Hey now, you're an All-Star
Yesterday I went to NBA.com to cast my All-Star votes. You get to vote for 2 Guards, 2 Forwards and a Centre for each conference. The ballot lists 120 players - 60 each from the Eastern and Western conferences - with 24 guards, 24 forwards, and 12 centers from each conference comprising the list. The 120 players on the ballot were selected by a panel of media who regularly cover the NBA.
My guard selections were Kobe Bryant (LA Lakers) and Deron Williams (Utah Jazz) in the West, Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls) and Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat) in the East. My forward selections were Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets) and Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks) in the West, LeBron James (Miami Heat) and Amare Stoudemire (New York Knicks) in the East. Centres were Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic) in the East, Nene (Denver Nuggets) in the West.
I really struggled to find a Centre to vote for in the West. Why is it that NBA.com lists Pau Gasol as a Centre (and the most efficient Centre at that), yet he's on the All-Star ballot as a Forward? So I have him competing with Dirk, Carmelo, the Kevins (Love and Durant), Blake Griffin and Z-Bo for an All-Star spot, while I'm forced to select Nene as my starting Centre. Either that or a few guys who haven't played much (Yao, Okur, Bynum). 23.7% free throw shooter Brendan Haywood is on the ballot? 5 point and 4 rebound averaging Robin Lopez? It’s just terrible. I can’t believe the panel couldn’t come up with 12 decent guys in the West. Tim Duncan should be down as a Centre. Pau should be a Centre. David Lee should probably be a Centre. Al Jefferson should probably be a Centre.
Just for comparison, Gasol averages 20 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks a game, while shooting 52% from the field and 80% at the free throw line (Efficiency = 28). Nene’s stats are 15, 7, 2, 1, 63% and 80% (efficiency = 20.4). So aside for a better field goal percentage, Gasol has it all over him.
As it is, the results of the initial voting have come out and Gasol is the second best vote getter in Western Forwards (390,808 votes). Meanwhile Yao Ming leads the West Centre voting with 430,984 votes, more than twice as many votes as the next vote getter (Andrew Bynum, LA Lakers). It’s worth pointing out that Yao has a) only played 5 games this season (due to injury), and b) averaged 10 points and 5 rebounds in those games. Bynum has played 2 games, averaging 5 points and 5 rebounds. We're about 25 games into the season in case anyone was wondering.
It’s a travesty. Not that the voters have expressed themselves as they have (big voting blocks in China and LA), but that the ballot hasn't included the right people at the right positions.
And don't get me started on Paul Milsap.
My guard selections were Kobe Bryant (LA Lakers) and Deron Williams (Utah Jazz) in the West, Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls) and Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat) in the East. My forward selections were Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets) and Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks) in the West, LeBron James (Miami Heat) and Amare Stoudemire (New York Knicks) in the East. Centres were Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic) in the East, Nene (Denver Nuggets) in the West.
I really struggled to find a Centre to vote for in the West. Why is it that NBA.com lists Pau Gasol as a Centre (and the most efficient Centre at that), yet he's on the All-Star ballot as a Forward? So I have him competing with Dirk, Carmelo, the Kevins (Love and Durant), Blake Griffin and Z-Bo for an All-Star spot, while I'm forced to select Nene as my starting Centre. Either that or a few guys who haven't played much (Yao, Okur, Bynum). 23.7% free throw shooter Brendan Haywood is on the ballot? 5 point and 4 rebound averaging Robin Lopez? It’s just terrible. I can’t believe the panel couldn’t come up with 12 decent guys in the West. Tim Duncan should be down as a Centre. Pau should be a Centre. David Lee should probably be a Centre. Al Jefferson should probably be a Centre.
Just for comparison, Gasol averages 20 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks a game, while shooting 52% from the field and 80% at the free throw line (Efficiency = 28). Nene’s stats are 15, 7, 2, 1, 63% and 80% (efficiency = 20.4). So aside for a better field goal percentage, Gasol has it all over him.
As it is, the results of the initial voting have come out and Gasol is the second best vote getter in Western Forwards (390,808 votes). Meanwhile Yao Ming leads the West Centre voting with 430,984 votes, more than twice as many votes as the next vote getter (Andrew Bynum, LA Lakers). It’s worth pointing out that Yao has a) only played 5 games this season (due to injury), and b) averaged 10 points and 5 rebounds in those games. Bynum has played 2 games, averaging 5 points and 5 rebounds. We're about 25 games into the season in case anyone was wondering.
It’s a travesty. Not that the voters have expressed themselves as they have (big voting blocks in China and LA), but that the ballot hasn't included the right people at the right positions.
And don't get me started on Paul Milsap.