Midweek Musings: All-Stars and NO on Joe
January 7, 2009 by Evil E
This week I unveil my All-Star picks and explain why you shouldn’t vote for Joe Alexander.
Last time I pondered why Paul Millsap fell so far in the 2006 Draft and why General Managers aren’t held more accountable for their decisions. This week, there’s even bigger fish to fry (David Stern?).
But first, my homey Ted asked who my starting lineups would be for this year’s All-Star game, so I went to NBA.com and voted. Here are my selections:
Eastern Conference
G- Dwyane Wade
G- Joe Johnson
F- LeBron James
F- Kevin Garnett
C- Dwight Howard
Picking the Eastern Conference team was pretty easy for me, and in fact, Ted and I selected the same lineup. QUESTION: How can you front on a Dwyane Wade / Joe Johnson backcourt? ANSWER: You can’t. Both players are doing it all for their teams and deserve to start. At point guard, I think that Devin Harris, Rajon Rondo, and (to a lesser extent) Jameer Nelson all deserve consideration as backups. Ray Allen should edge out Vince Carter as the top reserve shooting guard, but does he deserve to make the team over Rondo?
At forward, it was really tough to leave out Chris Bosh, but KG continues to anchor that Boston defense while Toronto is well under .500. However, Bosh and Danny Granger should make the squad as reserves or something is seriously wrong. Is there any question who the starting center should be? Dwight Howard is head and shoulders above EVERYONE, and I’m not even sure who I would choose to back him up. Zydrunas Ilgauskas has probably been the 2nd best center in the East, but he’s currently injured and might not be able to play. I suppose Rasheed Wallace is next in line, since Al Horford has to improve just a little bit more before reaching the coveted All-Star status.
Western Conference
G- Chris Paul
G- Kobe Bryant
F- Andrei Kirilenko
F- Tim Duncan
C- Shaquille O’Neal
Choosing the Western Conference backcourt starters should be pretty easy for most people (except for the million plus bozos who think that Tracy McGrady is more deserving than Chris Paul). Brandon Roy is a shoo-in for the reserves, but who else should go? I’ll give the nod to Steve Nash over Tony Parker, while Jason Kidd and Jason Terry cancel each other out (I think the Jet is more deserving).
The Western Conference frontcourt is where things get interesting. Tim Duncan currently leads all vote-getters at forward, and I think the majority have it right in this case. I mean, Manu Ginobili is STILL working his way back from his bum ankle & foot, while Tony Parker missed 3 weeks with his own injury. And yet, the Spurs still have one of the top records in the West. Could Nowitzki carry Dallas without Kidd & Terry? I don’t think so.
He’s started just 3 games for his own team this season, but I think that Andrei Kirilenko deserves to start in the All-Star game. He outplays his opponents on a nightly basis and he’s held Utah steady despite serious injuries to Deron Williams & Carlos Boozer. His versatility on defense is invaluable, and frankly, I would love to see him try and shut LeBron down in an All-Star setting (impossible I know, but if anyone has a chance, it’s AK-47). I’ll go with Dirk and Amare as my reserve forwards.
At center, I think that Shaq deserves the starting nod over Yao Ming. A lot of people had written off the Diesel, but he’s proven that he’s still got it. He can still overpower opponents on the offensive end, and he makes a bigger imact on defense than Nash or Amare. Yao has certainly been solid for Houston, but Phoenix has the better record, and if you check out Yao’s split stats, you’ll see that he’s averaging just 15.4 points and 1.1 blocks on 42.9% FG shooting in the Rockets’ 14 losses this season (he needs to step it up). Al Jefferson has also been great, but he’ll probably have to wait another year due to his team’s terrible record.
Vote NO on Joe
Joe Alexander is intriguing. A 6-foot-8 white guy who speaks fluent Mandarin and has a 40 inch vertical? Tell me more. Just don’t let me see him in this year’s Slam Dunk contest. As you all know by now, we the fans get to choose one of this year’s participants by going here to vote. The choices are: Joe Alexander, Rudy Fernandez, and Russell Westbrook.
If you check out the site SeeJoeDunk.com (powered by Bucks.com), you’ll see that Joe Alexander is doing a fine job campaigning for your vote. As a relatively unknown NBA player on a losing team in a small market (Milwaukee), it’s easy to understand why he and the Bucks are going to great lengths to get him in the All-Star spotlight. And I’m here to tell you why you shouldn’t vote for him.
Joe Alexander hasn’t played much this season (only 6 games with 20+ minutes) because his game is still very raw. He’s only been playing organized basketball for 5-6 years, so the Bucks didn’t draft him #8 overall in ‘08 because of his current skill set. They drafted him dreaming about his upside, hoping he’ll turn into something special. And I can see it now… if he wins this year’s dunk contest he’ll be the “Great White Hope” (Hype?).
I’m not trying to hate on the 22-year old, because Rudy Fernandez & Russell Westbrook are rookies as well. But those guys have already proven to me that they belong in the NBA. Fernandez has achieved success at the highest levels in Europe (numerous championships and MVP awards) and International play (Silver in the ‘08 Olympics, Gold in the ‘06 World Championships), and his adjustment to the NBA has gone smoothly. The guy can ball, period.
It took Westbrook a little while longer to prove himself, but after watching him play, there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s a legit NBA starter. The guy is a freak athlete, but unlike Alexander, we’ve seen how his athleticism translates in the NBA. His first step is superb and his lateral quickness is excellent, allowing him to get to the basket and blow by defenders easily. He has the strength to go against bigger players and the hops to jump over them if need be. Those tools coupled with his long wingspan allow him to be a force on both ends of the floor, and he’s made a positive impact even as a rookie with plenty of room for improvement.
On the other hand, Joe Alexander hasn’t proven anything in the NBA. He’s not really big enough to play power forward, and he hasn’t shown that he’s quick and skilled enough to play small forward. When he HAS played, he’s usually been seriously outmatched. Should all of this even matter? Hell YES. The guy should be practicing the skills he needs to improve for him to succeed at this level, not what dunks he needs to do to get a “50″ from the judges.
And now I’d like to bring in my evidence…
Harold Miner
Labeled “Baby Jordan” in high school, Miner went on to star at USC, where he averaged 20.6 points on 47.2% FG shooting as a freshman. In his junior year, his scoring was up to 26.3 points per game, but he averaged a meager 1.3 assists and his field goal shooting had fallen to 43.8%. His Trojans were a #2 seed in the NCAA tournament that year, but they lost in the 2nd round.
So Miner declared for the NBA Draft, where he was chosen #12 overall in ‘92 by the Miami Heat (before Doug Christie, Latrell Sprewell, and PJ Brown). In his rookie year, Miner averaged just 17.6 minutes before the All-Star break, but he was chosen to be a Slam Dunk participant anyway. He won the contest that year, which resulted in instant fame and glory.
In his 2nd year, Miner’s stats were virtually identical to his rookie season (he hadn’t improved). In his 3rd season (’94-95) he was terrible (he shot 40% from the field and averaged just 7.3 points in 19.4 minutes), but he competed in the Dunk Contest again and won a 2nd title. When the season ended, he was traded to Cleveland. The Cavs played him in 19 games the following season before waiving him (after a failed attempt to trade him) on February 20th, 1996.
When he failed to make an NBA squad the next season, he retired from basketball completely. “Baby Jordan” averaged 9 points per game for his NBA career and made $5.3 million in 3 1/2 seasons before calling it quits. George Raveling, his former coach at USC once said, “I always felt the worst thing to happen to Harold was the ‘Baby Jordan’ tag.”
That’s understandable, as any basketball player who has ever been compared to Jordan has received an ego boost that usually does more harm than good (just ask Joseph Forte). But if that was the worst thing that happened to Miner, then allowing him to compete in the Dunk Contest as an unproven rookie was the 2nd-worst thing, because it probably stroked his ego, alienated his coaches and teammates, and allowed him to ignore his weaknesses. Harold Miner thought that he could get by on his jumping and dunking abilities alone, which is why he didn’t last long.
Gerald Green
Thirteen years after Miner was picked by the Heat, Gerald Green was drafted straight out of high school by the Boston Celtics, #18 overall in 2005. He spent most of his rookie year in the D-League, playing a total of just 374 NBA minutes. In ‘06-07, Green averaged only 19.9 minutes and 9.3 points before the All-Star break, but he was chosen to compete in the 2007 Slam Dunk contest, which he won. After the break, Green shot just 40.2% from the field and 29.8% from beyond the arc.
In July of 2007, Green was traded to Minnesota, where we would play a total of just 358 minutes in 29 games for them. Still, he was allowed to compete in the Dunk contest again, where he was beat out by Dwight Howard. I must confess: I really liked his Cupcake dunk last year, but I’ve never been a fan of Gerald Green. Just from his body language and the way he wears his headband, I can tell that he’s another guy with a big ego who’s spent too much time dunking and not enough time working on fundamentals.
In February of 2008, Green was traded to Houston, where he played just 1 game before being released (I wonder what happened there). In July, Green signed a 1-year deal with Dallas. He got off to a decent start but quickly fell out of Rick Carlisle’s rotation, and has played a TOTAL of just 6 minutes in their last 17 games. I’m guessing that the Mavs won’t re-sign him, so if he’s still in the league next year, it will likely be with his 5th team in 5 seasons. How many teams are going to take a flier on this guy before they realize what Dunk Contests have done to him?
Conclusion
I’m not saying that Joe Alexander is going to end up like Harold Miner or Gerald Green. What I’m saying is that I don’t want to see any more young and unproven athletes (notice how I said athletes and not basketball players) get a chance to stroke their egos (and potentially ruin their careers) when they haven’t proven anything yet in the NBA. Why is David Stern rewarding these raw talents? The All-Star game celebrates the best players in the world, and the festivities that surround it (the Slam Dunk and 3-Point Contests) should showcase proven players as well. If proving yourself in the NBA doesn’t matter, then let’s bring in this guy and this guy and let them compete.
Dwight Howard has proven that he’s not only a great player but that he wants to get better and be remembered as a legend. Rudy Gay had a breakout season last year and Nate Robinson has shown that he belongs in this league. Rudy Fernandez is the real deal and Russell Westbrook has a really bright future. Joe Alexander? We just don’t know yet, which is why he shouldn’t participate. VOTE NO ON JOE!
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No way Z is the 2nd best C in the East. Emeka Okafor has been a far better shooter (although he gets way fewer looks with Felton Jacking up 15 shots a night at 39%), defender, and rebounder.
Oh, and how about Gerald Wallace for an unknown dunk contest winner who went on to be a pretty decent player?
If we're talking fantasy stats, then yes, Okafor has been better. But I'm talking about effectiveness, and LeBron isn't the only reason the Cavs are tied with the Lakers for the BEST RECORD IN THE NBA. A far better shooter? Hardly. Most of Okafor's shots are within close range, whereas Big Z actually shoots a lot of jumpers (and makes them at a high rate I might add) and forces opposing centers like Okafor to stray away from the basket where they're less effective. A better rebounder and defender? Yeah, I'll give Okafor that, but Ilgauskas is no slouch on the defensive end, while their offensive games are miles apart (the Bobcats are a better offensive team when Emeka is OFF the floor). Okafor is racking up stats on a crappy team because the rest of Charlotte's big men are garbage (not including Diaw, who is more finesse), whereas Big Z is making an impact on both ends of the floor for a team that has won over 80% of their games. Which guy deserves to start in the All-Star game?
As for Gerald Wallace umm, he never won the dunk contest, but yes, of COURSE there are going to be unproven players who compete in the contest and still go on to have solid careers. Since you seem to like Charlotte players, we can talk about Jason Richardson. That guy was as raw as they come when he came into the league, and was basically a 1-dimensional dunker as a rookie. But he worked hard every offseason and improved certain areas of his game every year, and now he's one of the best 3-point shooters in the league.
But J-Rich had that drive to get better and maximize his potential. A lot of young players who have gotten by on their athleticism don't have that drive. And when you glorify their dunking skills immediately by letting them shine in the All-Star weekend Slam Dunk contest before they've proven themselves, you're not doing their long-term careers any favors. Go ahead and vote for Mr. Alexander. He might wow everyone and win it all… and then we'll see what happens to him.
AK-47! That's wild. Me and Jeeves were trying to figure out who deserved to make the team last night. AK-47 didn't even cross my mind, as even a reserve let alone a starter….We were thinking Milsap before AK. That dude has been a BEAST since he has been a starter.
What about Gasol? His numbers have been solid all year…
I give Nene big props too. 14/7 on 86.7% shooting. He's no joke…
Where'd you get 82.7 from, man? I see 62% for the year.
I'm guessing he was joking about Nene's high FG%, but I do think that both Millsap & Nene are more deserving of an All-Star bid than Okafor is.
I like your commentary on Joe Alexander. I agree that the hype destroyed Harold Miner's career. I think a little bit of this is the chicken/egg argument. These guys are all athletes who made it to the NBA on athletic potential, sort of like this enormous stiff Patrick O'Bryant that is on the Celtics right now. They aren't basketball players in the sense that Steve Kerr, Robert Horry, or Brent Barry are- guys who can still help a team despite being the least athletic people on the floor.
I agree that it is bad for the players and bad for the league to give these untalented players this type of exposure. The casual fan should not know who Gerald Green is, for example. He has the transcendent ability to be A) The most athletic guy on the court every night and B) Possess three-point range and STILL be unable to even come close to helping a basketball team. If I wanted to watch athletic guys run and jump I'd watch gymnastics or track and field, but I watch basketball to watch basketball players. In GG's case I'd literally be willing to bet money that he isn't even literate, that is how confident I am in his lack of brainpower. There is no reason why his celebrity status should be elevated by the league because he will NEVER make it in the NBA.
As far as your all-star picks go, I'm wondering if we'll see some first timers this year. Devin Harris comes to mind. I like the props you gave to AK47, he is a surprising and deserving pick. Seems like not too long ago they would've dumped him for anything. I would like to see Bibby get in there, too, since ATL has been so good but he probably is a fringe pick at this point. I wonder if Biedrins has a shot at the west team? It'd have to be as an injury replacement I think. I really hope that someone can pass Amare, he looks like a little kid who got his toys taken away this year. He is such a baby and I don't want to see him get all-star recognition. T-Mac is obviously a joke in the west and is a great reason why fans shouldn't vote for these games. An even bigger reason would be if the Chairman overtakes KG in the East for the starting position. Yao over Shaq was already a joke for years until very recently. I also wonder what people think about Jason Kidd as an all-star? I think he deserves it. Kobe, Kidd, Paul, and Roy. Dude is made for all-star games, anyways.
Good stuff RBAej. But don't forget that Horry and Barry were both extremely athletic when they came into the league. I see your point tho how they can still help teams post-35 years old when their athleticism has dwindled.
Critics of my Joe Alexander commentary may point out that Barry himself was allowed to compete in the Slam Dunk contest as a rookie and he WON IT, but I'll point out that "Bones" had proven that he belonged in the NBA by that point: 22.3 minutes, 9.8 points, 3.1 assists to just 1.5 turnovers, 1.6 threes, 48.5% FG, 44.2% 3P before the All-Star break his rookie season.
Ouch on Gerald GReen's lack of brainpower!
I love that Biedrins is getting attention and obviously I'm very pleased with his improvements this season, but I don't think he deserves to be an All-Star. Fact of the matter is, for every monster game that he has, he gives one up on the other end. All-Stars don't let that happen.