Kaitam: Spurs? big three on 2012 NBA All-Star ballot

বৃহস্পতিবার, ৫ জানুয়ারী, ২০১২

Spurs? big three on 2012 NBA All-Star ballot

NBA All-Star balloting was already a joke as fans in previous years have voted for players who were washed up or out of commission altogether because of injury.

But now the process of sending the supposed best players to play in the league?s mid-season exhibition has become more absurd than ever.

On Wednesday, the NBA announced that it had opened up voting for the 2012 All-Star Game, which will be played in Orlando on Feb. 26.

The 2012 season, cut short by a lockout, is only 10 days old.

As I write this, no team has played more than seven games.

The Spurs have played only five.

How could anyone, including the folks who cover the league, make an educated judgment now about who deserves an invite to the game and who does not?

One of the players on the Western Conference ballot is Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Kidd, who has struggled mightily so far this season. So has his team, which has not performed like a defending NBA champion.

Kidd is averaging only 6 points per game this season on 36 percent shooting.

So is Kidd on the ballot because he warrants a spot on the 2012 All-Star squad or because of what he did last season?

Spurs guard Manu Ginobili is also on the ballot.

Ginobili broke a finger on his shooting hand during a recent loss in Minnesota that required surgery this week.

The injury could put Ginobili out of action for as many as eight weeks, meaning he wouldn?t even suit up again until after the All-Star Game.

But don?t be surprised if either Ginobili or Kidd earn enough votes to secure a spot on the All-Star roster ? no matter their respective literal or figurative absences.

As for the Mavericks, they could be 16-16 by the All-Star break.

At press time, they were only 2-4.