Post by WigNosy on Sept 11, 2014 13:35:08 GMT -6
CENTER
The hopefuls are (in alphabetical order by last name) Brad Daugherty, Alonzo Mourning, and David Robinson. That's it. There's nobody else even in the conversation here. Since both Robinson and Mourning are posting better numbers than Daugherty in every meaningful statistical category, we can assume they will be the starter and primary backup. It's a coin flip as to who will start since Robinson posts slightly better points and rebounds numbers while Mourning gets more blocks, but since blocks are a lot harder to come by, and Mourning is on a stacked team and still puts up those numbers, I think Zo edges out Robinson to start. Daugherty will have to try to get on as a wild card, so we'll come back to him.
Starter - Alonzo Mourning, Celtics (21.1 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 4.4 bpg)
Backup - David Robinson, Knicks (22.3 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 3.2 bpg)
POWER FORWARD
Your hopefuls list here is a lot longer than at Center, but pretty much everyone is fighting for the one backup PF spot. The starting PF will be Tom Gugliotta, who owns every single statistical category at this position. The guys fighting for the backup spot include Charles Barkley, Derrick Coleman, Kevin Garnett, Juwan Howard, Clifford Robinson, Joe Smith, and Derek Strong. I should note that Anthony Mason was eliminated from consideration due to injury. Line these guys up and they all look roughly the same - around 16 to 17 points, 7-ish rebounds and a couple of assists per night. One guy who does distinguish himself from the pack, though, is Kevin Garnett. He's putting up 21.2 ppg (next closest is Clifford Robinson at 17.8 ppg), holding his own with 7.2 rpg (average), and 1 block per game - everyone else is putting up fractions of a block. I think this is the year Garnett steps up to claim his all-star spot despite the Cavs' awful record and the guess here it's going to be tough to get him to give it back in the forseeable future - get used to seeing him. Everyone else will hope for an at-large invite (hint: they won't get one, guys at other positions are having better seasons).
Starter - Tom Gugliotta, Hornets (23.6 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.8 spg, 1.5 bpg)
Backup - Kevin Garnett, Cavaliers (21.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.0 bpg)
SMALL FORWARD
Like the Center spot, this one is a pretty short list. Your primary candidates are going to be Stacy Augmon, Jim Jackson, and Reggie Miller. There is also a small second tier of guys that could hope for an at-large spot in Jalen Rose and Antonio McDyess, who are on par with the power forwards that didn't make the cut above, but they're not going to bump off one of the top three for the guaranteed starter and backup slots. The starter is going to be Stacy Augmon again, as he is putting up more than 5 ppg more than Jackson or Miller, is almost Jackson's equal in rebounds, and adds almost two steals per game to boot. Jackson should be able to beat out Miller in turn for the backup spot, as he scores more, rebounds more, passes more... you get the idea. Jackson isn't as good a two-way player as Stacy, but he's better than anyone else in the East at this spot. Reggie will have to hope for an at-large spot.
Starter - Stacy Augmon, Pacers (26.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.8 spg)
Backup - Jim Jackson, Heat (21.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 4.0 apg)
SHOOTING GUARD
Let's dispense with the pleasantries and get right down to business here. Anthony Peeler is your starter. No other shooting guard on the shortlist is putting up more points, rebounds, or assists. The choice for backup is a little tougher. You could make an argument for Michael Finley, Steve Nash, Mitch Richmond, or Isaiah Rider. I'm going to call it in favor of Rider, who doesn't possess the passing skills of the other three, but scores a couple more points per game and puts up rebound numbers as well as anyone but Peeler.
Starter - Anthony Peeler, 76ers (22.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.3 apg)
Backup - Isaiah Rider, Nets (20.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.2 apg)
POINT GUARD
Point guard is pretty strong in the east with lots of guys putting up numbers in points, rebounds (surprisingly), assists and steals... but there are only two real choices here - Steve Smith and Gary Payton. Everyone else will be hoping for a wild-card invite. Smith edges Payton by 5.9 points and 0.6 rebounds per game, while Payton edges Smith by about 2.5 assists and 0.7 steals. This, like Center, will be a bit of a coin flip and could go either way. I'm going to guess Smith gets the nod to start, though. The rest of the field, Jason Kidd, David Wesley, and Dee Brown, fall into the at-large area).
Starter - Steve Smith, Pistons (24.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 6.2 apg, 1.3 spg)
Backup - Gary Payton, Heat (18.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 8.7 apg, 2.0 spg)
WILD CARDS
All of the forwards not named Reggie Miller that missed the initial cut are flat-out a step below the competition and aren't going to make the wild-card spots.
I think it's probably safe to rule out the shooting guards Richmond, Finley, and Nash since David Wesley alone is putting up better statistical numbers in every major statistical category... and we can drop Dee Brown for the same reason.
But once we get down to Brad Daugherty, Reggie Miller, Jason Kidd, and David Wesley, the cuts become tougher. For me, I cut Reggie Miller next on the theory that Daugherty has a slight statistical edge in points, rebounds, and assists - i.e., the most visible stat categories.
That leaves us with one more cut to make - I can't cut Wesley in favor of Kidd. Kidd is averaging 1.6 more rebounds than Wesley, but Wesley is averaging 1.9 more assists and 4.9 points. If I can't put Kidd in over Wesley, that means Wesley is in for sure.
So now it's a question of Kidd or Daugherty for the last spot. Kidd edges Daugherty in assists by 3.7 per game and in steals, but Daugherty beats Kidd by 6.9 points and 1.1 rebounds. This is another coin flip, but I feel Daugherty will get the edge due to that huge scoring difference, leaving Kidd the "last guy out." Maybe next year, Jason.
Wild Card 1 - David Wesley, Wizards (18.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 8.5 apg, 1.8 spg)
Wild Card 2 - Brad Daugherty, Hornets (20.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.9 apg)
Last Guy Out - Jason Kidd, Magic (13.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 6.6 apg, 1.7 spg)
The hopefuls are (in alphabetical order by last name) Brad Daugherty, Alonzo Mourning, and David Robinson. That's it. There's nobody else even in the conversation here. Since both Robinson and Mourning are posting better numbers than Daugherty in every meaningful statistical category, we can assume they will be the starter and primary backup. It's a coin flip as to who will start since Robinson posts slightly better points and rebounds numbers while Mourning gets more blocks, but since blocks are a lot harder to come by, and Mourning is on a stacked team and still puts up those numbers, I think Zo edges out Robinson to start. Daugherty will have to try to get on as a wild card, so we'll come back to him.
Starter - Alonzo Mourning, Celtics (21.1 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 4.4 bpg)
Backup - David Robinson, Knicks (22.3 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 3.2 bpg)
POWER FORWARD
Your hopefuls list here is a lot longer than at Center, but pretty much everyone is fighting for the one backup PF spot. The starting PF will be Tom Gugliotta, who owns every single statistical category at this position. The guys fighting for the backup spot include Charles Barkley, Derrick Coleman, Kevin Garnett, Juwan Howard, Clifford Robinson, Joe Smith, and Derek Strong. I should note that Anthony Mason was eliminated from consideration due to injury. Line these guys up and they all look roughly the same - around 16 to 17 points, 7-ish rebounds and a couple of assists per night. One guy who does distinguish himself from the pack, though, is Kevin Garnett. He's putting up 21.2 ppg (next closest is Clifford Robinson at 17.8 ppg), holding his own with 7.2 rpg (average), and 1 block per game - everyone else is putting up fractions of a block. I think this is the year Garnett steps up to claim his all-star spot despite the Cavs' awful record and the guess here it's going to be tough to get him to give it back in the forseeable future - get used to seeing him. Everyone else will hope for an at-large invite (hint: they won't get one, guys at other positions are having better seasons).
Starter - Tom Gugliotta, Hornets (23.6 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.8 spg, 1.5 bpg)
Backup - Kevin Garnett, Cavaliers (21.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.0 bpg)
SMALL FORWARD
Like the Center spot, this one is a pretty short list. Your primary candidates are going to be Stacy Augmon, Jim Jackson, and Reggie Miller. There is also a small second tier of guys that could hope for an at-large spot in Jalen Rose and Antonio McDyess, who are on par with the power forwards that didn't make the cut above, but they're not going to bump off one of the top three for the guaranteed starter and backup slots. The starter is going to be Stacy Augmon again, as he is putting up more than 5 ppg more than Jackson or Miller, is almost Jackson's equal in rebounds, and adds almost two steals per game to boot. Jackson should be able to beat out Miller in turn for the backup spot, as he scores more, rebounds more, passes more... you get the idea. Jackson isn't as good a two-way player as Stacy, but he's better than anyone else in the East at this spot. Reggie will have to hope for an at-large spot.
Starter - Stacy Augmon, Pacers (26.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.8 spg)
Backup - Jim Jackson, Heat (21.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 4.0 apg)
SHOOTING GUARD
Let's dispense with the pleasantries and get right down to business here. Anthony Peeler is your starter. No other shooting guard on the shortlist is putting up more points, rebounds, or assists. The choice for backup is a little tougher. You could make an argument for Michael Finley, Steve Nash, Mitch Richmond, or Isaiah Rider. I'm going to call it in favor of Rider, who doesn't possess the passing skills of the other three, but scores a couple more points per game and puts up rebound numbers as well as anyone but Peeler.
Starter - Anthony Peeler, 76ers (22.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.3 apg)
Backup - Isaiah Rider, Nets (20.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.2 apg)
POINT GUARD
Point guard is pretty strong in the east with lots of guys putting up numbers in points, rebounds (surprisingly), assists and steals... but there are only two real choices here - Steve Smith and Gary Payton. Everyone else will be hoping for a wild-card invite. Smith edges Payton by 5.9 points and 0.6 rebounds per game, while Payton edges Smith by about 2.5 assists and 0.7 steals. This, like Center, will be a bit of a coin flip and could go either way. I'm going to guess Smith gets the nod to start, though. The rest of the field, Jason Kidd, David Wesley, and Dee Brown, fall into the at-large area).
Starter - Steve Smith, Pistons (24.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 6.2 apg, 1.3 spg)
Backup - Gary Payton, Heat (18.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 8.7 apg, 2.0 spg)
WILD CARDS
All of the forwards not named Reggie Miller that missed the initial cut are flat-out a step below the competition and aren't going to make the wild-card spots.
I think it's probably safe to rule out the shooting guards Richmond, Finley, and Nash since David Wesley alone is putting up better statistical numbers in every major statistical category... and we can drop Dee Brown for the same reason.
But once we get down to Brad Daugherty, Reggie Miller, Jason Kidd, and David Wesley, the cuts become tougher. For me, I cut Reggie Miller next on the theory that Daugherty has a slight statistical edge in points, rebounds, and assists - i.e., the most visible stat categories.
That leaves us with one more cut to make - I can't cut Wesley in favor of Kidd. Kidd is averaging 1.6 more rebounds than Wesley, but Wesley is averaging 1.9 more assists and 4.9 points. If I can't put Kidd in over Wesley, that means Wesley is in for sure.
So now it's a question of Kidd or Daugherty for the last spot. Kidd edges Daugherty in assists by 3.7 per game and in steals, but Daugherty beats Kidd by 6.9 points and 1.1 rebounds. This is another coin flip, but I feel Daugherty will get the edge due to that huge scoring difference, leaving Kidd the "last guy out." Maybe next year, Jason.
Wild Card 1 - David Wesley, Wizards (18.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 8.5 apg, 1.8 spg)
Wild Card 2 - Brad Daugherty, Hornets (20.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.9 apg)
Last Guy Out - Jason Kidd, Magic (13.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 6.6 apg, 1.7 spg)
