All-Star Starters Revealed (2012)

[Mandich]

kevin02, Shut the hell up Varejao is not an All-star player, just because you're a Cleveland fan doesn't mean the biggest flopper in NBA history can make the All-star game. Beside, he is not that fun to watch, numbers aren't that good and for God's sake, he is a bitchy flopper.

[NovU]

kevin02, I wasn't saying Varejao is a bad player or anything, but I just don't see how he is the truly 'deserving' one as you are claiming.

Stats wise, he's been very good but there are others with better. Same goes for the performance in terms of contribution to the win. Win share stats kinda backs it up. Varejao's PER(which is his best selling point imo) has upped quite a bit but again there are others with better. And role players making it to the all-star? I am not against it as there were many deserving ones that did in the past. But players like Noah, Chandler, or Hibbert also can be called a role player. Pretty much plays the same role Varejao gets and do better.

[Murat]

If Varejao is an All-Star...eh, Joel is a trash again.

[Lamrock]

Magloire made the ASG one year - why not Varejao? He won't make it because he's the team's second best player, the Cavs are 8-13, and Roy Hibbert is pretty much a lock for the reserve center spot (if not Chandler, who's having a better season than both of them, but for the 8-15 Knicks). Varejao making it wouldn't be any worse than Kaman two years ago.

[NovU]

Joel is a trash again.

Magloire made the ASG one year

This hate against Canadians in this forum disgusts me. Shame on you.

[Murat]

Except Nash and Dalembert, Canadians are TRASH at BASKETBALL. Stop arguing now.

[rise]

Except Nash and Dalembert, Canadians are TRASH at BASKETBALL. Stop arguing now.

lol

kevin02, Varejao just is not going to be an All-Star. Not when Tyson Chandler, Roy Hibbert, and even Javale McGee and Andrea Bargnani are having better seasons than him.

[Andrew]

Varejao making it wouldn't be any worse than Kaman two years ago.

I'd forgotten about that. To be fair, Kaman was an injury replacement and probably no worse than Chris Gatling's selection in 1997 (also an injury replacement).

[kevin02]

I know you guys disagree with me that Anderson should be an all star but here's tonight's stats.

Varejao: 17pts, 17 rebs, 3 ast (vs Dallas)

Hibbert: 10pts, 5rebs, 2blks (vs Orlando)

Chandler: 17pts, 9rebs, 2ast, 1blk (vs New Jersey)

Varejao(vs ORL yesterday) : 12pts, 15rebs, 3stls

Howard vs Varejao: 19pts, 16rebs, 8bls
Howard vs Hibbert: 27pts, 8rebs, 3ast, 2blks

[Dc311]

Who really gives a shit.Every year it is always going to be "somebody should be".I really do not think he needs that much attention at this point.

[Murat]

It's TONIGHT's stats. We have Amar'e, Bosh, Noah, Garnett, Smith before Varejao.

[dare]

lol Badger is right

[Lamrock]

If an Anderson makes the all-star game, it'll be Ryan.

[kibaxx7]

I did mention Varejao to make the reserves after his 20-20 against the Celtics, but we all know he won't. Anderson won't make it either.

[airBerlin]

will never understand why gortat doesn't get any love...

[Andrew]

will never understand why gortat doesn't get any love...

Fair call, he's having a pretty good year. However, it's only his first year of being a regular starter putting up some very solid numbers and he's doing so on a sub .500 team. That doesn't mean you can't make a case for him, but it does make him easier to overlook. There's also some other bigs in the West putting up even better numbers and only seven reserve spots to fill (some of which need to used for players at other positions).

[NovU]

Gortat upped his basic stats but it came with increased role and minutes for a losing team. His level of performance remains pretty much similar to his previous years. It doesn't really mean that he's playing much better basketball than before. Sort of like Varejao, he perhaps deserves to be mentioned despite there being other(s) who are better, like Marc Gasol.

[Lamrock]

Gortat is having a 15-10 season, but the Suns are awful, and Steve Nash is just as, if not more deserving to make it. Marc makes it though because he's been keeping the Grizzlies alive.

[airBerlin]

Gortat upped his basic stats but it came with increased role and minutes for a losing team.

that's usually how it happens...
same can be said for Gasol, who is actually having his worst season statistically, but is just getting more minutes.

His level of performance remains pretty much similar to his previous years.

you act like 13/12/2 career per36 is a bad thing... (17.2, 11.6, 2.0 per 36 this season)

but the Suns are awful

knicks are worse.

Howard, Bynum, Gortat = top 3 centers in the game right now.

[Lamrock]

Gortat upped his basic stats but it came with increased role and minutes for a losing team.

that's usually how it happens...
same can be said for Gasol, who is actually having his worst season statistically, but is just getting more minutes.

I don't see where you got "worst season statistically" from. Marc has the most Win Shares/48 Minutes of his career, a defensive rating of 96, and is more or less putting up the same raw stats as usual. It's close, but while Gortat is a slightly more efficient scorer, Marc is the Grizzlies' defense, and is undoubtedly their best player with Zach out. Gasol will and deserves to make it because he's leading a team without its best player to a .500 record. Gortat is close, but I'd say Marc has a better case. He'll have his turn if he can keep this up though.

but the Suns are awful

knicks are worse.

Howard, Bynum, Gortat = top 3 centers in the game right now.

The Knicks aren't worse. You know they'll finish much higher than Phoenix, and that's not just because they're in the shallower conference. I'd put Chandler in there for Gortat, but neither will make the all-star team because like it or not, wins are a factor in the coaches' decision. I have Chandler, but not Gortat on my reserves list because Tyson Chandler turned the Knicks' infamously bad defense around, and has been as valuable as Dwight so far.

[airBerlin]

The Knicks aren't worse. You know they'll finish much higher than Phoenix, and that's not just because they're in the shallower conference. I'd put Chandler in there for Gortat, but neither will make the all-star team because like it or not, wins are a factor in the coaches' decision. I have Chandler, but not Gortat on my reserves list because Tyson Chandler turned the Knicks' infamously bad defense around, and has been as valuable as Dwight so far.

I won't comment on the Marc Gasol bit, because you're right. I didn't realize some of his numbers were as good as they were.

As for the Knicks, my comment was more directed @ Carmelo being an All-Star and talks about Amare being a reserve.
Carmelo isn't even shooting 40% and Amare is at like 44% or so.
And maybe the Knicks will start to gather some wins, but if we're talking about All-Stars, it doesn't matter how good the team is going to be at the end of the season, it's about right now.

If we're talking about in general, then I still say the Suns are the better team, given what we've already seen. The Knicks have had a much easier schedule and still have the worse record of the two teams (not by much, I'm aware). Plus, when the two teams played (@NYK) the Suns won.

[Lamrock]

I'd give NY the edge as they've played most of the season without a point guard (suddenly the team sucked at offense) and have enjoyed a better point differential. This season, I'd take Chandler over anybody on either team, but Nash and Gortat have been better than Amar'e.