Should the NBA & it's players take the all-star game more seriously?
100173
It was boring to watch. I did like Ben Wallace playing defense, 2 blocks in 10 seconds. When the 4 Pistons were in there the West had a really tough time scoring. But I would have liked to see everyone else play defense too. I just dont find it exciting when you allow a player to dunk like that. Giving up fast breaks like that takes away much of the game. To make the game more exciting, they should take it more seriously.
1079302
Yes it matters very much.\nAll these basketball players have talent and are in great shape.  What matters the most is the mindset of the players.  Whoevers adrenaline is rushing more or whoever wants it more will win.\nWhen you have thousands of people cheering every move you have and supporting you in the rough spots, you will be getting big boosts of adrenaline.\n\nAlso they make it EXTREMELY HARD for the other team to play.  Getting booed isn't fun.
250717
I think it's better basketball than the NBA, they actually know how to shoot the ball.  It's not just a dunkfest all game.  They don't need to do anything to improve the fan base, it's growing, that's why the league expanded a couple years back.\n\nGo Storm!
1067603
Imagine what the managers think about that, now that the All-Star Game actually means home-field advantage in the World Series! THAT'S the ridiculous part, in my opinion. Having to play those "former greats" rather than the more talented but not-as-popular players that didn't make the fans' cut . . . that's gotta be frustrating when the game is on the line. I just hope that we don't start seeing any sacrifice bunts in the All-Star game, just so one team can win. The All-Star game should be a fun game.\n\nThen again . . . seeing Barry Bonds bunt would be fun.
44741
players today are great athletes,but the vast majority don't have basic fundamental skills. You can count on one hand the number of players who can hit a 12 foot shot from the baseline. Everything is either a dunk attempt or a 3 pointer. I don't really blame the players for that, I would put most of the blame on ESPN...what do they show in their basketball highlights? Dunks and 3 pointers. That's how you get on ESPN... \n\nThere is no real team play (on most teams) because of the lack of all around skills of most players. (San Antonio and Detroit are the exceptions, that's why they win the way they do). \n\nEuropean players are better all around players than U.S. players now (evidenced by the USA's pathetic showing in recent Olympic and International competition). This is because they learned the game from the USA in the 50s and 60s, and are now using that style of play against us.\n\nYeah, I know, our "best" nba players don't all go to the olympics anymore, but our college players used to wipe the floor against the best professional teams from the USSR and Eastern Europe...\n\nThen, you've got the non-existent, made-for-ESPN "rivalry" between "Bron" and "Melo"... ESPN and the NBA are trying to make this into the new Bird vs Magic rivalry... guess what NBA? it's NOT WORKING!\n\nThey're both in their 3rd year, and their teams still suck...\n\nThere are no good centers in the league any more, other than Shaq (it remains to be seen how good Yao will become). Ben Wallace is a good player, but even his game is very limited...he's a good rebounder, and a good defender, but can't shoot worth a.....\n\nJermaine ONeal is a great player, made greater by the lack of decent centers...\n\nKwame Brown?  Zydrunas Ilgauskas? Are you kidding me?\n\nYou have shooting guards that can't put the ball on the floor, and you have point guards like Jason Kidd that can't shoot worth a .... \n\nPlayers are becoming so specialized that it's becoming impossible to sit through a game any more... \n\nFans are more accepting of this type of play now, and ESPN gets carried away with a player's 'accomplishments'... a 10 point, 5 rebound, 4 assist game is considered a great all around game..just watch espn sportcenter or espn news, they'll actually highlight that a player had 15 pts and 3 rebounds, as though that constitued a great all around effort...\n\nFor the most part, the dunks we see today are often more exciting than they were 20 or so years ago (except for Dr J's), but in terms of the ability to play all facets of the game, it's getting worse. Players are drafted after high school or after 1 year of college, and they can't play the game yet..but it doesn't matter, because most of the guys in the league can't play either...
102299
Not at all.  Iguodala got props on his hard dunks, Robinson did too.  AI should have known better then to come out and do a dunk like that to try and get a 48.  Its been done, A LOT.  Should have tried something harder.  I think it was judged well!
1036487
As long as "Star" players get the calls and others experiencing the same fouls don't, I'm not ready to call the NBA Finals anything more than entertainment.  The women actually play something more akin to basketball.  I don't care who wins and no, this is not the worst "Finals" ever.
144352
Taking the best players and putting them together does not make the best team.  A team takes time to get to know each other, learn plays and the tendencies of the other players.  I would take the pistons in a best of 7 right now over any of the all-star teams, because they are a team and know their role upon that team.  The All-star team will have 12 people who are all the number one option on their team and now have to share the ball amongst each other, many of them are not asked to play defense as it may wear them down and negatively impact the offenseive side of the ball so there is also no defense in the NBA all-star.  \n\nThe bst all-star game is baseball, and it is beacuse the game is largely a one on one sport and thus the team aspect of sports has little impact.  The third baseman can't help the centerfielder hit and neiter can anyone help the pitcher make strikes(they can make outs but not strikes).
509083
Basketball is a team sport, not a lone ranger sport.  Steve Nash is the leader of his team, and his success is clearly apparent through the improvements his players have experienced this season.  Kobe has to consciously try to be a team player, but he is a "me first" player and always will be.  I have said enough on this subject and will let game 7 speak for itself.  \n\nAll you Kobe lover boys should keep your mouth shut when the Suns hand you the pink slip on Saturday.
690461
After the tank-job they pulled at the tail-end of the regular season, they deserve a slap or two on the wrist, but that's beside the point.\n\nCan they do it? Win the series? Sure. They're almost done w/the Nuggets anyhow.\n\nBeyond that, I don't care, but I doubt they could beat the Lakers-Suns winner, Spurs-Mavs winner that awaits whichever conference opponent left standing, etc etc.\n\nCan the Clippers do it?\n\nIn a word buddy: Nope.
418611
I used to be a fan of the NBA in the late 80's into the early 90's.  The Larry Bird/Magic Johnson rival along with Michael Jordan's dominance was a great time for basketball.  Since then it seems as though the game has gotten away from the team concept.\n\nLook at the scores, they isolate one-on-one matchups with the big stars (kobe, iverson, shaq, etc) and NO ONE plays defense.  If they got back to a team game, like the college style, it would be a lot more interesting.  There seems to be no intensity in the game any more.
149005
No, but if you think about it, Basketball should be in the winter games.  It was invented as a sport for the winter, its season beings in November, peeks in Feb-March and ends before the summer.  And the Hockey All-star game belongs where it is, it provides a needed break, and a chance to retool for a playoff push.  The NFL wishes it could do its allstar game before the end of the season
339151
I agree their is a great amount of talent in the NBA. Kobe, Dwayne Wade, Lebron, Carmelo, Shaq, Tony Parker, and the list goes on.  It is not like back in the day when single players dominated the game. As for the players of today not being driven, this is so true.  I hate to see it, but what can you expect when they have guaranteed contracts?
30355
yeah... i completely agree with what the dude upstairs said. The performance of Kobe doesn't necessarily reflect the perfomance of the whole team. Their record in the NBA actually tells the story of their success, not nearly enough because of the lack of team play
164044
They are playing a little thing called the All Star game this weekend.
836245
The little known secret about the Jazz this year is that they DO HAVE talent. Carlos Boozer is one of the better PF's in the NBA. Deron Williams is flat-out going to be an all-star point guard in the NBA for years to come. Andrei Kirlinko is about the best spot on defender around... everyone else knows their limitations and their roles and coach Sloan puts each man in a position to do what they do best... adding a solid guy like Derek Fisher only rounds out the talent and poise they bring every night. So many teams go for the knock-out... the Jazz pummel their opponents with body shots all game long and in the fourth quarter teams usually run out of gas because of the depth of the Jazz bench.
391
The only correct answer from anybody is that they do not know.  The league awards tend to shape up after the All-Star break.  Later on in the season would be a better time to ask.