All-Star/All-NBA predictions

[21_Blessings]

Contrary to what you may say, Bynum is currently widely considered to be the Lakers 5th best player and his numbers aren't likely to be All-Star caliber. He'll be in tough to make it.

Bynum was widely considered the Lakers 3rd best player before his injury and the 2nd best player pre-Gasol trade. Yes his playoff performance was sub-par but he wasn't close to being healthy. Everybody knew that.

Numbers aren't nearly as important as team success. Coaches love putting guys like West in over Al Jefferson despite inferior numbers. Then there's exposure which will definitely influence fan voting. Bynum was THIRD in voting at the C position last year. Behind Shaq and Yao (both gone).

[JamStone]

Damp is going to have to earn playing time by outplaying nedooG werD if he wants all star consideration.

[Chieflion]

I really hope the coaches vote him in. I gues no one quite knows my reasoning behind this.

Per ShamSports:

[Damp's] Contract contains performance bonuses currently listed as "likely." Last season is fully unguaranteed, which becomes full guaranteed if 1) Dampier is selected to play in any three NBA All-Star Games between the 2004-2005 and 2009-2010 seasons, or 2) Dampier plays at least 2,100 minutes in the 70 regular season games in the 2009-2010 season in which he plays his most minutes (and if he plays in less than 70 regular season games in the 2009-2010 season, then he must play at least 2,100 minutes for the entire regular season). Confusing, yes. Useful as a trade chip, totally.


So, a couple days after the deadline Damp could be used a basically one of the biggest salary dumps ever. If economic times don't pick up who knows who the Mavs could pick up for Erick.

I did not post it, but I knew this already. He had to be an all-star, and this year seems like a good chance to.

[TD 21]

Now that a little more than a third of the season has been played, here is my revised version...

Eastern Conference All-Stars

Starters: PF- Garnett, SF- James, C- Howard, SG- Carter, PG- Wade

Bench: PF- Bosh, SF/SG- Pierce, PG- Rondo, SG/SF- Johnson, PF/SF- Smith, PF/C- Horford, PG- Williams

Western Conference All-Stars

Starters: PF- Nowitzki, SF- Anthony, C- Stoudemire, SG- Bryant, PG- Nash

Bench: PF/C- Duncan, PG- Paul, PF/C- Gasol, PG- Williams, SG- Roy, SF- Durant, C- Bynum

All-NBA teams

1st team: F- James, F- Nowitzki, C- Howard, G- Bryant, G- Nash

2nd team: F- Duncan, F- Anthony, C- Gasol, G- Wade, G- Paul

3rd team: F- Garnett, F- Pierce, C- Stoudemire, G- Roy, G- Williams


To recap, this is not how I necessarily think these teams should play out, but rather how I think these teams will play out. Unfortunately, the league is based in large part on hype and perception, rather than reality.

In reality, Duncan has proved that he's still the best big man in the league this season and even though he strictly plays center at this point in his career, because he and the Spurs have always asked that he be considered a power forward, that is what he's considered on the All-Star ballot and what he'll probably be considered as well with regard to the All-NBA teams. So even though I think that he should start at center for the West and be the 1st team center, I know both, particularly the former, are unlikely.

[My Fault]

All-star IMO means nothing, because you have people like 21_blessing who don't vote off basketball skills but off their man crush. If you ask me it shouldn't be off votes if you really want true all-stars. TMac getting the votes he is, is a joke.

[mogrovejo]

Don't care for the All-stars, too complicated to calculate the votes and the politics. ~~

What it should be, IMO:

All-NBA 1st team:

C: Howard F: Duncan, James G: Bryant, Nash

All-NBA 2nd team:

C: Gasol F: Nowitzki, Garnett G: Wade, Williams

All-NBA 3rd team:

C: Stoudemire F: Anthony, Bosh G: Paul, Johnson

All-Defence 1st team:

C: Howard F: Garnett, Wallace G: Rondo, Westbrook

All-Defence 2nd team:

C: Bogut F: Artest, James G: Bryant, Kidd

[TD 21]

Don't care for the All-stars, too complicated to calculate the votes and the politics. ~~

What it should be, IMO:

All-NBA 1st team:

C: Howard F: Duncan, James G: Bryant, Nash

All-NBA 2nd team:

C: Gasol F: Nowitzki, Garnett G: Wade, Williams

All-NBA 3rd team:

C: Stoudemire F: Anthony, Bosh G: Paul, Johnson

All-Defence 1st team:

C: Howard F: Garnett, Wallace G: Rondo, Westbrook

All-Defence 2nd team:

C: Bogut F: Artest, James G: Bryant, Kidd

I'll do my should be...

1st team: F- James, F- Anthony, C- Duncan, G- Bryant, G- Nash

2nd team: F- Nowitzki, F- Gasol, C- Howard, G- Wade, G- Paul

3rd team: F- Pierce, F- Bosh, C- Stoudemire, G- Williams, G- Roy

Toughest omission: Johnson.

Close call: Anthony over Nowitzki and Gasol

I'll do my top 10 at each position (based on recent history/play this year):

PF: Duncan, Gasol, Garnett, Nowitzki, Bosh, Stoudemire, Boozer, Jefferson, West, Randolph

SF: James, Anthony, Pierce, Durant, Gay, Granger, Smith, Butler, Iguodala, Lewis

C: Howard, Yao, Bynum, Lopez, Gasol, Kaman, Bogut, Nene, Perkins, O'Neal

SG: Bryant, Wade, Roy, Johnson, Ginobili, Carter, Allen, Hamilton, Ellis, Martin

PG- Paul, Williams, Nash, Parker, Billups, Rondo, Harris, Arenas, Rose, Kidd

Positionally, I know Duncan can be considered a C, Smith and Lewis a PF and Ellis a PG, but I decided to go by their natural positions.

[Darthkiller]

no mention of Zbo who is averaging 20 10?

[TD 21]

no mention of Zbo who is averaging 20 10?

I put him in tenth amongst PF's. Remember, this is predicated on not just play this year, but recent history, as well as playing at least some semblance of an all around game. Randolph is a dominant scorer/rebounder, but a pathetic defender and an unwilling passer. Based on this year alone, you could make the case for him being as high as seventh (or sixth, if you consider Duncan a C) amongst PF's.

[mogrovejo]

I wrote here yesterday that ZBo should be considered for an ASG spot.

[badfish22]

PF: Duncan, Gasol, Garnett, Nowitzki, Bosh, Stoudemire, Boozer, Jefferson, West, Randolph

ahhhh spurfan. gotta love em

[Findog]

My All Star teams. I don't care where guys are *officially* listed:

West:

C - Duncan
PF - Dirk
SF - Melo
SG - Kobe
PG - Paul

Bench: Nash, Roy, Durant, Gasol, Landry, D Will, Chris Kaman

East:

C - Dwight
PF - KG
SF - Bron
SG - Pierce
PG - Wade (Yeah, I know he's not *officially* a PG, but I'm not putting Rondo or Rose in the starting lineup ahead of Pierce)

Bench: Bosh, Joe Johnson, Mo Williams, Gerald Wallace, David Lee, Antawn Jamison, Al Horford

[Dunc n Dave]

I'd usually be the guy making the homer picks, but this season Dirk deserves to start the ASG over Duncan. Despite Duncan's usual 20-10 numbers, Dirk is having one of his best seasons as a pro and has his team currently at #2 in the West, while the Spurs have underachieved. No other Spur besides Duncan deserves to be an All Star this season.

Definitely should be:
C- Stoudemire
PF-Dirk
SF-Anthony
SG-Bryant
PG-Nash
Reserves: Duncan, CP3, D.Williams, Roy, Gasol, Durant, Kaman

I think Billups gets beat out by Deron Williams this year. Chauncey averages 17pts and 5 ast, while D.Williams averages 20pts, 10asts.
And Kaman is averaging 20 and 9 while Bynum (albeit as a 4th or 5th option since Gasol has returned) is only averaging 15 and 8. Even though Kaman plays for a bad team, his stellar comeback season deserves some recognition, so he gets the nod over Bynum.

[TD 21]

ahhhh spurfan. gotta love em

You can definitely make the case for Nowitzki over Garnett at this point. Even though I'm not a Garnett fan, it's tough to write him off. His impact is no longer as quantifiable statistically as Nowitzki's, but defense does account for half the game and whether it shows up in the stats or not, Garnett is still a significantly better defender than Nowitzki.

You could also call Duncan a center and you can even be ignorant enough to pretend that Nowitzki is better than Duncan, but don't act like I'm a homer for picking Duncan ahead of Nowitzki. Not when the consensus is that he's still a better player and when there's evidence to suggest as much.

[TD 21]

Training camp prediction...

All-NBA team

1st team: F- James, Duncan, C- Howard, G- Bryant, Paul

2nd team: F- Garnett, Nowitzki, C- Gasol, G- Wade, Roy

3rd team: F- Anthony, Pierce, C- Stoudemire, G- Parker, Williams

Current prediction...

All-NBA team

1st team: F- James, Durant, C- Howard, G- Bryant, Wade

2nd team: F- Nowitzki, Anthony, C- Duncan, G- Nash, Williams

3rd team: F- Boozer, Stoudemire, C- Gasol, G- Roy, Johnson

How I'd have it...

All-NBA team

1st team: F- James, Durant, C- Howard, G- Wade, Williams

2nd team: F- Nowitzki, Anthony, C- Duncan, G- Bryant, Nash

3rd team: F- Boozer, Stoudemire, C- Gasol, G- Billups, Ginobili

Honorable mention: F- Bosh, Smith, Randolph, C- Bogut, G- Roy, Johnson

[Gary Neville]

Bynum received more All-Star votes than Jefferson, Aldridge and Boozer. West won't be listed at C. The fact that he's on the Lakers means more national exposure and his team won't be terrible.

With Yao and Shaq out Bynum is easily in the mix if he stays healthy.

IMHO Bynum should be the deserving winner even if Shaq and weren't out. Only DH is slightly more dominant than Andrew while the likes of AJ and Aldridge are just equally as fine at their best.