The All-Star Team - More of an honor than you might think

[snoopy1@xxxxxxx]

Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker should be extremely proud because they were 
NOT voted to the starting lineup of the Eastern Conference All-Star Team.

Why?

Because, as everyone on this list--and everywhere else NBA fans went to 
stuff physical and virtual ballot boxes--knows, the starters are no more 
than a popularity contest.  How else do players like Alonzo Mourning and 
Vince Carter get so many votes?

But Pierce and Walker--though they got a lot of votes--were not among the 
starters.

The group that voted the Celtics Dynamic Duo in was comprised of NBA Coaches.

That's right, the Coaches.  The people who run the teams that our guys play 
against.  Coaches who--in some well-known cases--have every reason not to 
like either or both players.  I was surprised to learn that BOTH players 
got in.  I was certain that at least one of them would be left at home, and 
hoping it would be Pierce--only because I think it would be far too 
insulting to have Walker there for the three point competition, only to sit 
out the All-Star game itself.

But the Coaches didn't give in to the pressure--too much.  I don't think 
Jordan's play this season merited his selection.  I know he's BEEN one, and 
he's such a great player over his career, etc., but his play over the last 
season just doesn't merit it based on selection.  I figured that Vince 
Carter would withdraw due to injury and that it was tacitly agreed that 
Jordan would go in his place.  But at least Celtics fans can't really yell 
about that situation--let's fact it, I like the Bat-Man, but did anyone 
REALLY think Tony had a shot at getting in this year??

And Shaq?  Sorry, but he's been a millstone around the Laker's collective 
necks.  He doesn't play like he loves the game, he's out of shape, and he's 
onerous.  (Lucky for him Yao Ming isn't saddled with the temper of, say, 
Rasheed Wallace.  God knows, *I'D* have told Shaq to shut up until he takes 
his team over .500)  Let him PLAY (and BEHAVE) like an all-Star before he 
makes the team.  By contrast, Yao plays hard, doesn't cause problems, and 
is a classy guy.  He doesn't even complain that Houston is stupidly under 
utilizing him.  I really like him.  He still has a lot to learn, but he 
works hard, and he DOES play like an All-Star.  A YOUNG one, to be sure, 
but even so.

Getting back to Walker and Pierce, the fact that they got selected by the 
Coaches seems more like merit, not popularity, to me.  I may not like a lot 
of them (there's not a whole lot about Byron Scott TO like, when you come 
down to it...), but they did the right thing, and two deserving players 
were selected to the team.

Way to go!

Snoopy the Celtics Beagle
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