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January 14, 2010
This is not brain surgery…it’s not rocket science…in fact it’s not even necessary to have an undergraduate liberal arts degree to understand how ridiculous the western conference all-star voting has played out heading into the final days of the process (online voting ends January 18th).
With less than one week remaining for fans to show how smart they are…Chris Paul trails Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and a player who isn’t playing, traveling, or dressing out with his team. Chris Paul trails a player who used to be one of the icons of the sport…who used to be the go-to guy at the end of NBA games…who used to be one of the top scorers in the entire league…who used to be as fun to watch as anybody over the last decade and a half…who used to be worth the price of admission and more…who used to be one of those nicknames EVERYBODY remembered when you mentioned cool NBA nicknames.
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Tracy McGrady isn’t first string anymore. He isn’t a star anymore. But he is the third guard with more votes than Chris Paul. T-Mac used to be great. Once upon a time he could take over games. Once upon a time he stunned the basketball world by beating San Antonio with a barrage of baskets with less than a minute to play in the game to pull out a miraculous victory. Years ago, he was a one-man scoring show for the Orlando Magic, waiting for a young Grant Hill to join him and form one of the great wing tandems in the modern era. After getting drafted 9th overall by the Toronto Raptors directly out of high school in 1997 he hardly played at all during his first two NBA seasons. He started playing regularly during his third season with his cousin Vince Carter and later joined Orlando in a sign and trade deal. He became the youngest player (post NBA/ABA merger) to claim a scoring title (32.1 ppg in 2003). He then won back to back scoring titles averaging 28 points per game in 2004, when he also had an amazing 62 point game!
That offseason McGrady was traded to the Rockets in a deal involving Steve Francis. And since hurting his back during a dunk while a member of the Magic he has fought through a myriad of injuries, including last February’s microfracture knee surgery that has put his future in doubt.
Most importantly for today’s discussion is the obvious fact that he has appeared in a mere six games this season and played a TOTAL of 46 minutes. This comes one season after playing 35 games in 2008-2009 and just 66 games in 2007-2008. So, the third-leading vote-getter among western conference guards has played roughly one full season of games over the last two-plus campaigns.
But even if Tracy McGrady was playing full time for the Houston Rockets this season fans around the NBA (including the rabid basketball followers of the association in China) must vote their conscience and look past T-Mac and square on Chris Paul for this year’s All-Star Game in Dallas. I almost feel a bit sheepish having to sing the praises of a talent so obviously the best point guard on the planet; but I believe if there really is life elsewhere in galaxy that they too would vote for CP3 (I’ll even petition Commissioner Stern to allow Telepathic Voting from alien planets if it would help Paul’s cause).
So, with apologies to CP 1, 2, and 3, here is my final Paul Push to start this year’s mid-season game:
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I have no doubt Kobe Bryant will lead all western conference guards in all-star votes – he should. But CP3 is the best point guard in EITHER conference. Without disrespecting one of my other favorite players, Steve Nash, let me say that he had his amazing run of back-to-back MVP Awards and is still an all-star. But, Chris Paul is the second-best guard in the west and deserves to start for the second straight season. He’s overcome a debilitating ankle sprain to dominate once again for the Hornets. He’s the catalyst to the team’s recent 6-game winning streak and its surge back into the playoff race after a disappointing start.
A season ago he was the underdog trailing by a couple of hundred thousand votes with just days remaining before the final tally was announced. I urge voters from every country, every continent, and every planet to use the internet to VOTE CP3 and make it happen again.
Paul Ball belongs in the starting lineup…not behind a popular player whose time has passed…and whose game has been ravaged by injury.
