All Star Weakend

From http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10260107/coast-coast-injuries-impacting-all-star-rosters

JA Adande: Are you as concerned as I am that All-Star Weekend will be short on actual All-Stars? We're looking at Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook all potentially missing the game because of injuries and an Eastern Conference roster stocked with players who wouldn't even make an All-Division team if they played in the West (and if there were such a thing as an All-Division team).

With that in mind I have to disagree with Kobe's suggestion that fans should cast their ballots elsewhere and vote for youngsters like Damian Lillard instead of himself.

Israel Gutierrez: I'd rather see a young, up-and-coming player like Lillard compete against the very best and see where he stands. I trust we'll see Kobe -- a deserving Kobe -- in the next two All-Star Games, so there's no need to play him just for nostalgia purposes. If you want a great quote, let Kobe be a guest color analyst. You want a broken nose, let Wade play against any other player who takes the game seriously. But no need to force in Kobe.

 

Should the NBA do what the NFL pro bowl is doing this year? They have a draft where each team is compromised of both NFC and AFC players. If the All Star game was truly a game of the NBA's best 30 players (two 15 player rosters), how many Eastern Conference Players would play?

 

The notion that the All-Star game is a barometer for how stars stack up against each other means either that Gutierrez nearly spit his drink up typing that, or he really is a delusional panderer of the 24/7 sports network.

 

Aptly named thread. It's weak all right.

 

I'd say 6 or 7, but only because Brook is injured. Miami's big three are still great, Indy's big three are all worth an all star nod, and Deron still doesn't suck.

 

I thought the same after reading the thread title.

 

Kobe is dead right on to say what he said. I'm no fan of the man but he is saying what needs to be said. Kobe or Nash should never be in the conversation this season

 

The All Star teams only have 12 player rosters. Unless someone is hurt and can't play.

 

This was actually the most obnoxious part of that whole JA Adande Kobe infatuation, vomit inducing diatribe:

While Kobe, who's played all of six games this season, has never been less deserving of a spot on the [All Star] team, his presence has never been more needed. He's still popular (only LeBron and Kevin Durant received more votes in the early balloting) and he's the guy who plays the hardest in these glorified pickup games, forcing everyone else to elevate their effort.

Let Lillard take the spot of another injured player. If you care to see a compelling game, you want Kobe on that court, you need Kobe on that court.

And Portland fans get a bad rap for being soccer moms? lol This crap coming from a "National Media" guy... aka Laker Homer.

 

If you only play in six games, you don't deserve to be in the All-Star game. Sorry. No. I think Kobe understands that.

 

I don't get what you seem to be so upset about? Adande said Kobe "has never been less deserving of a spot." Kobe is the guy who historically has played the hardest in the All Star game and I want to see people play hard in the All Star game.

 

I want to see people in the A* game that deserve to be there.

 

I see what you did there. You stopped reading at "less deserving". He's making a case for Kobe playing, despite him only playing 6 games this season.

I seem upset to you? It's hilarious to me.