBA has only twelve per conference. Inevitably, that means people get the shaft, and players who aren't truly All Stars get picked to fill a spot.
So when the starting lineups were announced this past week, I took some time to mull them over, test the waters so to speak. To be honest, I've seen a worse fan collection than what was selected to start in the Valley of the Sun in mid February. However, one glaring thing that bothers me:
Allen Iverson is NOT an All Star this season. He was dealt by the Nuggets to the Pistons in a deal that sent Chauncey Billups back to Denver. The Nuggets have thrived since the deal. The Pistons? They've lost seven of 10, including last night to the restreaking Celtics, and are just five games above .500, eleven games behind the Cavaliers. Their point differential is nil. As in, zero, zip, zilch, squat, bupkus, nothing, flat.
Iverson is averaging a career low 17.7 points a game, which is a staggering 9.5 points below his career mark of 27.2 a game. His assists number is down two a game from last season, and his field goal percentage has dropped nearly four points to 41.9 percent since coming to Detroit from last season. These are NOT All Star numbers.
The other issue in the East is the selection of Chris Bosh of the Raptors. Not because he is undeserving, but because of the fact that he has been slotted as the reserve center. Bosh is NOT a center, he is a power forward. Just because the Eastern Conference is not laced with talented big men, does not mean that the rules should be altered to accommodate adding another player. You don't see a goaltender picked to play forward in the NHL, nor do you see Peyton Manning picked to play defensive back in the Pro Bowl. Why do this now?
In the West, the biggest problem is not with a starter, but a reserve: David West of New Orleans. Sure, he averages 19.8 ppg and over 7 rebounds, but he just missed five games with back spasms and tends to fade late in games. He returned last night, against a less than top flight front line of the Golden State Warriors. The other big issue is with Shaquille O'Neal. O'Neal is hardly a dominant force in the middle at 36, averaging 18.1 points and 9 boards a game. If it came down to someone to represent a weight loss supplement, then I might vote for Shaq, but not for basketball talent now. Mehmet Okur of the Jazz has similar numbers (17.3 ppg, 8.4 rpg,.plus the ability to stretch the defense), yet was snubbed in favor of the hometown big man.
Danny Granger of the Pacers? A nice player, but rather one dimensional. A scorer, a shooter, but not much of a producer for other players. His shooting percentage is rough as well, at 43.9 percent. Jameer Nelson of the Magic? A nice player again, but one who is successful based on the talent (Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis around can help anyone look good.) There are others who are better selections for the spots, but these two are ones that stick out for me as reserves.
So, once again, a popularity contest and placating the home fans takes precedent over actually putting together the best players to form a TEAM. Not the best offensive players, guys who treat defense as the red headed stepchild of the game. This is supposed to be a showcase, not a dunk fest. Maybe one day David Stern and company will get it right.
Until that day, the All Star Game will continue to be nothing more than a pointless exhibition that caters to a small slice of the league and its fans. At that return on investment, I'll find something else to watch that day.
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