The All-White American Team

Is it just a coincidence that the Indiana Pacers have 5 White American players on their team?

As of January 27th, 2008, there are 51 white American-born players in the NBA. This represents just 11.8% of the 432 total players on current NBA rosters.

Here I’ve selected 12 of the best to see how an All-White USA team would stack up.

With the game of basketball being more global than ever before, and with more and more international players becoming stars in the states, is the white American baller a dying breed in the NBA? Do certain NBA cities prefer white players more than others?

Feel free to share your thoughts…

POINT GUARDS:

(1) Steve Blake

Blake is a proven winner. He (along with Juan Dixon) led Maryland to an NCAA Championship in 2002 and a Final Four appearance in 2001. After being traded to Denver last season, the Nuggets went 25-15 with Blake in the starting lineup compared to just 20-22 without him. He’s been even better this season. Portland has a remarkable 25-14 record with Blake in the starting lineup compared to 0-4 without him.

Not impressed? He’s dished out 196 assists to just 54 turnovers this season, for a rock solid 3.6 ass/to ratio (5th in the league, ahead of Billups, Nash, Baron, Kidd, and Deron). Steve has also improved his shooting in recent years. His 44.7 %FG is a career-best and his 46.2% from downtown ranks him 7th in 3P%. That’s right folks, Steve Blake is the ONLY player in the NBA to rank in the top 10 in both ass/to ratio and 3P%. He’s a proven winner in the prime of his career (27 years old), so he’s a no-brainer to lead the All-White team.

(2) Kirk Hinrich

Hinrich got off to a miserable start this season, but he’s too talented to leave off this team. He has decent size for a point guard and is usually a solid defender, which is one of the All-White team’s glaring weaknesses. Before this season, Kirk was also a very good 3-point shooter (15th in 3P% last season at 41.5%).

However, there are plenty of Hinrich critics who claim that he’s more of a 2-guard because he’s not that great at penetrating and creating (either for himself or his teammates). Sure enough, if you need a bucket and there’s only 5 seconds on the clock, I could name at least 100 players I’d rather give the ball to. I’m selecting Hinrich for the All-White team in hopes that he’ll be rejuvenated by teaming up with his former college buddy Collison, but if you’re taking the salary cap into consideration, Hinrich ($11 million) would be the first one to go (more on that below).

(3) Chris Quinn

Quinn has proven to be a serviceable backup point guard in the NBA. His size and skills are similar to Steve Blake’s, meaning that he can get overpowered by bigger guards on defense, but doesn’t make many mistakes on offense. He has a nice shooting stroke and is a 39.3% 3-point shooter early on in his NBA career. Even tho Jay-Will starts ahead of him in Miami, Quinn actually has a better Roland Rating and is making just 1/13th of what Williams is making this season!

Just Missed the Cut: Luke Ridnour, Jason Williams

Ridnour has shown flashes of ability, but it’s his 5th NBA season and he’s yet to put it all together. I initially placed Jay-Will on the team thanks to his solid assist/ turnover ratios and his ‘05-06 Championship run, but injuries are starting to take a toll on him, he wouldn’t be happy coming off the bench, and he’s making a whopping $9 million this season. I’ll pass on “White Chocolate.”

Everyone Else: Dan Dickau, Travis Diener

SHOOTING GUARDS:

(1) Mike Miller

Quite simply, Mike Miller is going to have to carry this team on his back on most nights for them to be successful. He’s an excellent shooter (career 40.2% 3-point shooter) who can put a lot of points on the board (scored 25+ points in 18 of 70 games last season), but he’ll also be relied on heavily as the team’s primary playmaker.

Miller is a willing passer (4.3 apg last year), but he’ll have to focus on creating more shots for the All-White team (who else is going to?) than he normally does.

Mike will also have to routinely guard the opposing team’s top player, so his defense will be key. He’s not known for his defensive prowess, but he spent a lot of time guarding Kobe in Team USA practices, so he should be ready for the challenge. Without Mike Miller, the All-White team would be in a lot of trouble.

(2) Brent Barry

Even at 36 years old, Barry is a valuable contributor for the World Champion Spurs. While his all-around game isn’t quite what it used to be, “Bones” is still a versatile player and a quality backup to Mike Miller. Barry has always been one of the most accurate 3-point shooters (10 of 13 seasons over 39% 3P) and efficient scorers (career True Shooting Percentage of 60.7%, which would place him in the top 10 All-Time if he qualified). In case you’re wondering, the formula for TS% is: PTS / (2 x (FGA + .44 x FTA)).

The cagey vet gets bonus points for proving that white men CAN jump as well as owning one of the most unassumingly dominant fantasy seasons of All-Time in 2001-02:

14.4 pts, 5.4 reb, 5.3 ass, 1.8 stl, .5 blk, 2.0 treys, 50.8% FG, 84.6% FT

Just Missed the Cut: Matt Carroll, Coby Karl

Carroll is more than adept at putting the ball in the hole, but he doesn’t have the intangibles that Barry brings to the table. Coby Karl would make for a great guy to have at the end of the bench, but he has yet to prove anything in the NBA.

Everyone Else: Adam Haluska, Casey Jacobsen, Eric Piatkowski, JJ Redick

SMALL FORWARDS:

(1) Mike Dunleavy

Mike D is having the best season of his career, so he’s definitely earned the starting small forward spot.

He can play some shooting guard as well, but smaller, quicker players tend to blow right by him. If Dunleavy could play respectable D, that would be a huge bonus for the All-White team.

Junior can really help this team by pushing the ball in transition, trying to setup teammates for easy buckets. He’s always had good court awareness and excellent passing abilities, and now he has a talented center in Kaman and plenty of deadly shooters to pass to.

(2) Luke Walton

Dunleavy vs. Walton is my favorite All-White matchup. I would actually pay to watch these two guys go at each other in practice!

Being a Warriors fan, I always envied the Lakers for being able to land Walton with the 3rd pick in the 2nd round (’03) while G.S. reached for Dunleavy with the 3rd pick in the 1st round (’02), passing on Amare Stoudemire, Caron Butler, Carlos Boozer, and Tayshaun Prince in the process.

If I had to choose either one to have on my team, I would opt for Walton simply because he seems to have more fun playing the game. Luke is really struggling this season, but he’s a great “team guy” and a talented player to boot.

Just Missed the Cut: Matt Harpring, Jason Kapono

It’s tough to leave Harpring off this team because he’s such a tough, hard-nosed guy, but he’s clearly on the downside of his career. Kapono is an extremely accurate shooter (more so than Korver), but he won’t do much else to help this team that already has plenty of outside shooting.

Everyone Else: Ryan Bowen, Luke Jackson, Kyle Korver, Josh McRoberts, Adam Morrison

POWER FORWARDS:

(1) David Lee

I don’t think there’s any question that David Lee is the most athletic white player in the NBA.

He can throw down some nice dunks and actually ranks 12th in the NBA for total dunks despite his limited playing time. The guy is a little undersized for power forward, but he’s quick around the basket and deceptively strong. He also has nice footwork and soft, ambidextrous hands. Why is he only playing 26 minutes a game Isiah?!

Lee’s energy and tenacity should not be overlooked. His ability to run the floor, crash the glass hard, and play good help defense will be imperative to the All-White team’s success. I’m a big D. Lee fan and I would love to see him play a larger role than he currently is. Creating an All-White team gives him that chance!

Lee’s tip-in with .1 seconds left is one of my all-time favorite buzzer-beaters.

(2) Nick Collison

The former Kansas star brings some sorely needed grit and toughness to the All-White team. He’s not a great shot-blocker, but Collison is very good at taking charges.

This will be especially important for a team that’s going to get beat off the dribble a LOT.

Collison has some nice low post moves and can even move over to center when the All-White team wants to go small.

(3) Matt Bonner

I’m going with Matt Bonner as my 12th man. “The Best Redhead in the NBA” gets the nod for his combination of size (6-10, 240+) and 3-point shooting ability (40.9% career 3P%). I watched him play on 12/11/07 when he destroyed the Warriors for 25 points and 17 rebounds (both career-highs), and I came away very impressed.

Bonner also gets bonus points for having brains (Academic All-American of the Year for the sport of basketball in both 2002 and 2003) and guts (the European team he played for in 2003 went bankrupt halfway thru the season and stopped paying its players, but Bonner stuck it out and finished the year averaging 19 and 9).

Just Missed the Cut: Austin Croshere, Troy Murphy

Bonner’s not the only 6-10 guy who can bomb threes. Unfortunately, Croshere’s best days are clearly behind him (plus he’s been dealing with back spasms) and Troy Murphy isn’t exactly someone you can rely on night in and night out.

Everyone Else: Louis Amundson, Brian Cardinal, Paul Davis, Nick Fazekas, Pat Garrity, Mark Madsen, Steve Novak, Shavlik Randolph, Brian Scalabrine, Jason Smith

CENTERS:

(1) Chris Kaman

Chris Kaman has put up some eye-popping stats this season. Thru 38 games, he has 29 double-doubles and 11 fifteen-fifteen games. He’s also blocking over 3 shots per game, which is 3rd best in the NBA. Kaman’s defensive presence will be a key factor for the All-White team, as will his ability to score in the paint. If Chris can force teams to double him down low, that would help create shots for the excellent shooters on this team.

Here is an interesting story about Kaman. He was diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder at the age of 2 and began taking Ritalin and Adderall soon after. Not until this past summer did he find out that he actually has an anxiety disorder that causes him to over-analyze situations. Now he uses neurofeedback to monitor his brain waves and reinforce calm thoughts, which he says has made the fast-paced NBA game a lot easier this season.

(2) Brad Miller

Having the 10-year veteran as a backup center is a nice luxury for the All-White team. He’s proven that’s he’s still one of the top centers in the league, and he complements Kaman well because they’re two very different players. While Kaman attempts 61% of his shots from inside the paint, Miller prefers to take 69% of his shots outside the paint. Brad is a superb mid-range shooter, making him an excellent pick and roll/ pick and pop partner.

Miller is also one of the best passing big men in the game today. His ability to find the open man will be a major asset to the sweet shooting All-White team. And while I wouldn’t call him a defensive enforcer, he’s a physical player who’s not afraid to mix it up and give hard fouls. Kaman and Miller are a great 1-2 punch at the center position.

Just Missed the Cut: Jeff Foster, Scot Pollard

I love the energy and hustle that Foster brings to the table, but this team should be able to hold its own on the boards without him. Scot Pollard is a valuable 12th man thanks to his experience and overall goofiness, but this team just doesn’t need a 3rd center.

Everyone Else: Michael Doleac, Aaron Gray, Spencer Hawes, Raef LaFrentz, Chris Mihm, Joel Przybilla, Robert Swift, Jake Voskuhl

So the All-White American team is…

PG: Steve Blake / Kirk Hinrich / Chris Quinn

SG: Mike Miller / Brent Barry

SF: Mike Dunleavy / Luke Walton

PF: David Lee / Nick Collison / Matt Bonner

C: Chris Kaman / Brad Miller

All-White team by the Numbers:

3 = # of Florida Gators on team: Mike Miller (’00), Matt Bonner (’03), and David Lee (’05).

$70,479,434 = Total ‘07-08 Payroll for the All-White roster

Pretty crazy, huh? Even by leaving Jason Williams ($8,937,500) off the team in favor of Chris Quinn ($687,456), this team is still over the Luxury Tax limit of $67,865,000. While Kaman, Mike Miller, Dunleavy, and Brad Miller are all earning over $8 million this season, the real culprit here is Kirk Hinrich. Hinrich is due to make $11 million in ‘07-08, and he still has 4 years and $36.5 million left on his contract after this season!

If I were taking the salary cap/ luxury tax into account, I would replace Hinrich with Coby Karl ($427,163). Voila: now only 5 NBA teams have lower payrolls. Isn’t it amazing how 1 or 2 bad contracts can really hinder a franchise?

Other Random Numbers:

0 = # of White players on the Hawks, Cavs, Nuggets, Pistons, and Nets.
12 = # of White players on the Indiana Pacers, Portland TrailBlazers, and Seattle Sonics (4 each).
66.4 = % of White people in the United States (2006 Census data).
76.5 = % of White people in Washington (2006 Census data).
81.0 = % of White people in Oregon (2006 Census data).
83.9 = % of White people in Indiana (2006 Census data).

Do the Sonics, Blazers, and Pacers tend to favor white American players because a larger than average % of their fans are white?

Help on the Way?

Here are a couple of college prospects who could be joining the All-White NBA team very soon…

SG/SF: Chase Budinger

Budinger is a sophomore at Arizona with serious hops and a solid outside shot. The dude is a phenomenal athlete: he has a 40+ inch vertical and was a standout volleyball player in high school. He was co-MVP (with Kevin Durant) of the 2006 McDonalds All-American game, so you know Budinger can play. He has had some big games this year against elite competition, which is a very good sign:

@Kansas – 27 points (10-23 FG), 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 6 threes @Memphis – 20 points (8-15 FG), 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 threes Washington St. – 22 points (6-11 FG), 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 threes

DraftExpress currently projects him to go #10 in their 2008 mock draft and suggests that he would excel playing for an uptempo team. He needs to bulk up a bit, but Chase’s athleticism would provide a huge boost for the All-White team. Imagine Dunleavy leading a fast-break with Budinger and David Lee running the wings! With Brent Barry ailing and aging, Budinger seems like the leading candidate to replace him.

PF: Kevin Love

The UCLA freshman is a little shorter (listed at 6-10 but probably 6-8) and heavier (slower) than you’d like for a big man, but his skill set is undeniable. Love has an excellent shooting touch and decent ball-handling skills for a big man. While he won’t out-jump anybody on the NBA level, he knows his way around the paint and has great hands and instincts to finish around the basket.

But my favorite thing about Love is his ability to ignite fast breaks with his killer outlet passes. That’s high praise from John Wooden! Let’s check out how he’s fared against some of the top teams in the nation:

@Michigan St. – 21 points (9-12 FT), 11 rebounds (8 off.), 3 assists
@Stanford – 15 points (4-7 FG, 7-8 FT), 7 rebounds, 2 turnovers
Wash. St. – 27 points (9-12 FG), 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 2 threes

DraftExpress projects Love to be picked #15 if he comes out for the 2008 NBA draft. I think he definitely has to lose some weight to play at the next level, but he’s a much better pro prospect than Tyler Hansbrough in my opinion. He has to prove that he can play with the big boys before joining the All-White team, but Nick Collison’s spot could be in jeopardy soon…

How would this team fare?

Let’s say some crazy organization actually decided to put this team together. If my All-White team actually existed and had an entire offseason to prepare together, how would they fare against the other teams in the NBA? Assuming they play a neutral conference (neither East nor West heavy), average strength schedule, how many games would they win?

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