All-Star Debate: How to Pick Reserves?

by ThePGPhenomenon on Feb 3, 2011 4:05 PM EST

Unfortunately this year, when you are talking about all-star games, it is not Wizards-related. But tonight they are going to announce the All-Star reserves for the east and west and I'm a bit annoyed at this new idea that these players have to somehow play on a winning team. You have players like Blake Griffin who is averaging 23-12 and Kevin Love 21-15, who might not make the team, but I keep hearing analysts mention someone like Tim Duncan, who is averaging 14 - 9, to make it. Not only do they mention that he is on a winning team, but they also mention that he is a future hall-of-famer. This irritates me because I thought the all-star game was about recognizing INDIVIDUAL performers for the SEASON they are currently having. Why are players who are having down years getting considered just because of past success or being on winning teams. Can we really blame Blake Griffin or Kevin Love for their team losing. After all they are doing their part, so why should they be punished for the rest of the players not stepping up? It doesn't make sense. And then I keep hearing people say that Kevin Garnett should make the team and some people expect Boston's Big 4 (KG, PP, RA, and RR) all to make the team. Well how can you put Garnett on the team averaging 15 - 9 when Chris Bosh has 19 - 8 and his team has a similar record. I don't understand that and you can even argue that Josh Smith who is averaging 16 - 9, should make it over Garnett as well. I also don't understand how you can have 4 players from one team to make the roster. There are 14 other teams to chose from but yet these experts think it's okay to pick 4 of the 7 reserves from one team? This logic doesn't make sense. I guess we will find out what they actually decide tonight.

This represents the view of the user who wrote the FanPost, and not the entire Bullets Forever community. We're a place of many opinions, not just one.

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Comments

It would be an absolutely travesty if Kevin Love doesn't make it

I don’t understand why rebounding is considered so secondary to scoring in the NBA. Those extra 7 rebounds Love gets over the average power forward are 7 extra possessions for your team. That’s immensely valuable.

by zl on Feb 3, 2011 6:23 PM EST reply actions

are you related to Kevin Love??

Love is a great player (obviously), but they are losing. Same goes for Blake G.

I like to see players get rewarded for helping their teams win games. Shareef Abdur-Rahim put up very good numbers for a very long time. But his teams always sucked. Correlation? Causation? Who knows.

Id rather see LMAldridge, Tim Duncan and Nowitzki make the team than Love or Griffin. Their teams are winning. Simple as that.

by John Park Williams on Feb 3, 2011 7:15 PM EST up reply actions

Winning takes an entire team

It’s a tired cliche that a player’s team’s success determines his individual skill. Put Michael Jordan on the Timberwolves instead of Love and they don’t make the playoffs.

by zl on Feb 3, 2011 9:03 PM EST up reply actions

Yes they would.

Jordan played defense.

by DCrez on Feb 3, 2011 9:26 PM EST up reply actions

Rec

The man-crush community for Love commonly forgets(or ignores) that he doesn’t play D. No top 5 player, or top 10 player, or wherever you rank him, can have a serious weakness on the defensive side of the court.

by returnofswagger on Feb 3, 2011 9:47 PM EST up reply actions

Cavs won 61 games last season.

That’s the effect a player like Lebron or Jordan can have on a team…unfair to Love to bring his name up with Jordan, I mean come on

by DCrez on Feb 3, 2011 9:57 PM EST up reply actions

I'm not trying to diminish Jordan

I’m saying that the T Wolves are so bad, even the greatest player in the history of the game wouldn’t take them to the playoffs. Without Kevin Love, they would be the worst team in the history of the league (record wise).

by zl on Feb 4, 2011 5:24 PM EST up reply actions

LOL

by tw10 on Feb 4, 2011 9:56 PM EST up reply actions

What is your problem?

Did I really get under your skin that much? If so, I’m pretty impressed with myself, to be honest. I’m so sorry my opinions upset you

by zl on Feb 4, 2011 11:02 PM EST up reply actions

Thats a good point

lets say Cleveland wins 18 games(maybe a stretch). So a player of Lebron’s caliber adds 43 wins to a team.

I am going to use that model, to decide MJ-in-his-prime could get these Twolves into the playoffs after all.

by returnofswagger on Feb 4, 2011 6:25 PM EST up reply actions

Not all LeBron

They also lost Z, Shaq, Delonte, and Varejao (to injury). Let’s not give LeBron too much credit.

Coaches respect the ability to play within the team concept. Love doesn’t have to do that in Minny, he can just go get his own stats. The T-pups have no talent, so Love’s gunning for his own stats aligns perfectly with his team’s best chance to win.

by yop32 on Feb 4, 2011 6:43 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah but in the end, Love is a complimentary piece on a good team.

Like maybe a second option.

by returnofswagger on Feb 6, 2011 6:58 PM EST up reply actions

You obviously never watched MJ

by HIBACHI GOLD on Feb 3, 2011 11:03 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah, those Jordan-led Wizards runs late into the playoffs were dazzling.

by MR on Feb 3, 2011 11:27 PM EST up reply actions

hahaha...

Clever

by HIBACHI GOLD on Feb 3, 2011 11:33 PM EST up reply actions

Charles Barkley made a good point...

That if you are on a shitty team you will get alot of points even if you are not a high caliber player (see Jamison, Antawn), but rebounds are an effort thing…you aren’t going to get a lot of rebounds if your team sucks

So while I am not on the K-Love bandwagon, you have to respect his rebounding skills (especially if your a Wizards fan!)

by HIBACHI GOLD on Feb 3, 2011 11:01 PM EST up reply actions

Reggie Evans rebound #'s were inflated this year playing on the Raptors.

He was always a good rebounder, but his % and numbers took a leap this year because he played alongside Bologna.

by tw10 on Feb 4, 2011 9:58 PM EST up reply actions

That one example

definitively proves that rebounding is dependent on teammates.

by zl on Feb 4, 2011 11:04 PM EST up reply actions

I'm pissed that Love isn't in the All Star game

but I have no problem with Blake in the game either. Four Celtics in the All Star game is a bit much….

by thewiz06 on Feb 4, 2011 12:24 AM EST up reply actions

I agree that 4 Celtics' making the team is a little ridiculous, but they are winning. A lot.

If Josh Smith was as good as Garnett, then the Hawks would be winning more games. (Although, JSmoove is actually a bad example, because I’d argue that Smith and Horford are more deserving than Joe Johnson).

The teams that win are the ones with better players. The better players play on the winning teams. The All-Star team is composed of the best players. Therefore, it follows that the All-Star reserves should come from the better teams.

I have lots of problems with the way the starters are chosen. But as for the reserves, I am all in favor of rewarding the Celtics & Heat.

by John Park Williams on Feb 3, 2011 7:19 PM EST reply actions

It's an individual honor

You have to look at how a guy is playing and not so much the record or even the stats. Of course that is very hard to do. It takes a lot of attention.

I think Love deserves to go. I don’t care what the record is. It’s not his fault that the rest of the team doesn’t have enough talent. OTOH it was probably Love vs. Duncan, whose team is cruising. It’s a tough question.

One thing I do know, the fan vote system should be changed.

by MR on Feb 4, 2011 10:10 AM EST reply actions

Apparently not. Is there any question that the coaches value winning when they vote?

The whole eastern conference squad is from the top six teams in the conference. The west squad isn’t much different in that respect, only the top seven teams are represented except for Griffin.

Duncan’s 14ppg & 9rbs are valued more than Love’s 21ppg & 16rbg (!!?) because the spurs are winning.

"If you don't shoot, you can't score"
Johan Cruijff

" My psychiatrist just doesn't know what I go through. He is a Lakers fan" Hambonejackson

by Dutch Hoopfan on Feb 4, 2011 10:26 AM EST up reply actions

Timmy is kind of grand-fathered in too

One of the all-time greats in league history, playing on the best team in the league….easy to see why coaches went with him rather than a guy from an 11 win club.

by DCrez on Feb 4, 2011 10:32 AM EST up reply actions

So what about LaMarcus Aldridge?

by ThePGPhenomenon on Feb 4, 2011 10:34 AM EST up reply actions

I think it's irrelevant anyway

I think Love will make it due to Yao’s injury.

Can I just say, the country of China is filled with a billion serious homers.

by MR on Feb 4, 2011 1:32 PM EST up reply actions

I think the casual fan tends to forget

half the game is defense. Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan are the anchors of their teams defense and two of the best defenders in the league for two of the best teams in the league.

by ElixCash on Feb 5, 2011 2:57 AM EST reply actions

Well Kevin Love was the replacement as MR predicted

I was a little bit skeptical to see the Celtics, Heat, and Hawks represent 75% of the Eastern team, but looking around the conference, I’m not really sure who I would have nominated over any of their players. And I say this as a serious Celts and Heat hater.

by rgc19 on Feb 5, 2011 4:59 PM EST reply actions