By Mike Fisher -- DallasBasketball.com
You’d love to conduct a rally, stage a coup, maybe ask Mark Cuban to erect some billboards in Los Angeles.
But you can’t. Dirk Nowitzki is the only Mav in this year’s All-Star Game, and as much as you’d like to argue, you cannot.
BARRY’S TICKETS
MAVS’ RANK FOR FANS
PISTONS NEWS
“It's a little sad I'm the only one representing us, but that's the way it goes," says Nowitzki, who sounds a little unconvinced that it should have been any other way.
As a result of fan balloting, the West starters are Houston’s Steve Francis and Yao Ming, Kobe Bryant of the Lakers, Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett and San Antonio’s Tim Duncan. Argue if you wish about the legitimacy of some of those fellas. Yao wins the popularity contest, and he does so over one of the most famous, popular and talented centers in the game’s history, Shaq. So give Yao credit for at least that. Kobe’s selection seems to be a ratification of Cuban’s prediction that Bryant’s legal problems would make him an even more spotlighted player. And Francis? His decision to ditch some Rockets responsibilities to instead hang out at the Houston-based Super Bowl is symbolic of his flaws as a player. (Not to mention his intelligence. Francis’ statement that attending this Super Bowl was a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’’ establishes only that he’s never heard Duane Thomas’ classic “ultimate game’’ quote and that he doesn’t understand that there will be another “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’’ at next year’s Super Bowl.
Anyway, then come the seven West subs, as selected by the NBA’s head coaches. The coaches were asked to select two guards, two forwards, one center and two players regardless of position, and they were not permitted to vote for players from their own clubs.
They were, however, allowed to campaign. Minnesota did that on behalf of Sam Cassell, the pretty-good-for-pretty-long guard who had never before made an All-Star Team. Compare his numbers (and his team’s numbers) with those of Mavs guards Steve Nash and Michael Finley and it’s difficult to argue.
Cassell is at 21.3 points and 7.6 rebounds. The other All-Star guard, Seattle’s Ray Allen, is at 23 points, 5.3 assists and five rebounds – and while he’s missed half the season due to injury, a plus is he plays defense. Throw Sacto’s Peja Stojakovic (25.2 points per) in there and it’s a crowd.
"A lot of guys had an argument," Nash said. "It would have been nice, but I'm not going to lose too much sleep over it. But it's always nice to be recognized."
Should Antoine Walker or Antawn Jamison have been included up front? You can make an argument for Walker (15.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists) on numbers alone. Heck, you can make a decent argument for Jamison (15.4 points, 6.5 rebounds). So maybe the tiebreaker for voting coaches was defensive skill: Andrei Kirilenko of Utah and Brad Miller of Sacramento have some; the Mavs, by reputation, do not.
"Each coach selects a different way," Mavs coach Don Nelson said. "I think all the selections were worthy.’’
A year ago, when Nowitzki and Nash were the only two All-Stars from a Dallas team that has torn up the league in the season’s first half, Cuban ordered billboards erected in the All-Star site of Atlanta asking, “Where’s Fin?’’ to argue that a third Mav should have made it. There is no such protesting now.
Combine the Mavs’ defensive rep with the depth of the West with the fact that this Dallas team hasn’t torn up the league and you almost feel lucky that Dirk made it.
“We all had to get used to cutting our games back," said Nowitzki, offering another reason for the snub. "All three of those guys could have been All-Stars. But for us, it's not about the All-Star Game. It's about being successful when the playoffs roll around."