Re: All-Star game

[opi@unesco.org]

Alex Wang wrote:

> It's a bit early to be thinking about All-Star weekend but Joe has
> made some points about Pierce and Antoine's shots at making it.
> The starters are voted on by the fans so who knows what'll happen,
> you might get Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter starting even if the
> Raptors have a losing record. The probable starters are Mourning,
> Kemp, Hill, Iverson, and some popular choice like Marbury or Carter.
>
> The reserves are chosen by the coaches though (and not sportswriters,
> thankfully), and typically the player's team has to be doing pretty
> well (or at least better than expected) for the player to be
> considered. Hopefully both Walker and Pierce know this and realize
> that if they continue their current unselfish, team-oriented play
> in leading their team to wins, they have good shots regardless of
> specific statistical contributions.

Someone on the list (it may have been you, Zhi Zhi) said that this year
for Antoine Walker could be like what last year was for Chris Webber:
namely a chance to prove his many critics wrong and put all his
considerable skills together. Webber, a guy Antoine once dropped 49
points on, had an incredible season for Sacramento (20ppg 13 rebounds 4.1
assists) that puts Toine way back in his rear view mirror.

Antoine Walker has been the type of guy that may be capable of fixing
each of his shortcomings one by one (posting up, 3-pt shooting, dribbling
off his feet, ball-hogging, glaring at refs, free throw shooting,
turnovers) but he usually gets the hang of one problem only to neglect to
maintain his high standards in others (right now his rebounding is really
average and his turnovers are way too high). It's a one step forward, one
step back sort of thing.

Personally I don't think Antoine will quite put everything together this
year, although I hope I'm wrong. I think he'll eventually average
something above 15 shot attempts per game (he's at 12.5 right now) and
score 20ppg, 8 rebounds and 4 assists on .470 FG and .770 FT.  If instead
he gets up to 9+rpg and 5 assists, he'll be a borderline All Star. In
fact, he'd probably make it.

As for Paul Pierce, I'm not sure he has the celebrity of a Keith Van
Horn, Ray Allen, Allan Houston (a dream team member already), Vince
Carter, Glenn Robinson, Anthony Mason or Marbury/Iverson. As noted
before, all of them are vying for their first All Star team selection
this year, plus there are many more other active players who are at least
1-time All Star game alumni. Now that I think about it, it's quite
possible that a record number of first-timers will probably make it, what
with so many of the usual Eastern Conference suspects injured until late
December or so (Jayson Williams, Patrick Ewing etc.) or getting old
(Mitch Richmond, Reggie Miller, Mutombo) or traded out West (Steve Smith,
Penny Hardaway).

To make the Y2K All Star team, Pierce will probably need to lead the
Celtics in scoring by a considerable margin (because he won't lead the
Celts in any other major category except maybe steals). That means he'll
have to be a lot more aggressive and consistent than last year (stop the
sulking on bad nights) and must take as many as 18 to 19 attempts per
game (like Ron Mercer over the second half of last year).

But even if he puts up 25 ppg like a Michael Finley (another guy who has
been shut out of the All Star game), Pierce is probably too much of a new
face in the crowd to beat out bonafide national tv regulars like Van
Horn, Ray Allen, Allan Houston or Vince Carter.

Although it's early, I'm assuming both Walker and Pierce will get shut
out this year but could/should make it thereafter for a decade to come.
If Fortson wins his first NBA rebounding crown this year at age 23, then
he'll certainly be in the future mix as well.

Of course if the Celts win 70% of their games before this All Star break,
then both young stars (Walker and Pierce) will probably get selected by
the coaching staff (it could be Pitino himself).  :-)

We'll see. Like I said, it's still far too early. Last year at this time,
we were assuming Pierce had already locked up the ROY and might even be
the final name added to the 2000 Olympics Dream Team.

Joe

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