2012 NBA Rising Stars Challenge Draft

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This year the NBA changed its annual Rookie-Sophomore game into a "Rising Stars Challenge" where a pool of players would be picked playground style by two "coaches", Shaquille O'neal and Charles Barkley. It was a way to generate some more excitement to an event that's been an afterthought to each All-Star weekend. Fellow writer Igor suggested that we use this opportunity to fill the roles of Shaq and Charles and draft the players ourselves. Obviously i agreed right away and this is what we came up with. Igor won the coin toss and will be in charge of Team Shaq while I am Team Barkley.

Shortly after this was written the NBA added Jeremy Lin and Norris Cole to the roster of available players. Since Igor got the first pick in the actual draft I will be getting it in this supplemental one. And with it I'm taking LINSANITY. Igor will take (be stuck with) Norris Cole.

Igor

With the first pick in the draft I'm going to take Jeremy Lin...ok I'm kidding he's not available but they should somehow include him. Anyways, I'm going to pick the best player (and only allstar) from the field of rookies and sophomores. I wonder who that is? You guessed it! Blake Griffin! His game is built for all-star weekend and he's bound to supply ESPN with a bunch of highlights from this game as well as from Sunday's game. As long as there's no hack-a-Blake he should thrive on Friday night. Side note: It's kind of sad that he's not in the dunk contest this year since the field looks pretty weak and apparently it will be 3 dunks per player where the winner will be determined by fan voting...terrible decision by the NBA.

Luka

I find it amazing how the NBA keeps managing to make the slam-dunk contest worse year after year. If I'm them I just go all the way this year and make the contestants Brian Scalabrine, Luis Scola, Aaron Gray and Gregg Ostertag (he can come out of retirement for this). Who wouldn't watch this? (Everybody). For my pick I'm taking the most exciting point guard from a passing point in the roster of available players.. Ricky Rubio! He's had an amazing year so far (way better than I thought he'd have) and you need a pass-first point guard running the show in any type of all-star game. Also, if you don't think my team is playing Hack-a-Blake then something's wrong with you.

Igor

Yeah, do your Hack-a-Blake and ruin the game for everyone (F you Don Nelson...F you!). That dunk contest would be awesome, but sub in Big Baby instead of Scola. After watching him get stuffed by the rim last year I have my doubts whether he could dunk or not. Good pick with Rubio, but I'm taking the best PG from the pool of players, John Wall. Wall is going to connect with Blake for at least 5 alley-oops and he can also turn it on by being a scorer whenever the team needs him to be. He's increased his assist totals in the last month finally showing us he's the player we were expecting him to be. Wall will finish this game with at least 15 assists.

Luka

Good pick. I think Wall won't want to take off his jersey from this game because for two wonderful hours he won't be a Washington Wizard. With my second pick I'm going to take DeMarcus Cousins who I can see having a monster 20 point 20 rebound game with at least 5 plays that make you say "that guy knows he's getting paid to play a sport right..?". It'll also be nice to see Cousins play with a real point guard (sorry Tyreke).

Igor

If Blair can get 20-20 a few years ago, Cousins probably can too. Next I'm going with less athleticism and more skill and pick Greg Monroe. This guy is one of the more skilled big man passers in the NBA today and is having a beast year overall. As happy as Wall will be without a Wiz jersey, Monroe will be equally as happy without a Pistons jersey. This locks up my starting frontcourt.

Luka

Really like Monroe. Wish he didn't play for a team that seems like they're inventing new ways of losing each night. I'm going to take Paul George with my third pick. He can shoot the three, can catch an alley-oop from Rubio and finish and should be rewarded for having a great second year while playing big minutes for a legit playoff team.

Igor

Well George is in the dunk contest so he could give us a tease as to what he's going to do on Saturday. Kobe Bryant Jr. is my next pick. MarShon Brooks has really impressed me this year with his scoring and passing abilities. His jumper looks like Kobe's and he can explode on any given night (hopefully does for this game). The kid really knows how to play smart basketball and even though he's been slightly sub-par recently (he was injured), I think he will be in form for this game.

Luka

Like most of the New Jersey Nets (other than D-Will who should not be an all-star) I don't really have a strong opinion on Brooks but he's a scorer and in a game of no defense that's always a good thing. I'm taking Kyrie Irving. The current favorite for the rookie of the year award has (just like Rubio) exceeded expectations and has made the Cavs watchable. I don't care that I have 2 point guards now since position doesn't matter in this game and I'm more than willing to go to war (or in this case, a half-hearted battle) with a Rubio-Irving backcourt.

Igor

Irving has greatly exceeded my expectations, I mean he's shooting 50% from the field, 40% from three and 80% from the line. Only a few others are as efficient as him and this is especially impressive since he's a rookie point guard. Now the talent drops off a little bit so I'm going to add in some defense. Landry Fields is my next pick and I think he fits well on this team. He can shoot the three, rebound well for a guard, and I believe he can defend Paul George. Not to make things boring, he also has some hops so expect him to finish a few alley-oops from Wall.

Luka

Fields has been completely rejuvenated by Lin (who hasn't) and is a solid player. To counter I'm going to take Gordon Hayward because he's a shooter who will get plenty of open looks this game and for the unintentional comedy that we'll get from him playing with Cousins. Side-note: anyone who gets drafted by Shaq has already lost. They'll have to spend the entire game pretending to laugh at his labored, bad jokes. I mean has there ever been a case of someone who everyone thought would be good at a certain position (in this case Shaq as a studio guy) only to be terrible at it? (Cut to everyone who voted for Obama trying not to nod (just kidding)).

NBA 2012 All-Star Reserves

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Last week the 2012 NBA all-star starters were announced for the game in Orlando on February 26^th. Without much surprise the East consisted of LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony at the forward spots, Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose as the guards, and Dwight Howard at center. The West starters selected were Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, and Andrew Bynum (first appearance). Now that the fan voting is done the all-star reserves get to be selected with the official announcement tomorrow. I’m going to give a list of the players who I think should be selected and why they deserve to play in the 2012 all-star game.

Eastern Conference Reserves

PG – Rajon Rondo: He’s the third best point guard in the east, but the second best on a winning team and is the leader of the Celtics (it shouldn’t be the big 3, it should be Rondo, Pierce and friends) so he certainly deserves a spot in the all-star game.

SG/SF – Andre Iguodala: The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the best teams in the league and give teams problems with their lock-down defense. Since someone from this team deserves an all-star selection, why not choose the 76ers leader on both ends of the floor. His scoring numbers may not look flashy, but Iguodala has been one of the best wing defenders in the league for a few years and contributes to his team’s offense with smart ball movement. He’s definitely playing like an all-star in my eyes this year.

SG/SF – Joe Johnson: The Hawks have surprised me this season since I thought they would plummet in the standings (especially after the Horford injury) but they have kept it together with the leadership of Joe Johnson. His numbers are about the same as last year but he has taken that leader role and has done a great job so far, as indicated by the Hawks record.

SF – Luol Deng: If the NBA rewards winning with all-star appearances then the Bulls should have 2 all-stars. Deng has been the second best player on the Bulls for the last few years (since Rose stepped in as the franchise player) and finally deserves some recognition for his hard work.

SF – Paul Pierce: Pierce is playing like his usual all-star self, meaning he’s destined to go to Orlando in a few weeks. The Celtics have struggled (especially due to injuries) but Pierce has stepped it up recently, especially when he led the whole team while Rondo was out by averaging 7 assists per game.

PF – Chris Bosh: Bosh was on a tear while Wade was out and gave us glimpses of his days as a Raptor. His scoring numbers have increased from last year and it also helps that his team stands 2^nd in the East.

C – Roy Hibbert: Indiana deserves a player in the all-star game, the only problem is who to pick. It’s really tough picking a player on such a well balanced team, so let’s go through the starters. Granger (the “franchise” player) has been shooting the ball poorly this year and is not looking like the leader on this team. George and Collison have both been solid, but not all-star worthy and West is nowhere near his old all-star form. I have to go with Hibbert since he’s been a dominant force on offense and defense. He’s averaging career highs in points, rebounds, blocks, and field goal percentage and is the second best center in the East. I think he should be a lock as an all-star and hopefully the GMs think the same way.

Western Conference Reserves

PG – Russell Westbrook: He is a top 6 point guard who is on the 2^nd best team in the league so I don’t think much needs to be said here. Side note: He can finally play shooting guard (his natural position).

PG – Tony Parker: Parker has really impressed me this year with his overall play. He has increased his scoring from last year and is averaging a career high in assists (career high after 10 years in the league!?). I believe he’s the best player on the Spurs right now who sit comfortably in 2^nd in the West. Duncan’s best days are over (averaging career lows in almost everything) so Parker should be representing the Spurs at the all-star game this year.

PG – Ty Lawson: The Denver Nuggets offense has been fun and exciting to watch, which is run by a 5’11 (he’s probably 5’9) point guard by the name of Ty Lawson. Lawson has been excellent this year and has raised his numbers across the board. He should get a free trip to Orlando to showcase his talent with the success he and his team are having. I would have considered putting Gallinari here but he’s likely out for 3-4 weeks.

PF – Paul Millsap: The Jazz have been surprisingly good this year (they were 2^nd in the West at one point) mostly due to their front court due of Millsap and Al Jefferson. Both of these guys are worthy of a spot but I would have to go with Millsap. Statistically they are about equal but Millsap brings up the energy level of the entire team with his hustle (3.3 o.reb/game) and hard work.

PF – Kevin Love: 25 and 14…enough said.

PF/C – LaMarcus Aldridge: Aldridge elevated his game to an all-star level last year, but was unfortunate to be the last cut in the West. This year he’s averaging 2 more points and is leading the Blazers to the playoffs. If 24 and 9 with a good team record isn’t enough for a trip to Orlando then I don’t know what is.

C – Marc Gasol: Gasol makes his 4^th all star game…wait Marc Gasol…what?? Yes, Marc Gasol has been the best center in the West this year (and has outplayed his brother) averaging career highs in points (15), rebounds (10), assists (2.7), and blocks (2.2). He has picked up the slack when Randolph went down with a knee injury and has emerged as the Grizzlies MVP. He has earned his spot in the all-star game. Side note: Hey Pau, at least one Gasol will be participating in the game!

Chris Paul to the Clippers

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With the news that Chris Paul had been traded (no, for real this time) Luka and I had to have an emergency e-mail exchange about the deal and what it means for both the teams and players involved. Below is how the exchange transpired.



Daki:


I have to admit, it's a little funny that this trade was finalized moments after a buddy of mine sent me this link. My initial reaction to the trade was: WOW the Clippers could not have played this any worse. First of all, the NBA and New Orleans had zero leverage in any trades because there were only 3 teams Paul would play for (Knicks, Lakers, Clips). This meant that other franchises were not even calling, and once the Clippers pulled out it looked like New Orleans would get no compensation next summer when Paul decided to leave. Of course, this is the Clippers, and in a situation where they had all the power they decided to fuck it up. Look, the Minnesota pick is probably vastly overvalued, but the loss of Eric Gordon hurts. As Bill Simmons pointed out, Gordon is the best under-30 SG in the NBA right now. Is he really worth trading for a fragile point guard with knee issues? This is beyond ridiculous right now, I have to get my thoughts in order, hopefully I will once I read your response.


Luka: 


First of all I don't think that the Clippers fucked things up too badly. Yes they did give up Gordon who is probably going to become an all-star and have a great career but they had to in order to get the best point guard in the league when healthy. By doing this move they arguably become the bigger story in L.A. for the first time ever which is something that they've always wanted to do. I think the real story here is the NBA and the complete circus it has become with David Stern as its confused and out of place ringleader. How is Kaman (He sucks. I know he's an expiring contract but who cares? No free agent will sign in New Orleans. They never have in the past and I don't see that changing in the future.), Gordon (Future All-Star), Aminu (serviceable player who has potential but not an impact player at this stage in his career) and Minnesota's first round pick (It might not even be that high! The Wolves have Love, Rubio, Beasley, Johnson, Barea and lots of depth with a coach in Rick Adelman who knows how to win in the regular season) better than Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, and Lamar Odom? The answer is that it's not and the NBA will have some explaining to do since the reason why the Lakers deal fell through in the first place was for "basketball reasons". And one more thing, if I'm the Lakers, I'm pulling a Dan Gilbert right now and sending David Stern a bitchy email since he is the reason they had to trade Lamar Odom for nothing. This whole process makes  no sense. I'm excited to watch Paul and Griffin play though. What do you think happens to Chauncey "I get paid 14 million a year but still feel the need to excessively bitch about everything" Billups?