NBA WinTentireF?!? LeBron, Curry lead All Star Game starters; Russell Westbrook left out

[playahaitian]

LeBron James, Stephen Curry lead ASG starters; Russell Westbrook left out

Russell Westbrook is not among the Western Conference All-Star starters.

The star Oklahoma City Thunder guard was left out in the loaded West, with sources telling ESPN's Chris Haynes that Golden State Warriors teammates Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets guard James Harden, San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard and New Orleans Pelicans center Anthony Davis got the nod as the conference's starting five.

The East starters, sources said, are Cleveland Cavaliers teammates Kyrie Irving and LeBron James, Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks phenom? Giannis Antetokounmpo?and DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors.

An official announcement is expected on TNT later Thursday.

Westbrook was beaten out for a spot in the West starting backcourt, despite averaging a triple-double for the season at 30.6 points, 10.4 assists and 10.6 rebounds per game. Westbrook also leads the NBA with a 29.56 player efficiency rating.

Fans accounted for 50 percent of the vote to determine the starters. Current players and the media accounted for 25 percent each. Ballots consisted of two guards and three frontcourt players per conference.​

The East and West All-Star reserves will be announced next Thursday. They are chosen by NBA head coaches.

This year's All-Star Game will take place at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on Feb. 19.

 

[Amajorfucup]

Curry has no business starting ahead of Russ... None.

But, thats the same guy yall told me was the best player in the league and deserving of back to back MVPs before he shit the bed in his second straight finals last summer.

 

[playahaitian]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...ting-westbrook-durant-harden-lebron/96793722/

USA TODAY Sports' Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt share their picks for the 2017 All-Star Game, which will take place on on Feb. 19 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.

Note: This year marked the first time that fans only made up 50% of the vote, while NBA players and media each comprised 25% — a change made to give some sort of balance between the most popular players and the most deserving.

Amick
Western Conference: Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis

Eastern Conference: Kyle Lowry, Isaiah Thomas, LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jimmy Butler

The East guard situation was brutal, with Kyrie Irving, John Wall, DeMar DeRozanand Kemba Walker all having fantastic seasons. But Lowry is running a historically good offense, with career highs in scoring, assists and three-point shooting percentage (ranking first among point guards) and he remains a solid defensive player (fourth in defensive real +/-). Thomas’ defensive shortcomings are well-chronicled, but his spectacular offensive showing has carried the Celtics to their third-place standing in the East. Davis was a close call over DeMarcus Cousins and Marc Gasol but the combination of his production (third in the league at 28.8 points per game), efficiency (in a virtual tie with two others for second in PER) and two-way play (second in defensive win shares) earned him the nod.

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Zillgitt
West: Westbrook, Harden, Leonard, Durant, Davis

East: Lowry, Kyrie Irving, James, Antetokounmpo, Butler

Let’s start with the one guard that was sure thing for me in the East: Kyle Lowry who has been quietly outstanding. After that, I could’ve defended any of these player as the second back-court starter: Isaiah Thomas, John Wall, Kyrie Irving. I started Monday morning with Thomas, switched to Wall by mid-afternoon and ended up voting for Irving who improved his three-point shooting, increased his assists this season and is scoring at a high rate alongside James. Irving also didn’t think the media to vote. I hold no grudges. The West frontcourt was the next toughest spot to cast a ballot. Anthony Davis’ scoring, overall shooting percentage, blocks and rebounding put him just ahead of Cousins.

 

[playahaitian]

Russell Westbrook another victim of misspelled All-Star fan votes


Russell Westbrook is among the players losing votes due to fans misspelling his name.

This past week the NBA released the list of players leading fan votes for the All-Star Game. Incredibly, Russell Westbrook was not first or second among the backcourt vote recipients. That means if the All-Star Game was tomorrow Westbrook would not be starting.

Get the news first by joining Thunderous Intentions community of fans and follow us on Facebook and Twitter


Let’s just ruminate on that for a moment. This is the same Russell Westbrook who has already made All-Star Game history by becoming the first player to win back to back All-Star Game MVP awards. Bob Petit won in consecutive years but he shared the second MVP with Eligin Baylor.

Westbrook is also on pace to repeat a feat achieved over 50 years ago (Oscar Robertson) by averaging a regular season triple-double.

Specific players suffered more than others when it came to misspelling. Not surprisingly Giannis Antetokounmpo was the player most greatly affected by lost votes. Other players suffering from spelling errors are somewhat understandable because of the different ways to spell their first names. Dwyane Wade and Isaiah Thomas being the most obvious examples of this.

Yet the real shocker was Kyle Lowry who sat right behind Antetokounmpo for misspells of his last name. Fans were adding an unnecessary “e” to his last name.

FanSided affiliate site The Step Back addressed the Lowry issue via Chris Barnewell’s article highlighting Zach Harper’s tweet of examples:

 

[Amajorfucup]

Also..........

 

[IT IS WHAT IT IS]

Man this is some bullshit! Fuck the all star game anyway.. its not about on court but popularity. No fucking way curry should be starting over westbrook!

 

[tallblacknyc]

i guess that i can do whatever i want vid didn't include a starter position

 

[playahaitian]

​

 

[IT IS WHAT IT IS]

Russell Westbrook another victim of misspelled All-Star fan votes


Russell Westbrook is among the players losing votes due to fans misspelling his name.

This past week the NBA released the list of players leading fan votes for the All-Star Game. Incredibly, Russell Westbrook was not first or second among the backcourt vote recipients. That means if the All-Star Game was tomorrow Westbrook would not be starting.

Get the news first by joining Thunderous Intentions community of fans and follow us on Facebook and Twitter


Let’s just ruminate on that for a moment. This is the same Russell Westbrook who has already made All-Star Game history by becoming the first player to win back to back All-Star Game MVP awards. Bob Petit won in consecutive years but he shared the second MVP with Eligin Baylor.

Westbrook is also on pace to repeat a feat achieved over 50 years ago (Oscar Robertson) by averaging a regular season triple-double.

Specific players suffered more than others when it came to misspelling. Not surprisingly Giannis Antetokounmpo was the player most greatly affected by lost votes. Other players suffering from spelling errors are somewhat understandable because of the different ways to spell their first names. Dwyane Wade and Isaiah Thomas being the most obvious examples of this.

Yet the real shocker was Kyle Lowry who sat right behind Antetokounmpo for misspells of his last name. Fans were adding an unnecessary “e” to his last name.

FanSided affiliate site The Step Back addressed the Lowry issue via Chris Barnewell’s article highlighting Zach Harper’s tweet of examples:

Dumb ass fans!!

 

[IT IS WHAT IT IS]

Also..........

Dude you fuck me up with this shit!! Motherfucker looks annoying as fuck on the vid still shot too!

 

[playahaitian]

i guess that i can do whatever i want vid didn't include a starter position

cold as Teddy Pendergrass wearing a polar bear fur coat drinking a pina colada on an iceberg

 

[Amajorfucup]

Dude you fuck me up with this shit!! Motherfucker looks annoying as fuck on the vid still shot too!

Yea.. they're four versions. But that screencap captures just how much the little muthafucka irks me. Look like he asking for spare change when i leave the liquor store.. Lil bitch.

 

[gene cisco]

 

[Complex]

Who gives a fuck, Russ will still make it

It's not like Steph is having a shitty year and it's ZaZa starting over Anthony Davis or Kawhi or something

 

[MonkeyBizness]

The NBA All-Star Game is a marketing gimmick to make the NBA money. Fair, unfair doesn't matter. Why you think they let the fans vote weigh so much?

Anyway, All-Star appearances a player makes is a nonsensical metric. Too many factors beyond a player's play affects the result. The fact that Zaza Patchouli almost made it in as a starter tells you all you need to know about the All-Star Game.

 

[Complex]

btw did you cry babies vote?

 

[IT IS WHAT IT IS]

Yea.. they're four versions. But that screencap captures just how much the little muthafucka irks me. Look like he asking for spare change when i leave the liquor store.. Lil bitch.

 

[D'Evils]

I like this new voting.

D. Wade and Zaza don't get an undeserved start.

 

[VWchrisATL]

btw did you cry babies vote?

 

[Day_Carver]

Curry has no business starting ahead of Russ... None.

But, thats the same guy yall told me was the best player in the league and deserving of back to back MVPs before he shit the bed in his second straight finals last summer.

He was the best player in the league last year; not this year and Russ should be starting....

 

[Pworld297]

Also..........

 

[Amajorfucup]

He was the best player in the league last year

No he wasnt. Nor was he the year before that..

 

[BDR]

Curry has no business starting ahead of Russ... None.

But, thats the same guy yall told me was the best player in the league and deserving of back to back MVPs before he shit the bed in his second straight finals last summer.

Hatin ass nigga Curry numbers this season is identical to the one he had his first MVP season

Curry Starting.,, Westbrook coming off them bench..

The starting lineup is correct.. Curry, KD, Harden, Leonard got a better record that Westbrook

 

[IT IS WHAT IT IS]

https://imgflip.com/memegenerator

 

[D'Evils]

 

[Amajorfucup]

Hatin ass nigga Curry numbers this season is identical to the one he had his first MVP season

Right. Proving my original point.. he didnt deserve MVP that year. And this year theres no rational argument for him to be starting over Westbrook. The trend is obvious. The guy continues to get accolades over more deserving players.

 

[DCMC]

 

[Day_Carver]

No he wasnt. Nor was he the year before that..

Yes he was, his season last year was ridiculous ; he was clearly playing great before he got hurt; just because they didn't win it all doesn't negate what he did thru out the year....stop hating it's going to cause you to have a stroke...

 

[Amajorfucup]

Yes he was, his season last year was ridiculous ; he was clearly playing great before he got hurt; just because they didn't win it all doesn't negate what he did thru out the year....stop hating it's going to cause you to have a stroke...

Bron>>>

 

[IT IS WHAT IT IS]

@Amajorfucup ... the fans man

 

[Day_Carver]

so how the hell did steph get the starting spot...

 

[shamone]

so the 25% left on the fans fucked up by not spelling his name correct? crazy.

 

[playahaitian]

​

 

[playahaitian]

http://www.foxsports.com/nba/story/...er-stephen-curry-oklahoma-city-thunder-011917

Why Steph Curry beating Russell Westbrook as an All-Star starter makes total sense

There’s no question Russell Westbrook deserves to be starting in the 2017 NBA All-Star Game. When you average a triple-double into January, you’re an All-Star starter. That’s just the rules.

Unfortunately for the Oklahoma City Thunder point guard, “deserve’s” got nothing to do with it — and in reality, Stephen Curry’s selection as a starter over Westbrook makes perfect sense. For all of the NBA’s gerrymandering with the voting rules this year, the All-Star Game remains an exhibition for and by the fans.


The league offices did the right thing by installing a safeguard against someone such as Zaza Pachulia crashing the party when they included a media and player vote along with the fans’ selections, but the powers that be still left the decision in the hands of the consumers. That’s why the ultimate tiebreaker belonged to the fans, as we saw in the Eastern Conference’s backcourt:

View image on Twitter

Follow
Chris Forsberg

✔@ESPNForsberg
Here’s how the East backcourt voting looked with IT/DeRozan tying for 2nd and DeRozan winning on tie-breaker by 41,010 votes.

7:22 PM - 19 Jan 2017

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As much as we denizens of the Internet love Westbrook for his ferocity, Curry’s the cherub-faced two-time MVP with all the global appeal. Kids love watching the (relatively) tiny superstar chuck from deep, since they can try to play that way too. It’s an overblown sentiment that children see themselves in Curry, but there’s undoubtedly a kernel of truth in that Hallmark sappiness.

And it’s not like Curry is having a bad season by any means. In fact, he’s playing at the same level he approached during his first MVP season. Depending on whether you favor wins or statistics, you might even believe that Curry is the more deserving All-Star candidate.

View image on Twitter

Follow
120 Sports

✔@120Sports
According to the #NBAAllStar votes..

Fans: Stephen Curry + James Harden
Players: Russell Westbrook + Harden
Media: Westbrook + Harden

7:20 PM - 19 Jan 2017

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I mean, you’d be wrong; Westbrook has blown the Warriors point guard out of the water this season, as evidenced by the massive gap in their efficiency ratings, and he can’t rely on three other stars to pick up the slack when he’s not feeling it. But you can at least make the argument.

Hundreds of thousands of fans did, to be fair, and their combined voice mattered more than anything. Perhaps if Westbrook were more friendly with the media or played in a bigger market, he’d have earned the honor that so clearly belonged to him. Instead, the fans reminded us all that Curry is still the golden child of professional basketball.

Who knew you could blow a 3-1 Finals lead, team up with the second-best player on the planet and stay a fan favorite?

 

[playahaitian]

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