Monday, January 18th, 2010...12:35 pm
Ray Allen Doesn’t Like Your Vote
Democracy is a wonderful thing. Giving everyone an equal vote and say into the development of a complex government was a remarkable and progressive development in human history. Giving the same people an equal vote and say into naming five starters for an NBA All-Star game? Not such a great idea according to Celtics All-Star guard Ray Allen:
“I like the fact that the fans get the opportunity to vote and pick who they’d like to see in the All-Star Game, but I don’t think it should be 100 percent,” Allen said this week.
The nine-time All-Star said the fan voting has made the game “watered down” and called for a change in the process.
Allen said fans should have 50 percent of the vote, with the other 50 percent being divided evenly between the media and the players. He said players know who is playing the best, and believes with his idea, “you’d look at five guys starting the All-Star team regardless of hype or highlight.”
The man has a point. The problem with a pure democracy is that the majority can be, and often is, wrong. How else can you explain guards Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson maintaining a starting position through the last All-Star voting results (released Jan. 7) despite not being wanted by most NBA teams? Perhaps it is time someone stepped in and saved the fans from themselves. But I’ll have more on that at a later date.
For now you have a chance to prove Allen wrong by righting a grave injustice. Tim Duncan is having an MVP quality season but is trailing forwards Dirk Nowitzki and Carmelo Anthony (both admittedly having great seasons as well) in voting. His credentials? I’ll let one of Tim’s earlier posts from this site bring you up to date:
Tim Duncan, on the other hand, well…more people should have noticed by now. Tim Duncan is having a career year in terms of efficiency–his 28.12 PER ranks second in the league. His per minute numbers rival or top every previous career high.
Current Career High 22.7 ppg 22.6 11.5 rpg 12.2 3.4 apg 3.8 2.1 bpg 2.8 .549 FG% .549 .761 FT% .799 28.12 PER 27.14
Paper balloting might be closed, but you can still vote for Duncan on NBA.com or via text messaging a player’s last name to 6-9-6-2-2 (MYNBA) until midnight tonight. Starters will be announced Thursday night. Just remember, with two forward votes at your disposal, not to cancel your vote by selecting Nowitzki with the second one.
17 Comments
January 18th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
Worse problem in the NFL, though that may about having more positions available for voting. I like fans having 50% for the NBA, since the game is for the fans. But I also think that players and coaches should have a say since they play the game, practice and watch film. They know better than the average fan all the subtleties that stats don’t show and are in a better position to vote on who is deserving. The game beyond the highlights, otherwise big market teams and attention grabbing players have an undeserved advantage.
I would also think this is important since All-Star appearances, like MVP or All-defense votes likely have an impact on future contracts or perhaps bonuses?
January 18th, 2010 at 4:51 pm
Part of the problem is that the players that are on the ballot are chosen too early in the season-maybe even before the season-and not based on what they have done this season. Make up the All-Star ballot in January and only include those players that are playing at a high level and have played in a certain number of games and limit the time people can vote (1 or 2 weeks). Then at least players like McGrady couldn’t be voted in.
January 18th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
@Spurlady
Opening the ballot in January (or any time close to the actual event) sounds like a good idea. I made my vote in mid-December and actually voted for McGrady - assuming that he’d be back into game shape by Jan and playing a major role for the Houston franchise (he used to be one of my favorite players other than Spurs players back in the early 2000s). If I voted today… well at least I wouldn’t have picked McGrady, that’s for sure.
January 18th, 2010 at 6:25 pm
Ian thats what is wrong with the fans voting the players in. Fans do not vote looking at the facts they vote for the players they like you prove me right when you voted for McGrady and he hasen’t been playing. I say yes let the fans vote but only le it count for 25% let the coaches and players vote and have it count for the rest. Oh and the coaches nor the players can vote for anyone from thier teams that will elimanate any biazed picks. I’m not picking on you everyone does it even me but the field needs to be cleared and the choices need to be made on who is playing the best THAT YEAR no matter who it is
January 18th, 2010 at 6:59 pm
I agree with Ray Allen and think that changes need to be made. Allen’s idea of diluting the fan vote is one idea. Another would be to let the fans choose the starters AFTER the All-stars are chosen by the players, coaches, and writers (or some combination thereof).
Another idea would be to leave the voting as it is and then call then call the players what they are: fan favorites; not all-stars. Look, there’s nothing wrong with having a mid-season exhibition of fan-favorite players. We should just acknowledge that that’s what it is. We should quit calling them all-stars, because the players aren’t selected on the basis of merit, but popularity. We should end the farce that being selected an all-star is an indication of good play.
January 18th, 2010 at 7:14 pm
I totally agree with Ray. AI and T-Mac as All-Stars makes a mockery of the entire process, and in the end, the game itself.
January 18th, 2010 at 7:40 pm
This is why they have the “All NBA Team”. To choose the best, and us fans do not have a voice in this.
In my mind, the All-Star game is for the FANS. That being said, I think it’s pretty ridiculous for certain players to be voted in as starters when they haven’t played well (or at all). If they change anything about the voting, I say may it harder to stuff the ballot box.
January 18th, 2010 at 8:24 pm
Actually, if you look at the NFL (where coaches and players select players) they don’t really do any better. It’s not like coaches or players have time to review film and choose which players are playing the best. They vote for the guys they know, which means pretty much exactly the same thing as what is happening in the NBA (though the McGrady/Iverson things are a little beyond normal).
January 18th, 2010 at 8:52 pm
Props for not going all J.S. Mill on us.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:39 pm
Why does the hate continue?????????
1st: If it weren’t for the fans, there wouldn’t be ads, which brings in sponsors, which bankrolls the NBA, WHEN DO WE HAVE A SAY? WE AHVE IT IN THE ALLSTARs. So SUCK IT.
Remember when everyone and their mother was slandering Iverson and nearly blacklisted him from joining any NBA team??? As loud as I screamed in my bedroom, I HAD NO VOICE.
Now we, the fans, are letting AI and the world know that he is NOT who you guys make him out to be, and WE WANT TO SEE HIM PLAY. EVEN IF HE SCORES ZERO POINTS.
The fans have spoken. LET RAY ALLEN ( and anyone else) wait for the ALL NBA team, or the PLAYOFFS, or the Olympics.
kma.
January 18th, 2010 at 11:08 pm
I think we’re taking the title of All-Star way too seriously. It’s a stupid popularity contest. Once we understand that, we won’t feel as bad about Duncan not being a starter and McGrady and Iverson starting. I never understand why being an All-Star is a measure of good game, it’s not. And if you don’t make the All-Star game, that doesn’t mean you’re having a bad season, look at Deron Williams! Stop getting offended if a good player gets snubbed, being called an All-Star is worthless. As wannabe_fan said, that’s why we have the All-NBA teams, to reward players that played well.
That being said, I feel voting should not be changed. Fans only vote for 10 of the 24 players in the ASG anyways. So more knowledgeable people get to vote for the rest. This is a game for the fans. Why not let the fans pick and choose a team of their wildest dreams. Besides, I like to force myself to believe that the ASG, unlike the rest of the regular season, is just a silly game, not a sport, not competition, just purely entertainment.
January 19th, 2010 at 1:27 am
If it doesn’t mean anything then how come when they are choosing who becomes a hall a famer they look at allstar appearances to help them judge
January 19th, 2010 at 9:30 am
I think the fans voting for the who get’s in the All-Star game is fine. It’s the fans game after all. But here are some changes I would like to see.
1. Voting doesn’t start until 90 days before the All-Star Game.
-This means that paper ballots are a thing of the past. Most of the country has a cell phone or access to the internet to vote.
2. Institute a minimum number of games/minutes played to be on the ballot. Players selected to be on ballot aren’t chosen until 90 days before All-Star game.
-Players like McGrady and AI don’t get on the ballot but players like Kaman do.
-The 90 day lead time also helps to prevent stuffing the ballot box.
January 19th, 2010 at 10:23 am
ESPN has used that stat table for Duncan in two or three articles. Why do they keep putting the wrong number for Duncan’s career high scoring average?
January 19th, 2010 at 12:29 pm
Even if it stays the way it is, some players have come out and said that they believe it to be a bigger honor to be voted on as an All-Star reserve. Because those guys are voted in by the coaches and media, thereby letting those guys know that they are respected by the league.
January 19th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
lebron guarding timmy. that is very possible and scary
January 20th, 2010 at 3:02 pm
NAGAIW,
Part of the reason why they take into account the number of All-Star games when selecting HoFers, is because they take into consideration not just your overall game, but how much of an impact you had to basketball outside of the court. Being voted an All-Star certainly proves that you are a big influence in the world of basketball.
Now, I don’t think this should be the case, and don’t think that they should take into account All-Star selections, but I can see why they do it.
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