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Hoops World
Talkin' All-Star Snubs
By: Jason Fleming
Some immediate snubs come to mind, such as L.A. Clippers center Chris Kaman, Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith, Denver Nuggets point guard Chauncey Billups, and New York Knicks forward David Lee. Other names that have drawn ire from fans for not being named include Golden State Warriors guard Monta Ellis, Utah Jazz power forward Carlos Boozer, and Washington Wizards forward Antawn Jamison.
So why Horford over Smith? Coaches have to place a player who can play center on the team, and the only other centers in the Eastern Conference that are worthwhile are Chicago's Joakim Noah, Milwaukee's Andrew Bogut, and New Jersey's Brook Lopez. Instead, the coaches chose to reward Horford, which gave the Hawks a second player on the team. At that point do you put a third Hawk on the team when you don't have more than one Cleveland Cavalier? Is Smith more deserving than Gerald Wallace? Unfortunately for Smith – and behind him, Lee – there just are too many forwards to choose from. If any player is to blame for Smith not making it, it's starter Kevin Garnett, who hasn't been an All-Star this year even when healthy.
This some of what conspired against Kaman as well. The coaches decided Gasol would be their backup center, which is giving a lot of latitude as to what constitutes a center (East coaches could have done the same with Bosh, which would have left Horford off and probably added Smith or Lee). Personally I would not have added Gasol because of all the games he has missed due to injury, but is clearly a star level player.
The chances of coaches adding two centers as reserves is somewhere south of slim and closer to none, so Kaman gets left off.
As for Billups, it's a numbers game with him too. Do you put four point guards on the team? Paul is likely the shoo-in candidate as a reserve point guard, so how do you decide between Billups and Williams? Again, I personally would go with Williams (by the way, you can see my list from last week here), but you can make an argument either way.
Then it comes down to Randolph…should Kaman be there instead of Randolph, and then Gasol would be just a backup forward? A good argument can be made, but I like the fact the Memphis Grizzlies are getting recognition for a very good season, and I like Randolph finally being rewarded for consistently putting up great numbers for four teams now. Now that he is on a team with a winning record, he is getting his All-Star due.
When you get down to the other snubs, the players like Ellis and Jamison, the question has to be asked: Are you really surprised? Coaches rarely add players from under-.500, non-playoff teams. Rose's Bulls and Wallace's Bobcats are right at .500, but as of today they are clearly in the lead in the playoff race for spots seven and eight in the Eastern Conference.
The only player from an under-.500 team, as of today? Starter Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers. The only other player from a non-playoff team, as of today? Durant, from the 24-21 Oklahoma City Thunder (Phoenix's Nash and Stoudemire are also just outside of the playoff race at 26-21).
All in all, I think the coaches did a decent job with the reserves. Sure, you can always argue about the players around the 11th and 12th spots, but I don't see a clear travesty here outside of Kaman.
By: Jason Fleming
Some immediate snubs come to mind, such as L.A. Clippers center Chris Kaman, Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith, Denver Nuggets point guard Chauncey Billups, and New York Knicks forward David Lee. Other names that have drawn ire from fans for not being named include Golden State Warriors guard Monta Ellis, Utah Jazz power forward Carlos Boozer, and Washington Wizards forward Antawn Jamison.
So why Horford over Smith? Coaches have to place a player who can play center on the team, and the only other centers in the Eastern Conference that are worthwhile are Chicago's Joakim Noah, Milwaukee's Andrew Bogut, and New Jersey's Brook Lopez. Instead, the coaches chose to reward Horford, which gave the Hawks a second player on the team. At that point do you put a third Hawk on the team when you don't have more than one Cleveland Cavalier? Is Smith more deserving than Gerald Wallace? Unfortunately for Smith – and behind him, Lee – there just are too many forwards to choose from. If any player is to blame for Smith not making it, it's starter Kevin Garnett, who hasn't been an All-Star this year even when healthy.
This some of what conspired against Kaman as well. The coaches decided Gasol would be their backup center, which is giving a lot of latitude as to what constitutes a center (East coaches could have done the same with Bosh, which would have left Horford off and probably added Smith or Lee). Personally I would not have added Gasol because of all the games he has missed due to injury, but is clearly a star level player.
The chances of coaches adding two centers as reserves is somewhere south of slim and closer to none, so Kaman gets left off.
As for Billups, it's a numbers game with him too. Do you put four point guards on the team? Paul is likely the shoo-in candidate as a reserve point guard, so how do you decide between Billups and Williams? Again, I personally would go with Williams (by the way, you can see my list from last week here), but you can make an argument either way.
Then it comes down to Randolph…should Kaman be there instead of Randolph, and then Gasol would be just a backup forward? A good argument can be made, but I like the fact the Memphis Grizzlies are getting recognition for a very good season, and I like Randolph finally being rewarded for consistently putting up great numbers for four teams now. Now that he is on a team with a winning record, he is getting his All-Star due.
When you get down to the other snubs, the players like Ellis and Jamison, the question has to be asked: Are you really surprised? Coaches rarely add players from under-.500, non-playoff teams. Rose's Bulls and Wallace's Bobcats are right at .500, but as of today they are clearly in the lead in the playoff race for spots seven and eight in the Eastern Conference.
The only player from an under-.500 team, as of today? Starter Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers. The only other player from a non-playoff team, as of today? Durant, from the 24-21 Oklahoma City Thunder (Phoenix's Nash and Stoudemire are also just outside of the playoff race at 26-21).
All in all, I think the coaches did a decent job with the reserves. Sure, you can always argue about the players around the 11th and 12th spots, but I don't see a clear travesty here outside of Kaman.
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