These annual repetitive competitions, where corporate tickets go for thousands and thousands of dollars a seat will never disappear even though they really are of no use to viewers any longer. The NBA just keeps trying to re-invent the All Star break, hence the reason for incorporating a HORSE game between Kevin Durant, Joe Johnson, and O.J. Mayo. In an even more comical display, the game of HORSE was not even played because the company sponsor GEICO was replaced instead. Then there is the Rookie-Sophomore competition that is always a track meet that no one really pines to see. If you happened to catch the great All Star Saturday night, I don't think any of the point guards involved (Derrick Rose, Tony Parker, Devin Harris, and Maurice Williams) were completely engaged (to put it lightly) while going through obstacle courses and making passes through circular hoops in a race against time. In other words, none of these guys wanted to be there and I don't blame them. Intelligently, each carefully coasted through the thing instead of going all out and sustaining a freak injury in a meaningless event. Then the 3 point and Slam Dunk competitions are what they are every year. There will be flares for the dramatic at times, particularly in the Dunk Contest, but how many different dunks can there possibly be considering all the creativity that has been on display since 2000? Nate Robinson has been in 3 Dunk Contests in the past 4 seasons! Talk about same old story!
To top things off, the All Star Game was dominated by guards, particularly Kobe Bryant who seemed to want to prove to everybody how supposedly competitive he is by jacking up 23 shots and scoring 27 points to win co-MVPs with Shaquille O'Neal. I was hoping the East would win simply because they only had two front court guys in Kevin Garnett and Dwight Howard so it was hardly a conventional lineup against the West. If these games are going to be played, I want the track meet that is the Rookie-Sophomore game. I want these top players to score points in bunches and I want lax defense. It doesn't excite me in an All Star game to watch Kobe Bryant try to deny Dwyane Wade the ball on the perimeter with his over-rated defensive play. I feel for guys like Tim Duncan who probably have not got to shoot the ball more than 10 times in his last 4 All Star appearances. This is an All Star game and not a ball-hogging contest. Why do the starters not move the ball around and get everybody an equal amount of shots for the most part? Therefore the hot hand on the winning team can be the alleged "MVP" of an exhibition game. On the other hand, I like the guys making their first appearance such as Danny Granger and Brandon Roy because it is an honor, but I am sure late in the season they would not mind just being named to an All Star roster without having to actually play the game. Allen Iverson has the perfect approach for the last few years. Iverson likes taking limited shots and minutes before sitting on the bench to not injure his 33 year old frame. He won an All Star MVP award and he seems to understand the joke the game has become. Paul Pierce, again voted as a reserve which is wrong in my opinion, had the right idea being aggressive because there is little sharing going on out on the court. He fired up 14 points in the first half for a trailing East squad but did not receive the same opportunities in the second half for whatever reason. The game was boring, not just because it was a blowout but primarily because the pace was slow, not every player on the court got chances to show his stuff (uh Chauncey Billups), and there was a serious lack of show time involved with few alley-oops and fast break slams.
You can talk about pageantry, history, and tradition, but the fact of the matter remains all the All Star Weekend really is about is money and fan popularity. How disastrous would it be for one of these All Stars on a play-off bound team to get injured and put the rest of their season in question? All it would take is one major injury before people would start calling the game's necessity into question. How is Deron Williams, the Jazz point guard who has led the Jazz without Carlos Boozer and utility man Andrei Kirileinko not an All Star? Ok the fans would not vote him as a starter and Chris Paul is an understandable reason why. Yet coaches could not vote him in as a reserve? I mean the entire game is mostly guard oriented with little post play and emphasis on getting forwards and centers involved. Don't believe it is a popularity contest? Tracy McGrady, who has been injured most of the season with a bad knee amongst other things, would have been starting had he not been injured because of fan votes. This fan vote aspect is a pitiful ordeal, but I have come to realize it will never end. I would have no problem having a weekend in a host city where the All Stars hang out and interact with fans, friends, and family without having to participate in on the court activities that they really do not want to be involved in. I guess all I can do is choose not to watch but that probably will not happen since I respect these professionals' individual skills.
No comments:
Post a Comment