2011 All-Star Starters Announced

Hi guys!
In my eyes there is no classical center in the West who deserves to be starting in the All star game. Andrew's proposals are obviously the most realistic. Gasol was playing center until Bynum came back and did a very good job, even if he primary is a PF. Duncan plays the same stuff like all those years, only with less minutes and less scoring, but the team's unexpected success is cleary not independent of TD's game. On the other side. Who really likes to see TD's kind of play in an All star game...?

Other players (when looking at the numbers) could be Power Forwards with big numbers in scoring and rebounding, of course. In that sense interesting names are Zach Randolph, Kevin '31-31' Love or even the currently most spectacular player on the planet: Blake 'don't call it dunk, call it Griffin move' Griffin.

The last player, even if his numbers are worse towards the others is Dirkules. I don't like his kind of game, but Dallas' team success shows his importance and performance. Dallas plays a much better season than expected. Only during Dirkules' injury the've lost a lot of games in a row. Since his return they're winning again...


My conclusion is: The best players for the western center position are TD, Pau or Dirkules. But the most interesting imagination would be sth else. The NBA always is surveying different stats and success to find new entries for the record books.
What if Mr Griffin wins Rookie MVP + Slam dunk contest + All star MVP?
I think he could do it. The most difficult things are being selected for both games and getting many passes in the All star game. Come on CP3 help writing history...


I'm just dreaming;-)


C ya

Mel



PS: Since I prefer to see high jumping athletes with some entertaining style, I hope Russell Westbrook is gonna make it. His stats are almost the same as Rose's are, he's dunking more and he's probably a better defender (I really don't understand Rose's low steal per game rate!?). Well, Rose anyhow has found a way to become a very good three point shooter, but he's still collecting only few free throws in relation to his attempted shots and points which is an important part of many top players.

Last edited by Mel_Fox_76 on Tue Feb 01, 2011 4:28 am, edited 5 times in total.

he's dunking more

Really , Westbrook is dunking more than Derick Rose ?

Maybe a couple of dunks more but I bet it isn't a big difference

According to this he is, for whatever it may be worth.

Andrew, I know your heart is beating 4 the windy city and your signature says everything. All I'm fearing is, that Russell won't be invited to the All star game, even though he is on the same level as Derrick. Derrick has become one of the most popular ballers in the league and Westbrook has not. May be, because Derrick is the first all star in Illinois since MJ... but Russell is producing big numbers next to one of the top 5 all over the planet ballers...
Yesterday I was seeing the Heat in Oklahoma and Durantula, Russell and Green together had more points and rebounds than LBJ, D-Wade and CB1 in almost the same time played. This is just one example for Russell's quality.

Derrick deserves being invited (I'm impressed by his improvement in treys and blocks). Russell, too.

Another critical player.
I think Melo doesn't deserve it this year (being a starter). Griffin, Love, Dirk and Gasol did probably more for their teams. Other question marks for Monta, D-Will and Nash. Will they be invited or not?


We're gonna c...

Can Thibs get the coaching seat for the East ,just in his first year as a head Coach????

He can, if the Bulls lead the East.

I know,but the thing is,are the Bulls able of topping the East? Hopefully the answer will be yes,and the Bulls are going to have a great All-Star break,being first on the East, and having Rose,Thibbs and Boozer(???) on the All-Star Game! Fantastic season so far and with Noah out as well!Hopefully he'll return soon.

Fantastic season for Bulls, that's right. WE DON'T NEED NOAH JUST OMER ASIK FOREVER to me.

Many facepalms to you badger!! Asik is an ok reserve but in any of the circumstances he's not going to offer more than a solid reserve in the NBA. Though i believe that he could be a valuable piece for a European team...

Get Noah back and let the Bulls fly straight to the Trophy(and Rose straight to the Asg MVP,season and finals MVP and the ring!!)

Hey guys!
Why are so many of you Bulls fans? Because of the old times with MJ? I mean, Andrew is from down under, and the other two from Ellás and Türkiye. So it's not a local thing. Myself, I'm one of the older here, and so I was a teeny watching MJ collecting his rings. And, of course, started to be interested for the game of basketball (only NBA and self playing in the 'hood'). But after the second three-peat the Bulls have died (I mean their success). They've made incredible mistakes in the last decade with so many high draft picks and trades (Draft of Marcus Fizer, Chris Mihm, Tyson Chandler, Eddy Curry, Tyrus Thomas, Jay Williams). Most of the best drafted players were traded (Elton Brand, okay he was drafted '99, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kirk Hinrich, Thabo Sefolosha). So, in my eyes, they've been (please excuse my direct tone) a boring team that long period until Derrick's arriving. And they've made many many bad decisions (Not as bad as Detroit's to select Milicic in place of D-Wade, Melo or CB4 in 2003;-)). Okay, also good decisions. Draft trade to get Luol, corrupt David Stern to get 1st pick and select Derrick, trade BG, trade Eddy, select Joakim, get Carlos and especially Ronnie (a VERY GOOD fast break player from the bench). So the last decisions were much much better than those before. In that sense the current success didn't come by accident and I expect them to continue this level for a couple years (when keeping the best 6 players).
Being a fan of a team is not my thang in general (I like European football as well). I'm concentrating on individual players. Teams are changing a lot. Individuals not that much. Just my opinion. But tell what it's all about to be supporting a team...

C ya

Mel

Andrew, I know your heart is beating 4 the windy city and your signature says everything. All I'm fearing is, that Russell won't be invited to the All star game, even though he is on the same level as Derrick. Derrick has become one of the most popular ballers in the league and Westbrook has not. May be, because Derrick is the first all star in Illinois since MJ... but Russell is producing big numbers next to one of the top 5 all over the planet ballers...
Yesterday I was seeing the Heat in Oklahoma and Durantula, Russell and Green together had more points and rebounds than LBJ, D-Wade and CB1 in almost the same time played. This is just one example for Russell's quality.

I didn't mean to imply that Westbrook doesn't deserve it, as I believe he does. I was actually backing up your claim that Westbrook dunks more often (he does in fact have more dunks this season) but that's not why I'd pick him for the Western squad. It certainly doesn't hurt to have a player who's willing and able to throw down some big dunks in the All-Star game though.

Hey guys!
Why are so many of you Bulls fans? Because of the old times with MJ? I mean, Andrew is from down under, and the other two from Ellás and Türkiye. So it's not a local thing.

I became a fan back in the 90s during the Jordan/Pippen era and have been a fan ever since; a large number of Aussie basketball fans who got into the game in the 90s are (or were) Bulls fans because of MJ and the fact they were the team that was on TV most of the time and the merchandise was everywhere. I don't disagree they've had tough times and made some bad moves but I am not a fair weather fan, so I continue to support them.

All right, Andrew! So it's a kind of tradition. I understand what ya talking about. In the 90s NBA ball was very focused on the Bulls, the Magic and Allen Iverson. But as I said, I've always prefered to support individuals. Many years ago, when I was on a football team I was able to select a number for my track suit. I picked no. 91. Not a typical number in football. Bulls fans of the late 90s should know why;-)


And, as you've said, fans expect some nice dunks in an all star game. So it's a sin that Josh Smith hasn't been invited so far (He's not the best scorer in the league, but very spectacular on both ends of the court). Does anybody know who selects the other all stars? David Stern or the coaches?


Finally my opinion to the selection of the Eastern all stars coach, which is kind of a tribute to the Coach that made most out of his team. In this sense Chicago's step forward is the biggest. Miami has a very strong team and the u-turn from loosing and winning in balance to almost only winning came after the secret meeting with the big three. So their coach shouldn't be honored. The Celtics have improved their roster a lot with Shaq, Jermaine (coming from the bench!!!) and Delonte (often injured) and they continue to be successful. But Doc Rivers shouldn't be invited to L.A. Tom Thibodeau deserves it the most. Boozer (29 of 47) and Noah (24 of 47) didn't play a lot of games. So they could have started better than that!!! That's amazing. He deserves it.

C ya

Mel

Last edited by Mel_Fox_76 on Tue Feb 01, 2011 11:46 am, edited 1 time in total.

The coaches select the reserves. Stern picks any replacements as necessary.

And as far as who coaches the All-Star teams, then it's the coach whose team has the best record in the respective conferences. There's nothing more to it than that.

Thibodeau should be coach of the year, and he probably will be. But the All-Star game is a different beast.

Unless of course they coached the year before, a rule put into effect after K.C. Jones and Pat Riley (if I recall correctly) kept ending up coaching the East and West respectively.

Ah yep. That's right. Was it Mike Brown last year?

Hey guys!
Why are so many of you Bulls fans? Because of the old times with MJ? I mean, Andrew is from down under, and the other two from Ellás and Türkiye. So it's not a local thing.

Well,I was born in 1994 so I couldn't watch Bulls' Golden decade.But, when I started playing Basketball and watching as well ,aside from the Greek League,the first thing I saw,and the only thing I new till then was MJ and the Bulls.Aside from that,I have a love for the red color,as on Greece I support Olympiakos,and it also derived from this as well.Well,the thing is that the team wasn't on it's best period that time,but I kept supporting it and the last 5 years, I became really obsessed with this team despite all it's downs and highs.Later there was Gordon,which became my favourite player(as i play SG as well) and now Rose,who is my current favourite in the Bulls.

Ah yep. That's right. Was it Mike Brown last year?

Stan Van Gundy, since Brown was the coach in 2009.

If the Magic were #1 and Bulls #2, then Thibs would get the gig, but it looks like Rivers would get it this year.