What are the chances Damian Lillard starts in the All Star game?

[KingSpeed]

Curry beat out Chris Paul last year. I think Lillard can beat them both. Why? The Shot, Conan, NBA Live, national TV commercials. And he had a better postseason than Curry. What do you think?

 

[PDXFonz]

25% chance.
Some one could get injured. But if Westbrook has the thunder in the playoffs by himself then it will be between him and cp3/curry/Lillard/dragic, in that order.

 

[HomerLovesKoolAid]

I wouldn't bet against him. Probably depends on Clips vs Blazers record and I think we'll hold our own. I wouldn't be surprised if we were leading the conference at the half way mark.

 

[Boob-No-More]

0.00%

To be a starter, he must be voted in by the fans. Here's the voting from last year:

http://www.basketball-reference.com/allstar/NBA_2014_voting.html

Curry got 4x as many votes at Lillard, and Kobe, who couldn't even walk, got almost 4x as many. Jeremy Lin, who was a back up in Houston got over 2x as many votes as Lillard. Lin will get even more votes as a starter for the Lakers this year. Harden will get more votes, so will Kobe and Westbrook. Like last year, there will be injuries, but not enough to push Lillard into the top 2 in fan voting.

BNM

 

[BlazerWookee]

1 in 5

 

[Eastoff]

Steve Nash, Andrew Bynum

 

[Boob-No-More]

I wouldn't bet against him. Probably depends on Clips vs Blazers record and I think we'll hold our own. I wouldn't be surprised if we were leading the conference at the half way mark.

It won't matter. This is fan voting, it has nothing to do with team perfomance and very little to do with current individual performance. It's based on reputation and popularity. That's why Kobe, who only played in 6 games (and sucked) got almost 4 times as many votes as Lillard last year, and why Jeremy Lin got over 2x as many. CP3 has national commercials and plays in LA. Doesn't matter who's leading the Western Conference at the break, CP3 (and Kobe and Lin and Curry and Harden and Westbrook) will have more votes than Lillard.

BNM

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

0%. Lin and CP3 will be the starting guards.

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

Never as long as fans vote... unless he puts up 30/10 or Changes his name to Kobe

 

[magnifier661]

Never as long as fans vote... unless he puts up 30/10 or becomes a Laker

Fixed it for you

 

[Pinwheel1]

I doubt he can beat out Jeremy Lin, let alone someone else who may actually deserve it.

 

[Boise Blazer]

Wait, Lillard is Asian?

 

[KingSpeed]

0.00%

To be a starter, he must be voted in by the fans. Here's the voting from last year:

http://www.basketball-reference.com/allstar/NBA_2014_voting.html

Curry got 4x as many votes at Lillard, and Kobe, who couldn't even walk, got almost 4x as many. Jeremy Lin, who was a back up in Houston got over 2x as many votes as Lillard. Lin will get even more votes as a starter for the Lakers this year. Harden will get more votes, so will Kobe and Westbrook. Like last year, there will be injuries, but not enough to push Lillard into the top 2 in fan voting.

BNM

That was last year, dude. Last year's voting means nothing. Curry made it because he shined in the playoffs. How did Curry finish the year before? Beating Paul ,who plays in LA, was impressive. I'm well aware that it's voted on by the fans and Kobe will definitely make it. But Lillard has done a LOT since the last All Star game. NBA Live, Conan, The Shot, commercials etc, this resonates with the fans. Look at Paul George. He made it. Durant makes it in a small market. Last year's voting means nothing. And look at what I said when I started this thread and in this post. His popularity among the average NBA fan has gone WAY up. Even Laker fans LOVE Lillard for eliminating Dwight Howard from the playoffs. It was their favorite moment of the playoffs. Read Lakersground.

0%. Lin and CP3 will be the starting guards.

Neither made it last year. I say Kobe and Lillard.

 

[KingSpeed]

Furthermore, Drexler started in the 1992 NBA All Star game. It can be done.

 

[Boob-No-More]

That was last year, dude. Last year's voting means nothing.

It's indicative of a trend. Fans vote based on reputation and popularity. It was that was last year, that way 20 years ago and will be that way this year and every year where the fans vote for the starters.

Beating Paul ,who plays in LA, was impressive.

It would have been more impressive if CP3 had not been injured during the entire voting process. He missed basically all of January and did not come back until 2 games before the All Star break, after the voting had been closed.

I'm well aware that it's voted on by the fans and Kobe will definitely make it.

OK, there's on of your starters. Lin has the double whammy of being both a Laker and Asian. Yeah, Lillard is better, WAY, WAY better, but he was better last year, too but Lin got over twice as many votes as Lillard in spit of being a back up for the Rockets. Add the Chinese vote and the Laker vote together and that trumps Lillard beating Dwight in the playoffs.

It's not just Kobe and Lin and Curry and CP3 that Lillard has to leapfrog in the voting, it's also Harden and Westbrook. He may pass a couple of those guys and there may be a couple of injuries, but I don't see any possible scenario where Lillard leapfrogs all 6 guys who got more votes than him last year. If anything, a healthy CP3, a healthy Westbrook (who will lead the league in scoring until Durant gets back) and Lin as a Laker starter will all get MORE votes than they did last year.

BNM

 

[tlongII]

Furthermore, Drexler started in the 1992 NBA All Star game. It can be done.

No votes were cast from China in 1992.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Furthermore, Drexler started in the 1992 NBA All Star game. It can be done.

Drexler also made the original (only) Dream Team and 1992 and was voted one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history. Lillard got cut from TeamUSA this summer.

I'm not saying Lillard doesn't deserve it (it's close). I'm saying he won't be voted in by the fans.

BNM

 

[magnifier661]

Drexler also made the original (only) Dream Team and 1992 and was voted one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history. Lillard got cut from TeamUSA this summer.

I'm not saying Lillard doesn't deserve it (it's close). I'm saying he won't be voted in by the fans.

BNM

I think the fan vote should only account for 40% of the starter votes. The rest should be coaches and GMs, IMO.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

That was last year, dude. Last year's voting means nothing. Curry made it because he shined in the playoffs. How did Curry finish the year before? Beating Paul ,who plays in LA, was impressive. I'm well aware that it's voted on by the fans and Kobe will definitely make it. But Lillard has done a LOT since the last All Star game. NBA Live, Conan, The Shot, commercials etc, this resonates with the fans. Look at Paul George. He made it. Durant makes it in a small market. Last year's voting means nothing. And look at what I said when I started this thread and in this post. His popularity among the average NBA fan has gone WAY up. Even Laker fans LOVE Lillard for eliminating Dwight Howard from the playoffs. It was their favorite moment of the playoffs. Read Lakersground.


Neither made it last year. I say Kobe and Lillard.

If Lillard isn't in the lead for League MVP, he has no shot to start the all star game baring injuries.

 

[magnifier661]

Chances are slim, especially if OKC has a respectable record.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Chances are slim, especially if OKC has a respectable record.

Team record won't matter if Westbrook is leading the league in scoring. Gaudy scoring influences the casual fan more than team success.

BNM

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

To go even further, I think there is a much higher chance he doesn't even make the team versus he starts.

 

[KingSpeed]

It's indicative of a trend. Fans vote based on reputation and popularity. It was that was last year, that way 20 years ago and will be that way this year and every year where the fans vote for the starters.



It would have been more impressive if CP3 had not been injured during the entire voting process. He missed basically all of January and did not come back until 2 games before the All Star break, after the voting had been closed.



OK, there's on of your starters. Lin has the double whammy of being both a Laker and Asian. Yeah, Lillard is better, WAY, WAY better, but he was better last year, too but Lin got over twice as many votes as Lillard in spit of being a back up for the Rockets. Add the Chinese vote and the Laker vote together and that trumps Lillard beating Dwight in the playoffs.

It's not just Kobe and Lin and Curry and CP3 that Lillard has to leapfrog in the voting, it's also Harden and Westbrook. He may pass a couple of those guys and there may be a couple of injuries, but I don't see any possible scenario where Lillard leapfrogs all 6 guys who got more votes than him last year. If anything, a healthy CP3, a healthy Westbrook (who will lead the league in scoring until Durant gets back) and Lin as a Laker starter will all get MORE votes than they did last year.

BNM

It's like you're not reading my posts at all. I'm making the point that Lillard's popularity has skyrocketed since last year's All Star game. During last year's voting period, Lillard didn't have Conan/The Shot/NBA Live plus two national commercials and a major shoe deal. That's the whole point of me starting this thread! The question is.. has all of this given Lillard enough popularity to get voted in! Then you start chiming in with last year's votes which have NOTHING to do with the question I'm asking. Also, injuries have nothing to do with popularity. Kobe made it last year. People have become bored with Chris Paul. Been in the league for 10 years or so and has only won three playoff series.

If you say no, say it because you think all those things haven't made him popular enough. Don't come at me with last year's results.

 

[BBert]

To go even further, I think there is a much higher chance he doesn't even make the team versus he starts.

This.

 

[KingSpeed]

Check THIS out:

http://www.basketball-reference.com/allstar/NBA_2013_voting.html

Curry was EIGHTH in voting the season before. Why did Curry jump from 8th to 2nd? All I can think of is his sensational showing in the playoffs. Well, look, Lillard has done the same thing. One of the most unforgettable moments in playoff history. You can count on one hand, the amount of playoff serieses that have ended on a buzzer beater. He has captured the casual fan's attention. If Curry can jump from 8th to 2nd, why not Lillard?

 

[KingSpeed]

Also, how about THIS? Two years ago, Paul George didn't even make the TOP 15 in All Star voting. Last year, he was a starter! He jumped over at least 14 people! Why can't Lillard have a jump like that?

 

[KingSpeed]

Shane Battier and Jeff Green were ahead of Paul George!

 

[riverman]

I don't think Dame starts the allstar game but that depends on who's coaching it as well as fan votes. He'll make the team but not start

 

[KingSpeed]

I don't think Dame starts the allstar game but that depends on who's coaching it as well as fan votes. He'll make the team but not start

Coach doesn't decide unless there is an injury.

 

[KingSpeed]

Drexler also made the original (only) Dream Team and 1992 and was voted one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history. Lillard got cut from TeamUSA this summer.

I'm not saying Lillard doesn't deserve it (it's close). I'm saying he won't be voted in by the fans.

BNM

Whether Lillard deserves it or not has nothing to do with my argument. I've just never seen a player in Portland rise to superstar status so quickly.