Fri 21 Dec 2007
YOU HAVE THE POWER, USE IT!
Posted by Jeff Sack under Main
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As?Senior Managing Editor of Slam Dunk Central one of the duties I have is also something I enjoy doing! That is looking at the comments that you submit to the articles that we write here at SDC. To just give you a brief synopsis of how our system works here; if you submit a comment to one of my articles, I get a copy to my E-Mail address. If It is to an article that either Stephen Rhodes, or Gregory Dix wrote, I can access the comments on the site. Although?our I.T. Department (the real heroes, who do most of the work, and get no recognition!) does a great job screening the comments before they are posted, I am just curious to see what is going on in your mind. How do you react to our pieces? Do You like them? Or do you vehemently disagree? (?We don’t tend to get a lot of those, hopefully that means?our audience is simpatico with our viewpoints!)
One article that has received a lot of comments, is one that Stephen Rhodes wrote back on December 13, a tally of the first vote from the NBA All-Star voting. There are a lot of?frustrated and angry fans out there! One guy is all?ticked off about Dallas fans stuffing the ballot box, another is amazed that Jason Kidd has more votes than Jamal Tinsley. You have to realize, NBA All-Star voting,?just like?MLB All-Star voting is a popularity contest. It’s?”American Idol” without the phone bill! If you go to a NBA Arena, there are ballot boxes, and entry forms galore, all throughout the concourse. You can take and fill out as many as you want.
However, if you are not near, or just don’t want to pay the price of admission to go to a NBA Arena, you have an alternative! You can do, what I?just did a few minutes ago. Go to http://www.nba.com and you can register your vote! You can vote once every 24 hours, and it costs you NOTHING!?Here is How I voted:
Western Forwards:
Carlos Boozer, Utah: He is having an incredible season, he is healthy, and back to doing what he did in his days in Cleveland.
Grant Hill, Phoenix: The “Comeback Tour” has been a rousing success, Hill is playing like the pre-injury Grant Hill only smarter.
Western Guards:
Manu Ginobili, San Antonio: The best sixth man in this observers opinion, his value to the Spurs can not be over estimated
Steve Nash, Phoenix: As much as I admire Chris Paul, Nash still is Number One in the West.?
Western Center:
Yao Ming, Houston: Amare Stoudemire, was a very close second, but Yao and McGrady have kept hope alive in Houston.??
Eastern Forwards:
Kevin Garnett, Boston: Do I even have to explain? He Allen, and mainstay Pierce have taken a moribund franchise back to being “The Dominant Team In The NBA” for the first quarter of the season.
LeBron James, Cleveland: At least Yao has Tracy. He is the only reason Cleveland might make the playoffs, so far this season. Drew Gooden, has been hot and cold, Larry Hughes has been injured, and the team does not have a point guard. LBJ still makes the Cavaliers a dangerous team.
Eastern Guards:
Ray Allen, Boston: See above description on Garnett.
Jason Kidd, New Jersey: As I said in my game story on Thursday, Kidd is still the Platinum Standard for point guards, in the NBA. If I am a NBA General Manager, and I need a point guard to win the 2008 NBA Finals, MY list would be 1) Jason Kidd 2) Steve Nash 3) Chauncey Billups 4) Tony Parker.
Eastern Center:
Dwight Howard, Orlando: In an age where the “Dominant Big Man” is becoming an extinct species, Howard is a throwback. No one?else is even close!??
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So what are you waiting for? Get active, don’t be passive. You have the power, now go out and use it!
? Copyright 2007 thesackattack.com
January 1st, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Chris Paul is having a better 1st half of a season then Nash as of right now, look @ the Hornets record, it’s amazing what he and this VERY young team are doing in the Big Easy - New Orleans… They are force to be reckoned with, esp. at Home.
For Paul’s case by himself, the Hornets rely big-time on not just his floor leadership in the running the O @ the 1-guard spot, but also his scoring, defense (steals), and his intensity. The Suns don’t need all that outta Nash on a nightly basis, game in and game out to win, N.O. needs that outta Paul to win and he has made David West look like an All-Star PF and Paul has also helped steer/turn around Chandler’s career, a kid who has no offense game besides alley-oop dunks and putbacks off the glass. PAUL Deserves to START This Year! He is the NEXT Isaiah according to some pundits. Paul can do it all and I liken him over Nash, Parker, and D.Williams this year to star in the All-Star ~ PLUS ITS A HOMETOWN PICK! He has to START - it’s in New Orleans and Nash should give him the starting PG position in the game if is not handed it by the fans. I’m very serious about this and I love Paul’s game and have been 1 of his biggest fans since his days at Wake Forest for the Deacs under the late, great Coach Skip Prosser. Picked them to go all the way in ‘05, though they choked for me against WVU in the Convocation Center (CSU), I don’t hold it against Paul and I hope this kid can pan out and be a Perennial Star in this League, the Association is in NEED of PG’s that can Run the SHOW, keep more of ‘em Coming! Now all we need is Centers… Where’s the Comp. for my MAIN Big DWIGHT HOWARD ~ Whole ‘nother story, for a different time…
Russ
January 1st, 2008 at 8:37 pm
I like all of your picks Sack ~ Just think PAUL should START because it’s his year, Nash has had his time in the spotlight 2 shine, PAUL is WORTHY & It would be FITTING IN New Orleans…
Grant HILL Pick is a good one!
How about Caron Butler over Ray Allen, also don’t overlook, sleep on, or forget about D.Wade! (reserve…) Mike Redd would be a good argument also… Rip Hamilton would be another 1 to consider ~ just so MANY!
January 1st, 2008 at 10:16 pm
Kaman is having a year to remember for a lowly Clippers squad… I think the former Central Michigan Chippewa is going to be that classic throwback type of Center that is good for the NBA and the Center you want for your team because he’s so tough & strong down low, and he will be a mainstay for years to come as a good 18-12-3 type of guy… With all the big men going high and ending up as busts more than not so often (ex. Aruajo, any Seattle Center, Bogut, Mihm, Diop ect). So many big men nowadays don’t work on their low-postgame and their moves to be productive in the off-season, it seems like there are no patient and offensively skilled and minded Centers that can do what a Hakeem could do or at least a little bit of what the DREAM did. All these big guys can do now (for the most part) is throw down some dunks, block a couple shots, and maybe make a 15-footer once in awhile, you cannot find anymore of those bruisers that have the low post moves along with the toughness in their game, no complete Centers. I like some of the Freshmen in College Hoops this year that are being touted as the “next big things” that will come out and become great players, and I think they are going to be good for the game next year and I think some of those big guys are the “new wave” and new flavor @ PF and C as Garnett types and Amare Stoudamire type players and I like it in a way or sense… 6′10” 240 centers that are mobile and can play those high post spots, drive, pass, and shoot… no more “towers” at Center anymore now. It’s a NEW game and is it better?…
I say Kaman over Yao, Mr. Fundamental and 1 of the MOST COMPLETE, Balanced, and Versatile SF’s in the Game Brandon ROY, as Roy is an exciting player to watch and is doing sort of what a Paul is doing in NO, as he is leading a team that has been usually so bad in the past, to now help lead ‘em and lift ‘em up to the top and make them a respectable team, Roy can do it all and love his game and agressiveness, so if there was anyone over Grant Hill - if there was someone that could take his spot (Inspirational and Good Story)I would take Mr. Roy, and how about KOBE over Manu, I STILL think KOBE is the best Guard in the Association no matter what his attitude because of his Killer Instinct… Kobe has helped lead this Laker team to a good record, and Ginobili is a good reserve, though Kobe should still Start…
I wonder who will get that Starting PF spot in the Line-up for the West ~ Duncan or Boozer…?
Russ