Thornton and Gordon Represent Clippers at All-Star Weekend

[mkwest]

Los Angeles Clippers’ second year forward Al Thornton and rookie guard Eric Gordon lead a list of 18 players selected for the 2009 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam to be held on Friday, February 13th in Phoenix during NBA All-Star 2009, the NBA announced today.
Averaging 17.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, Thornton currently ranks second in the NBA amongst second year players in scoring. Gordon is currently ranked fourth among all rookies in scoring, averaging 13.7 points per game, however in 13 games played in January, Gordon has averaged a rookie high 21.5 points in 41.2 minutes played per game.

The participants in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam were selected by the NBA’s assistant coaches, with each team submitting one ballot. For the first time in the game’s history, two current NBA players, All-Star starters Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat – veterans of the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge and part of T-Mobile’s “All-Star Faves” – will serve on the coaching staffs, Howard for the Sophomores and Wade for the Rookies. The head coaches for the Rookie and Sophomore teams will be the lead assistants from the 2009 NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs.

Rookie Roster
Michael Beasley Miami F
Rudy Fernandez Portland G-F
Marc Gasol Memphis C
Eric Gordon L.A. Clippers G
Brook Lopez New Jersey C
O.J. Mayo Memphis G
Greg Oden Portland C
Derrick Rose Chicago G
Russell Westbrook G


Sophomore Roster
Aaron Brooks Houston G
Wilson Chandler New York F
Kevin Durant Oklahoma City G-F
Jeff Green Oklahoma City F
Al Horford Atlanta F-C
Luis Scola Houston F-C
Al Thornton L.A. Clippers F
Rodney Stuckey Detroit G
Thaddeus Young Philadelphia F


Clippers.com

[mkwest]

I'm sure everyone knows by now that both will be represented in the rookie challenge, but I think they deserve their own thread.

Thornton was snubbed last season despite being 2nd amongst all rookies in scoring. This year he is still 2nd in scoring amongst all sophomore scorers. He proved his worth by the end of last season by making the All-Rookie First Team. For where he was drafted, he has done exceptionally well, regardless of being inconsistent or not. I still believe that he has potential to improve, it's just up to him how much progress he's going to show. He's older than most with his experience, but there's still plenty of room for growth.

I'm glad that Gordon made the roster this season. Like Thornton he came out in a class where the best talent all seemed to play the same position as him. People can say what they want, but he's very talented and is very deserving of making the squad. If you take any of the other guards on the roster and give them the type of minutes that he received at the beginning of the season, then their overall stats per game wouldn't look as impressive either. 3 minute games, 2 minute games are going to effect season totals. The fact that he and Westbrook have been able to consistently improve their stats as the season progressed says something about both of them.

There's always an uproar about players getting snubbed. We were a victim of that last year. This year there's Love, Chalmers, etc. I think that just says a lot about this draft class. 12-man rosters may be too much, since the game is only 40 minutes. I do think that it should be extended to 10 though.

Good luck to Juice and the Hobbit. Represent at All-Star Weekend.

[PlinkingPanda]

Yeah I'm glad they both made it. Hopefully there will be some stream online for me to watch.

[cinnamon]

The rookie/sophomore game is invariably my favorite part of All Star weekend, and I have all the more reason to enjoy it this year with two of our own guys playing.
Funny to see them playing against each other.
Good thing they are both young and vigorous, because after all the minutes they've been running for us they will continue to work during that weekend when most of the league gets a break.
They both deserve the honor, for sure. Congratulations Eric Gordon, and congratulations Al Thornton. This is only the beginning for you guys. You're doing us proud.

[thanumba2clippersfan]

I'm very happy to see Thornton and Gordon make it. I had no doubt in my mind that they would. I still remember how Al was snubbed last year, that still has me mad.

[PerkinsFor3]

always prefer this game over the real AS game.

i do however feel liek the old rookie games were the best. i remember the sick rookie squads of 96 playing. east vs west:


Howard, Sharone Wright, Brian Grant, Eddie Jones, Rose, Kidd, Tucker and Michael Smith (a personal favorite then)
vs
Glenn Robinson, Murray (woot), Montross, Person. Reeves (well how about Khalid Reeves' NBA career?), Rozier, Marshall and Trevor Ruffin.

No Hill since he was playing with the big guys, but this was more fun to me. You'd get to see your own rookies playing extended minutes. Imagine this years match up:

east:
rose, beasley, lopez, augustin, speights, lee, mbah a moute, chalmers
west:
mayo, gordon, oden, love, westbrook, thompson, gasol, batum

[Forte IV]

i bet rookies win