i sure hope he got injured (well, not hope, but i hope there is a reason at least as good as that), because, if not, he got SEVERELY screwed over. he played 4 minutes in a 58 minute long game, was the only player not to score, and it was his first ever game. i feel horrible for the guy if there was no reason for this. to boot, wouldn't you think the east would have planned to keep their big men on the court to compete with the wests'? anybody have any insight on this?
I feel badly for him too. He's arguably the best C in the east. Better than Miller by far, and it's a debate with Ben Wallace. Wallace has a different skill set than Z.
And why did Yao only get 17 minutes? And yes, the minutes should have been more even and shots better distributed. Forgive me, but I'm really pissed off with the NBA right now...
It might be that he is an Injury waiting to happen. He just gives off that appearence...why be on IR for an ASG?! Or on the other hand, it could have just been IT being a dumbass. (ooppps....I meant Thomas....)
I think Isiah T not only screwed over Ilgauskas, but also Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker. Now, I personally don't like Walker and Pierce, but I believe that the ASG is all about fun, and getting all the players a chance to play. The West had everybody in double digit minutes. Ilgauskas had 4, and I think Walker only had 9. They also all sat out the entire second half and over times, except pierce who played a bit in the double OT. NBA2Night also commented on how Isiah screwed up. It's not his team, no matter what he thinks.
I can't wait for Indiana to come across Boston in the playoffs. I think Walker and Pierce will be so ticked they will make it a great series. Isiah doesn't "get it". You give everyone equal minutes (for the most part) except for the last 4-6 minutes of the game and then you plkay your best 5. Oh well I'm sure Isiah will have some type of excuse, but I hope someone (THe Celtics) get a little payback in the playoffs.
Illgaus....whatever has knee problems and is recovering from them. It's a miracle he was even there. He showed up to just takin the experience. However Boston's Paul Pierce and Ant Walker were unhappy with their playing time as reported by TNT sideline reporter Craig Sager during the game. However, before everyone gets riled up, there is a reason why Isiah did what he did and apparantly people in Boston are okay with it. This from the Boston Globe: Pair had time on their hands By Peter May, Globe Staff, 2/10/2003 ATLANTA - Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker won't have to worry about fatigue when the Celtics return to practice tonight. Walker didn't play over the final 34 minutes of last night's All-Star Game, won, 155-145, by the Western Conference, while Pierce missed the entire second half and first overtime before resurfacing in the second OT. Maybe Jim O'Brien should send a thank-you note to East coach Isiah Thomas. Walker, wearing a brace on his right knee, played only 9 minutes, scoring 6 points. Pierce, who first entered the game as Michael Jordan's replacement, played only 18 minutes. He ended up with 8 points
Isiah explains himself courtesy of Boston Herald Celts' stars do a lot of watching All-Star Notebook/by Steve Bulpett Monday, February 10, 2003 ATLANTA - After playing Antoine Walker just nine minutes last night, all in the first half, East All-Star coach Isiah Thomas said he had an inkling the Celtic's right knee was bothering him. Asked about the knee he sprained three weeks ago in Philadelphia, Walker said, ``I'm fine.'' Thomas, the Pacers coach and an idol of Walker as the latter grew up in Chicago, said, ``I saw Antoine earlier and I just felt like his knee was just kind of bothering him. I didn't want to play him a lot of minutes on that knee.'' Walker, who led only Zydrunas Ilgauskas' four in the minutes department of the 58-minute double-OT affair, made 2-of-4 shots (hitting one trey and airballing two others) and 1-of-2 free throws for six points. Fellow Celtic Paul Pierce also played limited time. (Celts coach Jim O'Brien, who hoped his guys would get rest, will smile when he sees the box score this morning.) Pierce went 13 minutes in the first half and didn't get in again until he played the entire second OT. Pierce finished with eight points, two rebounds and three assists in 18 minutes. He was 0-for-5 on 3-pointers. ``I told Paul that I was sorry,'' said Thomas, ``that we were just going to play Michael (Jordan) a lot of minutes, and he was good about it. He understood.'' Said Pierce, ``I really didn't play too much of the second half, but I just wanted to go out there and have a good time, be on the court with the fellas and that's all you can ask for. I don't know. I don't make (playing time) decisions. I was over there the whole second half, but that's nothing I'm really worried about. You've just got to enjoy the atmosphere. And it's Mike's night. You want him to go out there and showcase. That's what the fans want.'' Walker felt likewise. ``It was a good night, man, a good night to be a part of the All-Star Game and playing in Michael's last game. It went well.''
I donno... Ilgauskas might have knee problems and such, but he wasn't hurt during the ASG. The poor guy only played 4 minutes and was the only scoreless player! This may be his only time at the ASG and this is what he gets. It seems like Isiah was trying to make a statement that Ilgauskas doesn't belong in the ASG or something.
If that's the case then why let big men in the game at all? why not just have only players 6'7" and under play the game? Why was yao voted a starter then?
walker was obviously because of injury, and pierce still ended up with decent minutes, but, all indications are that there is no good reason that he didn't play ilgauskas, and that really angers me, and i feel terrible for the guy. maybe isiah was thinking, "i'll play ilgauskas only 4 minutes, that way, nobody else will be able to complain about the minutes i gave them, because ilgauskas got screwed over the worst". i mean, damn....give the cavs fans some mercy and something to cheer for.
Why does Brad Miller get 17min of playing time compared to Z's 4min? Even when Z was actually voted on by the coaches and Miller was a last second replacement for Artest...? Because Isiah's a little b!tch.
Illgauskas was the only player that didnt score...that really sucks. They should have at least let him score a basket.
At the high school All-American game they let the injured player come in and score an uncontested lay-up to a standing ovation. If Z was truly injured, at least they could of done that. He's had so many surgeries that this will probably his last ASG. It would've been a nice gesture, the first few minutes were all in fun anyway. Brad Miller probably only got more minutes than Z because he's Isiah's boy. IT is an *******.
Wallace turned his ankle late in the game but still came back to play. I thought they would bring in Z for a bit for sure but instead they went with Miller, then Wallace again. Walker is recovering an injury so I can see maybe his coach or Isiah keeping him out. But Cleveland has no chance for a post season, and it could be Z's last chance at an All-Star game...and he went scoreless. I'm not a big Isiah fan since he started coaching. I hate this new "Bad Boys" thing he is trying to bring back in Indiana.
What other slow big man played last night? The next slowest is Yao, and he gets down court a lot better than ilgauskas.
The stupidity in this thread is higher than Cheech and Chong. What is the point of playing Ilgauskas? Like someone said, he is an injury waiting to happen. I'm sure Cle would be really glad to see Ilgauskas get hurt in an A-S game. It wouldn't surprise me if they filed a lawsuit against Zeke, had Ilgauskas gotten injured. As for Walker, he had a limp in his leg. He is a whiny b!tch to begin with, and even more of one if he is complaining about not playing in the A-S game, when he was a gimp leg. As Isiah said, Pierce's minutes were taken by MJ. The only beef I have with Zeke, is that he played Brad Miller for too long. The fact that Miller started the 2nd half, was proof that he wanted to help out his "boy". I personally think the coach should just be some random ex-coach, who doesn't have a conflict of interest.
What are you talking about?? He hasnt missed a game this year. He has had FOOT problems, but that was last year.
