As Usual, They Got It Wrong Again

Every single year, in every sport, there's a player or two that is some how, some way, left off an All-Star game roster.  Now, I know that a lot of players say they don't care.  A lot of fans say (and they're right, largely) that it doesn't matter, who cares?

Well even if we're operating under the assumption that no one cares, and it doesn't mean that much, there's just certain levels of stupidity that even I can't tolerate. 

You could make honest cases for Ray Allen, Vince Carter, Carmelo Anthony, Jason Terry, Paul Millsap, Rajon Rondo and others.  

But, let's be fair here, just as easily you could also make solid cases against each of them.

Allen only is scoring 18 ppg, and two other Celtics made the team.  Carter is having a great season, but how many Nets can you take when they're playing as poorly as they are?  Melo's missed about a month, and even so, his numbers aren't staggering by any stretch.  Terry's a 6th man that's putting up a great scoring season, but others on the team have better overall numbers.  Paul Millsap is having a solid season, no doubt, but, there's better players at his position that didn't make it.  Finally, Rondo's has truly had an up-and-down season and though most of it has been up, he just isn't playing better than the other points on the roster.

The issue I have is the blatant one, the biggest one, literally.  One Shaquille O'Neal, being selected as a reserve.  Forget the fact that The Big Cactus or The Big Aristotle or The Big Bad Contract Situation or whatever he calls himself nowadays doesn't even always play on back to back nights.  Forget the fact that he's only averaging 18 points a contest.  Forget basically everything about him.  The issue isn't him, so much as whose spot he is taking.

Why, under God's green earth, Al Jefferson wasn't selected is so far beyond my normal, human, non-NBA-insider's mind that I struggle to even finish this post because my brain hurts so much.

Consider that Jefferson is only one of three humans in the NBA that average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds a game.  Consider further that of these three (the other two are in the game, by the way--Duncan and Howard), he is averaging the most points per game, by three.  Consider even further that some how last year, despite averages over over 20 and 10 at the break, he also wasn't selected.  

The only possible explanation I can think of is that his inclusion in the game would be representing the worst team out of any of the other selected players.  Still, the Wolves are 7-3 in their last ten, and frankly, aren't very good.  Not all Jefferson's fault.  

How this has happened twice now, is simply astonishing.  Jefferson, at only slightly above 2 mil a year could be the biggest bargain in sports right now, but he won't be an All-Star.  

Why?

 

I have no clue.