Jeremy Lin will block John Wall as an All Star starter
by Dutch Hoopfan on Feb 20, 2012 6:41 PM EST
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PrintEarlier today, as I was traveling to work, I was listening to the B.S. report 2/17 episode in which Bill Simmons was talking with Chuck Klosterman about the similarities and differences between Jeremy Lin and Tim Tebow.
They talked about how both of them were such unlikely stories, statistical anomalies really, and how the 'underdog against all odds' dynamic made them the huge headlines they have become. Simmons and Klosterman also talked about the American-Asian dimension to the Lin story. There have been Asian athletes like Nat's pitcher Ching Ming Wang, golfer Yang Yong-eun and of course giant bigman Yao Ming, but there has never been an American of Asian descent who became such a success and who's such a regular dude's, dude like the average sized and average lookin Jeremy Lin. This guy speaks to all Asians everywhere and even non Asians who just like the unlikely story.
And that's where it dawned on me. Jeremy Lin speaks to the billions of Asian people all over the world and really all basketball fans who like an underdog story. That means he will be a lock as an All Star starter for years to come... Remember how Yao Ming was an automatic lock for the All Star game every year since he was drafted? He didn't deserve them half of the time and even got voted in the 2011 All Star game, despite being sidelined for pretty much the entire season for crying out loud!
With Derrick Rose and Dwyane Wade pretty much locked in at the two guard slots right now, one of them is going to lose their starting gig to Lin. So, automatically one of the two reserve guard spots will go to either Rose or Wade, leaving just one more reserve guard spot open.
Rajon Rondo, Deron Williams, Lou Williams, Brendon Jennings, André Iguodala, Joe Johnson, Kyrie Irving, Jrue Holliday and John Wall will all be fighting over that 4th and last reserve guard spot on the team. And that's without counting iffy potentials like Darren Collison, Kemba Walker and Landry Fields or iffy oldies like Ray Allen, J.R. Smith or Rip Hamilton (if the Bulls win it all).
I think Wall will make 1 or 2 All Star teams during his career, but unless he takes the Wizards to the conference semi's or the finals as the alpha dog, year after year, he will not be a perennial All Star. There is just to much competition and even if Lin would prove not be the better player over Wall and the others, his popularity as an Asian will ensure his starting job for pretty much Wall's entire career.
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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i'm not looking that far ahead
He may or may not get in to a bunch of all-stars games, which is about as much thought as i’m willing to give this question.
You’ve been writing about all the younger pg that will forever be better than wall for a while, but its beginning to sound too doom & gloomy now. Let’s worry about becoming winners first like meraj said before worrying about all-star games.
Forever better? Mm. I don't think that was the core issue of this or the last post. At least my intended point.
I have been focused on Wall, his perception or rep if you will and that of other young PG’s, yes. I have been doing so because John is our biggest hope to relevancy imo. As he fares, the Wizards will fare.
Our last lottery pick is not looking like he is going as impact full or important to the future of this team as his draft slot in the timeline of this rebuild suggests. The next one will probably be top 6 again and in McGee we might have a piece of the puzzle or not (he might walk or just not be that piece). Other than that we seem to have a team full of ’maybe’s. Beyond this years pick, we are likely to be to good for a top 3 pick and not good enough to seriously contend.
That scares me. That’s why I think we are all in on Wall and why his going is so important to me.
It’s also disappointment because with Wall being a Lebron or Rose type #1 pick, I thought we’d be in a better place now. Record wise, but especially as a team that plays a hard and a fun brand, exciting brand of basketball.
Who won? Who lost? Who cares?! The NBA is Back! - David Aldridge
What seems to be the officer, problem? - Randy Marsh
by Dutch Hoopfan on Feb 21, 2012 4:33 AM EST up reply actions
not everyone comes along at the same pace
Have you noticed the floater John added a few weeks ago that has been scoring well in the paint? What do you think John’s assist numbers would be if had shooters like Nash or Rubio does?
IMO it’s crystal clear that John’s scoring and assist numbers will be right there with the league’s top PGs for most of his career….when you add in he at times looks like DWade defensively I think there is still hope we got a really special player.
Yes, I agree but do you think he will make many All Star teams with 3 out of 4 slots filled
Wade and Rose are tier 1 superstars and baring injury, they will get the votes. Lin will to unless he falls of the map thanks to the Asian votes he’ll recieve. Wall wil be special but with all the talent I named and only 1 slot left, I have a hard time seeing him making the team more than twice over his career. Especially if he doesn’t play on a contending team and the Wiz continue to be taken as a joke by the public.
If Channing Frye goes off again, I’m going to drive my car off an overpass. Via offramp, having used my turn signal in a safe and legal fashion - Bullet Nation in Exile
by Dutch Hoopfan on Feb 21, 2012 1:45 PM EST up reply actions
I dont know, John is a high flyer
if we ever get some shooters and spacing is better, he will be posterizing much more than he is now….silly stuff like that helps. Though of course first and foremost we have to WIN
its hard to see something changing until it actually happens
John plays highlight, showtime basketball with ultra athleticism. He’ll win fans over if the team surrounds him with the talent necessary to display his skills.
Or rather, it's hard to believe something will change until it actually happens
the point being it’s hard to find counters to the current top stars, but shit happens. Brandon Roy looked like he was going to be a killer for years to come, but now he’s retired. People were hating on rose his first two years, and now he’s top dog.
The All Star game is a popularity contest
Yao Ming getting voted in last year was pretty ridiculous. Lin is going to get voted in by the Asian/Taiwanese community every year with no competition. It’s pretty much a lock that he’s he’s going to be in it as a starter over Rose. Wall could get maybe one in his time DC but if we don’t get better over the next few years I could easily see him with more later on in his career with a new team.
I didn't really consider him leaving the Wizards but yeah, player movement might change the dynamic
Not just John moving but also other players of course.
Who won? Who lost? Who cares?! The NBA is Back! - David Aldridge
What seems to be the officer, problem? - Randy Marsh
by Dutch Hoopfan on Feb 21, 2012 4:36 AM EST up reply actions
i'm saying 1 or 2..
But I wouldn’t be shocked if they tweaked the system at some point.
It wasn’t just the sheer number of people voting for Yao, it was their passion and love driving them to vote as many times as they could manage.
Until the NBA turns it into a proper popularity contest- one fan, one vote- we’re going to see a lot of weird aberrations in the voting. Right now ‘popularity contest’ is giving the system too much credit.
I voted the last option, none, because he hasn't shown us that he has that all star touch this season like many of the other guards in the conference.
Yes Wall has a lot against him
1. Dwyane will be voted in until he is either injured, or if he hits a wall (no pun intended with our Wall). Miami has a lot more talent and is on national TV more than us too. Unlikely Wade gets traded anywhere.
2. Jeremy will be voted in until he is injured, or becomes a fringe rotation player. NY of course is more talented and Lin won’t be traded to any other team at least as of now.
3. All the other guards you mentioned are on more talented teams and they’re on national TV more than the Wallshington Wizards.
2. Fortunately, LeBron is listed as a forward, though he really is a combo guard, especially on offense. Still won’t be enough to get Wall in the game, unless John scores 25, averages over 1 three a game, dishes 7, and grabs four or five boards.
Wow, I remember you saying that Wall would make the All Star team this year.
You seemed pretty convinced he could make it if I remember correctly. Or am I wrong.
As far as your points, I agree. Rose, Wade and Lin are pretty much a lock and Wall will have to compete with the other guards for the 4th and final guard slot. To stand out, Wall needs to have an extraordinairy year ánd the Wizards have to win. The franchise perception is a disadvantage indeed.
Who won? Who lost? Who cares?! The NBA is Back! - David Aldridge
What seems to be the officer, problem? - Randy Marsh
by Dutch Hoopfan on Feb 21, 2012 12:18 PM EST up reply actions
would you rather have the guy who gets in every year because he's Asian?
or the guy who is the better player? Rondo is consistently snubbed but nobody considers him a 2nd tier player
Dude.....where did you hear me say that?
What I said was that Lin might be worse than the other talent available but still get voted in the starting lineup. Where does that indicate I’d rather have Lin?
If Channing Frye goes off again, I’m going to drive my car off an overpass. Via offramp, having used my turn signal in a safe and legal fashion - Bullet Nation in Exile
by Dutch Hoopfan on Feb 21, 2012 1:56 PM EST up reply actions
my point was who really cares if John isnt in the all-star game
if he turns out better than the guys there instead of him.
but i guess that wasnt the point of your fanpost, so my bad!
yes I was convinced
however, the competition and the star power of all these other players and their better teams will make it that much harder for john to break through. Maybe some players will go out west, but even if Dwyane and Jeremy left to a western conference team, it’s still really hard for John who has insufficient talent who may be making him look worse than he is.
One assumption is that Jeremy will have a large vote from these groups
1. Asian Americans (Orientals that is, can’t say about Indian/Pakistanis)
2. Asians in Asia, especially China (Taiwan is a smaller country)
3. Ivy League alumni, even Yale alums. This raises the league’s profile.
No he won't. The monolithic asian voting block doesn't exist.
It only takes a couple of million votes to become a starter.
NBA All-Star Fan Voting Results
TOP 10 ALL-TIME SINGLE SEASON LEADING NBA ALL-STAR VOTE-GETTERS
Player Year Votes
1. Dwight Howard, Orl 2009 3,150,181
2. LeBron James, Cle 2009 2,940,823
3. Kobe Bryant, LAL 2009 2,805,397
4. Dwyane Wade, Mia 2009 2,741,413
5. Tim Duncan, SA 2009 2,578,168
6. Yao Ming, Hou 2005 2,558,278
7. LeBron James, Cle 2010 2,549,693
8. Yao Ming, Hou 2009 2,532,958
9. LeBron James, Cle 2007 2,516,049
10. Kobe Bryant, LAL 2010 2,456,224
Yeah, for example, Howard won the east center spot last year whith 1.5 million.
If Channing Frye goes off again, I’m going to drive my car off an overpass. Via offramp, having used my turn signal in a safe and legal fashion - Bullet Nation in Exile
by Dutch Hoopfan on Feb 21, 2012 1:59 PM EST up reply actions
If Channing Frye goes off again, I’m going to drive my car off an overpass. Via offramp, having used my turn signal in a safe and legal fashion - Bullet Nation in Exile
by Dutch Hoopfan on Feb 21, 2012 2:01 PM EST up reply actions
Lin/Wade start, Rose/Wall/Williams play reserve
At least for the next few years. It’s not a huge deal if Wall’s not on the team, too; it’s a totally cosmetic thing.
Or we could just insist that he’s a point forward like the Spurs do with Duncan.
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The thing is all star spots can determine if you make the HOF.
It is pretty important.
All Star?
Let’s wait to see if he actually gets to the point of being CONSIDERED for he All Star game before we start speculating his spot.
Where do they teach you to talk like this? In some Panama City "Sailor wanna hump-hump" bar, or is it getaway day and your last shot at his whiskey? Sell crazy someplace else, we're all stocked up here.
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