Kobe Bryant injury won't solve All-Star roster issues
Kobe Bryant gets his All-Star bid, and no one gets upset. Well, not exactly.
The Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard's shoulder tear, if he is out for a few weeks, should prove opportune in unclogging a crowded Western Conference backcourt field for the All-Star Game in New York City next month.
Bryant was voted to his 17th consecutive All-Star berth, second-most all-time behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA announced Thursday. His 1,152,402 votes were fourth overall, behind Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (1,513,324), Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (1,470,483) and New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (1,369,911).
Fifth was Houston Rockets guard James Harden, an emblem of the issue facing the All-Star Game's voting format. As a West guard, Harden was behind Curry and Bryant and therefore not going to start in the game. But the MVP candidate should be an obvious choice to slide into that starting spot now.
But that won't fix all issues.
Loosening position restrictions caused a stir two years ago, when the four guaranteed center spots and eight guaranteed forward spots were lumped together for 12 frontcourt sports. That left eight spots guaranteed for guards, and four spots set as wild cards chosen by coaches.
It's 2015, though. Positions are flexible. The two best teams in NBA are the Warriors and Atlanta Hawks, who both emphasize versatility with big men who can shoot and guards who score inside. The All-Star Game should emphasize that and allow the 24 best (or, at least, most popular) players to make the rosters.
The West has been dominated by guards all season. Part of that is injuries, as frontcourt stars Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard and DeMarcus Cousins all have missed time this season. But the game is shifting and point guards are dominating. Bryant's injury will let Harden start, but there still are seven deserving West guards and only six spots allowed to go to guards.
Harden, Damian Lillard and Chris Paul appear to be locks to make the team alongside Curry. Harden and Lillard are having career years, while Paul has been the glue for the Clippers. All also play on top-six teams in the West. Russell Westbrook has looked like an MVP candidate when healthy this year, and unlike Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Durant, has played enough games that his selection seems inevitable as well.
The injury to Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge means that if Bryant also is out, there should be two injury reserve spots available. Those can go to any player, and they both should go to guards: Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson and Memphis Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley.
Thompson is averaging 21.9 points a game for the best team in the NBA. And as a shooting guard, he could replace Bryant directly and avoid having five point guards on the roster. But Conley also is having a career season, averaging 17.9 points and 5.9 assists a game. He holds the Grizzlies' offense together, but he likely will be on the outside looking in.
But that doesn't factor in the strong cases for the Dallas Mavericks' Monta Ellis or Phoenix Suns' Goran Dragic, who both arguably are as deserving as the frontcourt candidates. They can't be considered because of positional rules that now seem dated.
Over in the Eastern Conference, Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (789,839) received more than 140,000 votes more than New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (647,005). But because Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (805,290) slid past Wade with a late push from Canadian pop star Justin Bieber and others, Wade now risks not making the team at all, even though he proved more popular and is having a better season than Anthony.
But the bigger issue is the East's general and continued weakness. If the All-Star rosters were chosen without regards to conference, the East might not even land 10 players among the 24 chosen. The West held a 150-94 record against the East entering Thursday night, and the disparity in star power is even more obvious.
The answer is clear: The 24 best players deserve to make it. The 10 most popular players should start. That's what's best for the NBA, for the fans and for the deserving players.