Batum, Aldridge, Lilly - All star weekend

[OregonHuskerMan]

How many people do you think we send to all-star weekend?

I know Babbitt was pushing to be in the 3pt contest.

Aldridge better be in the ASG.
Batum could possibly be in the ASG, not sure I can think of many SF's in the west better than him this year. Durant is all I can think of.
Lillard will be there in some capacity - rookie/soph game or outside shot at all-star game (doubt it).

I guess I'm most curious about Batum, now that they've split it into Guards/Forwards..I wonder if Batum will be left out (or if they'll send someone like, Rudy Gay, over Batum - because he makes more "highlight" dunks)

 

[BlazerCaravan]

1. Babbitt is the 4th best 3pt shooter on our team, behind Wessy, Batum, and Lillard. Maybe Wesley could go though.
2. Agreed, LA better be there.
3. Batum is too much a glue-guy to get in, but I'd love to see him in a new version of the dunk contest where the dunkers have to start at 3/4 court with Batum chasing them down for a block at the rim.
4. Lillard's participation in the rookie/sophomore game will take pressure off coaches to get him into the ASG lineup.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I wouldn't be even a little bit surprised if Durant ends up being the only "3" on the west squad.

As for Babbitt--word has always been that he's a lights-out shooter in practice. 3-point contest is tailor-made for him.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

I wouldn't be even a little bit surprised if Durant ends up being the only "3" on the west squad.

As for Babbitt--word has always been that he's a lights-out shooter in practice. 3-point contest is tailor-made for him.

Exactly what I was thinking. Batum has no chance of making it over all the bigs in the West.

There's always at least 1 guy per team who is a "lights out shooter in practice". Doesn't mean squat, if Babbitt competed in the 3 point contest it'd be a joke.

 

[OregonHuskerMan]

Don't you have to petition to get into the 3pt contest? Or so I thought. I'm guessing the others won't and Babbitt would, just because he seems to think he is electric from 3.

At any rate, that was my biggest question. So is the west going to trot out 3 power forwards half the game? Unless they plan on having durant play 48 minutes.

 

[BBert]

3. Batum is too much a glue-guy to get in, but I'd love to see him in a new version of the dunk contest where the dunkers have to start at 3/4 court with Batum chasing them down for a block at the rim.

 

[BigGameDamian]

I hope Aldridge is in the ASG and I know we are all Blazers fans here but look at all this bigs in the west, I think Serge Ibaka, David Lee and ZBo has a good chance then you have Tim Duncan, Blake Griffin and Pau Gasal and Dwight Howard. I think Aldridge has a good chance but I don't think that it's clear, cut and dry like some.

 

[KeepOnRollin]

I hope Aldridge is in the ASG and I know we are all Blazers fans here but look at all this bigs in the west, I think Serge Ibaka, David Lee and ZBo has a good chance then you have Tim Duncan, Blake Griffin and Pau Gasal and Dwight Howard. I think Aldridge has a good chance but I don't think that it's clear, cut and dry like some.

I don't think many are saying it is cut and dry that LMA gets in. He should have a very good shot though.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Don't you have to petition to get into the 3pt contest? Or so I thought. I'm guessing the others won't and Babbitt would, just because he seems to think he is electric from 3.

At any rate, that was my biggest question. So is the west going to trot out 3 power forwards half the game? Unless they plan on having durant play 48 minutes.

They could always just play 3 guards for a little bit.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

Paul, Kobe, Durant, Griffin and Dwight will be the starters.

Westbrook, harden, Duncan, Marc gasol will probably make it.

Golden state needs a rep, id lean towards curry over lee.

Last two picks are Parker and Aldridge imo.

pau,, dirk, love havent played well enough to get in.

Lma is the 8th leading scorer in the league (#1 for power forwards in the west) and we would be in the playoffs right now. The odds of him making the team are very.bright imo.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I think all of out players could use the time off instead of playing during All Star Weekend.

 

[BigGameDamian]

Paul, Kobe, Durant, Griffin and Dwight will be the starters.

Westbrook, harden, Duncan, Marc gasol will probably make it.

Golden state needs a rep, id lean towards curry over lee.

Last two picks are Parker and Aldridge imo.

pau,, dirk, love havent played well enough to get in.

Lma is the 8th leading scorer in the league (#1 for power forwards in the west) and we would be in the playoffs right now. The odds of him making the team are very.bright imo.

Pau sill be in the ASG and so will Serge Ibaka

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Pau sill be in the ASG and so will Serge Ibaka

Pau ain't going to be in the ASG.

 

[crowTrobot]

Pau sill be in the ASG

you forgot the green font

 

[BigGameDamian]

I also think that Pau Gasol will be traded for Josh Smith near the trade deadline in a package deal.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

Serge ibaka would make the game in bizarro land. But in the NBA, lamarcus will make the gamr over him. 20 ppg on a playoff team (best player on the team, and already made an all star team before) makes it in over ibaka

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

Dont get me wrong, ibaka could make the asg someday, but not this year over Aldridge.

 

[Boob-No-More]

I hope Aldridge is in the ASG and I know we are all Blazers fans here but look at all this bigs in the west, I think Serge Ibaka, David Lee and ZBo has a good chance then you have Tim Duncan, Blake Griffin and Pau Gasal and Dwight Howard. I think Aldridge has a good chance but I don't think that it's clear, cut and dry like some.

No way does Pau make it. He's playing like shit on a sub-.500 team and the Lakers will already have two all-stars in Kobe and Howard. When was the last time an under .500 team had three all-stars? Ever???

Will OKC get three all-stars? Durant and Westbrook will make it. Will the coaches chose Ibaka over Aldridge. Ibaka is having a good season, but is 14.5/8.4/2.9 more deserving than 20.6/8.6/1.2? I think the coaches will reward the Blazers with at least one all-star, due to their much better than expected won:loss record. And, I think Aldridge is the most deserving.

It will be interesting to see what happens with the Memphis big men. A lot of people are pimping for Marc Gasol, but his numbers (13.7/7.6/1.9) don't come lose to Aldridge's. ZBo's scoring is down (16.9), but his rebounding is up (12.0). With such a good record, I can't imagine Memphis not getting t least one all-star, but on the other hand, I can't see them getting more than one. They just don't have the gaudy individual stats that are usually associated with all-stars. Rudy Gay is their leading scorer at 17.8 ppg, but shoots horribly low percentages and does nothing else but score (which explains his ho-hum PER of 15.0). So, I think one of Gasol/ZBo makes it, but not both.

With no Dirk, no Pau and no Love this year, I think LaMarcus is pretty much a shoe-in to go this year.

I'd love to see Batum go, but I think he' still a year or two away from having the kind of cred that gets one selected to the all-star team.

BNM

 

[crowTrobot]

Golden state needs a rep, id lean towards curry over lee.

lee is having a better season than curry and has less locked up spots in front of him. it may be that neither get in, though. teams with good records aren't always represented.

Last two picks are Parker and Aldridge imo.

parker is a lock. LMA is almost a lock at the moment. if the blazers fell apart in the next 2 weeks that could change.

pau,, dirk, love havent played well enough to get in.

neither has babbitt, leonard, or nolan smith.

 

[BigGameDamian]

No way does Pau make it. He's playing like shit on a sub-.500 team and the Lakers will already have two all-stars in Kobe and Howard. When was the last time an under .500 team had three all-stars? Ever???

Will OKC get three all-stars? Durant and Westbrook will make it. Will the coaches chose Ibaka over Aldridge. Ibaka is having a good season, but is 14.5/8.4/2.9 more deserving than 20.6/8.6/1.2? I think the coaches will reward the Blazers with at least one all-star, due to their much better than expected won:loss record. And, I think Aldridge is the most deserving.

It will be interesting to see what happens with the Memphis big men. A lot of people are pimping for Marc Gasol, but his numbers (13.7/7.6/1.9) don't come lose to Aldridge's. ZBo's scoring is down (16.9), but his rebounding is up (12.0). With such a good record, I can't imagine Memphis not getting t least one all-star, but on the other hand, I can't see them getting more than one. They just don't have the gaudy individual stats that are usually associated with all-stars. Rudy Gay is their leading scorer at 17.8 ppg, but shoots horribly low percentages and does nothing else but score (which explains his ho-hum PER of 15.0). So, I think one of Gasol/ZBo makes it, but not both.

With no Dirk, no Pau and no Love this year, I think LaMarcus is pretty much a shoe-in to go this year.

I'd love to see Batum go, but I think he' still a year or two away from having the kind of cred that gets one selected to the all-star team.

BNM

What about David Lee?

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

Lee having a better season than curry is debatable. Truth is curry is the much sexier name between the two. And since they both arguably could make the team, ill say curry because of that.

 

[KeepOnRollin]

I also think that Pau Gasol will be traded for Josh Smith near the trade deadline in a package deal.

Pau Gasol doesn't have near that value anymore. And don't say they will throw in filler like MWP.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

How I think it ought to be, along with the conference standings:

1 LAC - 2 AS (Griffin, Paul)
2 OKC - 2 AS (Durant, Westbrook)
3 SAS - 2 AS (Duncan, Parker)
4 MEM - 1 AS (Gasol)
5 GSW - 1 AS (Lee)
6 HOU - 1 AS (Harden)
7 POR - 1 AS (Batum)
8 DEN - 0 AS
9 UTA - 0 AS
10 MIN - 0 AS
11 LAL - 2 AS (Bryant, Howard)
12 DAL - 0 AS
13 SAC - 0 AS
14 PHX - 0 AS
15 NOH - 0 AS

Yes, I know there's no way Batum makes it over Aldridge, but I think he's been better overall this year.

 

[BigGameDamian]

Pau Gasol doesn't have near that value anymore. And don't say they will throw in filler like MWP.

I'm sure David Stern will make it happen

 

[Carlito]

Ibaka is not an all star. Put him on any team and he's a decent player. It's Durant and Westbrook that make him look good. Solid player but not an all star.

 

[KeepOnRollin]

I'm sure David Stern will make it happen

LOVE the conspiracy theories!

 

[crowTrobot]

Lee having a better season than curry is debatable. Truth is curry is the much sexier name between the two. And since they both arguably could make the team, ill say curry because of that.

curry has 5 stone cold locks in front of him on a team that typically takes 5 guards. if one of the 5 couldn't play he would presumably be the first replacement, but otherwise as it is his prospects aren't great.

lee on the other hand has been more efficient than curry which some coaches do look at, and is competing for 1-2 spots that aren't necessarily locked up. his prospects are much more realistic i think. also it's more likely a selected big won't be able to play than one of the top 5 guards (ie howard), so getting in as a replacement is also more likely.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

curry has 5 stone cold locks in front of him on a team that typically takes 5 guards. if one of the 5 couldn't play he would presumably be the first replacement, but otherwise as it is his prospects aren't great.

lee on the other hand has been more efficient than curry which some coaches do look at, and is competing for 1-2 spots that aren't necessarily locked up. his prospects are much more realistic i think. also it's more likely a selected big won't be able to play than one of the top 5 guards (ie howard), so getting in as a replacement is also more likely.

It would be nice if Howard did sit out. IMO he doesn't deserve a spot anyway.

One player who's being overlooked but also deserves consideration, IMO, is Al Jefferson. His advanced stats are right up there with the best centers in the conference, he's put up 19+ PER for 7 straight years, and he's never made it. I think he's due.

 

[Boob-No-More]

What about David Lee?

I think it's a toss up between Lee and Aldridge. Hopefully, they will both make it.

BNM

 

[blue9]

I'd love to see him in a new version of the dunk contest where the dunkers have to start at 3/4 court with Batum chasing them down for a block at the rim.

Ha ha ha ha ha! That would actually make me watch the dunk contest.
BTW - Batum IS THE MAN. Best player on the team, glue guy or not.