All Star Thoughts, From an All Star Blog

(Picture from http://www.thetruthsports.com/)

All Star Weekend is now in the books, and it was a mixture of pure athletic prowess and excruciating boredom and as always I have some thoughts (go figure).


Thought #1: Make the Skills Competition a little bit harder.
I very much fancy this challenge. I love watching point guards carry the ball around plastic statues of Jerry West. I admire Steve Nash and the Canadian breeze he created all weekend, especially when he won this particular contest (it just might be the only trophy Canada holds up in the next three weeks, HEYOH). But I just feel as though it needs to be a little more "challenging". For instance, I would enjoy watching these point guards throw a behind the back pass, on the run, into one of those circular targets. I would love watching these guys have to do some sort of ankle breaking, And 1 Mixtape Tour dribbling move, that will be judged and added to the final score. It would be pretty amazing (and the NBA IS where amazing happens) if they put two giant plastic Jerry West statues in the paint, and the point guards had to throw up a running floater over them. How wouldn't these little add on's not spark more interest and talk during this event?

Thought #2: Gerald Wallace should never be allowed into another All Star weekend, even if he suddenly becomes the most exciting player in the NBA (which is a long shot). His dunks were so ugly and half assed it made me sick. Spike Lee’s face in this video says it all. Then in the actual All Star Game, he finally gets a little tic and launches up an ugly air ball the first time he touched the ball. So UGLY.

But lets go back to the dunk contest. After his first attempt I had two thoughts; 1. That was so digraceful that maybe LeBron, Wade, and Dwight realize they should be the three to revive an almost dead tradition, and 2. The NBA should have a Slam Dunk Contest with fans. They could lower the rim and even offer a trampoline for the less aerodynamic. Or they could make it a team event, one NBA superstar and one average Joe that has been practicing under the leg dunks on his eight foot rim for years. They just need to do something to make this exciting again, by either paying the “Super Stars” big money, or coming up with a different niche.

Thought #3: Nate Robinson should have never won the Slam Dunk Contest, EVER. 51%? How did Spike Lee vote that many times?

Thought #4: Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett continue to find new ways to drive me crazy. First off, Paul Pierce, how in Gods name could you honestly say you are “one of the best shooters in NBA history”? Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller, your teammate Ray Allen, Steve Kerr (if we are talking strictly three pointers), Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, Jeff Hornacek, Jerry West, Brent Barry, Pete Maravich, and Mark Price are light years better than you, and that’s only naming a few.

And Kevin Garnett, you are playing on half a knee, yet you seem to have no problem jumping up and down cheerleading and throwing imaginary dice. Sit your ass down and heal, because your Celtics suck right now and it is your fault.

Thought #5: Charles Barkley should be able to color commentate all NBA playoff and NBA Finals games. Period. Oh and he should put out a rap album! The first single, “There’s Tons and Tons of Jelly in Big Chuck’s Belly”.

Thought #6: Derrick Rose impressed a lot of guys with his work ethic and personality and after watching him, Wade, Bosh and Joe Johnson play a little together, I can’t help but think one, if not two of those guys will be coming to Chicago to be a part of this young man’s growth and youth as an All Star point guard. With the rumors flying around the Bulls organization about possible deals for expiring contracts, this fantasy will be a reality soon enough. I mean why wouldn’t you want to play with one of the best point guards in the league, one of the best young rebounders and hustle guys (Noah), and a healthy Luol Deng? Hopefully Rose was pitching that very game all weekend.

Thought #7: LeBron James is the best player in the league (which is really hard for me to say). I was going to do a post last week explaining the reasons why, but it is so self explanatory, that nobody needs to say a word. Happy early Birthday Jonah. Kobe is sitting at a close number two, but Dwayne Wade is knocking on the door. If Lebron and Wade match-up some how next year, nobody will ever stop them, EVER. David Stern should have taken the Slam Dunk trophy away from Nate Robinson and given it to one of these guys after the game, because some of the things they did were absolutely electrifying.

Thought #8: Last but not least, I think that Kevin Durant and LeBron James could be the next Magic and Bird. They just might create a rivalry that will make people stop what they are doing to make sure they are “Witnesses”. These two are pure geniuses on the court. They offer everything any NBA fan wants, and I hope that one day Durant v. LeBron is what my kids will be talking about.