Things That Leave Steve Nash Scratching His Head

Its been a while, I've been a bit lazy and without NFL football this week I've actually had to come up with an idea on what to write on. Its not as easy as you'd think. Eventually I settled on this, a mini-rant about how the NBA isn't properly selecting the All-Star game starters.

Every year the NBA gives the fans the chance to select who starts in the All-Star game through fan voting. They allow fans to vote for 1 Center, 2 Forwards and 2 Guards. Now I'm not sure how or when they came up with this, but its not the way most teams (NBA or otherwise) come up with their starting line up.

When constructing a lineup the standard configuration is 1 point guard, 2 wing type players and 2 post type players. The distinction between power forward and center, for most teams without true centers, is blurred beyond recognition. They call players like Tim Duncan, Chris Bosh or Kevin Garnett forwards, but on many nights they will have stretches where they are the teams tallest player, best post defender and rebounder. That, by definition, is the center position, but in reality they are just the tallest post-type player on the court at that time. The same goes for wing type players, from Kobe Bryant to Tracy McGrady or Vince Carter, the distinction on whether they are small forwards or shooting guards really just depends on who else is on the court with them. They are wing players, and for the most part, teams go with 2 wing players.

But the one constant among most all NBA teams is they all play with a point guard. Looking across the NBA you won't find many teams without a starting lineup containing someone they call the point guard. But the NBA fails to recognize this in their voting structure, and this year neither teams starting line up will contain a point guard (Gilbert Arenas is not a point, no matter what Washington claims). Two time defending NBA MVP Steve Nash wasn't voted to start the game, instead 2 wing players (Bryant and McGrady) were selected.

This years lineups are:
WEST: McGrady, Bryant, Duncan, Garnett, Yao
EAST: Arenas, Wade, James, Bosh, O'Neal

In the end it won't really matter, substitutions will happen and point guards will get into the lineup. Combine that with the fact that All-Star games don't really matter (in any sport) and are just for fun, and it seems silly that this bothers me. But it does, I like watching really good point guards play and it pisses me off that the NBA refuses to recognize it as its on position, and that the fans get pulled in by the high flying wing players and ignore the PG's.

**END RANT**

Now there's been some more visitors since my last update. Someone fron Delisle has come 4 times, hopefully because they enjoyed something they read. Also Yorkton, Jasper, Woodford and London have stopped by at various times. But still nobody has commented, and so I'm still not entirely sure that anyone has read anything (although repeat visits from Delisle, and previously Italy, made me assume someone did). So, I've decided to offer a reward. The first person to comment on anything can request a topic for me to write something on.