All-Star Game: New Orleans

[Zen653]

The 2007-08 All-Star rosters were announced last night.

Eastern Conference

1. Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic)
2. Kevin Garnett (Boston Celtics)
3. LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers)
4. Jason Kidd (New Jersey Nets)
5. Dwayne Wade (Miami Heat)

6. Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors)
7. Antawn Jamison (Washington Wizards)
8. Caron Butler (Washington Wizards)
9. Chauncey Billups (Detroit Pistons)
10. Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics)

11. Richard Hamilton (Detroit Pistons)
12. Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks)

Head Coach: Doc Rivers (Boston Celtics)

Western Conference

1. Yao Ming (Houston Rockets)
2. Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)
3. Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets)
4. Allen Iverson (Denver Nuggets)
5. Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers)

6. Carlos Boozer (Utah Jazz)
7. Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks)
8. Brandon Roy (Portland Trailblazers)
9. Steve Nash (Phoenix Suns)
10. Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets)

11. Amare Stoudamire (Phoenix Suns)
12. David West (New Orleans Hornets)

NBA.com: All Star Roster 2008

In the East, I would have taken Hedo Turkoglu (19.4 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 4.3 APG, +19 EFF) over Richard Hamilton (18.9 PPG, 3.30 RPG, 4.4 APG, +17.8 EFF) and Jose Calderon (12.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 8.8 APG, +19 EFF) over Joe Johnson (21.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 5.3 APG, +17 EFF.) Joe Johnson's numbers for the 18-23 Hawks are barely better than Ray Allen's numbers for the 36-8 Celtics, and I don't think Ray Allen was deserving either. Turkoglu and Calderon have been impact players on their respective teams and deserve All-Star recognition.

In the West, I would have liked to find a way to include Marcus Camby (9.3 PPG, 14.3 RPG, 2.9 APG, +24.5 EFF), Al Jefferson (21.2 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 1.3 APG, +24.6 EFF) and Baron Davis (22.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 8.1 APG, +23.5 EFF), but I don't see who they would replace. I think the coaches probably made the right call in not adding a third Nugget (Camby) and a fourth point guard (Davis.) Jefferson's statistics might be somewhat misleading, given that he plays for the worst team in the NBA and probably gets the opportunity to stat-pad on most nights. Having watched him in Boston the last few years, he's also a one-dimensional player (brutal defensively.)

I'm not sure why the so-called experts are claiming that Stephen Jackson was snubbed. He's having a nice year, but there are at least 10-15 other non-All Stars putting up similar numbers for their teams. Baron Davis is the most deserving Warrior; the problem for him is that he plays in a conference that includes Nash, Paul and Iverson. No All-Star team needs four point guards. Plus, he might not even be the fourth best point guard in the conference. You could make a strong case for Deron Williams (19.1 PPG, 3 RPG, 9.5 APG, +21.8 EFF.)

Thankfully, the voters got their act together this year and didn't waste starting spots on Shaquille O'Neal, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady.

[BravesRule22]

Only beefs I have are with BDiddy NOT making it and with Joe Johnson MAKING it

You pretty much covered the guys who should have made it over JJ. And sas for BD, not really sure how you can keep him out of the game with the numbers he has.

[Zen653]

And sas for BD, not really sure how you can keep him out of the game with the numbers he has.

How do you distinguish him from Deron Williams who has near-identical numbers (slightly fewer points, slightly higher assists?) He didn't make it either. And who do you take out between Nash and Paul? The West is loaded. Otherwise Davis and Williams would both deserve to go too.

[BravesRule22]

Nash - 17/ 3/ 12 with under a steal a game

Davis - 22 / 5/ 8 with 2.5 steals a game

Deron - 19/ 3/ 9 with 1.2 steals a game

CP3 - 21/ 4/ 11 with 2.6 steals a game

Obviously all great PGs but Nash didnt deserve to go this year, IMO and is only going because he is Nash. I mean he is having a great year but Davis is having a better one.

Id rank them as follows

1- CP3
2- Davis
3- Deron
4- Nash

[Zen653]

I agree with your ranking, I just don't think the omissions on the Western side are quite as egregious (given limited availability of spots) as the ones in the East. While you're right that Davis and Wiliams are better than Nash this year, it's not as though Nash isn't All-Star caliber.

When it comes to the Eastern team, Hamilton and Johnson simply don't deserve to be All-Stars this year. They've having ho-hum decent seasons.

Watch some Magic and Raptors games and I think you'll agree with me that Turkoglu and Calderon are clearly more deserving than Hamilton and Johnson. After Dwight Howard, Turkoglu is Orlando's MVP. And I think Calderon has been the best point guard in the Eastern Conference this year, even ahead of Kidd and Billups.

[BravesRule22]

I agree with you that the East was probably worse than the West but it doesnt make it ok, obviously. I dont think that Davis over Nash is less blantant than Hedo or Calder not being in over JJ. Hedo has really taken his game to the next level this year and Calderon has obviously become a top 10 PG in the league.

I think RIP should have made it because he has really stepped up this year too, dropping 20 a game and upping his dime total and has really carried this Piston team. Granted Hedo and Calderon have also been carrying their teams ( DHoward aside ) but the Pistons are the better team and RIP is having as good a year, IMO so he got the nod.

JJ just shouldnt be an All Star that simple

My point is the difference between RIP and Hedo isnt big, IF their even is one. But with Davis and Deron you can tell that the numbers jump out that Nash is down and Davis and Deron are out performing him.

[Zen653]

The participants for the Three-Point Shootout were announced:

Player/Percentage

1. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers (.353)
2. Boobie Gibson, Cleveland Cavaliers (.468)
3. Richard Hamilton, Detroit Pistons (.467)
4. Jason Kapono, Toronto Raptors (.510)
5. Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns (.468)
6. Peja Stojakovic, New Orleans Hornets (.462)

I would have replaced Kobe Bryant (.353) with one of the multitiude of everyday players shooting for a higher 3-point percentage: Anthony Parker (.492), Jose Calderon (.445), Steve Blake (.443), Derek Fisher (.432), Mike Miller (.431), Jason Richardson (.423), Wally Szczerbiak (.420), James Posey (.419), Jason Terry (.419), Rashad McCants (.417), Carlos Delfino (.414), Chauncey Billups (.408) or Eddie House (.407).

Bryant is already being honored in the All-Star game, let someone else have a spot in one of the contests, especially when there are many more deserving players. I'd personally go with Anthony Parker. .492 is sensational and would be the second highest 3-point percentage among contestants at this year's All-Star game. If you don't want two Raptors in the same event, then reward the Trailblazers on their solid season and send Steve Blake (.443).

[BravesRule22]

Didnt expect to see RIP and Kobe on there

Would have liked to seen McCants and Juan Carlos Navvaro in there over those 2

[Zen653]

David Stern selected Rasheed Wallace as Kevin Garnett's replacement on the Eastern Conference All-Star Team. The Boston Celtics now only have 1 All-Star despite going into the break with the best record in the NBA and a perfect 16-0 record against the Western Conference (including a Garnett-less victory against the San Antonio Spurs yesterday.)

[Zen653]

David Stern does not make good All-Star replacement selections. With Kevin Garnett and Caron Butler both missing the game, he had the perfect opportunity to replace them with the very deserving Hedo Turkoglu and Jose Calderon. Instead, he named Rasheed Wallace as Garnett's substitute and tonight named Ray Allen as Caron Butler's substitute.

ESPN - Boston's Allen named All-Star replacement for Washington's Butler - NBA

Even though I'm a Celtics fan who would love to see as many Boston players as possible in the All-Star festivities, I also respect the honor of the All-Star game and want to see the best talents recognized. Ray Allen is not one of the best players in the league this year. He's easily having one of his worst seasons. The real Big 3 on the Celtics this year has been Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo. So if you're going to add another Celtic, it should be the underrated Rondo, not the overrated Allen.

With Jason Kidd perhaps being substituted off the Eastern Conference roster, I hope Stern finally gets a replacement pick right and finds a spot for Jose Calderon.

[Zen653]

Kobe Bryant has been replaced by Dirk Nowitzki in the Three-Point Shootout. Nowitzki's 3-point shooting percentage? .291.

[Zen653]

How about Boobie Gibson last night in the Rookie-Sophomore game scoring 33 points on 11 3-pointers? I wonder if somewhere Mike Brown was saying, "Save it for a game that counts!"

Not surprisingly, Gibson won game MVP honors.

[Zen653]

Deron Williams won the Skills Challenge:



Jason Kapono won his second consecutive three-point shootout:



Dwight Howard won the Slam Dunk contest with three spectacular jams:

[djwhokid]

I thought that cupcake dunk by Gerald Green was impressive.

Too bad that is a highlight moment in his NBA career. He needs to improve his game, not just his dunking.

[Zen653]

I was disappointed with Rudy Gay. I see better slam dunks in the midst of games than what I saw from him in the slam dunk contest. His only decent one was the cheap imitation of Howard's first dunk.

The Gerald Green cupcake dunk and under the leg windmill were both good. Dr. J explained that dunking without shoes on is tough, but that's not something an audience of amateurs could fully appreciate. Retrieving the ball from a teammate at the top of the ladder was kind of stupid because that's the height where players normally retrieve the ball for alley oops. 75% of the players in the league could have executed that dunk easily.

Similarly, Dwight Howard's last dunk where he picked up the ball from the smaller suction hoop and then slammed the ball through the regular hoop didn't really impress me. Almost anyone in the NBA can shift a ball 6 inches. But Howard's first three dunks were fantastic. The behind the backboard slam, the Superman throwdown, and the left-hand tap/right-hand slam were among some of the most creative and elegant dunks I've ever seen a player make.

That said, I think it may be time to phase out the slam dunk contest or change it around somehow, where each player has to try the same thing for the first few dunks, and then gets to freestyle his final dunk. There's only so much you can do with a slam dunk and we've just about seen it all by now. If the league keeps the contest going for much longer, the event is going to turn into a parody of itself, with stranger and stranger props, and staler and staler variations of classic and neo-classic dunks.