NBA All-Star Game

[ttsather]

I feel that the NBA All-Star game can be somewhat entertaining, but is (like hockey and football) undermined by the fact that it is not really in a player's best interest to play at true game speed.

 

I must, however, weigh in on their uniforms.

 

Whose fault were these? Different solid-color panels on front and back for both teams, effectively making it look like there are 4 different teams on the floor at any given time, and then a guy turns around and he's a different color! Add to that the difficulty in distinguishing the white from the silver, and my eyes cannot compute.

 

Worst. Idea. Ever.

[trwi7]

I know it's not about the all-star game but Dwight Howard was absolutely incredible at the dunk contest last night. The best I've ever seen.

 

As for the all-star game itself. It's a little ridiculous that the NBA made Kobe start. There's some stupid rule that if you played in your teams last game before the all-star break and you're a starter then you have to play. Kobe has a finger injury that will probably require surgery at some point and if he jams it it will require surgery so they are going to make him play a meaningless exhibition game when he should rest it for his team? Screw you David Stern.

[jason21nl]

I agree about the jerseys, they are horrible.

 

Howard was good in the dunk competition however I don't think the one where he threw the ball in from 2 ft away should be called a dunk. It was more like a really hard over hand lay up.

[trwi7]

Howard was good in the dunk competition however I don't think the one where he threw the ball in from 2 ft away should be called a dunk. It was more like a really hard over hand lay up.

The definition of a dunk is the person's hand(s) and the ball being above the rim. It's a common misconception that the player has to have his hand(s) on the rim for the shot to be considered a dunk.

Here are the Slam Dunk Contest highlights

 

And here

[jason21nl]

his dunk by banking it of the back of the backboard and then dunking it from behind was much more impressive

[twobrewers]

Actually, I think throwing the ball down into the basket is more impressive than dunking.

 

Do you realize how high you have to get to have the correct angle to get the ball through the hoop like that!?!? Not to mention that he had to make it just perfect to not have that ball deflect out to half court.

[sbrylski]

The atmosphere there is amazing!

[jason21nl]

most boring half time show ever

[trwi7]

Actually, I think throwing the ball down into the basket is more impressive than dunking.

 

Do you realize how high you have to get to have the correct angle to get the ball through the hoop like that!?!? Not to mention that he had to make it just perfect to not have that ball deflect out to half court.

 

Absolutely. That's much more difficult. Another thing that wasn't noticed is that Howard took off from just behind the free throw line with two feet. You can find lots of guys in the NBA who can make it from a step inside the free throw line to the hoop on one foot. On two feet? Not so much. Howard is just an athletic freak.

[Katuluu]

I still think Green's blowing the candle out before dunking was the best of the night.

[TooLiveBrew]

Personally, I find it pretty amusing that this thread has been adjacent to the "Bored out of my mind thread" all day long. That's exactly what I was when I tuned in for a few minutes today. Hey - at least they can say the ASG packs all the excitement of a regular-season NBA game!

 

 

EDIT: watching the dunk clips now... this is the best group of 4 I can recall getting together for the dunk contest in some time.

 

 

Kenny Smith: "Superman is here!"

...

Charles Barkley, on Dwight Howard: "We've never had a guy in the NBA that's this tall, that can jump like this."

 

That 2nd dunk Howard nailed (throw off glass, tip off glass w/ LH, slam home w/RH) was the best dunk I can remember in a LONG time.

 

Btw, big minus (dumb) points to Kenny Smith & co. for saying that 'no one has ever done anything' like the first dunk Howard pulled. Oh yea, 'no one' - except for Iguodala last year... who was the first to ever try that 'off the back of the backboard' style. So, Iguodala not only got jobbed last year so the short guy could win, he gets screwed over in creativity here, too. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/eyes.gif

[JJHardy7]

I still think Green's blowing the candle out before dunking was the best of the night.

 

I agree. I don't think the judges actually saw what he did. My first reaction was the force of the ball blew the candle out, but replay clearly showed he actually blew it out. It's similar to what happened to Howard when he put the sticker up on the backboard last year -- I don't think the judges saw what really happened and didn't have the benefit of replay.

[BoneDaddyKool]

Maybe next year Green will light the candle before he dunks. That might get hima 44 or so...

[TooLiveBrew]

Imho, the degree of difficulty on the 'blow out the candle' dunk is being overrated. The incredible part there is Green's vertical, not that he blew out a single candle... though I do admit being skeptical at first, thinking that his breeze had blown it out. After you take away the parlor trick, it was just a simple tomahawk dunk - an impressive one, but not jaw-dropping imo.

 

Kenny Smith could tell from his seat that Green had blown out the candle, and he was screaming about it. A lot of the players caught on right away too, it appeared, so I don't think the judges were oblivious to it.

 

The tip-back-to-his-RH dunk by Howard was far more impressive, imo.

 

EDIT: And if we're going with a gimmick, give me Superman any day of the week! That was hilarious.

 

Couldn't get this to embed for some reason, sorry: Howard 2007 dunk warmup

 

http://www.alexrudloff.com/media/2006/08/dwight-howard.jpg

 

http://images.yuku.com/image/pjpeg/11e259994a82a36f2b7ecb41b9ac17d60a94c49.pjpg

[Nader Raider Tim]

Yup I'm so bored too... wait this isn't the I'm so bored thread? My bad I saw NBA All Star game and just immediately became bored out of my mind.

[trwi7]

Yup I'm so bored too... wait this isn't the I'm so bored thread? My bad I saw NBA All Star game and just immediately became bored out of my mind.

 

Here's an idea. If you don't care about the thread how about skipping it? I know, novel concept.

[JJHardy7]

A lot of the players caught on right away too, it appeared, so I don't think the judges were oblivious to it.

 

Barkley didn't believe he did it until he saw the replays. I do think the judges missed it. I think it did have a high degree of difficulty because it showed his tremendous hang time. Howard's "Superman" dunk was actually botched. There's videos on YouTube where he actually does dunk the ball. The pass/jump wasn't timed right so he just threw it in.

[TooLiveBrew]

I fully believe that the throw-in dunk was a goof. I don't think that alone won it for Howard.

 

As for the hang-time, that's great... but Howard put his on display too, so imo that makes it a wash. Don't get me wrong, Green's fire-extinguishing hang-time was sweet. I just liked Howard more overall.

 

Do we know the judges don't see replays? Aren't the video screens in the arena showing the replays as they air on TV? The crowd was certainly reacting as though they saw replays. Honest question here.

[BrewCrewForever]

his dunk by banking it of the back of the backboard and then dunking it from behind was much more impressive

Agreed Jason, his Superman dunk wasn't all that good even if you ask me. He didn't even really dunk it. He kind of threw it at the rim and it went in. That backboard dunk though was AMAZING. Maybe the best I have ever seen.

 

[JoeHova]

I avoided clicking on this thread all day because I figured there would be a bunch of people in here complaining about how the NBA sucks, like there are in every NBA thread at bf.net. Sure enough....

[TooLiveBrew]

JH, what were there, one or two such posts? I'm really enjoying this dunk debate! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

That backboard dunk though was AMAZING. Maybe the best I have ever seen.

 

Yes, except that it was even more amazing the first time when Andre Iguodala did it... '07? He came all the way out to the front side of the backboard, too to slam it home!

[danzig6767]

his dunk by banking it of the back of the backboard and then dunking it from behind was much more impressive

Agreed Jason, his Superman dunk wasn't all that good even if you ask me.

 

Do you realize just how big of a man Howard is? He was off the floor and soared through the air like he was a skinny 6'6 small forward instead of a 6'11 270 pound man.

[jason21nl]

yes, I'm aware how big of a guy he is. He is a freak, and can jump out of the building but I just don't think that it should have been counted as a dunk. I like his other ones more than the one everyone is talking about.

[trwi7]

I just don't think that it should have been counted as a dunk.

You should look at the definition of a dunk that I posted earlier.

[jason21nl]

I just don't think that it should have been counted as a dunk.

You should look at the definition of a dunk that I posted earlier.

I know what you said, but my opinion is that it is not a real dunk. Reggie Miller said it wasn't really a dunk, for what its worth Mike Greenberg doesn't think its a dunk. Was it athletic? yes Did he take flight? yes but he was 2ft at least from the basket and if anything was lucky that the ball actually went in. I think he wanted to dunk it but knew he wasn't going to make it there so he threw the ball through the hoop. Just my opinion