duncan228
01-24-2009, 01:28 AM
Can Bowen be an all-star? Yes, he can (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Duncan_unfazed_by_Payton_protest.html)
Mike Monroe
His teammates were astonished Friday when they learned that Spurs forward Bruce Bowen finished third, a scant 68,031 votes behind second-place Amare Stoudemire in fan balloting for starting forwards for the Western Conference All-Star team.
Bowen, who spoke at a campaign rally last fall with then-Presidential candidate Barack Obama, had a perfectly logical explanation.
“Surprised?” the team’s defensive stopper said. “Not at all. People can relate to me. Maybe it’s because I’ve had the opportunity to take some pictures with President Obama, and sit down and talk to him. And through his campaign, we know that ‘Yes, we can.’.”
Bowen may not have been surprised he finished ahead of such Western forwards as Carmelo Anthony, Dirk Nowitzki and Pau Gasol, but his teammates were astounded.
Even coach Gregg Popovich was amazed.
“Don’t they know he’s played less this year than ever?” Popovich said.
Spurs power forward Tim Duncan, the leading vote-getter among Western forwards, wished he had found the extra votes needed to pass Stoudemire.
“That would have been awesome,” Duncan said of Bowen’s near-miss. “One more trip to China, and he’s in.”
Bowen has paid a number of good-will visits to China during his NBA career. Since Internet voting has gone worldwide, players with connections to Asia have drawn millions of votes.
Manu Ginobili, who finished fourth in voting among guards, has his own plan to increase his future totals.
“I’m going to India,” he said. “All the business is taken in China.”
Duncan offered another explanation for the nearly 1.4 million votes garnered by Bowen, whose wife, Yardley, has a popular spa in the suburbs: “I think they were offering a free pedicure to anyone who voted for Bruce 50 times,” Duncan said.
Bowen responded with mock indignity at Duncan’s suggestion.
“Wow,” he said. “See how jealousy and envy can divide folks.”
Baby Fundamental: Nets 7-footer Brook Lopez, the 10th pick in the 2008 draft, has been likened to Duncan, most recently by Heat coach Eric Spoelstra, who called him “Baby Fundamental.”
After facing him for the first time Friday, Duncan did not object to the comparisons.
Lopez scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds, but missed a layup on a perfectly executed pick and roll play with 16.9 seconds left, and the Nets trailing by four.
“I like him,” Duncan said. “I thought he was solid. Obviously, he had a tough end to the game, when he missed that layup, but he was solid. He didn’t try to do anything outside of himself. He seemed like he was setting his feet and he shot the ball pretty well. Good footwork, just a solid big. I think he’ll be good for them.”
Mike Monroe
His teammates were astonished Friday when they learned that Spurs forward Bruce Bowen finished third, a scant 68,031 votes behind second-place Amare Stoudemire in fan balloting for starting forwards for the Western Conference All-Star team.
Bowen, who spoke at a campaign rally last fall with then-Presidential candidate Barack Obama, had a perfectly logical explanation.
“Surprised?” the team’s defensive stopper said. “Not at all. People can relate to me. Maybe it’s because I’ve had the opportunity to take some pictures with President Obama, and sit down and talk to him. And through his campaign, we know that ‘Yes, we can.’.”
Bowen may not have been surprised he finished ahead of such Western forwards as Carmelo Anthony, Dirk Nowitzki and Pau Gasol, but his teammates were astounded.
Even coach Gregg Popovich was amazed.
“Don’t they know he’s played less this year than ever?” Popovich said.
Spurs power forward Tim Duncan, the leading vote-getter among Western forwards, wished he had found the extra votes needed to pass Stoudemire.
“That would have been awesome,” Duncan said of Bowen’s near-miss. “One more trip to China, and he’s in.”
Bowen has paid a number of good-will visits to China during his NBA career. Since Internet voting has gone worldwide, players with connections to Asia have drawn millions of votes.
Manu Ginobili, who finished fourth in voting among guards, has his own plan to increase his future totals.
“I’m going to India,” he said. “All the business is taken in China.”
Duncan offered another explanation for the nearly 1.4 million votes garnered by Bowen, whose wife, Yardley, has a popular spa in the suburbs: “I think they were offering a free pedicure to anyone who voted for Bruce 50 times,” Duncan said.
Bowen responded with mock indignity at Duncan’s suggestion.
“Wow,” he said. “See how jealousy and envy can divide folks.”
Baby Fundamental: Nets 7-footer Brook Lopez, the 10th pick in the 2008 draft, has been likened to Duncan, most recently by Heat coach Eric Spoelstra, who called him “Baby Fundamental.”
After facing him for the first time Friday, Duncan did not object to the comparisons.
Lopez scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds, but missed a layup on a perfectly executed pick and roll play with 16.9 seconds left, and the Nets trailing by four.
“I like him,” Duncan said. “I thought he was solid. Obviously, he had a tough end to the game, when he missed that layup, but he was solid. He didn’t try to do anything outside of himself. He seemed like he was setting his feet and he shot the ball pretty well. Good footwork, just a solid big. I think he’ll be good for them.”