all stars announced..

and no Celtic starters...

how did this happen? last i heard KG and Rondo were practically locked in.. I still think we could see 3 or 4 coming off the bench as well- is Doc coaching? aint heard yet..

All it took was for KG to get hurt and Rondo, they lost alot of votes the last two weeks before they came back. Stupid.

I just watched Marc Spears on television and he said that he feels 4 Celtics should make the team, KG, Rondo, Pierce and Allen. The last time I looked Allen had more votes than Pierce. I know that that is two different positions, but
that really is something. They are both two terrific players and are having a
great season. Hopefully they will both make it.

Definitely think all 4 will make it,its gonna be like the year 4 Pistons made it,everyone except Tayshaun Prince.That year all 4 played at the same time with Pierce at SF and that lineup won the game taking the lead that never went back.I could see our 4 guys playing together with Howard at center running Celtic plays.Ray has to get in this year,hes so deadly efficient this year,he and Pierce seem to have found the fountain of youth.

Matty wrote:and no Celtic starters...

Consider it a badge of honor. It's what happens when you have a lot of really good players who share the load. The two teams with the best records have the same number of starters.

Yao Ming is the starting center in the west. He hasn't played a minute all season, didn't last season, nor will he for the rest of this season. A cynic might say that says something about the caliber of the center corps in the west, that this is almost a vote for "None of the Above". I think it says more about the mental caliber of the average NBA fan than it does about anything else. Does that make me an even bigger cynic, elitest, just brutally honest or a combination of all three?

I know it's a great honor to be on an all-star team and to be a starter and it helps you get into the HOF, etc, but I'd just as soon having NO Celtics on the all-star team period. My focus is on #18, and letting our guys get a couple days of rest and not risking turning an ankle or such works for me.

I never watch the all-star game anyway. It's the dunk contest with dribbling.

bob


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bobheckler wrote:Yao Ming is the starting center in the west. He hasn't played a minute all season, didn't last season, nor will he for the rest of this season. A cynic might say that says something about the caliber of the center corps in the west, that this is almost a vote for "None of the Above". I think it says more about the mental caliber of the average NBA fan than it does about anything else. Does that make me an even bigger cynic, elitest, just brutally honest or a combination of all three?

I know it's a great honor to be on an all-star team and to be a starter and it helps you get into the HOF, etc, but I'd just as soon having NO Celtics on the all-star team period. My focus is on #18, and letting our guys get a couple days of rest and not risking turning an ankle or such works for me.

I never watch the all-star game anyway. It's the dunk contest with dribbling.

bob


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bob,

Yao did play in 5 games this year. The Yao votes are not from the average NBA fan, they are all from people in China who only care about 1 player in the NBA.
In the East and West only 1 center is deserving of an all-star spot and of course that is Dwight Howard.
There's an argument for Al Horford but in the West Nene is probably the most deserving if you had to pick someone.
I think the West will go with Gasol and Love as their centers or Gasol and Duncan even though he doesn't deserve to go this year.

Bob,

I agree with your take on the all-star game -- "dunk contest with dribbling" sums it up nicely. Like you, I don't watch it. It used to mean something, but those days are long gone.

A couple of points about Yao:

-- I don't think Yao getting voted in says anything about "average" NBA fans, other than the fact that "average" is difficult to define considering the global reach of NBA marketing. He's a starter because one particular segment of NBA fans (Chinese voters) wanted to support their fellow countryman.

-- He played 91 minutes this year before getting injured again.

It would help if they'd quit listing Duncan as a power forward, and Chandler is a reasonably worthy candidate considering how much he's improved the Mavs defense, but there's no doubt that the West is lacking quality centers. It's all the more glaring when you consider that a deserving guard or forward will be left off just so a center (Nene or Chandler) can make it. The East isn't exactly teeming with quality centers this year, either. Bogut is still recovering from his injury, Lopez and Hibbert regressed, and Noah's been hurt. It's a guard and forward league.

I can understand the Yao thing, but where I think NBA fans really screwed up is voting in Carmelo. His overall output and efficiency are down drastically this season. Dirk, Duncan, Pau, Griffin, Love -- it's not like there weren't deserving alternatives.

Outside

TJ,

Regarding Duncan, I disagree -- I think he does deserve it this year. His minutes are at a career low (a strategic move by Popovich), but he's in the top 10 in rebounds and blocks, and his production per 36 minutes is very good. I consider his case to be an all-star similar to KG. He's such an intelligent player who is solid in so many areas and is crucial to his team's success, but he doesn't have the one thing most people associate with being an "all-star" -- a high scoring average or at least gaudy numbers in some category.

I watched the Spurs-Jazz game the other night, and I was so impressed with how good the Spurs are and how well Duncan in particular is playing. He doesn't seem as hampered by his knee as last season, and he's just so smart. Ginobli and Parker fly all over the place making spectacular plays, but Duncan makes the simple, efficient play, the right play. He's the rock that holds that team together.

Outside

Outside,

I am not saying that Duncan is not extremely valuable to San Antonio.
But for West 'forwards', I put him behind Nowitzki, Gasol, Griffin and Love. Since they only take 5 forwards and Carmelo and Durant are the starters, you can't take Duncan over one of those 6.
If Stern wants to go with Gasol and Duncan at center, I am good with that, as long as Love, Nowitzki and Griffin make it as the forward reserves for the West. Aldridge and Odom have had very good years but aren't worthy of going this year.