Across all professional sports any fan can see that athletes care less and less about an all-star game. The concept of an all-star game is dream-like for any sports fan. All the best athletes get together and play against each other and hopefully it results in a memorable game, but for the most part that never happens. Instead fans get an average game with a lot of flashiness and no substance, because players never play any defense.
The NBA all-star game might be the only exception to the average game rule, and that could just be inherent to how basketball is played in general. The NBA all-star game represents less of an actual NBA game and becomes more of an AND1 game– minus the whole traveling and sketchy layups of an actual AND1 game.
This year, the fact that the center position is fading away was more visible than in years past. In the east, it was clear that Dwight Howard would get the cap for the east squad, seeing as he is the best center in the league period. On the West, Bynum deservedly got the nod averaging only 3 points and 3 rebounds behind Dwight Howard. With Howard and Bynum getting the start for their teams, any fan can see that gone are the days of truly dominant centers like Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, Shaq, David Robinson and Alonzo Mourning.
Power forwards have really morphed into a hybrid-like position. Nowadays Power Forwards can either be a more athletic version of a center, like Zach Randolph or Serge Ibaka. This year for the west Blake griffin was voted the starter, and it’s obvious why fans chose him. He is fun to watch with his ability to dunk over anyone and anything (e.g. KIA Forte.) The problem I see with Griffin though is that he isn’t as balanced as Kevin love of the Timberwolves who is a better rebounder and scorer than Griffin. The east, on the other hand, didn’t even choose a legitimate power forward in Carmelo Anthony, which is an example why fans don’t always know what’s best when voting. In all honesty Amare Stoudemire will probably see those most minutes at the four positions, but it could be interesting to see Carmelo and James on the same team and alley-ooping over someone other than the entire Chinese Olympic team.
For both teams the choice for small forwards was the easiest one seeing as how each perspective conference has someone at the small forward position who stands out as the best. For the west, Kevin Durant is still the best shooting forward in the league averaging 26.8 points a game, and that’s with his stingy point guard. On the east the man every one loves to hate, especially in Cleveland, LeBron James was voted as the starter, as well he should have been seeing as he is averaging 29.2 points a game and lead a Dwayne Wade-less Miami Heat to five wins and one loss, which doesn’t seem that hard compared to what he had to work with in Cleveland.
In the west, Kobe Bryant showed why he still has the right to be cocky and not pass the ball. Earlier this year, Kobe looked six years younger going on a four game 40 points a game tear, proving that LeBron James still might have to wait his turn to be called the greatest player in the league. The Heat got another starter in the east in Dwayne Wade, despite playing below his average level, though you could attribute that to his recent injury problems. While wade is one of the best shooting guards I still think that Joe Johnson was overlooked by many of the fans in the east, who is showing he isn’t ready to fade away because of his aging in a position that is generally reserved for more athletic and quick players.
Finally there are the point guards, a position that has quickly changed in the past four years, with the entrance of derrick rose and Russell Westbrook. Now coaches are looking at point guards who can make plays on their own and don’t always look to pass- then drive the lane. In the west it looks like Chris Paul’s move to a big market team might have paid off, after getting first place out of the all of the point guards in the league. Many fans believed that Chris Paul moving to the clippers would be exciting and bring good basketball, but so far it’s only half-delivered seeing as the clippers still have no half-court offense. With three other point guards (Nash, Ellis and Westbrook) outperforming Paul, the coach for the west still has many other choices for point guards. Unlike in the west it was easy to guess that last years MVP Derrick Rose would be starting point guard for the east which was good choice seeing as the he is still the best all around point guard in the league.
