I'm assuming there's a reason things are the way they are that I just don't understand yet, but until it either changes or I figure it out, the NBA All-Star Game voting process is officially my new nemesis (you're off the hook Gypsy That Cursed Paul Millsap).
Where do we begin?
The last time a basketball team played a game with precisely two guards, two forwards and a center was long before any player on these ballots (Shaquille O'Neal, I assume) was considered a professional athlete. The end result is an often awkward formation of players setting foot on the court for the game's first few minutes.
Granted the head coaches can, and naturally do mix the line-up around so that it actually looks like a real line-up (at least part of the time), but the process has evolved to the point where the recognition is hardly considered much of a recognition at all. With all of the limitations of the current format the third best player in a conference (most likely a forward) could lose out on a starting spot while a bum gets the nod at center (Antonio Davis, I don't mean to single you out, but I'm singling you out).
Considering the fact that there's little clear-cut alternative for eliminating positions altogether, it might make some sense to at least modify the position classifications. Recall the hit NES ice hockey title, aptly titled Ice Hockey. For those unfortunately out of the "know", the game began when you assembled your anonymous team of anxious players of various shapes and sizes. In other words, you chose whether you wanted any combination of skinny players, medium-sized players or… "the beasts" (which is a slightly more intimidating euphemism for fat players that skated slow but hit with the force of a Mack truck).
Since the 2 Guard-2 Forward-1 Center format has grown out of fashion, might it not make more sense to go with a 1 Little Guard-2 Wing Man-2 Big Forward format? Something that could lump the Kobe Bryant's and LeBron James(es) of the world together? So that Kevin Durant no longer has to worry about sitting on the bench because Tim Duncan or Pau Gasol had to bump him out of the way when Andrew Bynum took what should have been their spot at C?
With this 1LG-2WM-2BF format, each team would have a point guard (let's say Chris Paul and Devin Harris), along with two players that would either fall into the shooting guard or small forward categories (let's say Kobe Bryant/Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade/LeBron James). Then each team would get two big players to fill in at power forward and centre (might as well come up with an example here too… Tim Duncan/Dirk Nowtizki and Chris Bosh/Dwight Howard). Doesn't that make a lot more sense then trying to go with what they have now?
The reason this format works more efficiently is because a shooting guard has a heck of a lot more in common with a small forward than with a point guard… and a center is virtually identical to a power forward save for a few inches.
The next part of the ASG process that ruins lives is the fact that idiots get to vote every single day. No longer are votes cast by the most knowledgeable, passionate fans, they're cast by 13-year-old homers and a fraction of the world's cell phone carriers that can do it from their phones (T-Mobile subscribers, if you're wondering. Thanks Mr. Stern).
What I propose is that we abandon this unlimited vote count and let fans cast one single ballot per year. It seems irrational, but believe it or not that used to be how voting worked in real life too. It might eliminate the preposterously high vote counts that NBA execs in the Social Media department felate each other over at the staff Christmas party, but at least the counts will be authentic. It's like Major League Baseball minus the steroids. Sure the numbers aren't as absurdly-record breaking, but at least they're legitimate.
"What if the most super elitest of hackers figured out a way to clear their cookies and vote more than once?", you say, thus jeopardizing the integrity of our whole operation? Then have fans print off their ballot and mail it in. Old school, I know, but printers are everywhere and I'm pretty sure stamps cost less than 60 cents. With the power of the internet the ballot can still be distributed at stupid lengths, the only difference is that the actual votes won't fall into that same realm of vast stupidity.
The NBA has found itself on a path of convenience lately, but too much convenience can have unfortunate results, especially when the goal all along is to maintain integrity and control. With this new method, fans no longer have to worry about having zero impact and it avoids the inevitable scandal that will come when one community figures out a way to flood the severely flawed voting process (a similar thing happened with the Montreal Canadiens and the NHL All-Star Game a few years ago).
Oh well, it's not like anybody watches it anyway. I'm still on strike until they bring 2Ball back.
Current Comments
5 comments so far (post your own)I have no issue with fans voting for starters, it's the one area where the fans' opinions (flawed as they may be) actually count for something. I believe the simplest solution to the All-Star debacle would be to expand the all-star teams to 15-man rosters (y'know, like actual NBA rosters). This way, there would be far less omissions of deserving players. I have much more of a problem with say, Carmelo not making it last year than with the occasional stiff lucking out and getting in.
Posted by Mike B. on Thursday, December 3, 2009 @ 5:19pm
It would also help if the ballot wasn't decided the first week of the season. And why not just make the ballot the five starters on your team plus the sixth man?
Posted by BP on Thursday, December 3, 2009 @ 6:01pm
I agree with Mike B about the fan voting thing.
It really just comes down to what your definition of "All-Star" is. The fans are picking and voting for who they want to watch in the game, which is tremendously important. Games like this are already meaningless enough without potentially taking away Kobe and LeBron because they were being out-performed by unexpected nobodies.
Besides, getting the fans involved is a tremendous way for the league to make money. Having advertising all over the internet voting pages, or deals with T-Mobile generates revenue out of nowhere.
In my opinion, the term "All-Star Game" is synonymous with "Fans-Stars" game, and frankly, no league has it right. The NFL has their game after the Superbowl, which clearly nobody cares about. MLB has a mandatory rule that every team be represented, even if a team's rep is worse than every other player in the league. The NHL just can't decide on a format and stick with it.
Fans only care about games when they have some involvement with it. By allowing the fans to vote does exactly that. If it were called the "MVP game", then keep the fans out of it.
Posted by Rob on Thursday, December 3, 2009 @ 6:45pm
If you make people mail it in you lose all international voters.
Posted by Furious on Friday, December 4, 2009 @ 12:26am
I think it's clear that the voting process as it is has run it's course. By and large we've ruined it for ourselves by voting in injured players year after year when more deserving candidates are neglected. I like the idea of potentially having the players from each respective conference vote on their starters, as they are clearly the most familiar with who brings it/is hardest to guard etc. on each given night. Announce these selections earlier, let's say by first week in January. Then allow fans two weeks to vote for two players from each conference who they would like to see come off the bench, and round out the team by letting the coaches from each respective conference vote. Fans still get a say, just not enough to waste it on the likes of McGrady if they want to see Kobe there too.
Posted by Sam Joynt on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 @ 4:17pm