The 2018-2019 Around the NBA thread

[AzStevenCal]

Agreed. I'm curious if Rose will make it. I believe the fan voting is only a part of the process, the players and media also send in votes. I gotta think Harden will be the highest vote getter among those ballots.

I get why they include the fans; participation, blah blah blah, but I think it would be far more interesting if the selection was entirely among the players. Seeing a much loathed guy like Butler left out of the game by the players he trashes in the press would be high comedy, especially as the chip on his shoulder swells like the Grinch's heart.

It would be interesting but players that wield power and influence would be shoo-ins and while that would still be better than fan voting, it's still a fail IMO. Same with coaches - that's why I say a committee, hopefully one manned by a cross section of NBA followers.

Butler will get his in the next life, AKA basketball retirement. He and JR Rider can join Sprewell on his yacht which I guess now is a rubber dinghy.

 

[Hoop Head]

I have always been against fan voting for All-Star selections regardless of sport. I'd much rather see players selected by a committee.

I wouldn't mind fan voting for the starters if selections were made already. If they rolled out the rosters 2 weeks before or something so fans cast votes for who should start on each team. From what I understand though fan voting only accounts for 50% nowadays. The league sort of built in an exit strategy if fans hijacked it to start a scrub like how Zaza was in the top 10 vote getters a couple years back when he was on the Warriors. That is what brought about the league stepping up some and limiting how much fan voting determines.

I'd much rather see fan voting to get players into the 3pt contest or the dunk contest. Those are almost built for fan voting but the league doesn't seem to care. If fans could try to send an under-appreciated sharpshooter from their team or a super athletic bench player to participate in the dunk contest then I'd be all for that.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I wouldn't mind fan voting for the starters if selections were made already. If they rolled out the rosters 2 weeks before or something so fans cast votes for who should start on each team. From what I understand though fan voting only accounts for 50% nowadays. The league sort of built in an exit strategy if fans hijacked it to start a scrub like how Zaza was in the top 10 vote getters a couple years back when he was on the Warriors. That is what brought about the league stepping up some and limiting how much fan voting determines.

I'd much rather see fan voting to get players into the 3pt contest or the dunk contest. Those are almost built for fan voting but the league doesn't seem to care. If fans could try to send an under-appreciated sharpshooter from their team or a super athletic bench player to participate in the dunk contest then I'd be all for that.

I'd just as soon see the fans have no input because I don't believe the fan vote is very representative of fans. I know I'm generations removed from the young fans of today but not one person in my circle of 15 sports fans has ever voted for an All-Star or Pro Bowl. Maybe I'm wrong but I believe the majority, perhaps the vast majority, of sports fans vote rarely if at all.

 

[Hoop Head]

I'd just as soon see the fans have no input because I don't believe the fan vote is very representative of fans. I know I'm generations removed from the young fans of today but not one person in my circle of 15 sports fans has ever voted for an All-Star or Pro Bowl. Maybe I'm wrong but I believe the majority, perhaps the vast majority, of sports fans vote rarely if at all.

You do have a point there. I do remember voting when I was young in the early 90's with ballots at the Sports Emporium, I believe, and part of the reason I did is was the All-Star game was in Phoenix and the city was quite hyped so there were places to cast ballots all over. I was maybe 9 years old at that point and didn't care who would start but I wanted to see Suns players like Barkley, KJ, and Majerle in the game. That was it for voting pre-internet and I think I've voted twice on the internet before. Once was when I first learned that's how the balloting was being handled and again last year but when I did it then it was a matter of "retweeting" something that the Suns official twitter had already sent out because voting was done by hashtags. I barely consider that voting since I didn't even choose who I was voting for but it was 1 vote for Booker all the same. This year voting can be done by searching a players name on Google, which I think leads to a much more difficult way to verify if voting was even legitimate but it doesn't matter much to me who makes it and who doesn't.

I am still all for voting for participants in the Saturday sort of mini-games though and really wish the NBA would adopt that. The 3pt contest and dunk contest aren't anything new anymore but they could be freshened up by seeing the people NBA fans want to see rather than just whoever accepts an invitation. It's not even clear what gets a player an invitation either which is part of why I'd like to see fan voting take that over. Like 2 or 3 years ago when Derrick Jones Jr was selected for the dunk contest despite him only seeing garbage time once, maybe, prior to that. I know that helped some fans learn who he was but ultimately it looked bad that the NBA needed someone like that to fill their field of contestants.

 

[Western Font]

Fan voting (especially when it’s possible to vote more than once, etc.) waters down the ASG as a metric of achievement. Weirdly I don’t mind it as a contract bonus because popularity and outreach are helpful to he franchise’s bottom line.

I agree that fan participation would be better used to fill out the other activities. Dunk contest, 3-point contest, maybe HORSE, Around the World, 3-on-3...

 

[Mainstreet]

Also, Zubac on the Lakers is concerning. More so... the Lakers recent ability to find effective players deep in the draft is VERY concerning. I suspect their scouting budget blows ours out of the water.

And the Suns seemingly ignore this very important aspect.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

I'd just as soon see the fans have no input because I don't believe the fan vote is very representative of fans. I know I'm generations removed from the young fans of today but not one person in my circle of 15 sports fans has ever voted for an All-Star or Pro Bowl. Maybe I'm wrong but I believe the majority, perhaps the vast majority, of sports fans vote rarely if at all.

I think it is quite representitive of what casual NBA fans think. A lot of that has to do with how much media coverage a player gets. The players with the most coverage are getting the most votes, hence Luka having the 3rd most votes in the league.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I think it is quite representitive of what casual NBA fans think. A lot of that has to do with how much media coverage a player gets. The players with the most coverage are getting the most votes, hence Luka having the 3rd most votes in the league.

You think most of us wanted Yao when he was injured all season or Carmelo there year after year or Wade there this season? Or are you just saying that they get most of the names right and that's good enough for you?

I do think that between the fan vote and the coaches selections, it's a fairly accurate roster but the wrong players often get voted in as starters and every year it seems like there's at least one player that clearly shouldn't be there (usually a star that's missed a bunch of games). I'd be all for an honorary addition or two each year to bid goodbye to aging stars but it shouldn't cost a deserving player a spot on the team.

 

[Krangodnzr]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...beasley-tries-enter-game-wearing-wrong-shorts

Is he embracing his status as a clown or is he actually this daft? I hope he sticks around for a while, it's kind of adorable to have guys like him and McGee around playing the role of court jester... just so long as they are not on my team, and especially if they're polluting our rivals.

Also, Zubac on the Lakers is concerning. More so... the Lakers recent ability to find effective players deep in the draft is VERY concerning. I suspect their scouting budget blows ours out of the water.

The Lakers seem to be hitting on even 2nd round picks, or at least getting serviceable players with every pick.

The Suns are such a poopy organization. I hate to say it. I watch the Cardinals be a poopy organization for many years and they seemingly turned it around once Michael Bidwill usurped his father. Sadly, Sarver isn't going anywhere.

 

[GatorAZ]

It’s all setting up for the Lakers to trade for AD and sign Kyrie.

 

[JCSunsfan]

It’s all setting up for the Lakers to trade for AD and sign Kyrie.

Why would they do that? Ball is a better fit at pg with that bunch. They need his defense and distribution.

 

[GatorAZ]

Why would they do that? Ball is a better fit at pg with that bunch. They need his defense and distribution.

Ball is not a better fit with Lebron than Kyrie... and I’m a pretty big Lonzo honk. He’s looked really good since Lebron got hurt.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

You think most of us wanted Yao when he was injured all season or Carmelo there year after year or Wade there this season? Or are you just saying that they get most of the names right and that's good enough for you?

I do think that between the fan vote and the coaches selections, it's a fairly accurate roster but the wrong players often get voted in as starters and every year it seems like there's at least one player that clearly shouldn't be there (usually a star that's missed a bunch of games). I'd be all for an honorary addition or two each year to bid goodbye to aging stars but it shouldn't cost a deserving player a spot on the team.

Most casual fans, sure. I don't expect informed fans to want those players in the all star game, but casual fans that don't pay attention to much other than counting stats or name recognition are the ones that do a lot of the voting.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Most casual fans, sure. I don't expect informed fans to want those players in the all star game, but casual fans that don't pay attention to much other than counting stats or name recognition are the ones that do a lot of the voting.

Its not even stats. Its just who their favorite is. They do not even think about who deserves it most.

 

[BC867]

It would be interesting but players that wield power and influence would be shoo-ins and while that would still be better than fan voting, it's still a fail IMO. Same with coaches - that's why I say a committee, hopefully one manned by a cross section of NBA followers.

Butler will get his in the next life, AKA basketball retirement. He and JR Rider can join Sprewell on his yacht which I guess now is a rubber dinghy.

Yes, and I think there is another factor. The NBA All Star game is, of course, a league sponsored, public relations event.

Selection should indeed reflect the most deserving representatives for the game. As opposed to what city's fans vote the most.

 

[elindholm]

Its not even stats. Its just who their favorite is. They do not even think about who deserves it most.

How is it any different when Suns fans vote for Booker?

 

[BC867]

How is it any different when Suns fans vote for Booker?

It's not. I said that, from a league point of view (as well as basketball fans around the country), who is on the All Star teams shouldn't be based on which cities' fans register the most votes.

And don't many votes come from overseas? Even as a partisan Suns fan, I would rather see participants based on skill rather than popularity contests.

Of course, if DBook were not spread thin between leading scorer and leading facilitator this season, I expect he'd be higher than tenth in Western Conference backcourt votes. Jack of all trades and, evidently, master of none. And, I guess the lack of defense tag, doesn't help his cause.

 

[Folster]

What are the chances NJ doesn't match an offer for Russell?

 

[Hoop Head]

It's not. I said that, from a league point of view (as well as basketball fans around the country), who is on the All Star teams shouldn't be based on which cities' fans register the most votes.

And don't many votes come from overseas? Even as a partisan Suns fan, I would rather see participants based on skill rather than popularity contests.

Of course, if DBook were not spread thin between leading scorer and leading facilitator this season, I expect he'd be higher than tenth in Western Conference backcourt votes. Jack of all trades and, evidently, master of none. And, I guess the lack of defense tag, doesn't help his cause.

Will you stop with the nonsense about Booker playing PG is holding him back? Now you want to say that in addition to costing him many games due to injury it's also hurting his case for an All-Star nod? Why is James Harden the #3 vote getter then? Or is he #3 because he's been playing PG and SG for Houston and that's kept him from being #1? If anything Booker has received MORE accolades from the press and fans because he is covering both spots and spent the majority of the season in the top 10 for assists per game. He's actually dipped down below 7 assists per game and has fallen to 14th in the league recently because he isn't playing PG full time. Most All-Star level SG's like Booker have the ball in their hands a lot but it doesn't make them a PG because of that. Look at Dwayne Wade, Jamal Crawford, Louis Williams, James Harden, Victor Oladipo, and even in the past with Kobe, MJ, Ray Allen, McGrady, Drexler, et al. the list can go on and on. At what point will you accept that Booker is a ball dominant 2 guard instead of a Point Guard? I honestly think Booker himself could tell you that but you would say Sarver put him up to it. Quit blaming all of the Suns trouble on Booker playing PG because he's not. He hasn't even started at PG for weeks now but you have chosen to ignore that for some reason, it's a non-issue at this point.

 

[Hoop Head]

What are the chances NJ doesn't match an offer for Russell?

Depends on the cost but I'd say it was somewhere around a 60% chance they match. It was probably 40% after they signed Dinwiddie to his extension, which would have been the perfect time to try to get him in a trade but perhaps they still planned on seeing how things worked out with him. I'd say 50/50 if the money is reasonable and that would be about $15 million a year. The higher another team goes the less likely they match. If someone frontloads a contract or can slip a poison pill of some variety in there then it would help up the odds of them passing. I could see them being very open to a sign and trade though, I'd put that at like a 75% chance of happening.

 

[Mainstreet]

Faried will be joining Rockets after buyout with Nets.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

I always thought Faried could help the Suns at power forward.

 

[GatorAZ]

Anthony Davis out with a bad finger lol. I think it’s going to happen soon.

A package built around Lonzo and Kuzma would be a good deal for the Pelicans. Much better than Jaylen Brown and Al Horford.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Not a good night for Doncic. Poor shooting night and got himself ejected in the 3rd quarter.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[sunsfan88]

Not a good night for Doncic. Poor shooting night and got himself ejected in the 3rd quarter.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

Got a chuckle out of the announcer comparing him to Luka Modric. Gonna guess that like 80% of the viewers have no idea who that is.

 

[sunsfan88]

Anthony Davis out with a bad finger lol. I think it’s going to happen soon.

A package built around Lonzo and Kuzma would be a good deal for the Pelicans. Much better than Jaylen Brown and Al Horford.

They should hold out for Hart as well.

NOP wants Tatum, Brown and a 1st from Boston to even start.

Davis is a superstar in his prime that plays both ends of the court so his value should be at an absolute premium.