A billion Chinese can't be wrong
The NBA All-Star game starting lineups were announced last night. Not much in the way of surprises, but I do have a few of comments about the overall voting results.
First off, not a single Piston making the East starting line up just confirms absolute cluelessness of the fan vote. You can make a honest arguement for 4 of the 5 Pistons being All-Star starters. Billups, Hamilton, Wallace X2, are all deserving, and that's giving Prince the short shrift as he should be in the mix.
Pardon me for a moment, as I'm now going to put on my tin foil hat.
"Start conspiracy theory" 
When did Tim Duncan, the best center in the game, become a forward? Duncan became a forward when it was obvious that Yao Ming would be elected starting center for the rest of his career, thanks to Chinese internet voting. Yao = big overseas numbers, despite the fact he's just a nice player, not the low post FORCE he was projected to be. David Stern The NBA wants to be sure they get the "Big Fundimental" in the game as a starter. So what do you know? He's suddenly a forward on the ballot.
Tracy McGrady can thank Yao's coattails for making the starting lineup. Those wacky Chinese and David Stern the NBA find a way to screw true forwards Dirk Nowitski and Kevin Garnett...
"End conspiracy theory"
Allan Iverson is a fun player to watch. But does he deserve to start? Any player that has to shoot as much as he does to get his points and doesn't raise the level of the players around him does not deserve to start over Chauncey Billups or Rip Hamilton. Both are having career years on the NBA's best team. But the fans are blinded by AI's 30 plus points a game. Too bad it taks AI 30 shots to do it.
Shaq = Cal Ripken. Shaq keeps getting voted as the starter, no matter what stats he puts up. Ben Wallace and Chris Bosh are more deserving. And if Tim Duncan is now a forward, can't Rasheed Wallace be a center?
As for LeBron James and Dwayne Wade? They can start for me anytime...
I'm not going to argue about Steve Nash or Kobe Bryant either. Both are deserving starters, even if Kobe is evil personified and Nash is a CANADIAN. I'll add that I would have had no complaint if Tony Parker had been voted a starter over Bryant or Nash. Parker, much like Billups, has taken his game to the next level this season.
The fact that Vince Carter, the ass that quit, tanked, stiffed, and just plain screwed Toronto and their fans was 3rd in East guard voting is reason enough to pull the vote away from fans. Any player that tanks just to be traded, then decides to raise his game back up after he gets his trade, doesn't even deserve your respect, let alone an All-Star berth. Talk about fans having a short memory.
I'll hold off on releasing any more NBA bile for the time being. Let's wait till I see the reserves anounced next week. I'm sure 1 or 2 Pistons someone will get the shaft...
It definitely bugs me that the best team in the NBA doesn't have a starter in the All-Star Game. Having said that, I think Chauncey is the only Piston I'd really push for. Could the Wallaces be in that lineup over the O'Neals? Sure. But I have no problem with LeBron and Wade.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I'm with you - it drives me #@$%ing crazy that Vince Carter finished third in voting. I'd hate him more than Kobe if he warranted the attention.
More than anything else, I think fans - especially the ones who attend games and fill out ballots - are kind of lazy. They just fill out in the familiar names. Not to get into a "real fan vs. corporate fan" argument, but I wonder how many people in the seats are hardcore NBA fans, as opposed to, say, big Pistons fans.
Very interesting conspiracy theory, too. Do you think the NBA somehow greased the skids for Shaq to be traded to the Eastern Conference because of Yao Ming?
Iverson is shooting his best percentage in a while and averaging over 7 assists per game. Watch Philly offensively with him and without him and see how much he helps others. He draws so much attention that everyone else is better if only because everyone on the defense has to cheat because AI is impossible to stop 1-on-1.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure any Piston should get the nod to start... and this has been beaten into the ground, but they don't really have any "superstars", they have 5 really, really good players in the starting lineup that are all unselfish, play great defense, and they can score (except Big Ben). They don't really have superstars, they play as a team. I don't see anything wrong with no starters for them, although they should and probably will have at least 3 reserves.
And besides, at least you can take solace in the fact that barring serious injury, there's no way they don't win the Title this year.
"End conspiracy theory"
ReplyDeleteLet's not, you made a valid point, I cant believe no one else touched on the subject before, but if you look at the starting lineup for the Spurs doesn't either Nesterovic or Mohammed start the game at center now?
Either way its bull****!
It will be interesting to see the reserves. I'm holding back my anger until then. I hope I'm pleasantly surprised.