Western Conference
Starters-Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Steve Francis
Reserves-Karl Malone, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitski, Gary Payton, Chris Webber, Wally Szozerbick, Peja Stojakovic
While Mark Cuban’s big mouth and Shaq’s big toe have been dominating the headlines in recent weeks (an indication of how boring the first half of the NBA season has been), the Western Conference has been cleaning up once again in the NBA standings. In fact, five western conference teams-the Kings, Lakers, Mavericks, Spurs and Timberwolves – are all playing at or above .600 basketball, while only two teams-the Nets and Bucks-from the Eastern Conference can claim this distinction.
Here is Stud Life’s breakdown of who got the nod and who should have gotten the nod to represent the Western Conference.
The Western Conference All-Stars are very strong top to bottom-I mean, when you have Gary Payton and Chris Webber on the bench you are in good shape. Yet, Shaq is hurt which may cause a problem in the middle because the West All-Stars don’t have another true center.
Let’s start with the starters, who are all worthy of the honor-no snubs here. For once the fans did a very nice job, although it was a pretty clear cut choice.
*Shaquille O’Neal: Okay, so he can’t shoot free-throws, but who cares, he can do everything else. I mean the guy is still averaging 26 points a game and that’s with his now infamous arthritic big toe. He also is averaging 11 points a game and two blocks. He’s the glue that holds the Lakers together and why in the end the Lakers will three-peat. Yet, as far as the All-Star game goes it appears as though Shaq will sit this one out.
Tim Duncan: He’s reliable. He’s good. Mr. Duncan is the consummate hard worker whom any coach wants on his team. And why wouldn’t you? He’s averaging 25 points a game with 13 rebounds, three blocks, and a whopping 81% free-throw percentage. No doubts here. He’s a solid starter for the Western squad. Look for him to pick up the slack with Shaq hurt.
Kevin Garnett: He is a great player who has matured very nicely despite skipping college to go right to the pros. So far he’s living up to his huge contract by scoring 21 points a game with 12 rebounds, six assists and an 82% from the foul line. Although Dirk Nowitzki has better numbers, you can’t go wrong with KG.
Kobe Bryant: Kobe is missing Shaq. Yet, he’s still the best shooting guard west of the Mississippi. I mean you can’t argue with the numbers he’s put up: 26 points per game, five rebounds and five assists. Oh yeah, and he’s an 84% from free-throw land. It will be interesting to see how he matches Allan Iverson and Vince Carter.
Steve Francis: Okay, Stevie is a very good player and he can dunk, but he is not the best point guard out west. The fans of Houston must have taken a lesson from Enron and doctored the All-Star balloting. However, Francis has had great numbers: 23 points a game with eight rebounds and seven assists.
Reserves
Karl Malone: The Mailman is starting to show his age at 38, but despite his incessant whining he deserves an All-Star nod. He’s still scoring 24 points a game with nine rebounds. No argument.
Steve Nash: The man from north of the border is having a great season in Dallas, posting 20 points and eight assists a game. Plus, he’s shooting 44% from three-point range.
Dirk Nowitzki: The German import should be starting in the All-Star game. He has proven himself and with 24 points and ten rebounds per game he merits more love.
Gary Payton: The “Glove” deserves to get the nod. He has 23 points a game to go with nine assists and four rebounds and continues to carry the beleaguered Sonics toward an improbable playoff birth.
Peja Stojakovic: Who? The guy from Yugoslavia shouldn’t be here. I can’t argue with 23 points and five rebounds, but a little too one-dimensional for my liking. I’m sorry Shawn Marion-you was robbed.
Wally Szczerbiak: Along with Garnett he’s making Minnesota a force to be reckoned with. 19 points a game and five rebounds are definitely All-Star quality. (Wally, I apologize if I misspelled your name)
Chris Webber: C. Webb did the right thing by signing with Sacramento. Now he’s putting up 25 points and ten rebounds. He was hurt for awhile, but he’s back with a vengeance.
Elton Brand: It would have been great to see a Clipper and this blue-collar power forward is definitely deserving.
Snubs
Shawn Marion: 19 points and10 rebounds per game and a vault of highlight-reel material should have been enough.
Raef LaFrentz: West needed an extra center and LaFrentz has the rare ability to play inside or outside.
*Injured and will not play
Eastern Conference
Starters-Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, Antoine Walker, Dikembe Mutumbo
Reserves-Ray Allen, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Jason Kidd, Tracy McGrady, Alonzo Mourning, Jermaine O’neal, Paul Pierce.
Two Most Impressive First-Half Performances
Michael Jordan has launched the Bulls Wizards to a 25-21 start, giving them six more wins than they had all of last season. With his 39th birthday coming on the 17th of this month, Jordan has resurrected the team almost single-handedly. Averaging over 25 points, six boards and five dishes a game, Jordan has silenced doubters. Leaping up for one of the most impressive blocks ever, Michael Jordan caught one of Ron Mercer’s lay-ups. That play alone shows that he is on another level; the other players in the NBA will always be looking up to him.
After a 2-10 start, Jordan has led the Wizards on a 23-11 stint. And Jordan should be given even more praise under the circumstances. The Wizards played a month and a half without star scorer Richard Hamilton and without their starting power forward, Christian Laettner. Moreover, their first draft pick-Kwame Brown-is a player of the future, so he has not contributed. Under these circumstances, Michael Jordan has shown why he is the greatest, and deserves to be the league’s MVP at the break.
Jason Kidd has also been impressive. He has led the Nets to a 32-14 start. Consider the Nets were only 24-58 last year without him, and you realize his importance. Every aspect of his game is sound. He averages just 2.8 boards and .1 assists under a triple-double. Nowadays, no one else can compare to the all-around effort he puts in.
Why would Jordan be the MVP at the break and not Kidd? While Kidd is one of the top team players in the NBA, he has not resurrected the team single-handedly. The Nets are enormously improved from last year, so Kidd’s impact seems larger than it is. Don’t get me wrong, Kidd is one of the reasons for success, but check out some of the per-game numbers of the people who did not play for the Nets last year. Kenyon Martin (injury) 16 points, five rebounds, Kerry Kittles (injury) 13 points, Todd MacCullough (76ers) 10 points, 6.5 boards, Richard Jefferson (Arizona) nine points, four boards. Jason Kidd is the second-leading candidate in the MVP running at the break, but because he has had so much more help than Jordan, Jordan still is far ahead.
Don’t complain about the teams
The NBA ratings have struggled over the past few years. So, when the fans get to choose who they want to watch, don’t complain. Sure there are players who would like to be on the team, and deserve to be on the team, but the NBA is a business. The players are entertainers. That is why there is a slam-dunk contest and a three-point shootout, to give the fans what they want to see.
The NBA is marketed to the fans. They pay the outlandish ticket prices, pay for the six-dollar hot dogs, pay five bucks for a bottle of coke, and pay fifty bucks for a guy’s jersey when the guy will probably change teams within the next couple of years.
The least the NBA can do is give the fans a chance to pick the ballots. If you’re player, or the deserving player did not win, at least the voting was in the hands of the right people. The analysts and commentators say enough; the All-Star game is a special time when the fans are actually heard. While the system may not always be just and fair, it is my humble opinion that nothing should be changed.
Snubs:
One guy stands out among those who will be staying home. Andre Miller is clearly the best of the rest. Leading the league in assists, on a team with no decent scorers, and averaging 16 points a game, Miller has proven himself to be an elite player. He continues to improve each year, to the point where he is now arguably the second best point-guard in the NBA (behind Kidd).
Playing in Cleveland, on a team that does not get much recognition, he failed to make the cut. I guarantee that he will make it if he ever changes venue, and gets his chance to shine in the spotlight and get the recognition he deserves.
While there may be cries in the night from fans of Baron Davis, Jalen Rose and Glenn Robinson, none of them can rationally be placed above anyone on the current Eastern Conference roster.