Could Yao and T-Mac be All-Star Starters without ever playing?

SammyKid11 · #1 02-03-2006, 06:50 AM

This is pretty silly. The Rockets are dead last in the Western Conference, yet - like clockwork...40 percent of the All-Star starters come from Houston (and as some of you can attest, I'm a Houston and Dallas fan here).

Yao has played in just over half the games, put up solid yet unspectacular numbers on an awful team...sure, starting center.

And come on...really? McGrady's more qualified than Dirk Nowitzki AND Shawn Marion to start at, uh, forward? Both Dirk and Marion have better overall numbers than McGrady, have played in more games, and are helping to lead their teams to great and good records, respectively.

I'm not an idiot...I understand why this has happened. China votes in lock-step for their national icon, and I suspect there will come a day when Yao Ming is a seldom-used reserve on his own team yet starts for the All-Star team. McGrady is clearly a recipient of that spill-over effect...though he's certainly more worthy of the call this season than Yao (except for the fact that Yao has little competition for the "true" center position out west).

Nevertheless, something feels wrong about this. Thoughts?

Note: I'm not necessarily looking for a solution here, though if anyone has one that's great too.

maxsick · #2 02-03-2006, 06:58 AM

Obviously fan voting rarely reflects who is most deserving of the starting spot. However, the sports media will whine about "elitism" and "the fans pay the freight" if the voting was turned over to some sort of panel with coaches, players and whatnot (the whining would not be as loud if media members were part of this panel). But, in the long run, who cares? Let the fans feel like they are part of something. It is just a meaningless exhibition game, etc... I think Camby is more deserving of the starting spot than Yao but since he's injured Mehmet Okur might be the best option. Personally, I think they should start Tim Duncan at C and allow another one of the many deserving forwards in the Western Conference play.

SammyKid11 · #3 02-03-2006, 07:12 AM

Yeah, I agree with you about Duncan at the five...and also that both Camby and Okur are more deserving choices than Yao.

And I don't mind the fans being a "part" of something either. I wouldn't mind fan balloting making up half the decision, representative to the vote...like, say there were only two centers voted for by the fans -- Yao taking half 60% of the fan vote and Camby taking the other 40%. That would give them overall scores of 30 and 20...with the rest of the points decided by a cross-panel of media, coaches, current players, and former All-Stars. That would at least seem MORE fair to me, as would dropping the restrictions about positions -- the game is becoming more and more position-less. Maybe for starting rosters it should be more like 1 PG and a combination of 2-3 SG/SF's and 1-2 PF/C's.

I dunno...I largely agree that STARTING on the All-Star team means very little other than a popularity contest. However, MAKING the All-Star team does have important implications for these players. Being an All-Star makes a player more valuable, contract-wise...more marketable, endorsement-wise...more likely to be looked at for the Hall of Fame...and I'd also imagine it's an issue of personal goals for many players. Because of the inane fan vote this season, somebody deserving is going to get left off the roster altogether. And in 8-9 years, Yao might well find his numbers absolutely pathetic yet still get to start in the All-Star Game, which I believe will marginalize (and already has marginalized, to some extent) the event itself.

So I dunno...I do see certain ways where it's important to have a better result. I guess I'm fleshing out an answer on a solution as I write this -- I suppose I'd like to see power divided.

Dids · #4 02-03-2006, 12:06 PM

The fan voting in the NBA has been a joke for so long, I really wish they'd fix it. This is about the 300th straight year somebody who's either been horrible/hurt has made the all-star team.

roundmound · #5 02-03-2006, 03:24 PM

[ QUOTE ]
The fan voting in all sports has been a joke for so long, I really wish they'd fix it. This is about the 300th straight year somebody who's either been horrible/hurt has made the all-star team.

[/ QUOTE ]

Victor · #6 02-03-2006, 04:22 PM

i have always maintained that yao sucks and there are a ton of players i would prefer.

Aloysius · #7 02-03-2006, 04:43 PM

Sammy - good points. I think the League is a little backwards in its thinking about "giving the fans what they want". Rewarding players who are already astronomically popular doesn't help the League nearly as much as exposing a national audience to potential new stars IMO. So you don't see Mcgrady for one weekend, who cares? Like that's gonna impact his Q rating or popularity.

That's why I've always felt the coaches (maybe the press too like with regular season awards) should just decide.

-Al

behemoth2006 · #8 02-03-2006, 04:55 PM

MaGrady is amazing, and would deserve to go without a doubt if he wasnt hobbles like an old man. He should rest. The Rockets arent an awful team, were the panthers an awful team just because they got blown out? They had injuries, that is all.

As far as Yao, I hate him. He never actually tries to play ball, especially when it comes to rebounds, he swats at them with one hand like a middle schooler, Im ashamed he's in the game, he really really shouldn't be.

OneChipWarrior · #9 02-03-2006, 05:02 PM

Rockets are probably the only team the chinese or whatever Yao is watch. Their 5.5 billion votes probably sway things in the Rockets favor.

Huskiez · #10 02-03-2006, 05:05 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Rockets are probably the only team the chinese or whatever Yao is watch. Their 5.5 billion votes probably sway things in the Rockets favor.

[/ QUOTE ]

I know China's votes clearly have an impact, but why isn't the Rockets roster starting for the West then?