2005 NBA All Star
Thursday, November, 2004

CardNexus

2005 NBA All-Star online ballot is available. You can vote online by following this link. Here's my recommended starters for both conferences:

Western Conference:

Guards
Kobe: He's still the best one-on-one player on the earth.
TMac: Personally, I would pick Emanuel Ginobili over TMac. Ginobili is a true basketball genius. Watching him play is perhaps the most exciting experience in all aspects. However, regardless what I say, TMac'll be starting guard for the west since general fans don't really see into things but focus on dunk and score. What seperates TMac from Kobe is not only the creativity, which makes Dr. J and Michael Stood out, but also the defense aspect. If TMac can't score gracefully like Kobe and can't do all around performance like Ginobili. It's hard to convince me his a superstar level.

Forwards:
Tim Duncan: He's not fancy but he's the best PF in the world.
Dirk Nowitzki: I always choose Dirk over KG. Simply because Dirk can hit big shot and KG can't. It's hard to double-team a penetrator or outside shooter but it'll be easier to double-team a low-post player. That'll be a huge difference when down to stretch.

Center:
Yao Ming: Doesn't matter my opinion is, he'll be the starting center for west. He's backup by trillion gazillion Chinese. By the way, he did earn his credits.
 

Eastern Conference:

Guards:
Iverson: Who else?
D.Wade: Before TMac - Francis swap, it was easy decision for eastern guards. I3 and TMac. Look around eastern guards now, Francis is really not reached an All-Start level yet, Kidd is at home playing Y2K and it'll be very difficult to find other names jump out from lack-of-talent eastern conference. But don't forget Duwane Wade. He's phenomenal this season. He performed like an under-sized MJ for the first few games. With his unselfish and team-wining attitude, I choose him over Stevey Franchise.

Forward:
J. O'neal &
R.Artest
This is the hardest part. Four names came out of my mind first. J. O'neal, V. Carter, R. Wallace and R. Artest. But none of them can make All-Start if moved them to West. I'm not interesting to pick none all stars to against all stars but I'm also interesting seeing G. Hill after missing 700 games and becomes an all start again. So I'll pick J. O'neal and Artest even if V.C. will replace him whatsoever.

Center:
Shaq
Big Daddy finally earns his starter position back after shifting to East. Well, give it to him. At least let East has a true starting center to complete with.

Re: Joshua 11/19/04

I agree with you for the most part except I do think K.G should be put ahead of Dirk. I think at this point K.G has developed into an all around player who can score (both inside and outside), pass, rebound, and play excellent defence. Whether he will be a big time player or not still remains to be seen. But Dirk is not at that level either~~~

There is a trade rumor that V. Carter is going to Portland (or Memphis). So I guess he will not be in the mix of all the forwards madness in the eastern conference. Both J. O'neal and R. Artest have played great basketballs so far. I am not suprised if both of them will be the starters for the all star game.

Re: CardNexus 11/20/04

I'd rather be a perfect shooter than an all around player. Until last season, all Nowistzki and KG match-ups were nothing but disaster. Some people just couldn't figure out why but, quote Bill Walton, "It's simple because there's no way to stop a man who can shoot like that". That's the reason LB was unstoppable played with limitation and that's the same reason Stojakovic so hard to shut down. KG is for sure an All-Star. But until he learns how to nail down big shots, which personally I believe it's a gift and can't be learned. He is merely another Shaq. Well, maybe less than that since Bid Daddy has 3 rings already.

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