Amuseddaysleeper
02-05-2006, 09:44 PM
Posted on Sun, Feb. 05, 2006
The NBA Want All-Star votes? Let the ego drive your court time
By DAVID BOYCE
The Kansas City StarThe All-Star votes for San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan are further proof that successful team-oriented players can¡¯t match the popularity of ego-driven prima donnas in today¡¯s hip-hop NBA world.
It¡¯s understandable why Houston Rockets center Yao Ming was the leading vote-getter, and Houston forward Tracy McGrady also received a huge amount of support.
The 55th all-star game is in Houston.
It is sad that a player such as Duncan is not more popular with fans. Of the 10 starters, Duncan had the third-lowest vote total.
Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Allen Iverson all received far more votes than Duncan.
Those three players clearly have more flash than Duncan on ¡ª and definitely off ¡ª the court.
I¡¯ll admit, Duncan can sound boring after a game, and his play on the court is not the stuff of ESPN highlights.
But of the 10 All-Star starters, Duncan is the player I would build a team around. Duncan is fundamentally sound, a great teammate on the court and in the locker room, and would gladly make room for any other superstar on his team.
Look at the way Duncan works with guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili as their play continues to improve to All-Star status.
I hate to keep harping on this, but could Bryant and Iverson openly embrace other teammates who are capable of scoring 20 points per game?
The answer is no.
Duncan could play with every star player in the NBA and find a way to make it work.
It¡¯s too bad so many basketball fans don¡¯t appreciate Duncan because he¡¯s not flamboyant and refuses to reveal his entire personality to the public.
Duncan is the type of professional athlete that should be celebrated because with him it really is all about winning.
The other issue I have with the All-Star voting is: How did Iverson win out over Detroit guards Richard Hamilton or Chauncey Billups?
I guess Iverson averaging 33 points for the .500 76ers is more impressive than the 38-6 record Hamilton and Billups have helped the Pistons obtain.
Basketball at any level works best when five players work in unison.
There is a place for ball-hogging tactics, and that¡¯s in pick-up games with friends, who will criticize and poke fun at you for taking too many shots.
Fast break
The Knicks¡¯ trade of Antonio Davis to Toronto for Jalen Rose looks good for the Knicks until you realize Rose had his worst season the one year he played for Larry Brown with the Indiana Pacers, and it appears Brown is now having some coaching issues.
Out of the blue
I would rather have the worst-run NBA organization playing in the Sprint Center than a NHL team capable of winning five straight Stanley Cups. But I don¡¯t think the Knicks are looking to move.
WEEKLY FIVE: The five picks in the 2003 draft
making the biggest impact
¡ö Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat. LeBron James gets more hype, but Wade has been a big reason for the Heat¡¯s success in the playoffs. Wade nearly led the Heat to the NBA Finals last season. It¡¯s about winning.
¡ö LeBron James, Cleveland. James has lived up to the hype and gets better each year. For James to vault to the top of the class, he must lead the Cavaliers to the playoffs and win a series. James has yet to taste the playoffs.
¡ö Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets. Anthony has played in the playoffs and put up decent numbers. He shows signs that he could one day to be a top-five player, but he¡¯s a notch below Wade and James.
¡ö Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors. Bosh is improving at a rapid rate, going from 11.5 points his first season to 16.8 last year to 22.6 points and 9.1 rebounds this season.
¡ö Darko Milicic, Detroit Pistons. As the No. 2 overall pick, Milicic has done absolutely nothing in 2 1/2 seasons in the NBA, but he has a ring. For a player with a career average of about 1.5 points, he¡¯s pretty well known.
The NBA Want All-Star votes? Let the ego drive your court time
By DAVID BOYCE
The Kansas City StarThe All-Star votes for San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan are further proof that successful team-oriented players can¡¯t match the popularity of ego-driven prima donnas in today¡¯s hip-hop NBA world.
It¡¯s understandable why Houston Rockets center Yao Ming was the leading vote-getter, and Houston forward Tracy McGrady also received a huge amount of support.
The 55th all-star game is in Houston.
It is sad that a player such as Duncan is not more popular with fans. Of the 10 starters, Duncan had the third-lowest vote total.
Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Allen Iverson all received far more votes than Duncan.
Those three players clearly have more flash than Duncan on ¡ª and definitely off ¡ª the court.
I¡¯ll admit, Duncan can sound boring after a game, and his play on the court is not the stuff of ESPN highlights.
But of the 10 All-Star starters, Duncan is the player I would build a team around. Duncan is fundamentally sound, a great teammate on the court and in the locker room, and would gladly make room for any other superstar on his team.
Look at the way Duncan works with guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili as their play continues to improve to All-Star status.
I hate to keep harping on this, but could Bryant and Iverson openly embrace other teammates who are capable of scoring 20 points per game?
The answer is no.
Duncan could play with every star player in the NBA and find a way to make it work.
It¡¯s too bad so many basketball fans don¡¯t appreciate Duncan because he¡¯s not flamboyant and refuses to reveal his entire personality to the public.
Duncan is the type of professional athlete that should be celebrated because with him it really is all about winning.
The other issue I have with the All-Star voting is: How did Iverson win out over Detroit guards Richard Hamilton or Chauncey Billups?
I guess Iverson averaging 33 points for the .500 76ers is more impressive than the 38-6 record Hamilton and Billups have helped the Pistons obtain.
Basketball at any level works best when five players work in unison.
There is a place for ball-hogging tactics, and that¡¯s in pick-up games with friends, who will criticize and poke fun at you for taking too many shots.
Fast break
The Knicks¡¯ trade of Antonio Davis to Toronto for Jalen Rose looks good for the Knicks until you realize Rose had his worst season the one year he played for Larry Brown with the Indiana Pacers, and it appears Brown is now having some coaching issues.
Out of the blue
I would rather have the worst-run NBA organization playing in the Sprint Center than a NHL team capable of winning five straight Stanley Cups. But I don¡¯t think the Knicks are looking to move.
WEEKLY FIVE: The five picks in the 2003 draft
making the biggest impact
¡ö Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat. LeBron James gets more hype, but Wade has been a big reason for the Heat¡¯s success in the playoffs. Wade nearly led the Heat to the NBA Finals last season. It¡¯s about winning.
¡ö LeBron James, Cleveland. James has lived up to the hype and gets better each year. For James to vault to the top of the class, he must lead the Cavaliers to the playoffs and win a series. James has yet to taste the playoffs.
¡ö Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets. Anthony has played in the playoffs and put up decent numbers. He shows signs that he could one day to be a top-five player, but he¡¯s a notch below Wade and James.
¡ö Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors. Bosh is improving at a rapid rate, going from 11.5 points his first season to 16.8 last year to 22.6 points and 9.1 rebounds this season.
¡ö Darko Milicic, Detroit Pistons. As the No. 2 overall pick, Milicic has done absolutely nothing in 2 1/2 seasons in the NBA, but he has a ring. For a player with a career average of about 1.5 points, he¡¯s pretty well known.