Off the Glass

Mailbag overflows on eve of All-Star Game

Antoine Walker's 39.4 percent field-goal percentage isn't All-Star worthy despite a 21.4 scoring average. AP

By Paul Forrester, Special to CNNSI.com

Wow! The mailbag is overflowing this week in light of OTG's All-Star snubs, or, to be more precise, those who shouldn't be heading to Atlanta this weekend. As the letter seemed to gravitate around a few particular players, I thought it'd be fair to let you, the loyal and lovable readers, into the squared circle with OTG. And, oh, yeah, there are a few trades/pickups to consider toward the end of this week's column. So without any further ado -- or Michael Buffer -- let's get it on.

Last stop -- Cleveland

Zydrunas Ilgauskas is deserving of all-star recognition. No one "handed this slot" to him as a "courtesy." When healthy, Z is one of the dominant centers in the league. He scores in droves on a team that doesn't feed the ball into the low post, averages nearly ten rebounds per contest, and his shot blocking makes him a truly dominating force in the paint. While Kurt Thomas is a talented player in a big market city, please do not patronize your readers by pretending that his low FG percentage excludes him from consideration. Look at Shaq. Can he ever shoot 50 percent from the free-throw line? Does this mean that he is not a dominating post player deserving of all-star recognition?
--Todd Snyder, New York

It wasn't easy for OTG to argue against a Cavalier, mind you, but Z's numbers aren't as good as Ricky Davis'. As tough as it is to make a case for even one Cleveland player to make the squad, Davis deserved it more. Z is a potent offensive force but is lacking a whole lot on the defensive end, aside from his shot blocking. Thomas isn't necessarily a better player than Ilgauskas but his play over the last year has been eye opening. He's the only low-post presence on the Knicks and we thought his solid play -- largely responsible for keeping New York competitive in almost every game this year -- deserved some recognition.

OTG, meet Rick Adelman

Although the Dallas Mavericks have the best record in the NBA and, as a result, Don Nelson would coach the All-Star team; he coached the team last year, and as such, cannot coach the team this year. So Rick Adelman will coach the West.
--Rob Johnson, Dallas, Texas

Hey get it right, Rick Adelman is coaching the West.
--Matt, Sacramento

Yeah, I was wrong. I'll have to chalk it up to deadline brainlock.

Deserve's got nothing to do with it

I agree that Elton Brand should be an All-Star, but certainly not at the expense of the Matrix, who is having an awesome year. No one does more than Marion fantasy-wise (rated No. 1 by a number of competitors). He scores the points (20+), pulls down the boards (10), blocks shots, shoots threes, and makes his free throws. All that without turning the ball much. What more could any fantasy owner want?
--Tom Hines, Phoenix

Nothing. We only mentioned that one could make a case for Brand making the team ahead of Marion. Both deserve a spot, Peja Stojakovic does not. Though limited by injury, Peja was having a very middling season (scoring in the mid-to-low teens) until the first week of January. The reasons Sacramento lead the Pacific are Chris Webber and Bobby Jackson. While Jackson's injury took him out of contention early, Webber's injured ankle took him out of the game late. Adelman seemed to feel that a King should fill Webber's spot. He was wrong. It should have been filled by a player whose performance over the first half deserved to be recognized. Stojakovic's didn't. While Brand, Matt Harpring or Karl Malone may not have won Adelman any cheers from the Sacramento fans, they would have garnered a lot more respect for his hoops acumen.

The storm over Ron Artest builds?

Interesting that OTG mentions Ricky Davis as a possible All-Star despite his lack of "D" because who plays "D" in All-Star games, but think that Ron Artest should make it because of his "D." A bit contradictory don't you think?
--F.R., Athens, Tenn.

Not entirely. While it is true that the next defensive stand made in an All-Star game will be the first defensive stand made in an All-Star game, Artest's defensive impact on opponents has been so profound this year we thought he deserved a little credit. He is capable of literally shutting down opposing players, something fantasy owners might want to consider in making out their lineups. His play is a major reason why Isiah Thomas will be coaching in the All-Star game. With all of the other offensive stars, OTG wanted to throw a little love toward a player who has stopped many of those stars in their tracks.

I'll be staying under an assumed name next time I'm in Beantown

This is more of a statement than a question. How can you say that MJ's numbers don't warrant an All-Star spot but those of Ron Artest, who proves every day what kind of jerk he is, do? True, Artest's effect on a game, especially on defense, goes beyond numbers but so does Michael's leadership and class.
--Musa Zaghloul, Amman, Jordan

Why should Ron Artest be selected as a reserve when his conduct on the court isn't exactly All-Star worthy?
--Fatima Jones, Los Angeles

What does it matter if Antoine Walker's numbers are down from last year. He still averages more than 21 points, almost eight rebounds and four-plus assists a game when he is playing Paul Pierce's personal ball chaser? His numbers are better than Ron Artest's in every aspect. For you to say Walker doesn't deserve it over someone else because his numbers aren't as high as last year is stupid and ridiculous, especially considering his numbers are better in ever category of the guy you want on the team? You are an idiot.
--Katie, Boston

Why would you print such biased garbage about Antoine Walker not being deserving of the All-Star team? Are you intellectually impotent, blind or just have #%&! for brains. The stupidity of your statement is beyond reproach, I feel dumber for reading it. You deserve to rot in hell.
--Brian, Boston

This is more of a comment. I beg to differ on your assessment of Antoine Walker not being a better selection for the All-Star team than Ron Artest. Not only are his numbers better than Artest's but he is more important to his team, a better league citizen, and the Celtics won in the first meeting of the season between the two teams. I would have loved to see them match up against one another when they played last Saturday but unfortunately Artest will be serving a suspension for his altercation with Pat Riley. Artest is a great defender, though.
--Arthur, Muskegon Heights, Mich.

Walker's numbers are solid but his less-than sharp marksmanship (39 percent this year) is a fantasy-category killer every season -- and every fantasy player out there knows this. Seriously, is there a fantasy draft whereupon after Walker's name is called that the owner calling it doesn't declare he's mailing in the field-goal percentage category? That doesn't mean Walker isn't a very good player but we'd be willing to wager the Celtics might have a few more wins if Walker didn't put up so many 5-for-21 nights.

As we noted above, Artest is having a special year; give him some credit while he is earning it. And as far as league citizenship, the All-Star tilt is supposed to reward excellence on the court. Artest may be a bit aggressive but he hasn't committed any crimes we know of. And if you're going to put players such as Jason Kidd (an admitted domestic abuser) and Michael Jordan (an admitted adulterer) on the floor, Artest's transgressions aren't any worse.

Never mess with the religion of Jordan

Why do you guys make such a big deal out of nothing? Does team worth mean anything these days? Were would Washington be without Jordan?
--Antwain Brown, Altus, Okla.

Get over yourself. MJ belongs in the All-Star Game. Michael Jordan is the reason the Wizards are in contention for a playoff spot. How many games back are the Cavs and Ricky Davis? They have the worst record in the NBA, and you think Ricky Davis belongs in the All-Star Game ahead of Michael? And Jerry Stackhouse may be a great player, but it's MJ that leads the team.
--Joe Marcus, Indianapolis

Let's be fair now, OTG. MJ deserves to be at least a reserve. I think you, like many others, are comparing MJ to the old MJ, which isn't fair Today's MJ is still a better player than most in the league, which warrants him being an All-Star.
--Samson, Louisville

Without question, Jordan has more intrinsic value to his team -- to any team -- than any player in the league. The air of confidence, the six rings, the highlight-reel memories, the fading posters in current NBAers' family homes all give him and his team an immense advantage on the court. When Tracy McGrady seemingly is more excited about getting a pair of Air Jordans than about beating the Wizards, it is obvious that Jordan's persona is a defense in itself against opponents. Place him on the current Pacers and they are a shoo-in for the trophy. But statistically -- and that's all that ultimately counts in fantasy Hoops -- OTG would take others to Atlanta. The game, despite Rick Adelman's best efforts, isn't about team performance (otherwise Portland would have been represented). The game, in theory, is for the league's best performers over the season's first half. And statistically, Davis and Stack have been better. More points, assists and free throws in both cases in both cases. Davis nabs a few more steals than MJ and is less than a rebound per game behind Jordan (Stack is less than a rebound-and-half).

Jordan may turn the ball over a lot less, but it's tough to make a case that turnovers play much of a role in a player's worth. Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce and Jason Kidd are all among the top five in the league in turnovers (and all higher than Davis). The simple fact is the more you have the ball in your hands, the more you will turn it over. That's why the turnovers stat is often not considered in many fantasy leagues or calculated as a smaller percentage than other categories for the overall total.

Are we excited at the prospect of Jordan in the All-Star Game? Sure, what fan wouldn't be? But he should have made it as a league exception. His stats didn't merit an appearance over a few other individual players who are performing at a higher level.

I see where you say that MJ doesn't deserve to be on the East squad, and based on the numbers, I couldn't disagree too vehemently. But then you go on to say, "Heck, the fans didn't even want him there." I'm sorry, Jordan was the fourth or fifth leading vote-getter in the East overall, third among guards. The fact that he wasn't among the top two guards voted in the East doesn't say anything about whether the fans 'want him there.' Don't you think you ought to rethink that statement?
--Jack Bartram, Odenton, Md.

I stand by the statement; if the fans really wanted him there, he'd have been voted in as one of the starters. This isn't to say that none of the fans wanted him there, but it is to say that the majority of fans voting didn't want to see him over Vince Carter and Jermaine O'Neal. So, much as Obi-wan Kenobi told Luke when trying to explain that Luke's father was dead "from a certain point of view," OTG feels that Jordan not making the starting lineup in Atlanta means the fans didn't want him "from a certain point of view," that of the majority of fans.

It's all about Jerray

Just as this reader thought he couldn't find anything more to gripe about ... Have you lost your mind? Trade Shaq for Brand and Artest? No hesitation! You wrote Brand's improved BPG "would help offset" the Daddy's BPG. Is 2.6 to 2.1 an offset or is it 25 percent more? Brand's 11.6 rpg offsets Shaq's 10.6 rpg as well. O'Neal dominates in ppg and field-goal percentage, but Brand is better in spg and free-throw percentage. Brand is probably 95 percent the fantasy player O'Neal is. Throw in Artest, who's a top-25 player in his own right and you'd have to be Ted Stepien to offer it in the first place.
--Jerray Wei, Singapore

Stepien is a name I haven't heard since ... Thanks for the stroll down Cleveland Cavaliers memory lane. I think if you look back at the column OTG wrote in favor of trading the Daddy for Brand and Artest. I'm glad we've come to an agreement on something and that, unlike Mr. Stepien, I won't have to part with any first-round draft choices.

OTG, your statistical analysis of Stackhouse and MJ was terrible. Free throws made and 3-pointers made are important to fantasy players, but don't matter too much on the All-Star ballot; otherwise, we'd be watching Pat Garrity. You also failed to mention that MJ has a higher field-goal percentage, 1.6 more rpg, double the steals, and fewer turnovers.
--Jerray Wei, Singapore

As this is a column about fantasy hoops, my arguments were based on fantasy performance, which means that Stackhouse's free throws, 3-pointers, assists and scoring and make him a bit more valuable in our opinion.

I already commented about you mentioning only one side of Stackhouse vs. MJ debate according to the stats I looked again and you did the same thing with Ricky Davis. Jordan is ahead in rpg, field-goal percentage, free-throw percentage, bpg, and huge in tpg. Both Davis and Stackhouse may be more deserving of All-Star recognition, but this reader would prefer that you present both sides of the story.
--Jerray Wei, Singapore

True enough but some stats just aren't as important or present such a small statistical difference as to not be worth noting, much as Jordan's additional .8 rebounds a game versus Davis' extra .13 of a steal per night.

And finally ...

Believe it or not, I've got a stalemate at center. I'm wondering if I'd be better off dropping either Nene Hilario or Michael Olowokandi and picking up Carlos Boozer for the rest of the way.
--Daniel, Austin

As much as we like the potential of Carlos Boozer to become a solid low-post performer in the league, we couldn't make move either Hilario or Olowokandi and sleep well at night. The Kandi Man is tempting to move with him out of the lineup for the next month but when he returns he'll be playing for a contract, which isn't good for the Clippers but will be good for his fantasy owners. We'd expect he'll post numbers similar to the 12.3 ppg, 9.1 rpg and 2.19 bpg he was producing before his injury. If you don't have anyone to fill-in during Olowokandi's absence, though, Boozer's numbers could be a nice bandage.

That leaves Nene for Boozer. While the numbers are very similar (9.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg, .77 bpg, 49.9 percent from the floor for Hilario; 8.6 ppg, 6.3 rpg, .56 bpg, 54.1 percent from the floor for Boozer), Hilario has really blossomed of late and there seems to be a bit more sense of order in Denver. That may change with Keith Smart running the show now in Cleveland but with Boozer having to fight with Z, Ricky Davis, Darius Miles and Dajuan Wagner for the ball, we'd stick with Nene.

Should I trade Tracy McGrady for Chris Webber and Mike Bibby? Free-throw percentage doesn't count in my league so that makes the deal a bit more enticing.
--Howie Eugenio, Winnipeg

I think anytime you can get swap a potential MVP for another potential MVP and one of the better point guards in the game, you'd be crazy not to do it. For all of the assists Bibby won't get you, Webber will. Webber will miss his share of games here and there, as evidenced via his current sprained ankle, but he is a multiple-category stud. Bibby has shown an eye for the three-pointer this season (making up for McGrady's long-range shooting) and has shown a better scoring touch, although that may suffer a bit with the return of Bobby Jackson after the break.

 

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