no love for Scola, hmmm... Dunc is getting older (almost 35 by the All-Star game), Boozer is gone, Stat is gone, Al is likely playing center with Milsap as PF. Gasol and maybe the Diggler are the only true PFs (and that is debateable) that are cleary better than Scola.
Yao's the only All-Star on this team (if he's healed). Carmelo Anthony, Nowitzki, Durant, Gasol, and probably Duncan will be ahead of any of our forwards. Deron Williams, Kobe, Nash, Paul, Billups, and Roy at least will get in before any of our guards. Maybe is the team is doing great, one of our guys blows up, and a couple of the normal All Stars get injured, we can have someone sneak in for a year. But, it's doubtful. And, I wouldn't count on the voters for anyone besides Yao. They are always way behind the curve, voting in famous vets 2 years after they're washed up and ignoring the up-and-comers until they've been in tv commercials for a couple of years. Yao fans could easily vote for McGrady because he was already famous and a recognized talent. Uninformed fans don't know who Kevin Martin is.
It's sad that Yao doesn't even get love for his playing ability even by his own fans. Yao will make the all-star team because he's the best center in the west. He may not play enough early in the season to warrant the selection, but if he's healthy, he'll definitely be worthy worthy of starting west center by the end of the year. Also, Kevin Martin will get an all-star nod now that he's on a better team with a bigger spotlight. So I'm going to go with 2 all-star selections.
Yaoif healthy and produces is a lock, if Martin asserts himself more and takes over games he will be, and AB has the potential to be but with so many great young big PG's in the west he should almost assuredly get overlooked for the hype :/
Um... Doubt it... Jermaine hardly even played last year, and now you expect him to play in the rookie sophmore game???
Good point about Yao, not sure if Martin will get it though. If anyone has a better shot it's Scola because the forward position has opened up a little with Amare leaving for the East. I know Amare was nominally a center in last year's game but either way someone's got to fill his spot in the starting line-up (i.e. Duncan/someone else slides to center or Gasol starts at center etc...) which could help Scola get in as a reserve.
AB is a longshot imo cuz of the logjam of great PG's in the west, plus they get all the hype.. who is AB gona out vote? Steph Curry? Chauncey? Russell Westbrook? Chris Paul? Deron Williams? Jason Kidd? Steve Nash? Tyreke Evans? unfortunately I doubt it.. Kevin Martin will be the all star with Yao cuz he will be an even more dynamic scorer having a training camp to settle in even further with us and there isnt a ton of depth at SG in the west to make it
I don't see Martin, Brooks or Scola getting in as there are already too many vet stars ahead of them. Guards likely to get in: Kobe, DWilliams, Nash, Paul, Roy Forwards: Anthony, Gasol, DWest, Duncan, Durant, Jefferson, Lee And surely a few I'm forgetting. It's possible that our guys pull ahead of some of these, but I just don't see them making it into the top 4. I think these 3 will share the load along with Yao, so I doubt that stand out all that much, while these other guys will be carrying more of a load.
I hope no one makes it and they all get the time off to rest. Well everyone except Rick Adelman who will obviously be coaching in the game. :grin: DD
If I were to lay money, I'd bet on Martin before Scola. Scola's not going to get the touches like last year with Yao dominating the post. He'll be an opportunistic scorer, which is why he's such a good teammate. But I don't see him putting up the stats. Martin, on the other hand, is almost certainly a 22-25ppg scorer barring injury. Someone who's one of the scoring leaders, who also play on a good playoff team, tends to get in.
Yao Ming will be an All-Star. Aaron Brooks and Kevin Martin are strong possibilities. Luis Scola has an outside shot (seeing as Boozer/Stoudemire left the conference).
Fair enough, I just have a really difficult time seeing him beat out all the guards ahead of him. I mean last year was Deron Williams' first (!) All-Star appearance and I think we can agree he's a better guard and more well known to the average fan. I know he's a point guard but the All-Star game doesn't distinguish between PG and SG so that won't matter. My guess would be Yao as the starting All-Star center and then maybe 1 or hopefully 2 of our other starters making a strong push to be on the team.
Brooks should have been an All-Star last year, if the All-Star game wasn't in Dallas then he would have been in, instead of old @$$ J-Kidd.
