Who I Voted For, and I Don't Mean Paul Martin...

The final push of the election which began in November took place over the weekend; the principle candidates trying hard to upstage their opposition, making decisive arguments and scorching rebuttals. While the advance polls seemed conclusive, there could be no doubt that last minute ballot stuffing would swing the election and send some “worthy” candidates to… Houston. That’s right, forget about Martin, Harper, and Layton, I mean how could I be expected to give them any real thought when the real election of the weekend was voting for the NBA allstar game, which came to a frantic conclusion Sunday night. And while Achanceyougottatake Sports is largely indifferent to All Star games (what can I say, No “D,” no interest), it does offer a splendid opportunity to acknowledge this year’s top first half performers. So, just so you know how things should have gone down, here’s how Achanceyougottatake Sports punched out his starter ballot on Sunday (note, players are listed with their points, rebounds, and assists per game, as well as Player Efficiency Rating, as determined by stat wiz John Hollinger).

Eastern Conference:

Guard - I always prefer to select a point guard and a shooting guard as my two starting guards, as opposed to just penciling in the two “best” (or highest scoring) guards. Jason Kidd is having a resurgent year in New Jersey, TJ Ford has been instrumental in leading Milwaukee back from the dead, and Stephon Marbury is uhmm, well, Stephon Marbury, but this is really a two man race. Allen Iverson had what many thought to be his best season last year, and for an encore all he’s doing is beating it, he has he NBA’s 6th best PER (26.98) and he’s behind only Kobe Bryant in scoring (33.5). Yet, while I love Iverson’s toughness and tenacity, I cannot help but wonder whether his ball dominance is really the best thing for a team with so many youngsters (not to mention a smooth passing power forward). Conversely, Chauncey Billups is the unquestioned leader of a team which is 33-5 and his total package of abilities really makes him an easy choice over AI. Simply put, there’s no doubt in my mind that Philly would be a better team with Billups in Iverson’s place, while Detroit would be a worse with the reverse.
Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons – (18.8.3.1, 8.6, 24.21)

Guard – Vince Carter is showing all those Toronto fans that he’s a dick, he’s also showing them that he still has his full assortment of scoring abilities; Richard Hamilton is Detroit’s leading scorer, and Gilbert Arenas is lighting it up in Washington, none is even close to Miami’s Dwayne Wade, who is playing better than most people realize. Sustaining the Heat through Shaq’s injury, Stan Van Gundy’s resignation, and the incorporation of this summer’s myriad acquisitions.
Dwayne Wade, Miami Heat – (26.8, 6.2, 7.0, 27.76)

Forward – Do I really need to explain the King?
LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers – (31.0, 6.7, 6.2, 28.62)

Forward – It looks as though the fans will select Jermaine O’Neal for this spot, which isn’t a bad choice, but I think that Toronto’s Chris Bosh is having a slightly superior season. Their core numbers are remarkably close Bosh leading 22.5 to 21.3 in points, 2.5 to 2.3 in assists, while O’Neal leads 9.6 to 9.2 in rebounds, but scratching the surface a little you discover that Bosh shoots better (.506 to .464), he gets to the line more (282 to 253), where he converts at a much higher rate (.817 to .694). Further, O’Neal isn’t to blame for the Pacers ship wreck of a season, but their struggles reflect more than just the exile of Artest. Rumor has it that the Pacers discreetly offered O’Neal to the Raptors for Bosh in the offseason, which shows that they, like Achanceyougottatake Sports, favor the Raptor’s young warrior, if only slightly.
Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors – (22.5, 9.2, 2.5, 23.39)

Center – Even in a year in which the NBA’s larger than life super hero has shown a noticeable loss of quickness and missed 18 games, he remains the best of a weak center crop. Only Detroit’s Ben Wallace can reasonably be mentioned as an alternative, but given that he has no semblance of an offensive game, I have trouble selecting him.
Shaquille O’Neal, Miami Heat – (18.8, 9.2, 1.3, 23.49)

Western Conference:

Guard – Hands up those of you who thought that Nash had any shot at capturing a 2nd MVP trophy? Ok, hands up all those that thought the Suns would be on a 54 win pace without Amare Stoudemire? The MVP has kept his game at a high level and walks away with this spot.
Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns – (19.0, 4.4, 11.5, 21.81)

Guard – No matter what you think about the NBA’s leading scorer (selfish, team wrecking chucker, or unparalleled scorer), there’s no denying that without him the Lakers would struggle to beat a drum with two wooden sticks. His 81 point showing (see below) might have come too late for prospective voters, but it shows what an awesome force he can be.
Kobe Bryant , Los Angeles Lakers – (35.9, 5.6, 4.3, 28.99)

Forward – I normally prefer to select a true small forward and power forward, but the Western Conference has so many dominant big men (Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Elton Brand, Pau Gasol, Andrei Kirilenko, and Shawn Marion that I just cannot take a small (where given Tracy McGrady’s defunct back, only Carmelo Anthony’s a viable option). Dirk is an easy choice, he’s having his best season, has Dallas poised to win the Western Conference should San Antonio slip, and is 4th in the NBA in PER (27.66).
Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks – (26.1, 8.5, 2.6, 27.39)

Forward – Elton Brand narrowly beats out the rest of the pack and --- not that such things should matter --- nobody deserve it more. Brand has been a warrior for so many losing teams, it’s kind of hard to remember that he’s a great player. But he is, despite measuring only 6’8, he uses his strong legs and long arms to over power and outwork opposing players down low, and it’s finally paying off for the Clippers, who currently sit 6th in the conference.
Elton Brand, Los Angeles Clippers – (24.6, 10.8, 2.5, 27.03)

Center – It’s almost a joke. The choice is between a worthy pair of players who’ve only played in half their team’s games (Yao Ming and Marcus Camby), two barely borderline candidates (Mehmet Okur and Brad Miller), and a host of tall stiffs (Chris Kaman, Erik Dampier, Chris Mihm, Lorenzen Wright, Michael Olokwandi). Given his role in Utah’s recent run I’m inclined to select Okur, but his increased production came with a move to the four, plus he’s yet to find a dictionary and look up the meaning of the word defense, so… I’m taking Camby, who at least played like an all star at center for 25 games, before he got a sliver in his pinkie while eating a popsicle.
Marcus Camby, Denver Nuggets – (16.3, 12.9, 1.4, 23.17)

100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall…

Kobe Bryant used the Toronto Raptors like a tissue. He just kept spewing forth and they kept absorbing it all. His stat line looks like it’s from a video game (28 of 46, including 7 of 13 from 3, 18 of 20 from the line) and his total makes him the only player besides Wilt Chamberlain to top 80. Of course Wilt topped 100, which looks a little better. Yet, given that he poured in 81 as a guard, shooting a better percentage than Wilt, and against modern scouting and defenses (the Raptors have a modern defense?), some are calling it the greatest individual performance ever. Personally, I think that they might have a point, but that’s all rhetoric, because numbers are what ultimately matter and the numbers will continue to show 100 as the high water mark in single game scoring. Nevertheless, Bryant’s performance seems to have injected a shot of life into what has otherwise been a fairly listless season.

Trying to trade Faust…

I thought it was finally over, the never ending Artest saga seemed to have come full circle when the Kings accepted the NBA outcast for Peja Stojakovic. I was all set to write about how after almost two months of intrigue Artest ended up being exchanged for the player everyone first expected… And then, just like that, Artest sabotaged the deal by telling Kings’ and Pacers’ executives that he wouldn’t play in Sacramento. Sigh… Just like that Walsh and Bird’s patience, which seemingly had paid off, has been flushed down the proverbial $%&*er. Team’s angst about Artest will again be heightened and what offers the Pacers do get will again be lowball ones. At this point, the Pacers may well end up sitting on Artest until June and making a decision this summer, but they should put a call in to the Lakers, where Bryant has made Lamar Odom almost entirely useless. A deal of Artest, Austin Croshere, and Anthony Johnson for Odom and Devean George works under the salary cap and fills needs for each team. I’m dubious about how the NBA’s two worst teammates would coexist, but hey, maybe two wrongs actually do make a right.