[larryfiskenParticipant]

http://www.nba.com/allstar/2012/rising-stars-12/index.html

Look at the teams who do u think is going to win? This can get exciting and Jeremy Lin is also included as a late edition, great move by the NBA. Thoughts?

 

I love the fact that the big aristole picked 5 pgs for his team =)

[Chilbert arenasParticipant]

Off topic but do you think Lin will be the starting PG for all-star game next year based off his booming popularity here and votes from China?

[larryfiskenParticipant]

 If his play makes him eligible for the all-star ballot i can see him start, this was actually brought upp in the Lin Bag at grantland with Bill Simons

 

 Linsanity is all fun and games now, but the biggest loser out of this has to be Derrick Rose right? Next year will be the first time that the Asian vote will actually distort the All-Star lineups. If Lin’s on the ballot, Rose may never start in the All-Star game again. We didn’t ever have a problem with Yao Ming since he was always one of the best centers anyways, but Lin over Rose?

— Larry, Los Angeles

SG: I don’t think there’s ever been a better example of a "let’s cross that bridge when we come to it" e-mail.

  

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7579097/linsanity-bag

 

And i think he is spot on lets play this one out and see what happends next year =)

[Chicago1980Participant]

larryfisken that is a great point that I didnt think about until u brought it up.

[Wavy BagelsParticipant]

Happy for my homies Splitter and Leonard representing that Black ‘n Silver.

Side question: Do you guys like the new rookie/sophomore mix-up format?

[Taylor Gang MikeParticipant]

 I got Team Chuck, nice balance.. and he got my boy ET

[JaeEvolutionParticipant]

Damn Shaq channeling his inner David Kahn.

Anyways it looks like Team Chuck is going to dominate this game they have way too much size along with athleticism, it’ll be tough for Team Shaq unless they run and gun all game.

[Taylor Gang MikeParticipant]

 BTW the new format is horrible, its like a young All star game

[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

I got Chuck’s team.

[river09Participant]

 I understood the rookie vs sophomore game.. but now I have to agree with taylor gang mike, it’s a younger all star game? why.. at the very least split the teams up by conference… 

[hubhubParticipant]

Do you have some basketball reasons why they added Cole over Shumpert? because I’m still looking for them…

[SwatLakeCityParticipant]

Team Chuck in a landslide. There are just way too many guards on Shaq’s team.

Its looks like this the depth chart for each team.

Team Chuck:

1. Wall, Irving
2. Brooks, Turner
3. George, Hayward
4. Williams, Leonard
5. Cousins, Splitter

Team Shaq:

1. Rubio, Lin, Walker
2. Knight, Cole
3. Fields
4. Griffen, Morris
5. Cousins, Thompson

I actually like this change in format. It should lead to a more balanced game instead of just a game that is either too guard heavy or too big heavy.

 

[sheltwon3Participant]

I thought Rubio was a rookie.  How does that work?

[B FreeParticipant]

 He is a rookie, but its not a rookie vs sophomore game anymore.

[HadzialijagicParticipant]

 I like Shaqs team personally. Chucks team only has two true big men in Splitter and Cousins. Neither of Which are particularily good at defence. Those two plus SF’s Leonard and Derrick Williams will have to check Griffin and Greg Monroe. Monroe and Blake should both have big games.

[rileymcshea3Participant]

Did anyone watch the vid?? Because Wall went like 12th……

[akhan786Participant]

Yeah Blake Griffin and Kyrie Irving were the top 2 picks. Followed by Lin, Cousins, then Rubio.

[aamir543Participant]

11 days ago, would Lin have even been in the top 100?

[LeroyJenkinsParticipant]

 Shaq is a nutbar for these picks.

 

[Mr. 19134Participant]

Who all watched this video?  It was terrible and Shaq is an idiot.  I’m not even gonna mention the fact Evan Turner didn’t even get picked, I know he saw this feels salty and is destined to drop a triple double at this game, but Wall broke the record with 22 assists last year and his game is custom made for these games he would of been my first pick yet he was one of the last players picked….

And why is Blake Griffin playing in this game?  I guess it was cool to play in the rookie game because it was in L.A. and he was still getting exposed to the world.  But he’s an All Star starter he’s like a ringer at this point what is he doing?  Let the other guys have their time to shine stop being such a glory hog.

And I was hoping Turner got on Shaq’s team cuz Barkley’s is stacked and filled with scorers.  Marshon Brooks and Cousins are gonna go off as will Wall and Turner, but wait there’s only one ball…hmm.

[EntropyParticipant]

So Wall gets snubbed in this draft and doesn’t get an invite to the Slam dunk contest. Disappointing.

[Champzilla21Participant]

 Maybe Blake wants to play agaisnt the best of his peers? Most of these guys know one another from some basketball camp and they havent played agaisnt each other in a format like this and just wants to enjoy the allstar festivities. 

[RafterParticipant]

I’m not a big fan of the new format, but it’ll probably be a success with Shaq’s and Chuck’s backing, alongside the players on the rosters, having Rubio, Griffin and Lin on the same team will contribute in making this event seem like a success.

I’m not alone in this discussion in that i prefered the rookies vs sophomores format better, it was more competitive due to the bragging rights of one draft class against another, i’m sure this game will be competitive, but it just doesn’t carry the same meaning if one team wins as it did before, i know it’ll be a one-up between the TNT guys which makes TNT even more watchable but it shouldn’t be about them.

It’s also questions the integrity of the past players that played in the Rookie vs Sopohomore games which is wrong in my opinion.

Overall, i think it’s not the right step but i do believe it’ll be successful due to the players involved and the personalities. Hopefully this event won’t be annual and we can return to the past format.

[invalidParticipant]

 shaq could have got at least one small forward instead of another guard.. im more excited to watch this than the all star game

[Mr. 19134Participant]

 I always like this game more then the All Star Game but I don’t know if i will anymore.  I thought the rookie vs sophomore format was legendary and had bragging rights, they actually played harder for better reason the East vs West did.  I don’t get it.  Damm NHL giving them ideas.

And Blakes wants to play with his peers?  He’s starting in the All Star game for crying out loud he can play with peers there.  What does he want to do at the rookie game rub it in classmates faces that they aren’t even on his level?  But Blake hardly even played last year in the game because he didn’t wanna get hurt and was saving energy for the All Star game.  I don’t expect him to play much this game either for that same reason.  

I admire him doing it and I would honestly probably do the same thing, but it’s not the best idea because like i said he’s stealing shine from other players and this is a crazy compact season he should be resting.  He’s gonna burn himself out b4 the playoffs even start, but then again the Clippers aren’t use to have to worry about playoffs.

[Ghost01Participant]

 (Insert random Philly fan crying that underachieving Turner didn’t get…Oh wait, that already happened. Nevermind.

[Mr. 19134Participant]

I’m not sure you understand what underachieving means.  Basketball is a team game, the Sixers have the 5th best record in the league because they are a great team.  They also have the best defense in the league without having any great rebounders or shot blockers.  Turner is one of the main reasons for this as he’s the Sixers 2nd best perimeter defender only behind Iggy, and he’s the teams best rebounder.

He plays his role on the Sixers so the team can see the success their having.  If he played on a bad team his numbers look totally different.  He’s also considered around the league one of the leagues most improved players ask David Thorpe.

"If the NBA handed out its Most Improved Player award now, Turner would be a finalist. He has been much closer this season to what Philly expected of him in his rookie campaign; he is doing lots of little things to help his team win.

Can he score 20-plus points in a game? Yes. Can he grab 10-plus rebounds in a game? Yes. Can he control the ball for long stretches and help run the team as an off guard? Yes.

He has also shown much better shot selection this season and is now one of the two biggest bench producers for perhaps the league’s best second unit. His herky-jerky style of a dribble attack is roasting defenders, and he’s making more rim shots this season than he attempted last season."

 http://espn.go.com/nba/preview2011/story/_/page/Predictions1112-MIP/nba-most-improved-player-predictions

[HaleParticipant]

 You can have rookies and sophomores on the same team now?

[FastAndFuriousParticipant]

 Damn Wall got selected 12th? 

[Author]

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