KG may not start All-Star game

[Slugger]

Hey all.

Just looking at the latest (4th) returns, and i see that KG has only a 160,000 vote lead over Yi Jianlian.

Is it plausible that Yi could overtake KG?  And, if he did, what would the reaction be like in the US?

I can understand them voting Yao as he is arguably a top 10 talent in the league, but voting Yi?

Say it aint so.

[wdleehi]

Honestly, I hope so.


I rather see the three stars get a break over All-Star weekend.

[ACF]

Make sure this thread is seen in China
and Yi will easily beat KG to it.

[LarBrd33]

Honestly, I hope so.


I rather see the three stars get a break over All-Star weekend.

You think the fan voting would prevent KG from being an all-star?  It's not like he'd play any less if he was coming off the bench in that game.

[illantari]

At this point I think my ideal All Star situation would be if KG, PP, and Ray all got nominated and all decided not to go (with some totally legitimate sounding excuse), and then have Rondo put in as Ray's replacement or something.  Honestly, he's the only one I'd like to see at All Star weekend if only to get him an All Star accolade.  The rest of them I think should take a few days off to go sit in a spa somewhere or something.

[BigAlTheFuture]

I wouldn't be surprise if Yi made it over Garnett. The Chinese loves their basketball players.

[idrinkdetergent]

As much as I want them all to be allstars I wouldnt be upset with them resting and getting time off to make another run late in the season a little more fresh.

[LarBrd33]

It doesn't matter who starts.  Obviously KG will be an allstar.   

Who starts the game is irrelevant.  Vince Carter use to start every year...  Yao use to start over Shaq.  Fans = stupid

[celticmaestro]

If this happens it will trigger one of two things. 1 - the NBA will finally change All-Star selection methods or 2 - the world will realize that they can vote actual trash into the All-Star game.

Let's get Scal involved.

[cordobes]

Honestly, I hope so.

I rather see the three stars get a break over All-Star weekend.

Me too. I think one of PP or KG will have to play though, as they both missed last season.

If this happens it will trigger one of two things. 1 - the NBA will finally change All-Star selection methods

Why? The ASG is about the players the fans want to watch. It's not a meritocracy. To select the best players there are the All-NBA teams.

I'm very well aware of the dangers of the democracy in the political realm (the tyranny of the majority and all that jazz). In an exhibition basketball game? Let the fans pick who they want.

[celticmaestro]

Honestly, I hope so.

I rather see the three stars get a break over All-Star weekend.

Me too. I think one of PP or KG will have to play though, as they both missed last season.

If this happens it will trigger one of two things. 1 - the NBA will finally change All-Star selection methods

Why? The ASG is about the players the fans want to watch. It's not a meritocracy. To select the best players there are the All-NBA teams.

I'm very well aware of the dangers of the democracy in the political realm (the tyranny of the majority and all that jazz). In an exhibition basketball game? Let the fans pick who they want.

I don't think I'm alone in thinking the ASG selection is BS. It's stupid. And if Yi makes the team it will be an insult to the game.

[cordobes]

Honestly, I hope so.

I rather see the three stars get a break over All-Star weekend.

Me too. I think one of PP or KG will have to play though, as they both missed last season.

If this happens it will trigger one of two things. 1 - the NBA will finally change All-Star selection methods

Why? The ASG is about the players the fans want to watch. It's not a meritocracy. To select the best players there are the All-NBA teams.

I'm very well aware of the dangers of the democracy in the political realm (the tyranny of the majority and all that jazz). In an exhibition basketball game? Let the fans pick who they want.

I don't think I'm alone in thinking the ASG selection is BS. It's stupid. And if Yi makes the team it will be an insult to the game.

Why is it stupid? Yi is a very popular player among fans; the ASG has always been about popularity - Kobe was voted when he was a 7/4 bench player or something, Shaq was voted when he was injured and was yet to play more than a couple of games, etc.

I see no reason why the ASG should be another version of the All-NBA teams (maybe because I care so little about the game that I don't even remember the last time I watched it).

[Steve Weinman]

Honestly, I hope so.

I rather see the three stars get a break over All-Star weekend.

Me too. I think one of PP or KG will have to play though, as they both missed last season.

If this happens it will trigger one of two things. 1 - the NBA will finally change All-Star selection methods

Why? The ASG is about the players the fans want to watch. It's not a meritocracy. To select the best players there are the All-NBA teams.

I'm very well aware of the dangers of the democracy in the political realm (the tyranny of the majority and all that jazz). In an exhibition basketball game? Let the fans pick who they want.

I don't think I'm alone in thinking the ASG selection is BS. It's stupid. And if Yi makes the team it will be an insult to the game.

CM, I shared your sentiment about this sort of thing for a long time - and I certainly understand it - but over the last couple of years I've moved over to the way of thinking cordobes is espousing above.  

I've accepted that the game means next to nothing and certainly far less than any of the 82 games that each team plays all season, not to mention the playoffs.  Ultimately, in a sports culture where fans so often become 37th-class citizens, this is an event where the NBA gives the fans a substantive amount of control.  If I'm going to complain about the way fans are treated in general (which I do), it seems unfair for me to do the same when the league lets the fans have its way.  As far as the starters are concerned, it's more a popularity contest than it is a selection of basketball merit, and if that's what the people want, so be it.  As long as it's a game with minimal if any significance, fine with me.

When they start using fan votes to select the 16 playoff teams, I'll be singing a different tune.  For now, I've got no problem with the system as it stands.

-sw

[Roy Hobbs]

Honestly, I hope so.

I rather see the three stars get a break over All-Star weekend.

Me too. I think one of PP or KG will have to play though, as they both missed last season.

If this happens it will trigger one of two things. 1 - the NBA will finally change All-Star selection methods

Why? The ASG is about the players the fans want to watch. It's not a meritocracy. To select the best players there are the All-NBA teams.

I'm very well aware of the dangers of the democracy in the political realm (the tyranny of the majority and all that jazz). In an exhibition basketball game? Let the fans pick who they want.

I don't think I'm alone in thinking the ASG selection is BS. It's stupid. And if Yi makes the team it will be an insult to the game.

CM, I shared your sentiment about this sort of thing for a long time - and I certainly understand it - but over the last couple of years I've moved over to the way of thinking cordobes is espousing above.  

I've accepted that the game means next to nothing and certainly far less than any of the 82 games that each team plays all season, not to mention the playoffs.  Ultimately, in a sports culture where fans so often become 37th-class citizens, this is an event where the NBA gives the fans a substantive amount of control.  If I'm going to complain about the way fans are treated in general (which I do), it seems unfair for me to do the same when the league lets the fans have its way.  As far as the starters are concerned, it's more a popularity contest than it is a selection of basketball merit, and if that's what the people want, so be it.  As long as it's a game with minimal if any significance, fine with me.

When they start using fan votes to select the 16 playoff teams, I'll be singing a different tune.  For now, I've got no problem with the system as it stands.

-sw

The question, I guess, is does the NBA want to appeal to Chinese fans at the expense of American ones?  And does allowing a player to start for no other reason than race / nationality send the right message?

I know the NBA wants to market globally, but I wonder if they want Yi making a mockery of the game.  If all-star votes were restricted to North America only, or if overseas votes were weighted to count less, would that offend anybody so much?

[cordobes]

The question, I guess, is does the NBA want to appeal to Chinese fans at the expense of American ones?  And does allowing a player to start for no other reason than race / nationality send the right message?

I know the NBA wants to market globally, but I wonder if they want Yi making a mockery of the game.  If all-star votes were restricted to North America only, or if overseas votes were weighted to count less, would that offend anybody so much?

When Kobe was voted for the 1st time, was he a better player than Yi is now? A better prospect, surely; but a better player, was he?

According to your reasoning, if Yi was American, what would be the problem?