2015 All Star Weekend Thread

[skip20]

Rising Stars winning team - USA
Shooting stars winner: - Team Westbrook
Skills challenge winner - Isaiah Thomas
3pt comp winner - Kyle Korver
Dunk comp winner - Zach Lavine
ASG winning Team - West
ASG MVP - Klay Thompson

 

[drob50]

Rising Stars winning team - USA
Shooting stars winner: - Team Westbrook
Skills challenge winner - Isaiah Thomas
3pt comp winner - Kyle Korver
Dunk comp winner - Zach Lavine
ASG winning Team - West
ASG MVP - Carmelo Anthony

Interesting.... Melo to win MVP in a losing team?? Hasn't been done since Magic in 1990 and that was more of a sympathy award.

 

[skip20]

Interesting.... Melo to win MVP in a losing team?? Hasn't been done since Magic in 1990 and that was more of a sympathy award.

Hmm, very, very good point...... I'm now going with Klay Thompson! Original post amended!

 

[muzzy66]

Call me a old-school, but I'm so bored of all this "rookie only" dunk comps.

I miss the old days when the dunk comps would feature the NBA's best and most creative dunkers, no matter the age/experience. Now days every dunk comp is a bunch of young dudes I've never heard of, and the dunks are judged more by what props they use than the actual dunks themselves. In today's dunk comps a Vince Carter rim-hang dunk would get beaten by a some rookie who does a cartwheel, takes a bite out of a cake, and then does a totally regular one handed game dunk.

Or a guy who does a standard two handed dunk...while wearing a 3M clown suit.

 

[MattWasGF4L]

Korver named to replace injured Wade.

 

[nenjabin]

Yeah Kyle! My Boy!

 

[muzzy66]

I have to say this decision left me more than a little...confused.

I mean no disrespect to Korver - the man obviously has some game and no question he's big a big part of Atlanta's success...but Korver is averaging 13 Points, 4 rebounds and 2.5 assists this year in about 33 minutes and he's not exactly known for being an elite defender (which often gets overlooked). Are they really star (let alone All-Star) numbers?

In the east you have guys like:

Nikola Vucevic (19 pts, 11 reb)
Tobias Harris (17.4 pts, 6.6 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl)
Greg Monroe (15.4 pts, 10.5 reb, 2 ast)
Al Jefferson (17.5 pts, 8.5 reb, 1.3 blk)
Joe Johnson (15.6 pts, 4.5 reb, 3.7 ast)
Brook Lopez (15.4 pts, 6.2 reb, 1.7 blk)
Jared Sullinger (14.4 pts, 8 reb, 2.4 ast)
Andre Drummond (12.6 pts, 13 reb, 1.8 blk, 1 stl)

Surely you woudl have to think just about every player on that list has had better individual seasons then Korver has? I just can't help but feel the only reason Korver has been voted to the team this year is because the Hawks have the best record in the East, and so he is the token "extra Hawks guy". Considering he is essentially a one-dimensional role player (his only really great talent is his shooting ability) there is no way he's an All-Star calibre player! Making him an All-Star would be somewhat like making Steve Kerr an All-Star in the Jordan days...or making Derek Fisher an All-Star in 2009. I just don't get it.

Again I have to reiterate that I have nothing at all against Korver, he's obviously great at what he does (much like Battier was on defence) but I just always believed that All-Star is supposed to be about individual achievements rather than how good your team is.

 

[drob50]

I have to say this decision left me more than a little...confused.

I mean no disrespect to Korver - the man obviously has some game and no question he's big a big part of Atlanta's success...but Korver is averaging 13 Points, 4 rebounds and 2.5 assists this year in about 33 minutes and he's not exactly known for being an elite defender (which often gets overlooked). Are they really star (let alone All-Star) numbers?

In the east you have guys like:

Nikola Vucevic (19 pts, 11 reb)
Tobias Harris (17.4 pts, 6.6 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl)
Greg Monroe (15.4 pts, 10.5 reb, 2 ast)
Al Jefferson (17.5 pts, 8.5 reb, 1.3 blk)
Joe Johnson (15.6 pts, 4.5 reb, 3.7 ast)
Brook Lopez (15.4 pts, 6.2 reb, 1.7 blk)
Jared Sullinger (14.4 pts, 8 reb, 2.4 ast)
Andre Drummond (12.6 pts, 13 reb, 1.8 blk, 1 stl)

Surely you woudl have to think just about every player on that list has had better individual seasons then Korver has? I just can't help but feel the only reason Korver has been voted to the team this year is because the Hawks have the best record in the East, and so he is the token "extra Hawks guy". Considering he is essentially a one-dimensional role player (his only really great talent is his shooting ability) there is no way he's an All-Star calibre player! Making him an All-Star would be somewhat like making Steve Kerr an All-Star in the Jordan days...or making Derek Fisher an All-Star in 2009. I just don't get it.

Again I have to reiterate that I have nothing at all against Korver, he's obviously great at what he does (much like Battier was on defence) but I just always believed that All-Star is supposed to be about individual achievements rather than how good your team is.

Couldn't disagree more!

Korver is making big shots that are contested and doing so at a high %, but that is irrelevant. The reason why the Hawks are cruising is because if the impact Korver has on defenses by stretching them. He is the reason Millsap and Horford are doing well.

Stats don't lie, but there is a lot more to basketball than what gets recorded on paper. The Hawks are doing what the Spurs have done for years now, using the whole court, going good to great. Pop taught Coach Bud well!

 

[muzzy66]

I totally get that, but that's exactly my point.

Is he a big reason for their success? Sure.

Is he a "star"? Absolutely not.

As you just outlined yourself, the one and only thing he brings to the team is shooting - and by definition that makes him a role player.

Absolutely not denying his value to the team, but as I said the All Star game afaik is all about individual achievements.

To me it all comes down to this. If Lebron was putting up the same numbers on a bad team, would he still be an All Star? Absolutely, you can be sure of that because Durant's team is outv of the playoffs right now AND he's playing worse than usual and he still made the team. individual achievements / statistics got him there.

If Korver was putting up the same numbers on a bad team, would he still have made the team? I think we all know the answer to that is certainly not.

When it comes to ask star games I don't think that's right. The game is supposed to honour the greatest stars in the game and Korver is no star - that's why he's never come close to making the team in the past, despite always putting up pretty similar per-36 numbers.

Bruce Bowen and Tony Allen, through their defenc, have had a huge impact on the Spurs and Grizzlies teams they have played for...but how many all star games did they make? None.

 

[BruzDB]

Matthew Dellavedova added to the Rising Stars game

 

[drob50]

I totally get that, but that's exactly my point.

Is he a big reason for their success? Sure.

Is he a "star"? Absolutely not.

As you just outlined yourself, the one and only thing he brings to the team is shooting - and by definition that makes him a role player.

Absolutely not denying his value to the team, but as I said the All Star game afaik is all about individual achievements.

To me it all comes down to this. If Lebron was putting up the same numbers on a bad team, would he still be an All Star? Absolutely, you can be sure of that because Durant's team is outv of the playoffs right now AND he's playing worse than usual and he still made the team. individual achievements / statistics got him there.

If Korver was putting up the same numbers on a bad team, would he still have made the team? I think we all know the answer to that is certainly not.

When it comes to ask star games I don't think that's right. The game is supposed to honour the greatest stars in the game and Korver is no star - that's why he's never come close to making the team in the past, despite always putting up pretty similar per-36 numbers.

Bruce Bowen and Tony Allen, through their defenc, have had a huge impact on the Spurs and Grizzlies teams they have played for...but how many all star games did they make? None.

The coaches picks this year and in many recent years have been about rewarding good play, and in many cases, fundamental play, not necessarily "star qualities". See Timmy D's pick this year.

While I think you are correct based on what the game was intended to be, I think the Korver pick in exactly right, in line with the way they are selecting in recent times!

 

[muzzy66]

I'm still annoyed about the year D Rose got voted MVP - never understood that. Based on the literal definition of the award (Most Valuable Player) I don't believe he was even remotely close to the 'Most Valuable' player in the league that season. The Bulls record barely suffered in the regular season after Rose was lost to injury, and they still made a decent playoff run.

On the other hand if you looked at the Clippers without CP3 that year (or the Magic without Howard, for that matter) you'd be looking at lottery teams. I guess it's their league so they can vote whoever they wish for these honours, but I guess I'm just a bit old school and I like to see it called as it is.

I'm just a grumpy old man haaha (tho I'm not that old lol)

 

[MattWasGF4L]

@ESPNSteinLine: Another bummer: Hearing that the ailing Anthony Davis is being ruled out of All-Star Weekend



@ESPNSteinLine: Reminder: Adam Silver will pick Anthony Davis' replacement; Steve Kerr will pick who takes The Brow's place in the starting lineup

 

[muzzy66]

Unbelievable!!

Is it just me or has the number of injuries to key players gone absolutely through the roof the last couple of years, and especially this year?

I don't think I've ever seen 4 injury replacements in an All-Star game, and it seems like almost all the big names have been hurt at some point this year.

Aside from Kobe, it seems to be all young guys too. Most off he old Vets (Paul Pierce, Joe Johnson, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan) have been more or less running as normal. It's all the younger guys like Lebron, Durant, George, Davis, Rondo (etc) that seem to be getting major injuries.

Are these young guys not training right or pushed themselves too hard? Surely this can't be a coincidence.

 

[WoobieZarz]

Reading that Dirk will get the call-up as replacement of injured Anthony Davis.

 

[drob50]

Reading that Dirk will get the call-up as replacement of injured Anthony Davis.

PLEASE let this be true!
I don't want Deandre Jordan getting it! lol

 

[WoobieZarz]

PLEASE let this be true!
I don't want Deandre Jordan getting it! lol

Oh it's true! Apparently Doc Rivers think's it's the end of the world, lol! But even DJ has said he's happy, since he's paid for a flight back to Houston for a break, and the flights are non refundable - yeah cos he's going to miss a few hundred bucks, and all!!

 

[drob50]

Oh it's true! Apparently Doc Rivers think's it's the end of the world, lol! But even DJ has said he's happy, since he's paid for a flight back to Houston for a break, and the flights are non refundable - yeah cos he's going to miss a few hundred bucks, and all!!

This is the guy that beats his chest after a dunk when he is down by 25, so yeah, he is known to celebrate small victories! lol

 

[MattWasGF4L]

Rising Stars winning team: World
Shooting stars winner: Team Curry
Skills challenge winner: Michael Carter-Williams if he is in it otherwise Jeff Teague (MCW not in USA v World?)
3pt comp winner: Kyrie Irving
Dunk comp winner: Victor Oladipo
ASG winning Team: East
ASG MVP: Kyrie Irving

 

[MattWasGF4L]

Prediction time fellas!!

I got an auto for the closest. Just copy and paste the below and write your answers next to each field.

Rising Stars winning team - (USA or World)
Shooting stars winner: - (Team Bosh, Team Curry, Team Westbrook or Team Davis)
Skills challenge winner - (Thomas, Wall, MCW, Teague, Burke, Knight, Butler or Lowry)
3pt comp winner - (Matthews, Reddick, Harden, Irving, Curry, Thompson, Korver or Belinelli)
Dunk comp winner - (Antetokounmpo, Oladipo, Lavin or Plumlee)
ASG winning Team - (East or West)
ASG MVP - (Not listing all players)


Rising Stars winning team:
Shooting stars winner:
Skills challenge winner:
3pt comp winner:
Dunk comp winner:
ASG winning Team:
ASG MVP:

so glad you didn't include the celeb game in there Adam!