Legacy picks and what the NBA all-star game really means
Draymond Green, the multi-dimensional forward of the NBA-leading Golden State Warriors, is averaging nearly 15 points per game, as well as 9.5 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks.
He leads the team in both rebounds and assists this season while also making over 40 percent of his 3-point shots. That versatility has allowed him to lead the league in triple-doubles with eight, including three in a row in the beginning of January. His impact extends far beyond the box score, though.
Defensively, Green is a terror, strong enough to guard players like Zach Randolph and LaMarcus Aldridge in the post yet nimble enough to switch onto guards like Tony Parker and Kyrie Irving. He has almost single-handedly created the concept of a “playmaking-four” and it is his capability to receive the ball on a pick and roll and make the correct decision that has made the Warriors’ offense so lethal.
Reigning MVP Stephen Curry bends the defense, but Green shatters it. In a very real sense, Green’s playmaking is changing the way basketball is played. And yet – despite being one of the best players in the league so far– Green will not be starting in the NBA all-star game next month.
A lot of the finger-pointing has been aimed at Kobe Bryant, who was the leading vote-getter and will start for the Western Conference, but has had a negative player efficiency in what clearly has been the worst season of his career. Unless we want to highlight a player’s ability to dribble the ball for 15 seconds before jacking up a contested shot that doesn’t touch the rim, there’s no reason Bryant should be participating in a game in 2016 that showcases the league’s best players. Bryant’s inclusion is the definition of a “legacy pick.”
My dilemma with the NBA all-star game, though, isn’t legacy picks, nor our perception of what makes a player an all-star. How do you decide between a hyper-productive role player or a lead dog who has to carry the burden for his team every night but is less efficient? Even fan-voting, Zaza Pachulia, a career-backup, nearly made it into the starting lineup primarily because of the Twitter support of Vine star Hayes Grier, which is probably the most Millennial sentence ever typed.
The problem is with our definition of the all-star game itself. It is a meaningless exhibition, so we allow fan voting and legacy picks, yet we treat it as much more, handing out contract bonuses or determining Hall of Fame worthiness based on appearances in the game.
This incongruity doesn’t extend to the rest of all-star Weekend, though. We all know Mason Plumlee isn’t one of the four best dunkers in the league, but nobody had a problem with his participation in the dunk contest last year.
It’s supposed to be a fun weekend that reminds the sports world to watch the NBA now that football season has ended. The Rising Stars challenge highlights some of the exciting young players in the league and even shines a spotlight on foreign players. The 3-point contest allows players to feel what it’s like to be Steph Curry every night. Those Saturday-night activities are a fun celebration of basketball that build toward the all-star game. Unfortunately, the climax of the weekend always leaves us a little bit confused.
As I mentioned, we discuss the game like it has value beyond entertainment, but treat it like it’s meaningless. So, let’s clarify. Like the NFL’s Pro Bowl this weekend, the all-star game next month is simply an exhibition. Nothing more, nothing less. There’s no need to attach any extra meaning to it in an effort to artificially create competition — looking at you, MLB.
If the fans want to watch Bryant in one more all-star game, then he should play. If teenage-retweeters put Zaza in the game, so much the better. I want to see one-man fast breaks by Russell Westbrook, alley-oop dunks by LeBron James and half-court shots by Steph Curry. Let’s put aside the inane conversations, remember the game for what it is and spend a weekend celebrating the NBA.
— thomas.sorenson@aggiemail.usu.edu
Twitter: @tomcat340