Poll: Who Was The Biggest All-Star Snub?
With the NBA All-Stars being announced recently, it opens up the inevitable discussion as to who was left off the squad. Every year a number of deserving players don’t make the cut. Sometimes it’s simply a matter of too much talent in their conference at a particular position. But other times, there can be some real shocks. Veteran players will sometimes get the nod over rookies, just as more established stars, or All-Star game regulars, will sometimes get picked over new blood.
Everyone has a player they believe should have made the cut. Let’s take a look at eight players that didn’t make the team:
- Kyle Lowry (Raptors): He’s averaging 16.8 PPG and 7.6 APG, and the Raptors are leading the Atlantic Division with a 25-21 record, which is good for third-best in the East. It’s possible that DeMar DeRozan‘s selection may have hurt Lowry’s chances. His biggest competition for a reserve spot was Kyrie Irving, who was named to the team.Irving’s numbers are 21.6 PPG, and 6.1 APG, for a bad Cavaliers squad.
- DeMarcus Cousins (Kings): Cousins ranks 10th in the NBA in scoring with an average of 22.6 PPG and is sixth in rebounding at 11.6 RPG. It’s possible that his negative reputation amongst coaches played a part in him not being selected. The argument can be made his numbers are more impressive than reserve Dirk Nowitzki, who is putting up 21.8 PPG, and 6.2 RPG.
- Anthony Davis (Pelicans): Davis missed out on a Western Conference All-Star berth because he’s 20 years old and his team is not very good, writes James Herbert of SB Nation.com. Davis has put up impressive stats this season, averaging 20.4 PPG, 10.4 RPG and a league-leading 3.3 BPG. His numbers compare very favorably to reserves Nowitzki and Blake Griffin, who is averaging 23.0 PPG, and 9.7 RPG. Griffin is obviously a bigger attraction, thanks to his athleticism and dunks.
- Goran Dragic (Suns): Dragic is averaging 19.7 PPG and 6.1 APG for the Suns, who are one of the NBA’s biggest surprise teams. He’s also kept the Suns in the hunt after the injury to Eric Bledsoe. His biggest competition was from reserve Tony Parker, who is averaging 18.1 PPG and 6.2 APG.
- Al Jefferson (Bobcats): Jefferson is averaging 19.3 PPG and 10.5 RPG, for the eighth-seeded Bobcats. His competition came from reserve Joakim Noah, who is averaging 11.7 PPG, and 11.4 RPG, for the Bulls.
- Lance Stephenson (Pacers): Joe Johnson made the team with averages of 15.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 2.8 APG for a bad Nets team. Stephenson plays for the team with the best record in the league, and is putting up 14.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 5.4 APG. Dwyane Wade might not play, which could possibly open up a spot for Stephenson.
- Mike Conley (Grizzlies): Conley is stuck in a conference with a wealth of talent at point guard. His numbers of 18.0 PPG, and 6.3 APG are comparable to Tony Parker‘s.
- Arron Afflalo (Magic): Afflalo plays for a bad team, which definitely hurt his chances. His numbers of 20.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 3.7 APG compare well against the previously mentioned Joe Johnson‘s.
So which of these players do you think got the rawest deal in not being named to the All-Star team? There aren’t enough spots for every worthy player, but the case can be made for a number of players on this list to be on the team over their counterparts. Sound off in the comment section below with your thoughts.
Who was biggest All-Star snub?
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Anthony Davis 24% (385)
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Lance Stephenson 20% (322)
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DeMarcus Cousins 18% (285)
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Al Jefferson 13% (202)
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Goran Dragic 11% (176)
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Kyle Lowry 10% (166)
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Arron Afflalo 2% (40)
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Mike Conley 2% (29)
Total votes: 1,605
Eastern Notes: Brown, Irving, Bynum, Celtics
It’s not a revelatory statement to say the Cavaliers are in trouble this season. They have lost 17 of their last 24 contests, and are 16-30 on the year, leaving them four games behind in the playoff standings. There are plenty of calls going around for coach Mike Brown‘s job. But firing Brown would only worsen the team’s real problem, writes Bud Shaw of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Shaw believes that it’s the players lack of professionalism that is the issue this season, and firing Brown would only serve to enable them further. Shaw also opines that if a true professional like Luol Deng is unable to have a positive impact, then there definitely is a much deeper problem with the organization than Brown.
More from around the Eastern Conference:
- Also weighing in on the Cavaliers coaching situation is Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. She thinks that the team would be better off if they ran Brown’s defense as he coached it, but if the players are tuning him out, then the team might need to make a coaching change.
- In the same piece, Schmitt Boyer also spoke about some fans clamoring for the team to trade Kyrie Irving. She doesn’t believe it would be wise, stating that the team wouldn’t get equal value in NBA players in return, and the team hasn’t drafted well, so draft picks might also not be worth trading him for.
- John Wall admits he’ll try to recruit Kevin Durant to join the Wizards in 2016, writes Michael Lee of The Washington Post. Wall has stated in the past that he won’t be a recruiter and beg anyone to sign with his team, but for Durant he may make an exception. Wall and Durant share a trainer in the offseason, and Wall has already started dropping Durant some hints about coming to Washington.
- The Knicks made a strong push for Andrew Bynum, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Knicks personnel director Mark Warkentien tried to arrange a meeting with Bynum, but it never materialized. The Knicks only had the veteran’s minimum to offer Bynum, which pro-rated would have been $550K. Indiana had part of its mid-level exception and can pay him a full $1MM for the rest of the season, which may have been the determining factor.
- The plethora of personnel changes the Celtics undergone this season have made it difficult for the team to maintain any continuity, writes Baxter Holmes of Boston.com. Between injuries, trades, and D-League signings, it has been hard for the team to be consistent. Holmes also states that the trade deadline might bring about even more changes for the squad.
Lawrence On Deng, Cavaliers, Irving, Heat
As usual, the latest weekly column by Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News is filled with intriguing rumors and notes. Let’s dive in and look at some of the most notable pieces:
- Luol Deng was not happy to be traded to the Cavaliers, according to Lawrence. Deng reportedly expressed disdain for his new team to a close friend: “The stuff going on in practice would never be tolerated by the coaching staff or the front office back in Chicago. It’s a mess.” Should this report be true, it doesn’t sound like Deng will be open to staying in Cleveland beyond this season. Most Hoops Rumors readers don’t seem to think he will anyway.
- Lawrence hears that Cavaliers GM Chris Grant is expected to lose his job at the end of the season as ownership grows tired of losing and hearing about persistent locker room issues. Since trading for Deng, the team is 4-7 and still remains out of the playoff picture in the weak Eastern Conference.
- A league source tells Lawrence that Kyrie Irving is close to firing his agent, Jeff Wechsler. Reportedly, Wechsler wants Irving to stay in Cleveland, but Irving would prefer to leave the Cavs and become a member of the Knicks. Just a few days ago, we heard Irving strongly deny he has any desire to leave Cleveland.
- The Heat have expressed interest in retaining LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, but Lawrence hears that all three have “sent signals” that they want to get a maximum deal in free agency since they all took pay cuts to sign together in Miami three summers ago.
- One insider for the Heat spoke on a potential end to the big three era in Miami, telling Lawrence, “that’s a real concern for us. The biggest concern? LeBron leaving.“
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Chandler, Bynum, Celtics
At one point, it looked like 76ers had found a bargain in offseason acquisition Tony Wroten. He was averaging 13 PPG before missing three games as a result of an ankle injury, and he was only being paid $1.1MM. Upon his return, however, he hasn’t looked quite as strong, shooting just 24% from the floor. Wroten doesn’t seem to be worried however, as Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer passes along this quote from the second year guard: “You go through things like this. It’s a long season. So I’m getting back into the groove.” Let’s look at the latest out of the NBA’s Atlantic Division:
- Bradford Doolittle of ESPN.com gives his take on the struggling Knicks, and opines the club should try to trade Tyson Chandler for future assets (ESPN Insider link). Doolittle sees Chandler as New York’s most valuable trade chip, and he thinks it might be possible to swing the veteran center to a contender for a pick or young player.
- The Knicks had interest in signing Andrew Bynum before he wound up in Indiana, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post (Twitter link). Berman adds they would’ve likely cut Cole Aldrich to make room for him since they’re carrying the maximum 15 players.
- Avery Bradley is set to return to the Celtics tomorrow night, and with Rajon Rondo also back in action, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com examines how a healthier backcourt will stand to impact Boston. Forsberg notes that the duo has shared the floor in just 51 of 277 potential regular-season games over the last four years.
Odds & Ends: Bynum, Silver, Boozer, Carmelo
News broke this morning that the Pacers officially signed Andrew Bynum to contract that covers the remainder of the season. The former All-Star didn’t find a fit in Cleveland, and a tweet from Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio reveals that part of Bynum’s frustration with the Cavs was aimed at Kyrie Irving. A source tells Amico that Bynum didn’t believe the team “knew how to win.” Here are a few tidbits from Saturday afternoon around the NBA:
- The Bleacher Report interviewed some notable NBA figures to get a bunch of interesting ideas they’d like to see new commissioner Adam Silver tackle, including raising the NBA draft age limit, getting a team in Seattle, and changing salary structures.
- Mike McGraw of The Daily Herald believes the Bulls will use the amnesty clause on Carlos Boozer, but suggests that more of a shakeup will be needed to sign Carmelo Anthony. McGraw thinks the Bulls need to move Taj Gibson in order to create room for Anthony.
- Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post thinks Nate Robinson‘s season-ending ACL tear will have two definitive effects: the Nuggets will require a guard in return for Andre Miller (on the trading block), and Robinson will likely pick up his $2.1MM player option for next season rather than testing free agency before proving he’s back on the other side of surgery and rehab.
- Jodie Meeks tells Mark Medina of L.A. Daily News that he hopes he can stay with Lakers after this season: “I love it here and hope I can stay a long time.” He’s on the last year of a two-year, $3.05MM contract and is one of many Lakers that come off the books for next season.
- The Warriors announced in a press release that they’ve officially assigned MarShon Brooks and Kent Bazemore to the Santa Cruz Warriors. This confirms a report we passed along earlier this afternoon that said the duo would be heading to the D-League.
Cray Allred contributed to this post.
Celtics Won’t Re-Sign Vander Blue
1:15pm: Blue will re-join the D-League’s Delaware 87ers, tweets Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
11:27am: Vander Blue won’t receive a second 10-day contract from the Celtics, according to Shams Charania of RealGM (via Twitter). The move makes Blue a free agent, and he can seek employment with any NBA, D-League, or overseas team. Charania notes that it’s possible the Celtics could revisit adding Blue to the roster after the All-Star break.
Blue played just 15 total minutes with Boston before his 10-day deal expired overnight. The Celtics had moved blue to the Celtics’ D-League affiliate a day ago, but apparently decided against keeping him with either club for development. The undrafted rookie has averaged 17.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in five D-League games.
D-League Notes: Mavs, Warriors, Murry
The D-League is producing more and more success stories, and Terrence Williams hopes to be the next to benefit from showcasing his talents there, writes Gino Pilato of D-League Digest. Williams has a 50-point game in his pocket, and hasn’t scored fewer than 20 points over his last four games. The NBA veteran has struggled to earn a roster spot or consistent playing time since showing some promise in 78 games as a rookie with the Nets in 2009/10. While his athleticism has never been in doubt, Williams now says he is in a better place mentally: “It’s unfortunate that I’m here, but it is fortunate for me to be humbled. I needed this.” Here is all of the recent D-League movement from around the league:
- The Mavs have assigned both Shane Larkin and Ricky Ledo to their D-League affiliate Texas Legends, per a press release from the team. Ledo is moving back down less than 24 hours from his recent call-up, and Larkin is likely only being moved for a one-game stint.
- The Knicks’ PR account tweeted the announcement that Toure’ Murry has been recalled from the D-League. Since playing 27 minutes in a December loss to the Raptors, the rookie guard averaged just 8.9 minutes per contest in January, as limits to J.R. Smith and Raymond Felton‘s playing time due to performance and injury, respectively, were relaxed.
- The Warriors are expected to send both MarShon Brooks and Kent Bazemore to the D-League, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Brooks came to the Warriors in the recent trade for Jordan Crawford, and Bazemore has been a end-of-the-bench player in his two years with the club.
Spurs Sign Brown To 10-Day, Release Jeffers
The Spurs have signed Shannon Brown to a 10-day contract, per a team press release. Othyus Jeffers has been let go in conjunction with the addition of Brown. Brown figures to add depth to their depleted guard rotation. The Spurs have suffered a litany of injuries lately, with Kawhi Leonard, Manu Ginobili, Danny Green, and Tiago Splitter all missing extended time. Brown has played for five teams over his nine-year career, and hadn’t played anywhere this year after being traded to the Wizards from the Suns, and promptly released. He was reportedly considering joining a team in China over continuing his NBA career, but has opted for this route in San Antonio, where coach Gregg Popovich has consistently given role players opportunities to maximize their skills and contribute.
Jeffers’ 10-day contract wasn’t set to expire until this coming Sunday night, as our 10-day contract tracker shows. The 28-year-old shooting guard has struggled to stay in the league, spending more time in the D-League over his six-year career than on NBA teams.
Hawks Sign Cartier Martin To 10-Day Contract
5:11pm: The Hawks have officially announced the signing, via Twitter.
9:51am: After letting go of James Nunnally at the end of his second 10-day contract, the Hawks are now adding small forward Cartier Martin on a short-term deal, according Shams Charania of RealGM. Martin recently played out consecutive 10-day contracts with the Bulls, who declined to extend him for the rest of the year.
Martin was released by the Hawks earlier this season, then performed well in his limited time with the Bulls, shooting over 60% from both the three and the floor overall. In his six seasons, the Andrew Vye client has career averages of 5.4 points and 2.0 rebounds on 14.4 minutes per game.
Pacers Sign Andrew Bynum
UPDATE, 10:26am: Bynum’s contract is worth $1MM and will run through the rest of the season, per a tweet from USA TODAY’s Sam Amick. Indiana is using part of its mid-level exception to accommodate this salary, since $1MM is more than a prorated minimum salary would allow for Bynum.
Team president Larry Bird and head coach Frank Vogel both spoke with reporters about the deal. Bird said the idea that the perception that the move was to keep Bynum away from the Heat is “about the dumbest thing I ever heard. We dont have money like that,” according to a tweet from Stefan Bondy of New York Daily News. Vogel said he believes it will be weeks before Bynum actually plays, per another tweet from Candace Buckner of the Indy Star.
9:22am: Andrew Bynum has officially joined the Pacers, per the team’s press release this morning. The contract covers the remainder of the season. Larry Bird is quoted as saying, “He gives us added size, he is a skilled big man and he has championship experience. With the minutes he gets, he should be a valuable addition.” News of his meeting with the team broke yesterday, and the move is perceived by many to be as much about keeping Bynum off of a competitor’s roster as it is about improving Indiana’s.
The Pacers had been rumored as a potential landing spot for Bynum, but weren’t seen as the favorites until yesterday. Bynum will back up all-star center Roy Hibbert.
After winning two championships with the Lakers, the supremely talented 7-footer’s career has turned into a whirlwind. He was dealt to Philadelphia in the Dwight Howard blockbuster of 2012, but he never played a minute for the Sixers due to chronic knee issues and setbacks. The client of agent David Lee signed a unique, partially guaranteed contract with the Cavs this offseason, and had limited success in a small dose of minutes. His frustration with that situation led to his suspension and trade to the Bulls for Luol Deng. Chicago immediately cut him as a cap-saving maneuver to duck under the tax.
Since then, lukewarm interest has come from many rumored teams, but concerns over Bynum’s commitment to the game and his reported preferences — to make more than the minimum veteran’s salary, and compete for a title, and receive plenty of playing time — kept him a free agent for nearly a month.