AI, Tmac and the NBA All Star Game!

[stevew]

Okay. This is actually hilarious. AI retired at one point this season. Tmac is currently on administrative leave from the Rockets.

I understand that these guys are still popular. But is the voting hacked? Inquiring minds wanna know.

[bhlloy]

The NBA really needs to make a games played/minutes played requirement. I understand they want all the traffic for their website and if Yao is hurt that's like a billion Chinese people they aren't getting traffic from.

But even as pointless as an all-star game is, it is still used for things like contract incentives and as a discussion point for HOF voting, and it sucks for guys that get screwed over to not get the recognition they deserve.

[DaddyTorgo]

yeah...it's pretty silly to have AI and TMac starting over guys like Rondo and any of the number of guys who could start in place of TMac when those two have barely played all season.

Either that or remove the ASG from contract incentives and HOF voting and just make those based on All NBA Team recognition.

Because right now the damn All Star Game is a joke. I don't even know who these fans are besides people in Philly/Houston who go "Oh I'm going to vote for Iverson/TMac just cuz they're my hometown superstar" - because clearly neither of them even remotely deserve it based on their (lack of) play this year.

[RainMaker]

Voting is not hacked, majority of casual NBA fans are just really dumb.

[JonInMiddleGA]

With regard to the contract incentives though, it's probably relatively fair for those guys to earn something in their own contract if they're chosen since it would indicate they have value in making the team more marketable.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

With regard to the contract incentives though, it's probably relatively fair for those guys to earn something in their own contract if they're chosen since it would indicate they have value in making the team more marketable.

valid point. i'm frankly surprised that more of them don't base it on "all nba" selections though, as those seem actually based on something other than popularity (then again if you're one of the guys getting voted in you would choose ASG appearances)

[Passacaglia]

I'm curious -- how many people here voted for this?

[Lathum]

It's an embarrassment to the league. So is the dunk competition. I remember when guys like Jordan, Wilkins, etc... used to take pride in it as the leagues best players, now it is just a bunch of scrubs.

[MikeVic]

Originally Posted by Lathum

It's an embarrassment to the league. So is the dunk competition. I remember when guys like Jordan, Wilkins, etc... used to take pride in it as the leagues best players, now it is just a bunch of scrubs.

You have got to be shitting me about the dunk contest. I don't care how "name" the contestants are, there have been some really fun, original dunks in the past couple of years.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by MikeVic

You have got to be shitting me about the dunk contest. I don't care how "name" the contestants are, there have been some really fun, original dunks in the past couple of years.

Nate Robinson, whose own team benched him, Gerald Wallace, Shannon Brown and Terrance Williams, a rookie from a 3 win team? and either Demar Rozen or Eric Gordon.

That is just pathetic, I'm sorry. It is supposed to be All star weekend. It would be much better if you had LeBron, Kobe, Bosh, Wade, etc...

[whomario]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Nate Robinson, whose own team benched him, Gerald Wallace, Shannon Brown and Terrance Williams, a rookie from a 3 win team? and either Demar Rozen or Eric Gordon.

That is just pathetic, I'm sorry. It is supposed to be All star weekend. It would be much better if you had LeBron, Kobe, Bosh, Wade, etc...

Shannon Brown is the most explosive leaper in the game today though, just felt a need to say that.
a week or 2 ago he had a dunk where literally his chin was level with the ring, absolutely insane for a guy his size.
The dunk contest should be the best dunkers, not the bets players. Would i have loved to see LeBron and other dunk it out ? Yeah, absolutely. But do i care that they don´t ? Well, no. As long as the dunks are good it´s a fun little event.

Why do people take a thing like this so seriously ?

Obviously guys like T-Mac and Iverson shouldn´t be there and there should be a more strict selection process. Why not play the first 2 months, than make a ballot ?
In other less obvious cases of "but he shouldn´t be there" i´m of the opinion that it may be a sucky vote, but that´s democracy for you ...


What the NBA needs to change is the length of the season, just saying. It´s mid january and i allready don´t bother watching many games...

[MrBug708]

Shannon Brown beat Lebron in the McD HS AA dunk contest, but they gave it to Lebron

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Lathum

It would be much better if you had LeBron, Kobe, Bosh, Wade, etc...

It'd also be better if we had Erving, Wilkins, and Webb in their primes too, but that ain't happening either.

Of the four players you mentioned as examples, at least three have nothing to gain from participating in or even winning a dunk contest. 'Bron, Kobe, and Wade are pretty much as popular & marketable as they're going to get. The only thing they can do by being involved in risk injury or minor embarrassment.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by MikeVic

You have got to be shitting me about the dunk contest. I don't care how "name" the contestants are, there have been some really fun, original dunks in the past couple of years.

Agreed. Not to mention, I wouldn't consider Dwight Howard a scrub.

[bulletsponge]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

yeah...it's pretty silly to have AI and TMac starting over guys like Rondo and any of the number of guys who could start in place of TMac when those two have barely played all season.

Either that or remove the ASG from contract incentives and HOF voting and just make those based on All NBA Team recognition.

Because right now the damn All Star Game is a joke. I don't even know who these fans are besides people in Philly/Houston who go "Oh I'm going to vote for Iverson/TMac just cuz they're my hometown superstar" - because clearly neither of them even remotely deserve it based on their (lack of) play this year.

you think for a second people in Houston are voting for McGrady? the chinese love AI and are probably most responsible for those 2 getting voted onto the teams

[Sgran]

According to Sam Smith, the All-star voting is thrown off by the Chinese, who of course only follow Houston and therefore vote for McGrady. We can only dream about Chairman Yi cracking the line-up next year (although I think he's in hot water for skipping the Olympics if I remember right). The best part of All-star weekend was always Bill Simmons' running diary, but I don't remember him doing it for a while. If I tune in it's usually just to watch how egregious the travelling no-calls are (I swear AI took 5 full steps once).

[albionmoonlight]

I think that it is fine to let the fans pick the All Stars. What isn't fine is pretending that All Star selections have anything to do with talent.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

I think that it is fine to let the fans pick the All Stars. What isn't fine is pretending that All Star selections have anything to do with talent.

well therein lies the problem. hopefully the particularly egregious nature of things this year will force the media to acknowledge that

[lerriuqs]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

well therein lies the problem. hopefully the particularly egregious nature of things this year will force the media to acknowledge that

How is it a problem? I don't understand why people continually get their shorts in a bunch over voting for All-Star Games. All-Star Games aren't for the players (many of whom don't want to be there to begin with) or the media - it's for the fans. So if the fans want to vote in a couple of has-beens, who cares?

[Passacaglia]

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

I'm curious -- how many people here voted for this?

Sounds like no one. Sorry -- back to the whining!

[Lathum]

I guess I just feel differently about the dunk contest. IMO it would be better with star power for fringe fans. I follow the NBA but a not a hard core fan, the season is just to long. I may tune in to the dunk contest if it was Kobe, Lebron, etc...There is just no appeal for me to tune it and see Nate Robinson, Eric Gordon, etc...I'm sure they are great dunkers, but it just isn't compelling to me.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by lerriuqs

How is it a problem? I don't understand why people continually get their shorts in a bunch over voting for All-Star Games. All-Star Games aren't for the players (many of whom don't want to be there to begin with) or the media - it's for the fans. So if the fans want to vote in a couple of has-beens, who cares?

Well, in the NBA, this gets magnified because you only have a 12 man roster. TMac or AI getting on means a deserving player gets left off. Who cares? The player who busted his ass all year and the fans who cheer for him.

On one hand, I don't care about it either way. On the other hand, I likely won't watch an all star game with AI playing in it when he doesn't deserve to be there. I don't expect sympathy for that view nor do I expect the NBA to change the way the selections are picked because of me, but I have zero desire to watch a guy who is clearly not an all star. (not "debatable", I'm talking about a guy who clearly doesn't belong with the others).

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

Sounds like no one. Sorry -- back to the whining!

IF YOU DON'T VOTE, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO COMPLAIN

Or does that bullshit not apply to all-star games?

[Passacaglia]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

IF YOU DON'T VOTE, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO COMPLAIN

Or does that bullshit not apply to all-star games?

To some extent, sure. It's funny that people are suddenly concerned with the results now. But what I'm really trying to say is that if none of us voted, we're not exactly the target demographic here. Someone upthread has already said this game is meant to appeal to "the fans", but I'm trying to go further and say they're trying to appeal to the type of fans that will actually bother to vote in this thing.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

To some extent, sure. It's funny that people are suddenly concerned with the results now. But what I'm really trying to say is that if none of us voted, we're not exactly the target demographic here. Someone upthread has already said this game is meant to appeal to "the fans", but I'm trying to go further and say they're trying to appeal to the type of fans that will actually bother to vote in this thing.

aka "the chinese"

[Passacaglia]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

aka "the chinese"

haha I thought about posting again to say that I'm not referring to the Chinese. I'm referring to people who will take the time to go to their web site or send a text message or whatever it is you're supposed to do to vote.

[whomario]

Nash has been voted in over T-Mac btw

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

To some extent, sure. It's funny that people are suddenly concerned with the results now. But what I'm really trying to say is that if none of us voted, we're not exactly the target demographic here. Someone upthread has already said this game is meant to appeal to "the fans", but I'm trying to go further and say they're trying to appeal to the type of fans that will actually bother to vote in this thing.

I know. I was just talking shit.