Where is Mo Williams, Kevin Durant? All-Star Reserve Snubs

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Mo Williams (2), among others, was inexplicably left off the All Star roster

In a phone call to my cousin Matt from Brooklyn, I asked him who was snubbed as an NBA All Star reserve. There were plenty to chose from, but he focused on one in particular, Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Mo Williams. Williams certainly deserved to be added, considering he has given Lebron James the sidekick he had been previously lacked. Because of this, he has been a major reason why the Cavaliers are one of the best teams in the league. Williams, who made a name for himself with the Milwaukee Bucks last season, is averaging 17 points and 4 assists per game. Instead of Williams, Orlando Magic guard Jameer Nelson was selected, which wasn’t necessarily a mistake. If I could, I would put both on the roster, so there were others that were less deserving, including Magic forward Rashard Lewis.

Lewis is a great player, but I don’t understand how he could be named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team, and Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant wasn’t to the Western Conference team. Durant’s numbers are better than Lewis’s, so he should have garnered similar respect. His team isn’t very good, but that shouldn’t skew his numbers, nor take anything away from his talent. Matt and I discussed this at length, and he made the argument that Durant should have been, and was left off the roster because he plays on a bad team. I snapped back, saying that the team’s record shouldn’t matter in regards to who is selected. Durant is currently averaging 25 points per game, compared to Lewis’s 19 points. Though Durant’s production might not lead to wins, he is the centerpiece of a franchise trying to get used to a new location. Matt made the point that Durant is able to put up tremendous offensive numbers because he is given the green light by coach Scott Brooks. This may be true, but without star talent, Durant wouldn’t be shooting 48% from the field and 42% from three-point range. It’d be one thing if his shooting percentage was poor, but since he is efficient, there isn’t a valid argument for leaving him off the roster entirely (I previously said that he should have been a starter, let alone a reserve).

New Orleans Hornets forward David West was an all-star last season, which is his only justification for why he is one this year. West is a talented player, averaging 20 points and 7 rebounds a game, but still should have been left off the roster to give Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge what he has rightfully earned. Aldridge’s numbers are lesser than West’s, but he has had a bigger impact on a surprising team. Aldridge has blossomed into one of the better power forwards in the NBA and, unlike West, has been consistent all season long. He has given the Blazers a sound threesome of stars, along with guard Brandon Roy and center Greg Oden. He is irreplaceable for Portland, as he has accounted for much of the team’s overall success. Matt and I thought of Aldridge as an all-star, and though we may be biased as Blazers’ fans, our reasoning was just.

Matt made the case that New York Knicks center David Lee should have been named as an all-star. It is difficult to argue with his candidacy since he is averaging 16 points and 11 rebounds while being undersized at his position. Lee never takes plays off by hustling for loos balls and grabbing offensive rebounds. He is a player that is sought after by many teams, but the Knicks have made the right choice by keeping him. He is on a mediocre team, which should have been a red flag according to Matt’s philosophy. Matt disagreed with my argument for Kevin Durant because he’s on a bad team. The Knicks are a bad team even though they are in the playoff race in the woeful Eastern Conference, so he bent his rule for Lee and not Durant. The team’s record should not matter one iota, mainly because the All-Star Game is supposed to feature the best players in the NBA. It’s not Durant’s nor Lee’s fault that their team hasn’t been very good, they have just tried to make the most of their situation thus far.

What puzzles me most about the fact that Williams, Durant, Aldridge, and Lee aren’t all stars is that the coaches vote for the reserves. So, as Matt agreed with me on this, why does a top team like Orlando boast three all-stars, and Cleveland only one? It would be one thing if James was still by his lonesome, but I don’t understand how Williams effect on the Cavaliers can be overlooked. By this diagnosis, and because Durant, Aldridge, and Lee will also have to watch the game on Television, it is clear that the All-Star Game voting system is a sham.

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