Demar Derozan one of NBA.com's "Below-the-Radar All-Stars"

[Joey]

I thought I read or heard somewhere that this year, they are not picking All Stars by position...meaning they may go with more picks at one position. For example if the coaches feel like there are more PG's than SG's deserving of being in the ASG they will just pick more PG's. Anyone hear anything about that? I could be wrong.

I believe now the only thing the coaches must choose are "Front Court Players" and "Back Court Players".
Similar to the voting process.

[golden]

No. The Allstar game is about the fans. What fan cares about a player on a sub .500 team outside the playoff race?

I do. I want to see the players who are playing the best. I thought that was the original intention of all-star games. I'm a fan, and I hate seeing other fans vote in un-deserving players. I mean, look at the EC backcourt. Wade is #1 and he's missed a lot of games. Rose is #3 and he's missed even more. Oh, and Rondo is #6 and he hasn't even seen the court. If Yao Ming was still playing (read: injured), he'd still be voted in as a starter by the 'fans'. The fans know squat.

[ceez]

No. The Allstar game is about the fans. What fan cares about a player on a sub .500 team outside the playoff race?

i dunno a lot of players cared about Durant the first couple years he was in the league

a lot of people care about Kevin Love. or John Wall. or Demarcus Cousins.

a lot of people cared about Vince even when we weren't good (which was often)

the point is people care about STARS and the All Star game is a nice way of rewarding players for their play. Granted there's always going to be a couple guys that make the team on name alone (cough MELO cough) but the fact is Affalo is having a fantastic year, arguably better than Demar. So because he's on a poor team he shouldn't be rewarded for playing well? Give your head a shake.

[white men can't jump]

i dunno a lot of players cared about Durant the first couple years he was in the league

a lot of people care about Kevin Love. or John Wall. or Demarcus Cousins.

a lot of people cared about Vince even when we weren't good (which was often)

the point is people care about STARS and the All Star game is a nice way of rewarding players for their play. Granted there's always going to be a couple guys that make the team on name alone (cough MELO cough) but the fact is Affalo is having a fantastic year, arguably better than Demar. So because he's on a poor team he shouldn't be rewarded for playing well? Give your head a shake.

I agree in principle, it's just that with Afflalo specifically, giving a career "average" player (I think he's a good player, btw, in the sense that he can be a starter on a good team) who's nothing special by all-star standards, and also happens to conspicuously be having his best year on a dreadful team where he gets to be the focal point by default....Yeah, I don't like that. I don't even like the thought that Kyrie Irving could be one just because he's Kyrie Irving, but at least he has all-star talent that visibly shines through in his game.

On the flip side I hate it when guys get rewarded just for being starters on a good team. For example, the fact that Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis have made all-star games makes me a little sick.

Coaches can reward success too much, and fans don't stress it enough.

[special1]

i dunno a lot of players cared about Durant the first couple years he was in the league

a lot of people care about Kevin Love. or John Wall. or Demarcus Cousins.

a lot of people cared about Vince even when we weren't good (which was often)

the point is people care about STARS and the All Star game is a nice way of rewarding players for their play. Granted there's always going to be a couple guys that make the team on name alone (cough MELO cough) but the fact is Affalo is having a fantastic year, arguably better than Demar. So because he's on a poor team he shouldn't be rewarded for playing well? Give your head a shake.

Arguably?? Their team records' says there's not much of an argument...It sucks to lose!

Where have you been? This is always the way its been done. A player on a winning team almost always gets considered over a player on a bad team UNLESS the player is having a way better season. If you look at DD's numbers they are comparable to AA but better in the category that matters (winning).

No way AA makes it over Demar.....Granted, they may both make it BUT i don't even think AA should get in ahead of Lowry.

[ceez]

Right, but the way i see it is Affalo's long been a very good player (better than Derozen) who's shining now that he's true #1 option. He should thus be rewarded for his play.

I'm not saying that he should be in over Demar, i'm just saying he deserves to be in it.

[Cbradley]

Demar has quietly become the most consistent scorer in the NBA. Hopefully, he can be an all-star. Yet, people are taking notice of his ability and people are finally putting in game plans to stop him (make him go left). In addition, Lowry moves on to the MVP ladder on nba.com at number 10. Teams now respect the Raptors, and they cant "turn it on" in the 4th to beat us. They have to play hard for 48 minutes. So a player on the raptors should be looked at for an all star consideration. Affalo has been a beast this season, along with Milsap, Teague, Johnson, so I can see how Demar could be left out. BTW, check out my article on the Raptors "Drake Night" http://thegatewayonline.ca/article/v...it_for_raptors

[white men can't jump]

Right, but the way i see it is Affalo's long been a very good player (better than Derozen) who's shining now that he's true #1 option. He should thus be rewarded for his play.

I'm not saying that he should be in over Demar, i'm just saying he deserves to be in it.

Very good player? He's been solid, sure. He's also never put up an above-average PER until this year, and never been particularly good at anything other than shooting and D....basically a 3 and D guy who's ok at some other things.

Just saying it's not like a guy who had brilliant talents that shined through in flashes but never put it together. He's a lunch pail type wing player having his best year. It just doesn't feel right at all to me.

[JawsGT]

I agree in principle, it's just that with Afflalo specifically, giving a career "average" player (I think he's a good player, btw, in the sense that he can be a starter on a good team) who's nothing special by all-star standards, and also happens to conspicuously be having his best year on a dreadful team where he gets to be the focal point by default....Yeah, I don't like that. I don't even like the thought that Kyrie Irving could be one just because he's Kyrie Irving, but at least he has all-star talent that visibly shines through in his game.

On the flip side I hate it when guys get rewarded just for being starters on a good team. For example, the fact that Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis have made all-star games makes me a little sick.

Coaches can reward success too much, and fans don't stress it enough.

Lewis made the all-star team when he was in Seattle. you gotta give him credit cause the dude was a sick baller back then, had a really good all around offensive game. He went to the Magic and became a gloriously overpaid 3pt shooter, and that system they employed then kinda made a lot of his skills useless, or at the very least, he just never has the opportunity to use them. Lewis and Allen were mad in Seattle!!

[special1]

Demar has quietly become the most consistent scorer in the NBA. Hopefully, he can be an all-star. Yet, people are taking notice of his ability and people are finally putting in game plans to stop him (make him go left). In addition, Lowry moves on to the MVP ladder on nba.com at number 10. Teams now respect the Raptors, and they cant "turn it on" in the 4th to beat us. They have to play hard for 48 minutes. So a player on the raptors should be looked at for an all star consideration. Affalo has been a beast this season, along with Milsap, Teague, Johnson, so I can see how Demar could be left out. BTW, check out my article on the Raptors "Drake Night" http://thegatewayonline.ca/article/v...it_for_raptors

Which Johnson are you talking about? Can't be Joe Johnson.....

[white men can't jump]

Lewis made the all-star team when he was in Seattle. you gotta give him credit cause the dude was a sick baller back then, had a really good all around offensive game. He went to the Magic and became a gloriously overpaid 3pt shooter, and that system they employed then kinda made a lot of his skills useless, or at the very least, he just never has the opportunity to use them. Lewis and Allen were mad in Seattle!!

Sick baller? A tweener forward who scores by shooting a lot and doesn't rebound, defend or pass the ball very well? He was always basically a good-great shooter who got to take a lot of shots and play a lot of minutes in Seattle, and that diminished a bit in Orlando. I hated seeing him in the all-star game, both with Seattle (which I knew about btw) and with Orlando. Totally one-dimensional player.

[The Great One]

Now that Vogel is officially named as the EC coach. I think it's very realistic we see both Lowry and DeRozan on the team.

I'm gonna take a stab on who makes the team this year.

Starters:

LeBron
George
Carmelo
Wade
Irving

Reserves:

Bosh
Hibbert
Stephenson
DeRozan
Lowry
Millsap
Teague
Wall
Drummond or Joe Johnson

Aaron Afflalo has ZERO chance of making this team. Stop overrating the guy for putting up stats on a REAL BAD team. And Magic are not just a bad team. They're one of the favourites for the Andrew Wiggins sweepstakes.

[ceez]

[white men can't jump]

Now that Vogel is officially named as the EC coach. I think it's very realistic we see both Lowry and DeRozan on the team.

You know that Vogel has no extra influence on the selections just because he's the coach? It's still all coaches who vote, and I believe in the case of injuries, the commissioner (or league front office) chooses replacements.

[BobLoblaw]

after not having allstars on sub 500 teams we have every right to expect the same from the league towards other teams.

Bosh was an All Star when the Raptors won 27 and 33 games, so that's not true.

Which Raptor should coaches have selected since the South Beach? Bargnani? Calderon? No one played at All Star level.