The All-Star Game Will Not Be BOOMing... But I LOVE THIS SNUB!

by Atma Brother ONE on Jan 31, 2008 9:49 PM PST in Hype

As I'm sure you've all heard by now the Warriors will be continuing their unfathomable steak of 11 straight NBA All-Star weekends without a player in the Sunday spotlight. [NBA.com: All-Star Index | Reserves]

via: Yahoo! Sports NBA

Before everyone makes the jump can I get a moment of silence for Mr. Latrell Fontaine Sprewell?

Before the annual All-Star outrage boils (actually, I'm pretty sure it already has) I want to congratulate the fans for not voting in Tracy McGrady (I love watching him play, but even he's admitted he doesn't deserve the honors). The coaches also get props for not selecting Tony Parker (even Eva and Tony himself know he's a flopper), Manu Ginobili (wonder if he and his girl know he's a flopper too), Al Jefferson (stellar numbers, but you have wonder how meaningful they really are if he's been one of the worst teams in the league two years running), Tracy McGrady (all name and very little game this year), LaMarcus Aldridge (nice young player, but it's absurd that people were tossing his name around when he's putting up 17 and 7), Craig Smith (just seeing if you're still paying attention), and Deron Williams (not in CP3 and BD's league, but will probably be someday). So before everyone bashes the fans and the coaches for the All-Star roster let's give them their due for being right on the money about those decisions.

But make no mistake Baron Davis deserved to be on the 2007-2008 Western Conference All-Star team. Plain and simple, he was snubbed. Everyone knows it.

It has to be fairly insulting to him, his people, his teammates, the Warriors organization and their fans, and hoops junkies paying the least bit of attention all know that Blazer guard Brandon Roy shouldn't have got in ahead of Boom Dizzle. Don't get it twisted- Roy's a very good player and the Blazers have had a phenomenal season thus far (even if they end up missing the playoffs in the loaded West too), but he's not an elite player and simply isn't in BD's class. He probably never will be either.

Take a look at the numbers:

Baron Davis: 22.3 ppg, 8.1 apg, 4.8 rpg, 2.5 steals, 0.6 blocks

Brandon Roy: 19.3 ppg, 5.6 apg, 4.5 rpg, 0.9 steals, 0.2 blocks

The Warriors (28-19) have a better record than the Blazers (26-19), so the team success argument (which by the way is a curious way to justify an individual honor) really has no merit.

Feel free to quote me on these anytime:

If the Suns swapped Steve Nash with Baron Davis they would win it hands down. You lose some shooting ability, but you gain stellar defense (actually someone who actually plays defense), more athleticism, even more scoring, and loose nothing in terms of passing (BD would average double digit dimes if he had Amare and Marion too) and hoops IQ.
Baron Davis is not only having a better season thus far than Brandon Roy (no question), he's having a better one than Steve Nash (BD's got more points, rebounds, steals, plays with a much lesser talented team and actually plays defense as alluded to above).
An NBA All-Star game with Baron Davis is much more fun to watch for the fans and better for the league ratings than a game with Dirk Nowitzki, Brandon Roy, Carlos Boozer, and David West (great to see West get in by the way- most underrated player in the league). Boom Dizzle's got game, style, flash, charisma, intelligence, and is a quality guy.
Had to sneak this last one in- during last night's incredibly impressive Warrior win over the Hornets, the New Orleans crowd acted like fools by booing Baron Davis. It's funny how they finally show up to a game and decide to make the place slightly louder than a library- and they boo a guy who showed that community so much love. Don't forget Baron pitched in $50,000 for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and helped organize a fundraiser with orange "Call For Help" Bracelets. He rolled the wheel at Wheel of Fortune and donated an additional $22,000 as well. Have some class New Orleans Hornets fans (yes, all two of you!).

It's funny how everyone holds BD fully responsible for all the drama back in 2004-2005 with Byron Scott and the Hornets. People seem to have this revisionist history that everyone's always gotten along with Scott and Baron's just a cancer. I sincerely beg to differ and I'm sure Jason Kidd and the 2003-2004 Nets do too.

But you know what? I LOVE THIS SNUB. It just makes us all that much hungrier. I'm talking about Baron Davis, his teammates, head coach Don Nelson, and the Warriors fans who put the Roaracle in Oracle.

You don't think all of the above are fuming right now? You don't think all of the above are hungrier than ever? You don't think all of the above want nothing more than to run game on the entire league right now?

If there's anyone who thrives in the role of the underdog it's the Warriors and their fans. Just ask the Dallas Mavericks. This is what we're all about around these parts. Shocking the world and being "Unstoppable Baby!"

Look at the key players on this roster:

Baron Davis (C): All Star snub and supposed "cancer"
Stephen Jackson (C): Untradeable and vilified "thug"
Matt Barnes (C): Walk-on and NBA journeyman
Monta Ellis: 2nd round draft pick
Al Harrington: Very little interest on the free agent market 2 summers ago
Chris Webber: Completely written off and labeled a "choke artist"
Kelenna Azubuike: Sambuca?
CJ Watson: Who?

Even Don Nelson is wrongly labeled as just a coach who can't win a championship despite his many innovations and impressive coaching resume. Even the best fans in the NBA are continually degraded as just "thugs from Oaktown supporting thugs".

But that just makes us that much more golden. We turn that disrespect into something unBELIEVABLE. This is in our DNA.

WE BELIEVE the rest of the league will really regret this. WE BELIEVE we're going to love how this plays out.

Ya'll don't want none of this.

1 Dub. 1 Bay. 1 Luv.

Also see: 2008 NBA All-Star Rook-Soph Rosters Announced

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Comments

you forgot

kosta pervovic: the no threater
pietrus: the misunderstood out of bound stepper

in other news the sonics beat the lebron less cavs.. wow! guess they were pooped out from playing the trailblazers.

by saintdee on Jan 31, 2008 9:56 PM PST 0 recs

king james

didnt play

by 8monta on Jan 31, 2008 10:02 PM PST up 0 recs

yes

i did say lebron less

by saintdee on Jan 31, 2008 10:07 PM PST up 0 recs

yeah well,

a lebron less cavs team is almost as bad as the heat with Dwade.

by kinetic on Feb 1, 2008 11:47 AM PST up 0 recs

o yea baby

we may be thugs or w.e you call us but
we thugs that can play ball and do it with style

by 8monta on Jan 31, 2008 10:03 PM PST 0 recs

and to add

we are the most exciting team to watch in the nba
alot of people that arent warrior fans acknowledged that

by 8monta on Jan 31, 2008 10:04 PM PST up 0 recs

David West

is the second most underrated player in the league, after this all star selection it is unquestionable that Kevin Martin is the most underrated player.

by belilaugh on Jan 31, 2008 10:06 PM PST 0 recs

KMart

is Sac-Town's JRich (glimmer of hope) right now, and that dude has got ridiculous game...I think even Monta had trouble defending him. I like Barnett's term, "deceptivley quick."

by RubberDubDubs on Feb 1, 2008 12:45 AM PST up 0 recs

For the record

Not even Blazer fans were tossing around LaMarcus Aldridge's name for the ASG- not sure where you got that one.

Also, I think you should account for pace of play when comparing Roy's stats to Baron's.

No question that Davis is the biggest snub though.

by jksnake99 on Jan 31, 2008 10:07 PM PST 0 recs

Pace of play

I do understand that Baron's numbers are a little inflated because of pace of play, but considering he is the one pushing the ball up the floor, getting steals, keeping the tempo up and basically creating those extra possessions I don't see how you can penalize him.

Having said that I respect Roy's game I think that most years he would be deserving but this year there were just too many guards that were better than him (Baron being one of them).

I honestly believe that he is being rewarded for the media placing too low of expectations on this Blazer team. That incredible winning streak put them on the map in the minds of the voters and I can totally understand them wanting to reward him for pushing his team to this surprising success.

. WERD

by olympicmike on Feb 1, 2008 12:44 AM PST up 0 recs

disrespected

I understand not every deserving player gets into the all-star game. In the past you can when the team didn't get anyone voted into the all star game, you can probably base it off the team's losing record. But come on. The Warriors are now winning, having their best season since '94 and they still can't get any love. Check out the records for the west. Warriors are the only team above .500 without a representative in the All-Star game.

1. Phoenix 33-13: Steve Nash, Stoudemire
2. New Orleans 32-13: Chris Paul, Davis West
3. Dallas 31-13: Dirk Nowitzki
4. Utah 28-18: Carlos Boozer
5. San Antonio 28-16: Tim Duncan
6. LA Lakers: 28-16: Kobe Bryant
7. Denver 27-18: Carmelo Anthony, Allan Iverson
8. Golden State 28-19:
9. Portland 26-19: Brandon Roy
10. Houston 25-20: Yao Ming

I know the All-Star game is basically a glorified pick up game with no real meaning or impact. But it would have been nice if we could have someone rep the team, fans, and the bay area in the main game after all these years. Theres no other way to put it. It was an insult by the western conference coaches by not voting in Baron.

by nautica on Jan 31, 2008 10:14 PM PST 0 recs

Agreed

I also wonder how much the coaches used the All Star Game site being in New Orleans against Baron.
The NBA brass wouldn't want to see booing happening (which Baron would get) at their major media event -- the All Star game.

by soem on Jan 31, 2008 11:16 PM PST up 0 recs

good post

good comparison - illuminating discrepancy

by hardcore on Feb 1, 2008 2:17 PM PST up 0 recs

Also as a comparison...

PER
Baron: 21.57
Roy: 19.91

by Fantasy Junkie on Jan 31, 2008 11:08 PM PST 0 recs

Even though

Baron got snubbed, I think both Brandon Roy and David West are All-Star players.
Baron gets to rest, his teammates (namely Barnes and Captain Jack) are going to play even harder because of this snub.
I'd rather have him prove his worth in the playoffs than in the all-star game.

by semarubaka on Jan 31, 2008 11:52 PM PST 0 recs

Compare Baron's numbers with Roy's this season and

the fact that the Warriors are doing better than the Trailblazers. It means Baron got snubbed. It would not have been a snub if Roy didn't make it.

by callahan on Feb 1, 2008 12:12 AM PST up 0 recs

Oh and the resting is overrated. This is the

star game fer chrissakes!!!

by callahan on Feb 1, 2008 12:13 AM PST up 0 recs

I see.....

Bryon Scott been drinking too much haterade.

by warriorfan4life on Feb 1, 2008 12:08 AM PST 0 recs

oh, people still watch the all-star game?

I believe Roy got the nod because he was more of an off-guard while Baron is a point god. I mean, it's not like every team sport a lineup like Watson, Ellis, Baron. Baron deserved to be named an All-Star no doubt but at least it wasn't Jerry Stackhouse who's taking his spot. Players get snubbed all the time, so no biggie. Besides, you get more kick watching any Warrior game than the All-Star game.

by lightz0ut on Feb 1, 2008 12:33 AM PST 0 recs

YEA!

Atma speaking to every opposing coach in the NBA,

Ya'll don't want none of this.

beautifully said! I'm sure that BD and company won't have a problem backing up that statement.

by RubberDubDubs on Feb 1, 2008 12:48 AM PST 0 recs

The press have noticed

A firestorm is erupting. Baron's probably going to get more press by NOT being selected than he would have been if he were selected. He's definetly at the top of everyone's list as the most deserving to not be named. Interesting that a cross-section of the sporting press can all be in agreement about something for once. The guy from the Chicago Tribune summed it up well:

Golden State's Baron Davis, in the top 10 in steals and assists and 13th in scoring, was left off along with a longer shot in teammate Stephen Jackson. Davis is perhaps the most deserving player in either conference, and there was some surprise around the NBA that New Orleans' David West would make it over him and leave a good Warriors team without an All-Star.

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/cs-080131-sam-smith-chicago-bulls-al l-star,1,3462950.column

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/marty_burns/01/31/allstar.analysis/

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=345527

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=jy-allsnubbed013108&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

by centerre on Feb 1, 2008 1:01 AM PST 0 recs

BD5

Baron Davis wouldn't have played in the All-Star game if he was selected because Byron Scott is coaching the West. Let's just be thankful that Baron gets that rest and Warriors go on another second-half run like they have been doing the past couple years.

by ron113pnoy on Feb 1, 2008 6:59 AM PST 0 recs

Politics

Lots of good points. Byron Scott is coaching right? He ain't picking Baron. New Orleans boos Baron in the all star game: Highly likely. But it's all in good fun. He'll just make ooh's and aah's on the court. Sucks that Baron contributed soo much to the community. I think he even still has family there. Chances are that he'll be making an appearance in New Orleans for more charity, etc. Not to rub it in, because Baron is just being Baron. I hope he is in that guard skills contest. He'll take that title for sure. Is Captain Jack making the long distance shootout too? If we had a WNba team we would have Mullin, Belinelli and some chick in the shooting stars contest. Well Baron will get rest which is always good and the whole team comes back with a vengeance. They'll go 8-0 or something when ball resumes after the break.

by j richmark on Feb 1, 2008 9:30 AM PST 0 recs

LOL

Is Captain Jack making the long distance shootout too?

Dude, I think you need rehab.

by Dubs fan in Boston on Feb 1, 2008 10:20 AM PST up 0 recs

He Should be Considered

WHy not? He's known to make em. He's gotten kinda cold as of late, but deserves the consideration. I think he's too slow to get the balls off the bin. But definitely should be a candidate. Don't hate, I'm just a Warrior fan living in an actual Warrior world. Remember where you came from...

by j richmark on Feb 1, 2008 10:57 AM PST up 0 recs

Feel the power

This post somes up what the Warriors are right now. Does anyone feel disrepected that ESPN hardly ever shows highlights of the Warriors or acknowledge that they have a better record than the trailblazers and are more exciting to watch.

Before I found this website, I thought I was the only one suffering through the adonal foyle, todd fuller, troy murphy, funleavey years. Keep up the great work!

by NastyBoy888 on Feb 1, 2008 10:13 AM PST 0 recs

Everyone talking about the snub!!

http://my.nba.com/thread.jspa?threadID=400026507

Even all the NBA fans are on our side.

by Delinquentsoul on Feb 1, 2008 11:23 AM PST 0 recs

All Star voting is a joke!

How is it that the best player on the league's most exciting team is exluded from the All Star game? Baron Davis is playing the best basketball of his career, and yet he is snubbed. This just goes to show that fans AND coaches really don't know roundball.

First of all, Allen Iverson is NOT a point guard. He's a shooting guard trapped in a 6 foot point guard's body. And if anyone takes as many shots in a game as he does, they're bound to score 27 points per game as well.

Brandon Roy gets the nod over Baron? How is that the case? The Warriors have a better record, and Baron's numbers are better. While you have to acknowledge Portland's unlikely run this year, that does not validate Roy's All Star selection over Baron. Screw the I-ROY!

As great as Steve Nash is, he's only great on ONE SIDE OF THE COURT. It's been well documented that the two time MVP is a DEFENSIVE LIABILITY. The NBA is a game of match ups and when you have a team like the Warriors who are adept at exploiting those match ups, who do the Warriors continually attack whenever they play the Suns? Nash gets beasted every single time by Baron Davis in the post, and there's nothing that he or the Suns can do about it.

David West over Baron? Are you kidding me?! I understand that the home team should be respresented, but that's what Chris Paul is for. He's the engine that makes the Hornets go, not West. While the Hornets have the best record in the West, bear in mind that they're only five games ahead of the Warriors. West is a nice player having a nice year, but is he more of a dominant player at the power forward spot than Baron Davis at the point guard spot? I don't think so.

Baron Davis does things that other point guards and players can only DREAM of. Can Allen Iverson defend on the low block like Baron Davis can? Absolutely not. Can Steve Nash post up? Hell no! Can Tony Parker drive the lane and finish with a rim rocking dunk? That's as unlikely as me hooking up with Eva Longoria.

What is going through the minds of the coaches? I can understand the ineptitude of fans, but the blindness of the coaches is mind boggling. The Warriors win in an unconventional way and sometimes they win when they shouldn't, so maybe the coaches don't view the Warriors as being a legit team. But if you take a look at any game the Warriors win, more often than not, Baron leaves his unique impression on a game as only he can.

This All Star exlcusion is a joke and a travesty. This is only more motivation for our Dubs and Baron to kill every single team we go up against in the second half of the season.

by friscoballer415 on Feb 1, 2008 11:26 AM PST 0 recs

Baron Davis

is the best player not to make the All-Star team this year. How about a match of the All-Snubbed team vs. the worst of the All-Stars?

All-Snubbed

Baron Davis
Manu Ginolbli
Andrew Bynum
Josh Howard
Shawn Marion

vs.

Worst of the All-Stars

Brandon Roy
Jason Kidd
Joe Johnson
Carmelo Anthony
Richard Hamilton

Pretty one-sided.

by San Francisco Slim on Feb 1, 2008 12:51 PM PST 0 recs

I disagree.

Had to sneak this last one in- during last night's incredibly impressive Warrior win over the Hornets, the New Orleans crowd acted like fools by booing Baron Davis. It's funny how they finally show up to a game and decide to make the place slightly louder than a library- and they boo a guy who showed that community so much love. Don't forget Baron pitched in $50,000 for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and helped organize a fundraiser with orange "Call For Help" Bracelets. He rolled the wheel at Wheel of Fortune and donated an additional $22,000 as well. Have some class New Orleans Hornets fans (yes, all two of you!).

I'm sorry, but can you refresh my memory as to what happened on Jan. 13th against Indiana? I mean, come on now. He may have given a lot to that community, but he still demanded to be traded. He's going to get booed there. I mean, Dunmurphy didn't even demand a trade and they get boo'ed here. It's not a lack of class. It's what fans do. To expect anything less of them would be... Uncivilized. By Mennen.

by xcoma on Feb 1, 2008 1:54 PM PST 0 recs

LMAO

To expect anything less of them would be... Uncivilized. By Mennen.

HAHAHAAHHA classic

by RubberDubDubs on Feb 1, 2008 3:01 PM PST up 0 recs

Additionally

Baron did become a cancer back there. Was Scott blameless? no. But Baron became a cancer under Montgomery too. Now, only under Nelson has he thrived - for all the Baron man-love here we shouldn't be so revisionist in our thinking. Recognizing that also helps us remember people change and situations and individuals need to "fit" for success to follow. If this team didn't have Nelson's gravitas holding it together, we'd be in a deep fix and now we're adding CWebb of all people, who would'a thunkit?

Should he have made the AS team? sure. so should Howard, and others. Happens every year. Will light a fire and rest him - both good for us.

by hardcore on Feb 1, 2008 2:25 PM PST 0 recs

Screw this

Why cry about Baron being on a meaningless boring-compared to a regular Warriors-game??

There are better things to cry about. Like maybe the Lakers scoring an all-star bargain while we bask in getting Webber???

by lightz0ut on Feb 1, 2008 6:15 PM PST 0 recs

Knicks Fan Shares Pain

There is no possible reason for Brandon to get the nod over Baron. Sure, people get snubbed every year, but every excuse has been eliminated PLUS these things usually go to the veteran even if close.

But if it brings together the whole GS against the world thing, then so be it...

"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference". -- Elie Wiesel

by MODI on Feb 1, 2008 6:52 PM PST 0 recs

snub?

AARGH - SNUB THIS

::: BARON IS GOD :::

by BARON IS GOD on Feb 1, 2008 9:24 PM PST 0 recs

Yeah,

Nelson is a great coach, maybe he can spin this off into a secret agenda for the team to play off of for the rest of the year.

Wouldn't it be great if the Warriors win the championship, and the players, while basking in champagne and confetti, reveal, "Yeah, we had one thing on our mind this whole playoffs. Baron getting snubbed definitely drove us."

by DubsDominate on Feb 2, 2008 12:23 AM PST 0 recs

All star game is a joke

Same player same lineup every year. Who give a damn on all star game its more than popularity contest than showing how good a player you are. But I believe BD already prove to the whole league how good a player he was, And one of the best point guard and clutch player of the NBA. Baron Davis will show these fools what a true WARRIORS mean and wont back down on any challenges!

LET'S GO WARRIORS

by mykelala01 on Feb 2, 2008 10:26 AM PST 0 recs