Crash and the All Star weekend

Post #1 » by **BigSlam** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 6:09 pm

I'm trying to keep a lid on it, but he's blowing the freaking doors off the place which makes it hard to do!!

Surely by now the coaches are taking notice. Not only does he have the energy and athleticism that he's always had, but now he has the stats to back it up and even a jump shot that you have to (some what) respect.

He's learning more maturity and better decision making. He's trusting his team mates more (hence the assist numbers being up), he's more durable, he's a better leader.

Crash was snubbed with the MiP award back in '04-'05. Crash was snubbed with the DPoY in '05-'06 with his 2 and 2 season (heck, he didn't even make the all NBA defensive team!!). Lets hope this year that trend is broken.

If someone like Ray Allen makes the All Star team before Crash it will prove just how flawed the system is and a joke the All Star weekend has become.

It's been a real pleasure to witness the evolution of Crash over these past 4 years. It's time he got his due

Post #2 » by **Paydro70** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 6:22 pm

He's not going to make it, but I can't really say it's deserved either. He won't be competing with Ray Allen, he's definitely going to be considered a "forward" which means:

LeBron, Caron Butler, Paul Pierce, KG, all have to go in before him. You can make the argument that nobody else deserves to be ahead, but that's already 4 guys for 4 spots. Maybe he would sneak on as the 12th man, but I would think somebody like Antawn Jamison would get chosen first if they went with a forward, and that's doubtful, they'll probably take Allen, Hamilton, and Kidd out of habit.

Rich4114 · Post #3 » by **Rich4114** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 6:29 pm

The all-star weekend isn't about all-star players, it's about all-star names. I don't expect him to make it but he deserves to.

Post #4 » by **BigSlam** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 6:34 pm

Paydro70 wrote:He's not going to make it, but I can't really say it's deserved either. He won't be competing with Ray Allen, he's definitely going to be considered a "forward" which means:

I'm not taking about him starting. Positions are really taken into consideration outside the starting 5 are they? That being the case, he'll compete with guys like Allen to make it.

Post #5 » by **Paydro70** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 6:41 pm

I think they would have to to some degree, they don't want to send 7 guards. Regardless, assuming a starting 5 of Kidd (God what an awful pick, thanks fans!), Wade, LeBron, KG, Howard, then the coaches will have to take Pierce, Bosh, Butler, Billups, probably Hamilton and Redd, and then I would think they'll take a fourth big guy, probably Jamison. We can argue he's more deserving than the people on that list after Billups, but even without Allen there are a lot of good candidates.

Post #6 » by **BigSlam** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 6:42 pm

But on that:

Why wouldn't he play in front of someone like Butler? Crash's numbers are comparable and the Wiz have only won 5 more games than us?

Post #7 » by **Paydro70** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 6:50 pm

...no way Slam, Butler has been unreal this season. He's scoring about the same number of points on fewer possessions, getting more rebounds, more assists, and more steals, shooting better from the field, line, and 3, and fouling and turning the ball over less. The only thing Wallace does that Butler doesn't is get a block a game, but I can't think that begins to make up for being worse in every other category.

If Wallace had played the whole season like his January numbers (26.4, 9.6, 4.8, 2.1, 1.33) the edge would go to Crash, though Butler would still have him on turnovers, fouls, and all shooting percentages. He's definitely competing more with guys like Jamison, Redd, and maybe Vince Carter (which would be a shame).

chabber · Post #8 » by **chabber** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 7:38 pm

I think your right paydro. If he makes the team he'll have to sneak into one of those last spots nudging out someone like Redd, Hamilton or Jamison.

However if theres one coach in this league that I think has a man crush on Crash it's Doc Rivers. I wouldn't put it past him to select him if Gerald's stats are comparable and we can keep winning some games.

Edit: (Nevermind, for some reason I thought the All-star Coaches chose the reserves instead of them being voted on by All coaches. I guess he really has no shot. They'll definitely vote for the bigger names)

Btw it's been too long since I've posted. I've been on a longer hiatus than Slam was when he took off back to Australia.

Post #9 » by **BigSlam** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 7:57 pm

You've been missed chabber. Good to have you back.

chabber · Post #10 » by **chabber** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:12 pm

Good to be back. We've been making quite a run and I'm finally feeling proud of these guys again. I'm still going to the games but I just haven't had much time to jump on the boards too often.

I have seen however that things around here have gotten a little more heated than normal. It's been tense reading some of it to say the least.

Anyway, hope you had fun visiting your family and friends over the holidays. I'm sure you drank enough beer for you and me both down there.

Post #11 » by **Walt Cronkite** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:54 pm

Charlotte basketballer, NBA2k8 challenge when you're game

edit: And of course welcome back!

chabber · Post #12 » by **chabber** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 9:37 pm

A challenge eh?? That's what I like to hear!

I'm down for playing some tonight if you want and I'll beat some sense into you, you godless heathen.

Post #13 » by **Walt Cronkite** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 10:27 pm

Ha! Game on!!

SamBone · Post #14 » by **SamBone** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 1:28 pm

The fans vote the starting 5, and the coach picks the 7 reserves. That will be 1 center, 3 forwards and 3 guards. Bosh and Butler are givens to back up Lebron and KG. with the last spot most likely going to Pierce (Boston coaches the team because they have the best record). Crash deserves it, but really has no shot

Post #15 » by **fatlever** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 4:02 pm

i love crash to death... if he had been playing at his january pace all season and we had 5 more wins then i'd say he is a lock. but, only current circumstances.... crash no chance. too many big name forwards on teams with winning records ahead of him. we will not have an all-star until we have a winning record in in mid-january. until then everyone is going to use the excuse, putting up numbers on a bad team.

but the crash all-star video is great.

btw... crash should get player of the week this week w/ one more good game.

amcoolio · Post #16 » by **amcoolio** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 5:11 pm

Most the people in the general board are including Wallace...but I agree. I don't see how coaches (or the NBA, if you believe in conspiracy therories) would choose Wallace out of picking two out of Bosh, Pierce, Butler, Ray Allen, and Wallace... although I think he deserves to go out of most of those options. Butler's team is better, Pierce is a "star" as is Bosh....and Allen has been awful this season but would get in because of name recognition.

The only way is if they put in Bosh as the backup C. Really, no other C in the east besides Dwight should go, but Okafor is realistically the next option as far as backup C's go (I mean who else? JO has been awful, Curry has tailed off, Ben Wallace is even worse, Shaq would be a travesty if selected, Kristic and Haywood are supreme role players). So if they put Bosh at F, then there is the possibility that the best player on the Bobcats gets snubbed by the third best (this season).

Post #17 » by **fatlever** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 5:58 pm

if okafor would have just increased his numbers a tad this season, he would probably be a good bet to make it as the 2nd center.

Post #18 » by **Paydro70** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 6:21 pm

I've been assuming Bosh goes in as a C, in which case Crash still doesn't make it with Pierce, Butler, and then I'm thinking they'd prefer Jamison or JO.

Butler's team is better? Antonio Daniels, DeShaun Stevenson, Jamison, and Brendan Haywood? That's a cast that's supposed to minimize what he's doing? Would you trade Felton/JRich/Okafor/Mohammed for those four?

Pierce has been a lot closer to Wallace than Butler, but considering he has better 3pt and FT shooting (leading to better TS% despite being worse from the field), fewer fouls and turnovers, much more assists, equivalent rebounds, again Crash would be making it on the basis of steals and blocks. In terms of actual defense, Pierce has been amazing this year, allowing one of the lowest PERs in the league (12!) on one of the all-time great defensive squads.

So after the starting 5, we have Billups, Hamilton, Pierce, Butler, and Bosh. That leaves two spots. Crash deserves the spot more than Vince Carter or Ray Allen (Carter's close, Allen's not), and Jamison as well. I don't see him getting the benefit of the doubt, but I guess you could say he deserves the 11th/12th spot.

amcoolio · Post #19 » by **amcoolio** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 6:25 pm

I meant in terms of record. Thats usually where the first tiebreaker goes. They'll select an all-star from a playoff bound team before a lottery team (Joe Johnson was the clear exception, but wasn't he put in because of injuries?)

Post #20 » by **Paydro70** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 6:30 pm

Oh... I see now. I read it wrong, sorry.