Kosta wrote:-= original quote snipped =-
Sorry man, but what do you mean by better statistics? If by statistics you mean points per game only, ignoring assists and shooting percentages. You got me.
And it seems like you're ignoring most of those guys play on LOSING teams.
Are you ignoring that only FIVE Eastern teams have winning records? Ten teams in the WEST have win over 50% of their games.
I sure hope that you're not advocating giving 12 spots to players from five teams: Boston, Detroit, Orlando, Cleveland, Toronto.
What would that look like, anyway?
Billups/Calderon
Hamilton/Allen
James/Pierce/Turkoglu*
Garnett/Bosh/Lewis*
Howard/Wallace/Ilgauskus*
*one of these three would not make the team.
I hope that this settles ANY debate as to whether Hedo Turkoglu deserves to make the all-star team. Even BEFORE adding the coach-voted players from losing teams (Kidd/Wade-starters; Butler/Jamison/Johnson-reserves), Turkoglu is debateably OFF the team. When you consider other *obvious talents* at the F position on losing teams (Shawn Marion, Richard Jefferson, Josh Smith, Gerald Wallace, Zach Randolph, Andre Iguodala) and then comparable talents/producers (Danny Granger, Mike Dunleavy), somebody has to get snubbed for one reason or another, for there are SO many good Fs in the East.
In other words, you are putting too much value in team success when evaluating Eastern Conference PLAYERS.
and you need to look at statistics and ask what they're really telling you. Do these statistics come at the team's expense? Does the player hog the ball? Does he play *for* stats, or wins? Is he playing within his limits and the role his team has imposed upon him? You can't fault any of the other players I listed because they are doing EXACTLY what they're being told to.
The All-Star game, by any definition you can use, boils down to spotlighting 12 individuals. Talent USUALLY>statistics, which, until recently, were >team success. This heirarcy is evidenced by the players that the FANS vote into the game.
Obviously, for whatever reason, the coaches also agree that Turkoglu and Calderon aren't ASGame worthy. Especially when you consider that, if Gilbert Arenas were healthy, he'd likely start for the East and Kidd would STILL get the vote over Calderon AND if Luol Deng hadn't missed over a third of his games the Bulls would a) be better and b) he'd be involved in the argument againt Turkoglu.
Neither are all-stars this year, especially not Turkoglu. Calderon only broke out due to a convenient injury to STARTER TJ Ford. The PG position in the East is weak due to an injury to Arenas, and the F position in the East is VERY strong.
When you consider that Wade, Lebron, and Johnson all play PG, as well as Kidd/Billups, there's no *need* for Calderon, even with a dearth of good "pure" pointguards.
Fanboys sicken me. We get it. You feel that your favorite players are underrated. The more you talk about it, the harder it is for me to care.
