The braintrust at the NBA never ceases to amaze me. I know David Stern and Adam Silver cant keep their eyes on everything. Sometimes i wish they would. The marketing mavens once again proved they are in the wrong job with the All Star Ballot.
Simple in concept. Difficult in execution. Right ? Its an incredible stretch Im sure for those on this project to have recognized that when the Suns said WEEKS before the season started, that Amare Stoudamire would be out until around the All Star break…that maybe that would be an indicator that he wouldnt have a season that would qualify him for the All Star team.
Yah Think ?
But no. They put Amare on the ballot. After all, its much better to possibly be in a position where fans could vote Amare in. Right ? That would really validate the process.
Of course it must have been because there was no one else to place on the ballot ? I mean why in the world would they add an all NBA quality defender who is putting up double doubles like Josh Howard ? Did they miss Josh Howard in the playoffs last year ?
Im not saying that Josh will be voted in by the fans. thats a long shot. But there is no question that he deserved to be on the All Star ballot. Players around the league recognize his talent, and we at the Mavs certainly do.
shame the NBA shot an airball on it
good
Comment by imdbcn -
I see quite a few people who seem to be attacking the integrity of the game in the modern era but professional sports have become as much about entertainment as skill.
Comment by runescape money -
The All-star game is really for the fans, people that I care to watch, and, I’m sorry, but I would much rather watch Amare and his power moves than Josh Howard. Not to rip on Josh, cause I like watching his smoove moves, but really, there’s no comparison to Amare.
Comment by wow powerleveling -
Mark, I think you’re right on this. It hurts me to think that I agree with you. Ha! HA! However, there are a lot of things wrong with the NBA. The officiating is inconsistent and the quality of play is not what it should be considering the talent and athletism of the players today. There are a few guys that you can count on for consistency (Duncan, K.G., Dirk, Chauncy Billups just to name a few), but for the most part, the game is becoming tiresome to watch. I used to have the NBA package on DirecTv,
Comment by woaicn -
I noticed this same type of problem with the MLB all star ballots. I believe (I think the 2004 season) that Nomar, of the cubs, was to be out for about 2-3 months. He would come back either right after or right before the all-star break. He STILL got votes.
Comment by Matt Gerlach -
Allstar teams should be voted on by their peers. Not the fans. And I say this as a fan.
As a fan, I despise the opposition. Why would I vote for that “Evil” Jordan when he made my Jazz hurt so bad. (In retrospect — I can see how talented he was…But you can see where I am going.)
Comment by dustyt -
Josh will be voted in by the coaches, I have no doubt, but to not include him on the ballot is pretty stupid. Stoudimire should in no way be on a ballot for his play last year. The NBA truly choked one up here. I hope this merely fires Jho up!
Comment by West Coast -
Guys,
What R U making all the buzz for ? You can vocalize your opinion by choosing Josh in “Write in” section of balloting. You can do it even with Maciej Lampe fro Hornets.
But it reminds me of a quite old thing when Magic was voted-in even though he already was retired (IIRC he was on Lakers roster on some particular date thus was available for sellection).
Regards, L’e-szczur
Comment by Leszczur -
I for one would like to see Amare in the All-Star Game.
Comment by Matt Hates StockMaverick -
reference post 16: “i would much rather watch Amare…” he hasnt even played this year!@
thats just dumb. The guy had microfracture surgery on his knee. What, are they gonna push him out there in a wheelchair? How ridiculous is that? Josh has put in the work and deserves a nod on the ballot. Hes a top ten defender in the league, explosive and btw can dunk like crazy for those of you that only care about that.
reference post 15: of course stackhouse should not be on the ballot….he hasnt played and may not play till the allstar break. Cuban cant say that though, hes the owner of the mavs remember?? thats what mark is thinking, but you dont want to diss your employees, even if its something out of everyones control.
Comment by Brian -
Guys,
What R U making all the buzz for ? You can vocalize your opinion by choosing Josh in “Write in” section of balloting. You can do it even with Maciej Lampe fro Hornets.
But it reminds me of a quite old thing when Magic was voted-in even though he already was retired (IIRC he was on Lakers roster on some particular date thus was available for sellection).
Regards, L’e-szczur
Comment by Leszczur -
IMO, I don’t mind the “popularity contest” aspect of the NBA All Star game. I remember a few years ago when Vin Baker was selected for the All Star team, and I was just shaking my head. Already new the guy was weak. And I didn’t care he was putting up good numbers that year. Guy was boring as hell to watch. The All-star game is really for the fans, people that I care to watch, and, I’m sorry, but I would much rather watch Amare and his power moves than Josh Howard. Not to rip on Josh, cause I like watching his smoove moves, but really, there’s no comparison to Amare.
Comment by Henry Kuo -
I don’t have a problem with Amare being on the All-Star ballot because in my mind an All-Star game is about fan entertainment; it may have been started as a way to give recognition to players who were having exceptional seasons but it has turned in to an event for the fans and to treat it as anything else would be silly.
Moreover, I see quite a few people who seem to be attacking the integrity of the game in the modern era but professional sports have become as much about entertainment as skill. Chad Johnson of the Cinncinati Bengals is an example of a guy who understands this and employs it [NFL, different sport league etc I know but Professional Sports operate under the same fundamental premises in my mind] with touchdown dances etc. It’s not enough to just be good at the sport, you have to entertain as well. Hell if I’m paying $50 for a ticket up in the nose bleeds [LA Clipper tickets on tickmaster, I’m sure the Fakers are even worse] than I damn well be entertained.
And yes I’m aware that other cities don’t charge nearly that much for their noise bleed tickets, problem with living in LA I suppose but there ain’t no $10 tickets for me!
Comment by Alex -
IMO, I don’t mind the “popularity contest” aspect of the NBA All Star game. I remember a few years ago when Vin Baker was selected for the All Star team, and I was just shaking my head. Already new the guy was weak. And I didn’t care he was putting up good numbers that year. Guy was boring as hell to watch. The All-star game is really for the fans, people that I care to watch, and, I’m sorry, but I would much rather watch Amare and his power moves than Josh Howard. Not to rip on Josh, cause I like watching his smoove moves, but really, there’s no comparison to Amare.
Comment by Henry Kuo -
Merit v Marketing is a legit debate here. But Mr. Cuban, to add a sense of objectivity to your argument, you could have also mentioned that Jerry Stackhouse is equally undeserving of being on the ballot as Amare.
Go Mavs
Comment by Matthew -
Yep, I said awhile back Josh Howard would be the next huy that you vastly overpay for. You’ll prove that soon enough, I’m sure.
Pretty soon, people may refer to you as the white Isiah. All kidding aside, Isiah has to be the dumbest GM of all time. Seriously, a 7th grader could do a better job. To be almost 3 times over the cap and still absolutely suck. Ridiculous.
Comment by JR Ewing -
The All Star Game is a disgrace and needs to be changed ASAP.
To recaputure what it means to be an allstar we need to do one thing:
1. No more fan voting. Catoring to fans has gotten way out of hand (Thank you David Stern).
All stars should be chosen by experts.
And, two more requests to the corporate sellout, David Stern.
1. STOP EXPANSION!!! – the league’s talent level is way too watered down to the point where some franchises are barely NBA quality.
2. Enforce the rules so the game doesn’t become like an And1 Mixtape.
Thanks to the power of t-vo, I was able to capture Steve Francis bring a dribble up over his head (like he’s fishing) right in front of the referee.
He’s not the only offender, Dwayne Wade barely dribbles when he blows by defenders.
David Stern needs to be ousted before he completely destroys the sport. He is selling out the game of basketball for the game of entertainment.
Comment by Tony -
The All Star Game is a disgrace and needs to be changed ASAP.
To recaputure what it means to be an allstar we need to do one thing:
1. No more fan voting. Catoring to fans has gotten way out of hand (Thank you David Stern).
All stars should be chosen by experts.
And, two more requests to the corporate sellout, David Stern.
1. STOP EXPANSION!!! – the league’s talent level is way too watered down to the point where some franchises are barely NBA quality.
2. Enforce the rules so the game doesn’t become like an And1 Mixtape.
Thanks to the power of t-vo, I was able to capture Steve Francis bring a dribble up over his head (like he’s fishing) right in front of the referee.
He’s not the only offender, Dwayne Wade barely dribbles when he blows by defenders.
David Stern needs to be ousted before he completely destroys the sport. He is selling out the game of basketball for the game of entertainment.
Comment by Tony -
Mark, you got to understand that the All-Star balloting is not a performance review but more of a popularity contest. Recall one year when Vince Carter getting the most votes even though he played horribly? It was only because of the dunk contest. Similar with MJ when he came back. I do agree with you that this is injustice especially to people like Josh Howard, Elton Brand and others who shows up to work EVERY night.
Comment by kei -
I’ll also be writing in josh howard in ballot
Comment by Jason -
josh totally needs to be on the ballot. he’s improved every single year since he’s gotten into the nba…and he does so much for this team….things that dont show up on the stat sheet.
i’ll be voting for josh as my write in ballot every day.
SEE U AT THE GAME TONIGHT!!!!
Comment by cali -
My thoughts exactly! The players listed on the ballot should only include active players who have made an impact on games for their team this season! Michael Finley wasn’t voted an All Star when he was playing his best for Dallas, now he’s coming off the bench for a team filled with All Stars, and his name is still on the ballot! Jerry Stackhouse, though an All Star quality player when healthy, is listed on the ballot along with Amare and both are still on the injured list. This is the political side of the NBA that runs the business and spoils it for a lot of fans. Those of us who have been fans for life prefer the athletes who play for love of the game, with heart and good sportsmanship, and deserve to be called All Stars because of hard work and fair play.
Comment by Sue -
i agree with most that the selection process is a bit of a joke. it is a popularity contest. but, i always enjoyed watching it, voting for the my favorite players, and then watching my home team players make it.
i remember as a kid going to baseball games, filling out one ballot for all texas rangers and all houston astros. i then filled out another ballot for the players who were the best at their positions, even if it werent for a hometeam. every starter at every position was on the ballot if i remember correctly.
If i could make changes to the nba selection, i would only allow fans to vote a maximum of 2 times. this would allow fans to vote for their home team and then if they wished voted for other players. two votes maximum would probably bring the numbers down, but does it matter? i mean most votes are by the same people who vote over and over and over, once a day from when voting is allowed to the last day. its not a true indicator of how fans are actually voting.
also i dont understand why the 5 opening day starters are not all on the ballot? Dampier, Howard, Dirk, Terry and Christie. Sure Diop and Daniels are having better seasons up to this point, but they can be selected as a reserve, since they are reserves on their own teams.
my thoughts…
luis
http://www.miaspartyrentals.com
Comment by Luis -
“that maybe that would be an indicator that he wouldnt have a season that would qualify him for the All Star team.”
What qualifies someone from an event such as the All Star?
Its an entertainment event, not the NBA finals or the
olympics… i.e. us fans want to see the most
entertaining players on the All Stars and not
necessarily the best. Unless Amare comes back a
step slower and less explosive odds are he’ll still
be able to throw down those nasty, breath taking
tomma hawks, which is what most of us look forward
to in an All Star game!
Spizzy…
Comment by MrKay -
there’s a reason all-star games have combined scores of over 250 points annually: we the fans vote like such:
3) vote for [insert favorite team]’s players and fill out the rest of the ballot with popular players – 15% of voters
2) vote for high-flyers, big dunkers, and probably write in Michael Jordan – 20% of voters
3) vote for Yao Ming, write in ZhiZhi Wang, and randomly click/poke a hole for the eight other spots left on the ballot – 65%
look, josh howard is a good player. is he an all-star? not to many people outside of dallas. there are worse things than preventing a player from not being voted for on the ballot.
Comment by dave isaacs -
There are 30 NBA teams….
120 players are listed on the All-Star Ballot….
Why not expand the NBA All-Star Ballot to include 150 names….5 players listed from each team?
Below is the number of players each team currently has listed on the NBA All-Star Ballot (2006):
Pistons……6
Spurs……..6
Bucks……..6
Grizzlies….6
Suns………5
Nuggets……5
Pacers…….5
Clippers…..5
Wizards……5
Mavericks….4
Kings……..4
Bulls……..4
Cavaliers….4
Heat………4
Nets………4
Knicks…….4
Sixers…….4
Jazz………4
Hawks……..3
Celtics……3
Bobcats……3
Warriors…..3
Rockets……3
Lakers…….3
Twolves……3
Magic……..3
Blazers……3
Sonics…….3
Raptors……3
Hornets……2
Jim Parham
Yuba City, CA
Comment by StockMaverick -
Not only does it take away chances of Josh Howards likes, it also takes the chances of much more clearly deserving players. I used to hate it when Vince Carter was voted first for the past few years while he’d been treating his injuries. It took away chances of other great players in the same position.
But this issue requires an answer to a fundamental question: What’s the NBA’s definition of the All-Star Game? In other words, is it a game for the fans to see their favorites? or for the players to have a chance?
I know the NBA is trying to be in the middle with the idea that coaches select the reserves, but it appears to me that right now it’s swayed waaaay towards what the fans want.
On the other hand, I hope the fans get to vote for at least a player or two to see on the slam dunk contest. Mr. Stern, can you hear me?
Comment by Jandeef -
I think you may have got this wrong. True he may not play enough for most to think that he is an All Star for this season, but you can’t deny that stuffing Tim Duncan’s dunk in the playoffs was definitely worth at least a little recognition. He blocked a Tim Duncan dunk!!! Unreal. If he ever does it to Shaq, he might become my favorite player. BTW, I think that signing Christie was not a bad insurance policy, but Howard and Daniels came to play. Let one of the younger guys have a chance to make the team, it means more to them then it does to Christie.
Comment by James Askew -
Although I agree with you case in view, you can’t deny that even when Amare returns from his injury spell, with or without much practice or play he still will rank as possibly one of the best players in the NBA. In fact Amare will probably go down in history as the best power forward in the game if he does what he did last season for the remainder of his career which is far from over. Having him on the ballot doesn’t concern me but him making the team without playing a game before the all star break does concern me when players like Josh Howard most definetly deserve it more than Amare does.
Comment by Chelsea -
Welcome to the life of a Pistons fan…
Comment by Matt -
wow, those jackasses! I hope the fans are smarter than the winners who came up with the all star ballots. Don’t they do this all the time though? Every year I vote, I have to weed through a couple of inexplicable choices at some postions, mainly center where half the league is just grabbing at straws and the all star ballot reflects that.
Jho is arguably the second best player on a title contending team, so it makes sense for him to be on there, but it doesn’t help him that after Nowitzki, the pecking order of Mavs based on importance varies from person to person. That’s great for the team; but not for individual awards. I’ll vote him in, damnit, he’s my favorite player in the league! No lie.
Comment by Kellen -
If this is the worst mistake that the NBA is making, surely you could let it ride. To me the All start voting is a bit of a joke. Perhaps they should have it for the last 5 places to make sure that the fans favorites play but to be starts. In protest (and because I am an Aussie) I will be campaigning hard that every Australian put in a vote for Andrew Bogut for ALL-Star!
Molly
http://www.mollyzine.com
Comment by Phillip Molly Malone -
I agree with you on that one Mark. Isn’t it time for Stern to step down? I think that is the problem with most of the corporations today, esp HOllywood. The top guy, the head honcho of today’s corporate business is decomposing. Hollywood for example, is scratching their asses, trying to figure out why the crap they are releasing are bringing tinseltown down. Back to the NBA, Amare is a exceptional player no doubt but to be placed on the all star ballot, shouldn’t you have to work to be placed on it?(For that season). That is the biggest problem in the NBA, if rewards went to those who put up the numbers instead of fame going to those who are more publicly recognized then you would have a game that is much more competitive. Just take a peek at College ball, better games result minus the bazillions of bucks and fame.
PS< check your mail and email, we sent you a letter with a exciting basketball proposition that can benefit the Mavericks and has an enourmous opportunity to be something very new and useful (and profitable) in all arenas of sports. Email me for any questions, Thanks Mark.
Comment by Sylvester_S -
What do you think of the judging in 2006 All-Star Dunking Contest? I think it was a joke. If I am not mistaken, I think judges appears to compare scores to make it a tie. AI should have won that contest. Its a simple as this :
Every NBA player can jump. But to jump from the back goal and still manage to avoid the side of the board and do a reverse dunk is just unbelievable and deserves the trophy.
Comment by NetsFan -
What do you think of the judging in 2006 All-Star Dunking Contest? I think it was a joke. If I am not mistaken, I think judges appears to compare scores to make it a tie. AI should have won that contest. Its a simple as this :
Every NBA player can jump. But to jump from the back goal and still manage to avoid the side of the board and do a reverse dunk is just unbelievable and deserves the trophy.
Comment by NetsFan -
Looks good!
Your site is very good. Thank you for the opportunity to post comments.
Go on like this and i will surely visit your site again sometime.
http://www.100down.com/search.htm
Comment by download -
All star is all about who’s more famous. Does fans votes really count? or the players had been choosen long before the voting even begin? Josh Howard is no doubt an All-Star and has been since his 2nd year in the league. who ever says otherwise can go sit with CB and Kenny, cuz like them too, y’all don’t know a thing about basketball. Dirk is a heck of a basketball player, he’s much better than TD and KG in my book, yet Dirk never gets the credt he deserves. Mavs is the most underrated team.
Comment by Noodle -
This is all a bunch of carp. You guys need to focus on your skills and let this stuff fall to the side.
Comment by Family - Vacationer -
I, like all Mav fans who vote, were all shocked NOT to see his name on the ballot. When I reached the bottom and saw the write in vote section I began scrolling down. As I came upon D.A. I thought Hell yes I’m writing him in….but then thought …wait Howard….and immediatly proceeded to his name. Don’t get me wrong I’d vote in DA in a heartbeat but Josh is without a doubt one of most athletic and instinctive players I have seen ever. Not to mention the fact that aside from the occasional laspe of judgement (which is rare)….he plays like a veteran. I love him. Mav fans love him. NO doubt ….there’s only one word to describe him being left off the ballot. Travesty!
Comment by Sherri -
It’s pretty clear that players on the injured list for the first half of the season aren’t putting up numbers that justify a selection to the all-star team. That having been said, I think it’s equally clear that the all-star game is more of a marketing/money-making tool for the NBA than a true measure of the best and most well-rounded players. The NBA wants players like Amare who are entertaining and marketable, not players like Howard who are funadmentally sound simply because Amare will sell more tickets and memorabilia. Cuban, you of all people should recognize the importance of the marketing and revenue side of the NBA. That’s why the fans choose the all-stars and that’s why Howard isn’t on the ballot. The NBA has created awards to recognize players who are great defenders and good offensive role players. That’s why Bruce Bowen is regularly recognized as one of the league’s best defenders but will never be an all-star.
Comment by Tyler -
Mark, I think you’re right on this. It hurts me to think that I agree with you. Ha! HA! However, there are a lot of things wrong with the NBA. The officiating is inconsistent and the quality of play is not what it should be considering the talent and athletism of the players today. There are a few guys that you can count on for consistency (Duncan, K.G., Dirk, Chauncy Billups just to name a few), but for the most part, the game is becoming tiresome to watch. I used to have the NBA package on DirecTv, but not anymore. Why would I want to watch one player dribble the ball for 20 seconds and then put up a highly contested shoot. That may be a little exaggerated, but you know what I mean.
I would like to see the officiating improve and stop giving calls to the “super stars” (Did you see that crap where the officials called a phantom file atthe end of the Lakers-Utah game to put Kobe on the line to tie up the game and send it into overtime?). I would like for the players to take their jobs seriously by getting into shape BEFORE the season begins and playing the entire season instead of setting out un-Godly amounts of time for little injuries (Shaq). I waould also like for David Stern to stop grandstanding. We shouldn’t have to see his face every two or three days on television.
The league has turned from substance to fanfare. The All Star game is not about who is playing the best ball like the NFL does with its Pro Bowl. It’s more about who is most popular. Check out ROY tow years ago. Carmelo and LeBron has almost identical numbers. Lebron averaged more assists. Melo had a better average in points in rebounds. Neither were by more than percentage points. Carmelo lead his team to the playoffs, but because LeBron produced at 19 yrs old coming out of high school rather than at 19 yrs old coming out of one year at college, Lebron won the award. Let’s face it. That was about popularity. The league had gone to the extreme to market Lebron (commercials before he ever played a pro game) that they had to make him ROY. Two years later he is clearly better than Melo, but not two years ago.
Amare should not be on the ballot. Shaq should not be on the ballot if he is. Grant Hill should not be on the ballot if he is. Mark, don’t complain to Detroit about yoour guy not making the ballot when Chauncy Billups continues to be snubbed.
Comment by Ron -
They have Amare on the ballot because All-Star weekend is about fans all around the league, not your agenda to give more pub to your players. Amare is very deserving of being on the ballot for his achievements in the past year and I would argue he’s a more important part of Phoenix then Josh is of the Mavericks.
The NBA has recognized league best defenders like Ben Wallace and Ron Artest with places on the ballot, but I can think of half a dozen other defensive players that got snubbed..and if half of the coaches in the league disagree with me, you’ll see him voted in as a reserve.
Comment by Ed -
In response to post 53, Ben Wallace will def be selected and most likely Chauncey billups and/or Rip Hamilton this year. What are you talking about?
Comment by Eric Wright -
Actually, I think it’s a good thing Amare’s on the ballot. Usually, the non-starter picks go to those the fans wouldn’t support. If the fans vote Amare in, that’s one more spot that will go to someone truly deserving, as opposed to a fan fave
Comment by coffeedrinkinfool -
I agree completely Mark! Where is Shane Battier!?!? Of course Memphis having 6 on the ballot is pretty good anyway. 🙂
Brad
Comment by Brad -
Hey Mark,
Do you know Chauncey Billups?
Comment by Natalie -
You’re crazy if you think Howard should start ahead of KG, Duncan, McGrady, Brand, or Dirk. Howard will be lucky to make the team as a reserve.
Comment by dan -
Typo Correction
“Stoudamire” smokes marijuana in airports.
“Stoudemire” smokes Mavericks in the playoffs.
MRG
Comment by Marcus Garrett -
wah wah wah. Detroit arguably has the best backcourt and probably the most dominate front court in the nba, and none of them will be selected. nobody remembers allstars. everybody remembers champions.
Comment by devin -
Josh Howard didnt start his rookie year. They started Nash, Finley, Walker, Dirk, and either Fortson, Bradley, or Tony Delk at the start of the season. It doesnt matter how good Amare plays in the second half of the season, seeing that he didnt play the first half of the season, he wasnt an all star in the first half of the season. The whole concept of NBA fan voting is off anyways. Vince Carter gets voted on in years he missed most of the season and Yao Ming is voted on every year because he is chinese and the whole country votes for him. Its unfair. Its like one american in a chinese league, all the americans would vote for him no matter what.
Comment by Eric Wright -
Vastly overpaid…i beg to differ. Have been watching Josh since his days at Wake. The guy is phenomenal…and he got his starting job during his rookie year. Cube knows he got a heck of a deal getting such a quality all-around player. Bet you can’t remember half the guys who went ahead of him in the draft that year before he was picked at #29. It’s a disgrace that he isn’t on the ballot.
Hey Mark, even if you cant get J-Ho in the all-star game, hopefully you understand the importance of having a guy like that on your team and make it worth his while to stay. I hear he likes it in Dallas…
P.S. my girls who vote solely on looks say he deserves to be in this year with his hair cut short…we think if Stack can be in and not even play yet this season J-Ho should go for his boyish good looks…
Comment by Lady NBA fan -
anyone that was watching ESPN last night should know it… 🙂
Comment by lisa -
The All-Star ballot covers the second half of last season and the first half of this season doesnt it?
If that is the case I do not see anything wrong in Amare’s name being on the ballot – the reasoning being Amare might be available for the All Star game and he had a terrific second half of last season.
Comment by Derrick -
I have not seen an all-star ballot lately, but should not the starting five from each team be on the ballot?
Comment by Glen Wilson -
So what do you suppose the NBA’s lead time is on that process vs. the potential for a season-ending injury to randomly occur at most any time to a prominent member.
And Mark, are you making the same complaint for any deserving members of the Golden State Warriors or is this just because a Mav got snubbed?
One is the good fight while the other is just self-serving.
Go Blazers!
Comment by Monte Saager -
Does Josh Howard need to go to jail to get any attention?
You take away all of Ron Artest’s antics and he is probably completely ignored like Josh howard right now. Makes you wonder if guys like Artest and Rodman are smarter than we all realized. Most defenders are ignored and forgotten about.. just like Josh.
So the question is, how do we get Josh noticed without having to watch him make himself into a monster?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….http://p104.ezboard.com/bmaverickstalk1138 — A heavily moderated — Abuse free place to talk about the Mavericks. A jerk free zone.
Comment by Chachi -
I hope Josh makes the All-star team.. and I wish he was on the ballet.. he is a true stud.. but what I am really concerned about is whether or not Dirk will ever start an all-star game. I wish KG would get traded to the Eastern Conference for that reason alone.
Comment by Chachi -
Well, I wish they would mvoe the All Star to another time, like 3/4 of the way through the season. A much better time for a couple of reasons.
Comment by JLT -
Yeah, you have it right. The NBA does miss or just mess a lot of things up.
Remember Fin?
Comment by JLT -
it’s not like its the first time it’s happened. If you look a few years back when Grant Hill was injured fans still voted him into the all-star game as a starter. I think it’s BS, and they should have a standard in place to filter out guys who shouldn’t qualify. PS, no offence to Josh, but he’s not all-star material yet. Way too many good players out west for him to make the squad.
Comment by Andrew -
Happy Thanksgiving Mr Cuban!!!!
Comment by Meaghan -
Amare deserves to be on the ballot for his second half performance last year and in the playoffs. I’ve always looked as these mid season all star games for performance of not only the 1st half of this season but the second half of the previous season. After all there is no all star game at the end of the season like the Pro Bowl in the NFL. Josh Howard will probably be selected by the Western Conference coach. That is a higher honor than being voted in by fans who know little to nothing other than what they see in highlight reels on ESPN.
Comment by Sake -
So have we finally heard the last of Rock n Roll (Part 2)? Gary Glitter should’ve gotten the firing squad for that, but he may end up getting it for his “teaching endeavors” in Thailand.
http://www.canada.com/entertainment/story.html?id=ad1908b6-0
55c-4bae-a64d-7159eae1c6de
(blog won’t let me post the tiny-url, bummer!)
I didn’t realize this guy left the UK after a childporn conviction in 1999 (so says Wikipedophilia). Anyway, to make this relevant, why can’t we vote for favorite arena song instead of an all-IR team? Doncha think that would attract new fans to the game?
Comment by Brad Hutchings -
this is a silly complaint. the real problem with the all star game is the same with baseball’s all star game. how can you tell who should be an all star after half a season? i guess because the nba season lasts almost 8 months it would be pointless to have a game after the finals, no one would care… but you cannot determine who is having the best season after only half of it.
Comment by Lee Majors -
Re: JR Ewing, you obviously don’t know much about baasketball if you think Josh Howard is going to soon be vastly overpaid. He is a superstar, and he hasn’t stopped improving.
If Howard gets the recognition Cuban is lobbying for, it will only up his price, but it’s nice to see an owner arguing on behalf of his players, and Josh will be worth every penny. He’s maybe the best all-around player the Mavs have had since Cuban bought the team.
Comment by Tim -
Post 31 says this:
“Matt Hates StockMaverick….(Post #21)
Hatred is the coward’s revenge for being intimidated.
Jim Parham
Yuba City, CA”
It was rot7 encoded.
Comment by anonymous -
You can’t be for real complaining about this. I understand you want some recognition for your boys but realistically there’s no way in hell he would beat out Duncan & Garnett at the forward spot. The only part I agree with is that the voting process itself is bogus. I’ll never forget Yao beating Shaq in his rookie year. What sense did that make?
Comment by Vincent -
err is this biggest concern in the league right now?
or are you running short of subject matter?
Comment by Scott -
I’m with you all the way man. This is some disturbing stuff.
Comment by GolferGuy -
Thaa Ohalz ZavjrThclypjr….(Wvza #21)
Ohaylk pz aol jvdhyk’z ylclunl mvy ilpun puaptpkhalk.
Qpt Whyoht
Fbih Jpaf, JH
Comment by StockMaverick -
yah, I think Cube’s got it…I mean, that’s the way things SHOULD be, but for real, people don’t wanna see “quality defenders” unless they look cool (ben wallace) or have a good attitude for comic relief (ron artest). Other than that, it’s all about dunks and the East coming back and winning. hahaha, maybe that’s why they wanna keep Howard off the court right Cube?
Comment by Peter -
I can’t wait for Marquis Daniels to return to the form of his last 10 games of his rookie year. Then the Mavs will be unstoppable.
Comment by Alex Jeffries -
I’m more of a baseball fan than an NBA fan, but my concept applies to all the sports that have a user ballot.
I wish they’d do a “straight ticket” option. If you punch one single hole, then you’ve voted for all the players on your team at all the positions. Would make things easier.
I’m not generally a homer with my votes, as I usually tend to vote who I think deserves it. But I know they’d probably get a lot more ballots filled out if someone could punch one hole, and have all the positions filled out for one team just with that one.
Come on Mark – run with it! 🙂
Comment by Joe Siegler -