All-Stars

[Suns_fan69]

It's almost that time. Who do you think should make it from each conference.

Will the suns get any players in the main event?

I'm guessing no given Kobe's ongoing popularity, and the strength of the Western guards.

Seriously, look at the competition facing Bledsoe and Dragic (in no particular order):
Lillard
CP3
Harden
Curry
Thompson
Westbrook
Rondo
Parker

The current starting roster for East would be:
LeBron James (Cle) 971,299
Pau Gasol (Chi) 527,582
Carmelo Anthony (NY) 456,186
John Wall (Was) 564,977
Dwyane Wade (Mia) 507,326

The current starting roster for West would be:
Anthony Davis (NO) 922,381
Blake Griffin (LAC) 490,786
Marc Gasol (Mem) 476,660
Stephen Curry (GS) 958,014
Kobe Bryant (LAL) 862,568

 

[Chaplin]

Nobody on the Suns will make the All-Star game.

Len will almost certainly be in the Rookie/Soph game though.

 

[Suns_fan69]

I think Green should get a shot at the 3pt contest...

 

[Chaplin]

I think Green should get a shot at the dunk contest...

FTFY

 

[sunsfan88]

I don't think Parker or Westbrook should make it...they missed too much time imo.

 

[FArting]

Markieff deserves to go.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Markieff deserves to go.

I think some posters are unreasonably harsh in their Markieff comments but I don't think he's All Star level. We have a lot of pretty good players but I don't believe any of them have played well enough to get voted in or selected by coaches.

Steve

 

[Errntknght]

We should get Len in Rookie-Sophomore game...

 

[sunsfan88]

We should get Len in Rookie-Sophomore game...

I think he's guaranteed a lock in that game.

I wish Warren and Goodwin could go as well but I doubt they get their names called for it.

 

[Griffin]

The Suns distribute their scoring production among five players averaging over 13 ppg, but all under 17 ppg. Assists and rebounds are also a team effort, with no single player averaging more than 6 in either category. It's generally difficult to make the All-Star team if your individual production is at that level. The Suns top 3 players statistically are at:

16.7/4/4
16.4/6/5
15.6/2/6

 

[jbeecham]

Markieff deserves to go.

It's really unlikely.. he's 7th in the West PFs in scoring average & the players above him are:

Anthony Davis
Lamarcus Aldridge
Blake Griffin
Dirk Nowitzki
Zach Randolph
Derek Favors

I would say the top 3 are locks & Dirk is a possibility to make it too.

 

[Suns_fan69]

Worst than that, it's all 3 front court positions lumped together. Off the top of my head, Morris is also in competition with Gasol, Durant, Cousins, Duncan, Dwight, Ibaka, etc.

 

[BC867]

Markieff deserves to go.

I agree. It is time for Markieff to go.

Oh, you mean the All Star game.

 

[FArting]

They changed the format for the BBVA Challenge Rising Stars

USA vs World

The league's assistant coaches will select 10 U.S. players and 10 international players for the game, with one ballot for each of the NBA's 30 teams

http://www.nba.com/2015/news/as.ris...ars-challenge/index.html?ls=iref:nba:specials

 

[Hoop Head]

Starters have been named, I wonder if Kobe will miss the game since he tore his rotator cuff yesterday.

East
Kyle Lowry
John Wall
Lebron James
Carmelo Anthony
Pau Gasol


West
Steph Curry
Kobe Bryant
Blake Griffin
Anthony Davis
Marc Gasol

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2015/...laces-for-all-star-starters/?ls=iref:nbahpt3a

 

[Hoop Head]

I can't see a Suns player making the team with how deep in talent the West is. Aldridge, Lillard, Harden, and Klay Thompson are locks to be in if healthy, leaving 3 more spots, 4 if Kobe misses the game. Outside of those 8-9 guys there is Westbrook, Durant, Chris Paul, Tim Duncan, Dwight Howard, Cousins, Monta Ellis, Dirk are all players that should/could be reserves. Can anyone on the Suns this season make an argument they belong more than any 3 or 4 of those players? I know Durant and Westbrook each missed a lot of games but even with their time missed they belong more than any Suns player based on their consistency and impact they've made on the Thunder while they've played.


The Suns may have the 8th seed out West but there isn't an All Star this season. Dragic deserved a spot last year but got All NBA honors to make up for the snub. He hasn't been as consistent or as much of a leader as last season, Bledsoe has been healthy but hasn't been consistently good enough to go and no other starter deserves a spot. Len should be an All Star in the future, maybe even in the next year or two if he stays healthy and continues to improve as much as he has so far. Tucker is nothing but a role player.

I don't get why anyone thinks Kieff should be an All Star. He's probably not even in the top 10 starting PF's in just the West. There are 7 reserve spots left for all players out West and with how it's just categorized as "frontcourt" now lumping Forwards and Centers together there are definitely 7 more deserving frontcourt players alone having better seasons than Markieff. I don't see how anyone can say his 15.3 ppg & 5.8 rpg deserves a spot, especially with how exposed he gets defensively against teams with large frontcourts.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I can't see a Suns player making the team with how deep in talent the West is. Aldridge, Lillard, Harden, and Klay Thompson are locks to be in if healthy, leaving 3 more spots, 4 if Kobe misses the game. Outside of those 8-9 guys there is Westbrook, Durant, Chris Paul, Tim Duncan, Dwight Howard, Cousins, Monta Ellis, Dirk are all players that should/could be reserves. Can anyone on the Suns this season make an argument they belong more than any 3 or 4 of those players? I know Durant and Westbrook each missed a lot of games but even with their time missed they belong more than any Suns player based on their consistency and impact they've made on the Thunder while they've played.


The Suns may have the 8th seed out West but there isn't an All Star this season. Dragic deserved a spot last year but got All NBA honors to make up for the snub. He hasn't been as consistent or as much of a leader as last season, Bledsoe has been healthy but hasn't been consistently good enough to go and no other starter deserves a spot. Len should be an All Star in the future, maybe even in the next year or two if he stays healthy and continues to improve as much as he has so far. Tucker is nothing but a role player.

I don't get why anyone thinks Kieff should be an All Star. He's probably not even in the top 10 starting PF's in just the West. There are 7 reserve spots left for all players out West and with how it's just categorized as "frontcourt" now lumping Forwards and Centers together there are definitely 7 more deserving frontcourt players alone having better seasons than Markieff. I don't see how anyone can say his 15.3 ppg & 5.8 rpg deserves a spot, especially with how exposed he gets defensively against teams with large frontcourts.

I agreed with everything until this last part. IMO he's been getting exposed by a lot of teams lately but I don't recall thinking he had a specific problem against bigger players. He's not consistently playing with the passion he displayed earlier. I don't know if he's trying to show up the coach for calling the twins out for T's or if he's simply trying to avoid T's (or if it's something else entirely). Regardless, I think he's been more up and down since his brother's clash with Jeff.

Steve

 

[Absolute Zero]

No Suns deserve it or will get in. Fine with me, hopefully we'll get some shoulder chips for this . We are going to need them.

 

[BC867]

Logically, an All Star candidate would be a player who starts and finishes games and at his best position. And be better than most NBA players at that position.

Among Len/Plumlee (our starting Centers), Kieff at PF, Tucker at SF, Dragic at SG and Bledsoe at PG, none of them have been primary finishers at their starting positions.

For most of this season, the closing unit has been Thomas at PG, Bledsoe at SG, Dragic at SF, Marcus or Tucker at PF and Kieff at C.

Even though it has led to early season victories, not one Suns player finished in the top 15 frontcourt or top 10 backcourt voting.

Is this team basketball at its best? Or a novelty?

The All Star selections haven't rewarded it. The end of the season will be the next determining factor.

 

[FArting]

@paulcoro

Alex Len was not chosen by NBA assistants for the Rising Stars Challenge's World team. Adams, Dieng, Gobert and Olynyk are the team's bigs.

 

[elindholm]

@paulcoro

Alex Len was not chosen by NBA assistants for the Rising Stars Challenge's World team. Adams, Dieng, Gobert and Olynyk are the team's bigs.

I think he could have beaten out Olynyk, but maybe they wanted more of a PF type. It would have been hard to turn away the others, who have played bigger roles for their respective teams more consistently so far.

 

[Cheesebeef]

@paulcoro

Alex Len was not chosen by NBA assistants for the Rising Stars Challenge's World team. Adams, Dieng, Gobert and Olynyk are the team's bigs.

you could make an argument for Len over Gobert, but the rest seem about right right now.

 

[slinslin]

Gobert and Len are both better than Olynyk and Adams.

 

[FArting]

All Star Reserves

West
Klay Thompson
Kevin Durant
Chris Paul
Russell Westbrook
LaMarcus Aldridge
Tim Duncan
James Harden


East
Jimmy Butler
Jeff Teague
Chris Bosh
Dwyane Wade
Al Horford
Paul Millsap
Kyrie Irving

 

[elindholm]

Everyone's going to say Lillard was snubbed, but who was he supposed to beat out?

I agree that the Wade choice is weird. I probably would have gone with Lowry.