Your NBA All Star Ballot

[Big333223]

West

Anthony Davis
Kawhi Leonard
Kevin Durant
James Harden
Steph Curry

East

Al Horford
Lebron James
Jimmy Butler
Avery Bradley
Isaiah Thomas

I'm homering it big time. If I tried to do it honest, I'd probably have Kevin Love, John Wall, and Kyrie Irving over the 3 Celtics. But if Boston fans aren't going to vote for our guys who is?

The hardest choice for me was Harden over Westbrook. And I don't feel good about it. Westbrook is amazing. But what Harden is doing is pretty amazing too and there's something about Westbroko's crusade this season that feels a little forced to me. Like he's stat-hunting a little too hard.

Also, what am I missing with the East front court? I can't find a single all-star worthy center in the entire conference.

[PhoSita]

I'm voting for the best guys / guys I think are iconic in the league.  I don't vote based on who I think will need my vote. Just getting that out of the way to start.

I think Isaiah is more deserving of the starting spot than Wall or Kyrie. Maybe that makes me a homer. But to me, what Isaiah has done is more impressive.

East:

G - Thomas
G - Derozan
F - Lebron
F - Giannis
F - Porzingis

West

G - Westbrook
G - Harden
F - Durant
F - Kawhi
F - Davis


I think Porzingis is deserving of an All star spot. Drummond, Whiteside, and Howard have been disappointing. Horford is solid but hasn't elevated the Celts like many hoped.

Porzingis is putting up 20 ppg on great shooting percentages, with 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. He's also the only reason the Knicks are worth watching, and the Knicks are a playoff team right now.

Love has maybe a better statistical case, but he plays with LeBron and is almost never the first or even second guy the defense is worried about. Porzingis is more impressive and more fun to watch.

[A Future of Stevens]

East- G- Kyrie/derozan.   F- Lebron, Giannis, Porzingis

West- G- Westbrook, Harden.   F- Durant, Leonard, Davis

I took out IT because honestly he has the perfect situation to put up monster stats. Kyrie is a better player, and derozan is amazing. I agree with Pho almost to a T on porzingis, and Giannis is doing things no one else is. Its his time.

In the west, the guards are locked to be Harden and westbrook. Davis was tricky because of the lack of winning, but thats not on him.

[Celtics4ever]

I won't be voting for non Celtics!  This means I will vote for IT and AB and AH!

[Who]

G - John Wall
G - Jimmy Butler
F - LeBron James
F - Paul George
C - Embiid

G - Steph Curry
G - James Harden
F - Kawhi Leonard
F - Kevin Durant
C - Anthony Davis


I like the Giannis pick. Tempted to put him in. He could be a fun player in an ASG.

I went with John Wall because I found him to be more fun to watch in past ASGs than scoring guards like Kyrie or Lowry. Also why I avoided DeRozan. I was tempted by Nic Batum at SG also. Pass, shoot, dribble, unselfish. I think Batum would be good in an ASG. I went with Butler, LeBron and P.George because they are the most talented wings in the East. And I choose Embiid because he is the most fun player in the league when he is on.

In the West, I went small with AD at center because I think he is the best big man in the league and in order to put a running team on the floor (rather than putting two bigs in there to get Cousins or Towns in the starting lineup - although Towns could be fun with his handle and passing). Durant is fantastic in the ASG. I choose Steph Curry over Westbrook for the same reason as Wall over Lowry. Just easier on the eyes in ASG. PGs who constantly call their own number and struggle sharing the ball aren't fun when they have that much talent around them. And I went with Harden at SG. A little unsure of him.

[PhoSita]

I'll say it: I'm not convinced the Celts would be better with Kyrie instead of Isaiah.

Kyrie has always seemed like a Deluxe Jamal Crawford to me.  Great 1-on-1 scorer but doesn't defend, doesn't keep the team offense running, and doesn't improve the players around him. I don't think he's much of a leader either.

[A Future of Stevens]

I'll say it: I'm not convinced the Celts would be better with Kyrie instead of Isaiah.

Kyrie has always seemed like a Deluxe Jamal Crawford to me.  Great 1-on-1 scorer but doesn't defend, doesn't keep the team offense running, and doesn't improve the players around him. I don't think he's much of a leader either.

Interesting view point. Im inundated on a daily basis from CLE bandwagoners about how kyrie will be the mvp in a couple years so maybe that kind of sinks in. But you have a good point. It seems whenever he isnt scoring he has a tendency to disappear.

[jambr380]

I'll say it: I'm not convinced the Celts would be better with Kyrie instead of Isaiah.

Kyrie has always seemed like a Deluxe Jamal Crawford to me.  Great 1-on-1 scorer but doesn't defend, doesn't keep the team offense running, and doesn't improve the players around him. I don't think he's much of a leader either.

Interesting view point. Im inundated on a daily basis from CLE bandwagoners about how kyrie will be the mvp in a couple years so maybe that kind of sinks in. But you have a good point. It seems whenever he isnt scoring he has a tendency to disappear.

It's not like Cleveland was tearing it up before Lebron came back to town. Ever since The Cs acquired IT, they have been electric...and they were extra-horrible just before acquiring him.

Kyrie has had a very good career as the #1 pick; that doesn't mean IT isn't more deserving just because he was 60th. It's all perception. Same logic goes for Wall, but at least Kyrie's team is actually good.

The Cs schedule eases up quite a bit in January. It and the Cs should be on an upward trajectory going into the break. Hopefully our PG I will be starting the all-star game.

[Celtics18]

Anyone who has left Giannis off their ballot just isn't paying attention.  It'll be a grave injustice if the Freak is not an All Star starter.

[Csfan1984]

Anyone who has left Giannis off their ballot just isn't paying attention.  It'll be a grave injustice if the Freak is not an All Star starter.

Agreed with
Irving, DeRozen, LeBron, Embid

[PhoSita]

Embiid can't be an All-Star when he plays maybe 50% of 50% of Philly's games.

It's as simple as that for me.

He'll make the team someday.  Many times, if he's healthy.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

I like Embiid well enough, but is he really an all-star starter this year?

Played in only 22 of their 32 games. His team is 8-24.
Averaging 25 mpg
Averaging 4 topg

I mean, 19, 7, and 2 are pretty good numbers, but are they all-star starter numbers?

[Ilikesports17]

I'll say it: I'm not convinced the Celts would be better with Kyrie instead of Isaiah.

Kyrie has always seemed like a Deluxe Jamal Crawford to me.  Great 1-on-1 scorer but doesn't defend, doesn't keep the team offense running, and doesn't improve the players around him. I don't think he's much of a leader either.

Interesting view point. Im inundated on a daily basis from CLE bandwagoners about how kyrie will be the mvp in a couple years so maybe that kind of sinks in. But you have a good point. It seems whenever he isnt scoring he has a tendency to disappear.

It's not like Cleveland was tearing it up before Lebron came back to town. Ever since The Cs acquired IT, they have been electric...and they were extra-horrible just before acquiring him.

Kyrie has had a very good career as the #1 pick; that doesn't mean IT isn't more deserving just because he was 60th. It's all perception. Same logic goes for Wall, but at least Kyrie's team is actually good.

The Cs schedule eases up quite a bit in January. It and the Cs should be on an upward trajectory going into the break. Hopefully our PG I will be starting the all-star game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu66diH0g4s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nucR-VnvqJo

Kyrie and Isaiah have both had nice careers. Early on Kyrie was given the benefit of the doubt because he was the #1 pick. He has then justified this faith with an incredibly clutch finals performance. Outplaying Steph Curry and hitting the dagger three.

This regular season thus far Isaiah has been a better player, but Kyrie is the bigger star and the better player in my opinion.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Lebron and Giannis seem like sure things.

I think Thomas deserves it.

I also think DeRozan deserves it.

The fifth is a tossup between Butler, George, Wall, Lowry, and Zinger.

I will be voting for Al Horford as the fifth.

[max215]

West:

Harden
Westbrook
Durant
Davis
Kawhi

East:

Lowry
Isaiah
LeBron
Giannis
Love

This is an easy year for me. You have your obvious, no-doubters in Harden, Westbrook, Durant, LeBron. Davis is an easy choice due to his outrageous numbers, and Kawhi gets rewarded for his combination of individual and team success. I believe Lowry and Thomas have clearly been the two best guards in the East, and Giannis is putting up otherworldly numbers on both ends and he's carrying his team to some success. Love has been absolutely fantastic this year and gets a boost due to team success. I do feel bad leaving Butler off, because he's been really excellent, but Love has seriously impressed me and has contributed to winning, unlike Butler.