All NBA Team = Josh Smith

[Buzzard]

20 shots a game....50% down to 45% is 1 missed shot a game. 2 points. If that gets you better opportunities for other players (like a massive improvement in your shooting and point guards shooting percentage) and an increase in foul shots plus a reduction in turnovers. I'll take 1 less made shot a game.

I don't know how you think one shot one way or the other gets all this: "like a massive improvement in your shooting and point guards shooting percentage) and an increase in foul shots plus a reduction in turnovers." but I am willing to listen if you can explain...Now for the real deal, Josh and JJ both played outstanding ball last month. No reason to get on either of them. And for those of you select few that did not pay attention:JJ shot .488 from the field last month, .477 from the 3pt line while averaging 22, 4, and 4. I can imagine there might be two other SG's in the league that played better and that is a big might.. Edited April 11, 2012 by Buzzard

[KB21]

It is likely just going to go into an all encompassing PER, Win Shares, Wins Produced, or Adjusted Plus-Minus to enhance their respective precision. So most won't tell a difference, but it will help alleviate some concerns people have with the statistics.

You know what is interesting about the adjusted plus-minus statistic? According to basketball value, Josh Smith is currently 3rd in the NBA this year in adjusted plus-minus, and he is 5th in the last two years. He has an adjusted plus-minus of 14.28 this season.

[Jungle Jack]

Hello,I have written this on other Threads, but I honestly fear we are a lottery team without Josh. Unfortunately, it appears he is going to be leaving either by next year's Trade Deadline or walks away at the end of next year. Not signing him as opposed to matching Memphis's Offer Sheet is going to prove every bit as badly as Minnesota not signing Kevin Love to a 5 Year Maximum Contract instead giving him the option of leaving in 3 Years.Smith is one of the finest athletes in the NBA and no one on the Hawks comes close to offering his abilities on both ends of the floor. Given he seems pretty steadfast in leaving, it sadly might be best to trade him in the Offseason to maximize whatever assets the Hawks can get. It seems nothing short of the ASG selling the Hawks and a new Owner who bends over backwards to make clear that he is our star could result in him being a Hawk beyond next season.JJ

Edited April 12, 2012 by Jungle Jack

[BrazilianHawk]

Yes, Josh for All-NBA. I think he should be the only 1st team player, then fill the 2nd and 3rd team teams with scrubs like Lebron, Kobe, Howard, Rondo, Wade, ...

[Buzzard]

Hello,I have written this on other Threads, but I honestly fear we are a lottery team without Josh. It seems nothing short of the ASG selling the Hawks and a new Owner who bends over backwards to make clear that he is our star could result in him being a Hawk beyond next season.JJ

Funny but do you realize that us having Josh as our star makes us what we are and have been since we first made the playoffs? That my friend is not elite but just good enough to make the playoffs....

[lethalweapon3]

Let the snubs begin!

For this All-NBA honor, Smoove is at the mercy of a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters across North America, many of whom hold Atlanta and/or its sports franchises in low regard, if any regard at all, and some of whom bring up Josh with statements that are usually preceded by, “However,” “Unfortunately,” or “If only.” So any acknowledgement for even the third team would reflect a near-Herculean effort by Employee #5 that could no longer be ignored or belittled.

In the absence of starting center Al Horford, Josh has upped his defensive rebounding (7.5 per game; 6^th in the NBA) and total rebounding (9.6 per game; 13^th in the NBA) to career highs, and lowered his turnover (11.9% Turnover Rate) and personal-foul rates (2.5 fouls per game) to career lows. His blocked shots (1.8 per game) are down from some earlier years, but still way ahead of any forward getting major minutes. Steals, defensive rebounds, and charges included, Josh is similarly far ahead of major NBA forwards for defensive plays. Having to guard power forwards and help defend centers and small forwards, he is a leader in defensive rating (points allowed per possession, ranked 5^th lowest among NBA players) and defensive win shares (ranked 1^st among all players). For media members that truly believe defense wins championships, they shouldn’t look far beyond Josh Smith at All-NBA voting time.

Throw onto that being among only seven players in the league amassing 500 field goals for the season. At a career-high 18.8 points per game, Smith finished just three points behind perennial All-Star Joe Johnson for the team scoring title. Proportionately, his 28 double-doubles over 66 games represent a career high. While his offensive rebounds and free throw attempts are not career highs, they are greater in number after 66 games than his tallies after 77 games in 2010-11. Altogether, his durability and production helped guide the Hawks among the top 4 records in the Eastern Conference, as he and Jeff Teague were among only 15 NBA players that started all 66 games.

Some voters will fear that an All-NBA honor will be perceived as aiding and abetting the decisions he makes with the basketball on offense that we have all come know and loathe. Aside from his much-maligned jump-shooting choices, what will likely set Smoove back in this race is a subpar offensive rebounding rate – which is likely due in large part to his expanded range of jumpshots as well. His 6.7 percent offensive rebounding rate is on par with Carlos Boozer and ahead the other small forwards (Dirk, Melo) under consideration, but well behind other power forwards.

But it should not be ignored that, with Horford out for much of the year and All-Star Joe Johnson’s offensive output regressing until recently, Josh took over the mantle as a leading scorer for a team that improved its winning percentage more than any returning playoff team, aside from an Indiana team that made major moves in the offseason.

I’m already assuming that, come hell or high water, Kevin Love and Blake Griffin are locks for the All-NBA Second Team, based on the former’s individual astronomic stats and the latter’s contributions to a team that, with a little help from a fellow All-NBA’er, finally became a playoff contender in a major market. That leaves two sports for the rest, on the All-NBA Third Team. Here are the players most likely to steal All-NBA consideration from Josh:

Pau Gasol – First: It’s L.A. Second, he’ll get votes from media seeking to award someone from a team that was supposed to be hampered by a sometimes-injured superstar, an openly questioned head coach, and a moody star center, and get passed by in the divisional standings by its co-tenants. He will also gain sympathy for being the anti-Odom, soldiering on despite having been one “basketball-reasons” executive decision away from being a Houston Rocket. Despite a career-low 17.7 PPG, Gasol averaging his third-straight double-double (featuring a career-high 7.6 defensive rebounds) while adding on 3.7 assists over 37.4 minutes (both highs for his Lakers career) won’t be ignored.

Carmelo Anthony – First: It’s New York. Second, Melo’s scoring binge after Amar’e Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin got injured will hold sway in the minds of some voters. Yet, Melo was prominently featured in the losing streaks that bookended Lin’s emergence, the latter streak costing his head coach his job and calling into question his ability to be a defensive presence and/or blend offensively with the other stars. Saving the team from falling out of the playoff picture is worthy of monthly accolades but not a season-long one. Although he’s not critiqued and characterized for this, his shooting percentage for long-distance twos (35% on 5.6 FGAs per game) is about as poor as Smith’s (36% on 6.3 FGAs per game). While he makes up for that with superior three-point shots, his percentage beyond the arc (34%) is still nowhere near what it was during after the Knicks traded for him last year (42%). And he experienced no career highs in any significant category. With or without the injuries this team endured, with or without a wunderkind in Lin, with or without luring J.R. Smith from China, this was a preseason lock by the pundits to at least surpass the Hawks in the standings. That they failed to do so should give voters pause, but of course it probably won’t.

Dirk Nowitzki – First: It’s the defending champ, with a high-profile owner ready to politick for his players as-needed and as well as any other owner. Second, taking a team behind the eight-ball already with the departure of Tyson Chandler, and putting them further behind the eight-ball with the flameout of last season’s Sixth Man of the Year in Lamar Odom, meant Dallas’ leaders had to double down to avoid becoming just the second defending NBA champion not to make the playoffs. While he led the team in points and defensive rebounds, Dirk’s per-game production (especially his field goal shooting, passing efficiency, rebounding and shotblocking) continues to slide. For the Mavs, to me a team who benefitted more from a solid coaching effort than an All-NBA impact, the transition to a defense-first squad under Rick Carlisle seems to be occurring with or without him.

Paul Pierce – First: It’s the Celtics. Second, he’s been playing about as well, if not better in April as he did in March when he was given the surprise Player of the Month honor ahead of Smith. His assists on this passing-savvy squad is as high as it’s been in the Three Amigos era, but his field goal shooting about a low as it’s been in this era, especially beyond the arc (36.2%) and long-range shots (34%), areas where he’s taken more shots in his past three seasons. Relative to the rest of his illustrious career, the rest of Pierce’s per-game and per-minute statistics are unremarkable, at best. He’s scoring more because his usage rate is much higher than in recent years, and his play further away from the rim has reduced his free throw attempt rate.

Paul Millsap – He will get votes from those wishing, in a close contest, to value shot selection as a priority. Utah making a post-Sloan return to the playoffs helps Millsap’s cause, as will his Smoove-like ability to fill up multiple categories in the box score. Millsap led the team in steals and offensive boards, and rebounded and shot free throws at career-high clips. But voters will likely stop short of giving the 8^th seed in the West two All-NBA selections, as many will already have Al Jefferson penciled in at center. But those that put Kevin Garnett in the third center hole will be giving Millsap a fresh look.

LaMarcus Aldridge – He will get votes of pity as just the latest in the ongoing curse of career-crippling injuries befalling Portlandia. Second only to Kevin Love among bigs in scoring, his shooting percentages are career highs, as is his passing, especially to three-point shooters. But his rebounding and defensive numbers were not much to write home about, relative to his contending All-NBA peers. And it was usually not enough to keep the Blazers from major slides in the standings… nor enough to save his head coach.

Carlos Boozer – First: it’s Chicago. Second, he will get votes from those wishing to acknowledge the Bulls’ overall success even in the absence of Derrick Rose (18-9) with two All-NBA nods (Rose included). The true accolades will likely be bestowed upon Tom Thibodeau at Coach of the Year consideration time, encompassing a team approach that takes into account Boozer’s, Luol Deng’s, and Joakim Noah’s contributions together. Boozer’s overall numbers are not terribly impressive, with few, if any, noteworthy career marks. And he’s led the Bulls in scoring only 18 times this year.

Snubs from sportswriters and other bloggers are already incoming. I'll post some of those soon.

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

But first, a favorable nod from balloteer Chris Sheridan (Sheridan Hoops):

http://www.sheridanhoops.com/2012/04/27/chris-paul-gets-my-mvp-vote-plus-other-ballot-selections/

ALL-NBA TEAMS

First Team F- LeBron James F-Kevin Durant C-Dwight Howard G-Kobe Bryant G-Chris Paul

Second Team F- Paul Pierce F-Kevin Love C-Andrew Bynum G-Russell Westbrook G-Rajon Rondo

Third Team F-Carmelo Anthony F-Josh Smith C-DeMarcus Cousins G-Dwyane Wade G-Tony Parker

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Chris Haynes, Comcast Sports Net Northwest (and Blazers Insider):http://www.csnnw.com/pages/landing?My-submitted-NBA-awards-ballot-do-you-ag=1&blockID=697224&feedID=5212&

I want to start off by saying that it's a privilege and an honor to get a vote for the NBA's annual awards. For this, I'm humbled.Here is my submitted votes so check them out and let me know if you agree/disagree and leave a comment below. I'll attempt to respond back to your logic.All NBA First Team:PG Chris Paul, Los Angeles ClippersSG Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles LakersSF Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City ThunderPF LeBron James, Miami Heat C Dwight Howard, Orlando MagicAll NBA Second Team:PG Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City ThunderSG Joe Johnson, Atlanta HawksSF Carmelo Anthony, New York KnicksPF Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves C Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles LakersAll NBA Third Team:PG Tony Parker, San Antonio SpursSG Monta Ellis, Milwaukee BucksSF LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail BlazersPF Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers C Al Jefferson, Utah Jazz

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

David Aldridge (no known relation, NBA.com):

http://www.nba.com/2...icks/index.html

ALL NBA TEAMS

ALL-NBA FIRST TEAM

Guards: Kobe Bryant, Lakers; Tony Parker, Spurs

Forwards: LeBron James, Heat; Kevin Durant, Thunder

Center: Dwight Howard, Magic

ALL-NBA SECOND TEAM

Guards: Chris Paul, Clippers; Dwyane Wade, Heat

Forwards: Kevin Love, Timberwolves; Carmelo Anthony, Knicks

Center: Andrew Bynum, Lakers

ALL NBA THIRD TEAM

Guards: Russell Westbrook, Thunder; Rajon Rondo, Celtics

Forwards: LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland; Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks

Center: Marc Gasol, Memphis

~lw3 Edited April 27, 2012 by lethalweapon3

[lethalweapon3]

Dave McMenamin (ESPN LA)... didn't think anyone would award Granger as a Pacers Achievement Award, but there it is:http://espn.go.com/l...mped-good-elite

All-NBA First Team F Kevin Durant F LeBron James C Andrew Bynum G Kobe Bryant G Chris PaulAll-NBA Second Team F Carmelo Anthony F Kevin Love C Dwight Howard G Tony Parker G Dwyane Wade All-NBA Third Team F Danny Granger F Blake Griffin C Kevin Garnett G Russell Westbrook G Rajon Rondo

~lw3 Edited April 27, 2012 by lethalweapon3

[lethalweapon3]

John Hollinger (ESPN Insider) really likes "Wings":

All-NBA first team

Point guard: Chris Paul, L.A. Clippers

Wing: LeBron James, Miami

Wing: Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City

Big: Kevin Love, Minnesota

Big: Andrew Bynum, L.A. Lakers

The two wing positions are so obvious that I won't spend much time on them: LeBron and KD will likely be two of the first three names on every MVP ballot. You can argue for Kobe Bryant or Dwyane Wade, but you won't get very far -- they've been both less productive and less durable than LeBron and Durant.

Point guard is more interesting. There's been a surge of interest in Tony Parker, largely because the basketball media just can't handle the idea of an ensemble cast winning a ton of games. San Antonio has three stars and a bunch of good players around them; I'm not sure why it shocks people that they could win this way. But somehow everybody thinks it could only happen if Parker became a superduperstar. Alas, San Antonio's success doesn't make Parker better than Chris Paul, who has both galvanized the Clippers under his leadership and ranks second in the NBA in PER (player efficiency rating, my rating of a player's per-minute effectiveness).

My choice for the first big man is Love, who was having a dominant season before he was knocked out for the final few games and could have come back if it had been important to the Timberwolves. Even with all the missed time, he's still fourth behind the three players above in EWA (estimated wins added, which is essentially my player efficiency rating multiplied by minutes to estimate overall value) this season and has single-handedly launched the lowly Wolves to respectability.

Whether you chose Andrew Bynum or Dwight Howard as your second big man largely depends on which brand of immaturity rankled you more. Bynum's errors, however, were largely borne out of competitiveness; Howard's at times seemed to come from a place of sheer apathy. I freely admit that on sheer per-minute productivity Howard was the superior player, but it's hard for me to give a first-team All-NBA nod to a guy who was clearly uncommitted to his team and trying to backstab the coach.

All-NBA second team

Point guard: Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City

Wing: Dwyane Wade, Miami

Wing: Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers

Big: Blake Griffin, L.A. Clippers

Big: Dwight Howard, Orlando

Again, the sympathies for Tony Parker and Steve Nash are mostly "story" votes; Westbrook outranks both in PER and has been a total ironman, playing every game and for nearly 36 minutes a contest. Derrick Rose is the other contender here, and would be an easy call if he'd been healthy all season. Alas, he simply hasn't played enough games -- his 8.2 EWA, for instance, only ranks 37th in the league even though he has a top-10 PER.

On the wings, we again have very little to debate. Wade and Kobe are pretty clearly No. 3 and No. 4 in the worldwide wingman rankings, with a giant chasm separating them from whomever might be fifth. Wade in particular has had another Hall of Fame season between the injuries; this is his fourth straight season with a PER above 25 and sixth in the past seven. Wade and LeBron are the only two active players with six such seasons; Tim Duncanand Kevin Garnett (5), Dirk Nowitzki (4) and Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul (3) round out the list.

Up front, I went with the dynamic duo of Griffin and Howard. Both may be frustrating, but ultimately their talent and durability still made them more valuable than anyone else we could name. And it wasn't just racking up stats -- both Griffin and Howard had impressive plus-minus numbers, suggesting their impact went far beyond just piling up points and rebounds. Howard was sixth in PER; Griffin was 10th while playing every game. While their flaws prevent them from ranking with the creme de la creme, they deserve second-team status.

All-NBA third team

Point guard: Tony Parker, San Antonio

Wing: James Harden, Oklahoma City

Wing: Paul Pierce, Boston

Big: Pau Gasol, L.A. Lakers

Big: Al Jefferson, Utah

And now we get to Parker at the point. While he falls short of Westbrook and CP, he's pretty easily been the league's third-best point guard this season -- again, once we account for Rose missing half the season. He was one of only three point guards to have a double-digit EWA (I suppose you can guess the other two), and the Spurs' record obviously speaks well for his contributions. Additionally, Parker had strong plus-minus numbers despite his team having a very strong bench.

The toughest choices were on the wings, if only because we didn't have any candidates to bowl us over after the top four players. Carmelo Anthonymight merit a vote except that this award is for the entire season, including the half during which he quit on his first coach; and Manu Ginobili only played half a season. Normally those would be the two choices, but they've made our decision tougher. Additionally, Rudy Gay had a tough season, and Danny Granger is more a case of voting for the team than the player.

So I landed on Harden and Pierce. Harden was the easier call, thriving in a sixth-man role in Oklahoma City while arguably being the team's second-best player. The Thunder play dramatically better with him on the court -- he's second in the NBA in adjusted plus-minus -- and his EWA, despite limited minutes, was the best of any wing player remaining. Throw in the Thunder's success and this was an easy call.

The tougher call was between Pierce and Andre Iguodala for the final spot. I wanted to reward Iggy's defense, but Pierce is a pretty fine defender in his own right, and his offensive contributions were substantially better. In fact his EWA was only a hair behind Anthony's (9.8 and 9.4), and given the defensive disparity between those two it was clear Pierce deserved the nod.

Now for the frontcourt. Pau Gasol was an easy call for the next big man on the list. He's played consistently effective basketball under a huge minutes load, playing every game at 37.4 minutes per clip, and done so despite rarely getting post touches so Bynum could thrive on the block. He has the best plus-minus on the Lakers and his adjusted plus-minus ranks 12th in the league. You'd be hard-pressed to name a more versatile big man.

Now for the final cut … I agonized between Chandler and Kevin Garnett as my final big, but finally went in a different direction and picked Jefferson. It's not clear that his offense out-values the defense of Chandler or Garnett, but he put the Jazz on his back in their playoff drive, and defensively I'll offer the faint praise that he was better than usual. Supporting that point of view, his adjusted plus-minus numbers this year were outstanding.

What's amazing is how many good bigs didn't make the cut. While we had exactly three elite point guard seasons and were scrounging for wings to fill out our team, Chandler, Garnett, LaMarcus Aldridge, Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Smith, Marc Gasol and Paul Millsap all had compelling cases to be in this frontcourt.

So if I get a "fourth team," I'll fill it all with bigs: Garnett, Chandler, Nowitzki, Aldridge and Smith.

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Here's a pro-Josh ballot, from the Second City, no less (Sam Aggrey, Comcast Sports Net Chicago):

http://www.csnchicago.com/04/24/12/Bulls-worthy-of-any-NBA-awards/landing_bulls.html?blockID=696044&feedID=10332

All-NBA first team: Kobe Bryant, Lakers; Andrew Bynum, Lakers; Kevin Durant, Thunder; LeBron James, Heat; Rajon Rondo, Celtics

All-NBA second team: Carmelo Anthony, Knicks; Dwight Howard, Magic; Kevin Love, Timberwolves; Chris Paul, Clippers; Russell Westbrook, Thunder

All-NBA third team: Marc Gasol, Grizzlies; Blake Griffin, Clippers; Tony Parker, Spurs; Josh Smith, Hawks; Dwyane Wade, Heat

All-defensive first team: Tyson Chandler, Knicks; Luol Deng, Bulls; Serge Ibaka, Thunder; Andre Iguodala, 76ers; LeBron James, Heat

All-defensive second team: Tony Allen, Grizzlies; Avery Bradley, Celtics; Dwight Howard, Magic; Josh Smith, Hawks; Omer Asik and Taj Gibson, Bulls (tie; can’t separate one from the other, though both are deserving)

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

And the New York Post:

http://www.nypost.co...J#ixzz1tHeUbIJy

All-NBA First Team

Guards: Chris Paul, Tony Parker

Forwards: LeBron James, Kevin Durant

Center: Dwight Howard

All-NBA Second Team

Guards: Russell Westbrook, Kobe Bryant

Forwards: Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge

Center: Andrew Bynum

All-NBA Third Team

Guards: Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo

Forwards: Josh Smith, Blake Griffin

Center: Marc Gasol

The third team was pretty straight forward, with Wade, Rondo and Smith getting on it with ease. I considered Pau Gasol or Dirk Nowitzki, but chose Griffin, and Gasol beat out Tyson Chandler for the third-team spot, both due to his terrific passing skills and for helping carry the load inside for Memphis for much of the year while Randolph was sidelined.

~lw3 Edited April 27, 2012 by lethalweapon3

[lethalweapon3]

Might the tide be turning? Here's WEEI-Boston's Sean Grande:

http://greenstreet.weei.com/sports/boston/basketball/celtics/2012/04/27/sean-grandes-nba-awards-ballot/

I don’t think postseason award ballots should be anonymous. Never have. I’ve been voting for NBA MVP and the other awards for 14 years now. It’s a privilege, not a right. And I think with that privilege comes a certain amount of accountability. I’ve always made my ballot public and I think everyone should. If you’re “expert” enough to get a vote, you should be able to defend your choices, that’s all.

That said, I’ll be submitting my ballots to the league shortly, and here’s what they’ll look like.

ALL-NBA

First Team Second Team Third Team Forward LeBron James Kevin Love LaMarcus Aldridge Forward Kevin Durant Luol Deng Josh Smith Center Dwight Howard Andrew Bynum Kevin Garnett Guard Chris Paul Kobe Bryant Rajon Rondo Guard Tony Parker Russell Westbrook Dwyane Wade

A lot of people in Boston are not fans of Josh Smith, and with good reason, as he’s played poorly against the Celtics, it seems, for years. But the Hawks are a homecourt playoff team. That wouldn’t have shocked me at the start of the year. I really liked Atlanta, but that’s because to me Al Horford was ready to have the kind of season that would get him on this list. For him to miss the year, and the Hawks finish ahead of Boston, Orlando and New York in the East? Didn’t seem possible. Smith drives people crazy, I get it, but he’s earned this spot. Led the league in defensive win-shares, if you’re into that kind of thing.

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Mike Monroe, San Antonio Express-News:

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2012/04/21/picking-best-of-the-best-not-as-simple-as-it-sounds-2/

FIRST TEAM

(F) LeBron James, Heat

Points: 27.1

Rebounds: 7.9

Assists: 6.3

(F) Kevin Durant, Thunder

Points: 27.8

Rebounds: 8.0

Assists: 3.5

(C ) Andrew Bynum, Lakers

Points: 18.9

Rebounds: 10.4

Blocks: 1.9

(G) Chris Paul, Clippers

Points: 19.3

Rebounds: 3.5

Assists: 9.0

(G) Kobe Bryant, Lakers

Points: 27.9

Rebounds: 5.4

Assists: 4.5

SECOND TEAM

(F) Kevin Love, Timberwolves

Points: 26.0

Rebounds: 13.4

Assists: 2.0

(F) Pau Gasol, Lakers

Points: 17.3

Rebounds: 10.4

Assists: 3.6

(C ) Dwight Howard, Magic

Points: 20.6

Rebounds: 14.5

Blocks: 2.2

(G) Tony Parker, Spurs

Points: 18.6

Rebounds: 2.8

Assists: 7.7

(G) Russell Westbrook, Thunder

Points: 23.8

Rebounds: 4.5

Assists: 5.4

THIRD TEAM

(F) Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks

Points: 21.7

Rebounds: 6.8

Assists: 2.3

(F) Josh Smith, Hawks

Points: 18.8

Rebounds: 9.7

Assists: 3.8

(C ) Tim Duncan, Spurs

Points: 15.4

Rebounds: 9.0

Blocks: 1.5

(G) Dwyane Wade, Heat

Points: 22.5

Rebounds: 4.9

Assists: 4.7

(G) Rajon Rondo, Celtics

Points: 12.1

Rebounds: 4.9

Assists: 11.6

~lw3 Edited April 27, 2012 by lethalweapon3

[lethalweapon3]

Brian T. Smith, Salt Lake Tribune (a Hawk did make it on his ballot, but...)

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/blogsjazznotes/53996667-62/awards-nba-oklahoma-player.html

It's an honor to receive a vote for the NBA's annual awards. Ballots are due Friday. Awards will be announced during the playoffs. My submission's below.

First team

PG Chris Paul

SG Kobe Bryant

SF LeBron James

PF Kevin Love

C Dwight Howard

Second team

PG Russell Westbrook

SG Joe Johnson

SF Kevin Durant

PF Dirk Nowitzki

C Andrew Bynum

Third team

PG Tony Parker

SG Manu Ginobili

SF Rudy Gay

PF Blake Griffin

C Al Jefferson

in response to a pro-DWade commenter:

Nothing against Wade at all and have a great deal of respect for him as a player. Just though Johnson was huge for Hawks down stretch while Wade dealt with injuries. Hard to put Ginbobili above Wade, but that's how good I thought Ginobili was this season when he played for Spurs. Also not a total subscriber to PER, which can make players like Gortat and G. Monroe look like top-20 in league, when they're obviously not. Big picture, I thought it was an off year for Wade. Tough vote. Thanks.

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Tom Reed, Cleveland Plain Dealer:

All-NBA / First team: Paul, Bryant, James, Durant, Andrew Bynum, Lakers.

Second team: Russell Westbrook, Thunder; Dwyane Wade, Heat; Carmelo Anthony, Knicks; Kevin Love, Timberwolves; Dwight Howard, Magic.

Third team: Derrick Rose, Bulls; Tony Parker, Spurs; LaMarcus Aldridge, Blazers; Blake Griffin, Clippers; Al Jefferson, Jazz

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Here's a second-team nod for Smoove, although not without a dig, from Kevin Pelton (Basketball Prospectus):

http://www.basketballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=2232

ALL-NBA TEAMS

First Team

G - Chris Paul, L.A. Clippers

G - Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City

F - Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City

F - LeBron James, Miami

C - Kevin Love, Minnesota

My MVP ballot, reconfigured., Love did play more at power forward than center, but I was actually surprised how close the percentages were.

Second Team

G - Dwyane Wade, Miami

G - Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers

F - Blake Griffin, L.A. Clippers

F - Josh Smith, Atlanta

C - Dwight Howard, Orlando

I think the forwards are most interesting here. Putting Love as a center means stretching a bit for the second team at forward. Despite knocking Griffin's candidacy for the end of the MVP ballot yesterday, I tend to agree with a point M. Haubs of The Painted Area raised to me recently: Griffin is actually underrated now. Last year we were caught up in all the amazing things Griffin could do, in addition to dunking: His skill as a passer, how well he created offense in the post for a young player. For a post-hype Griffin, the focus is on what he can't do: play elite defense, stretch the floor, make opponents pay at the free throw line. Griffin's numbers, both individually and RAPM, remain outstanding.

As for Smith, he's certainly frustrating to watch (or coach). To the extent his poor decisions and shot selection are hurting the Hawks, however, RAPM doesn't seem to pick it up. Atlanta plays much better with Smith on the floor.

Third Team

G - Tony Parker, San Antonio

G - James Harden, Oklahoma City

F - Paul Pierce, Boston

F - Ryan Anderson, Orlando

C - Andrew Bynum, L.A. Lakers

The forward spots in particular were difficult to choose here, with deserving candidates like Pau Gasol, Andre Iguodala, Paul Millsap and Dirk Nowitzki omitted. Admittedly, Gasol and Nowitzki suffer by comparison to their own elite performance in the past. Pierce ranks ahead of all of them by WARP, and as the best player for a team that's still competitive. Anderson is a more interesting case. Surely, this is the only All-NBA Teams you'll see that feature him. It's difficult to make a statistical argument against Anderson, however. Not only does he rate as elite individually, the Magic has been far better with him on the floor--even using a method in RAPM that should account for how much his backup Glen Davis has struggled. Like Love last year, Anderson may not yet fit our vision of an elite player, but that's the way he has produced.

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

ESPN 5-on-5 split up the positions into small forward/power forward and point guard/shooting guard, which I don't think is the requirement. When doing it this way, Smith gets squeezed out even further.

Who should be the All-NBA first team small forward?

Harper: Kevin Durant. He's working on a third straight scoring title and he's improved his game immensely. People talk about the leap from star to superstar being the biggest jump. What about a superstar that leaps to being a much better all-around player than he was the previous year? (Second: Kevin Garnett; third: Paul Pierce)

Mahoney: Kevin Durant. Here's a terrifying notion: This season's scoring-champ-to-be is still learning and still improving. The prospect of defending Durant was made even more difficult this season thanks to crisper work off the dribble and a few new quirks in his driving game, but Durant earns a place on this list because of the sheer value of his shot creation. KD is great as a spot-up shooter and transition threat, but the rate at which he's able to manufacture quality possessions for Oklahoma City's half-court offense is astounding. (Second: Blake Griffin; third: Paul Pierce)

Mason: LeBron James. When we take into account the diversity of his duties, it's possible that no player has ever filled as many important roles for his team as James has this season. A sublime combination of brute power and deft dexterity, he is the NBA's apex predator (sorry, watching a lot of "Frozen Planet"). (Second: Kevin Durant; third: Paul Pierce)

Thorpe: LeBron James. There is simply no one better on earth at any position. James has such a huge impact on a game that much of what he does gets ignored. His impact on defense ranks above all perimeter players, as does his work as a scorer, facilitator and even as an energy guy. Miami's bottom nine players still struggle to play consistently, but James has them primed for a return to the Finals. (Second: Kevin Durant. He knows how Phil Mickelson felt when Tiger was roaring; third: Paul Pierce)

Wallace: Kevin Durant. Already an elite player in the league, Durant took steps this offseason to improve his overall playmaking and defense to position himself to eventually become one of the all-time greats in the game. He still has to accomplish something significant in the postseason to ultimately get there. But he's certainly on pace. Offensively, there are no weaknesses in his game. (Second: Carmelo Anthony; third: Luol Deng)

Who should be the All-NBA first team power forward?

Harper: LeBron James. He's most likely the MVP of this league, so it would be pretty odd to not have him on the All-NBA first team. Do I have to make a joke about his hairline right now or can I just appreciate watching him play basketball? (Second: Kevin Love; third: LaMarcus Aldridge)

Mahoney: LeBron James. Not sure James even needs an explanation, nor more glowing admiration for arguably his most impressive season yet. But I'll offer it anyway: James' unique blend of offensive splendor and defensive savvy make him a player for the ages. He's the best player in the game, and with all due respect to Durant and the rest of the field, it's not exactly close. (Second: Paul Millsap; third: Dirk Nowitzki)

Mason: Kevin Love. As power forwards go, Love really separated himself from the field this season. He's the top scorer and rebounder at his position, a savvy passer and a willing defender. He may not look like he belongs in the pantheon of great power forwards, but not even Atlas would shrug at the mythic workload Love shouldered this season. (Second: Pau Gasol; third: Blake Griffin)

Thorpe: Kevin Love. Not only did Love anchor one of the biggest surprise teams through 60 percent of the season, but he discovered that he can do much more than dominate the glass and the 3-point line. Love has learned to score against one man and double-teams, and looks to be a legit contender for league MVP honors as early as next season. (Second: Dirk Nowitzki; third: Blake Griffin)

Wallace: LeBron James. The league typically doesn't distinguish between the guard and forward positions for the All-NBA teams, so there's really no need to insult either LeBron or Kevin Durant by sticking one behind the other at small forward. They're simply the two best players in the game. LeBron's versatility on both ends of the court allows him to shift, technically, to power forward for this exercise. (Second: Kevin Love; third: Blake Griffin)

~lw3

[AHF]

Brian T. Smith, Salt Lake Tribune (a Hawk did make it on his ballot, but...)http://www.sltrib.co...oma-player.html

Putting Ginobili on a ballet is about the dumbest thing I have seen in this entire thread. The guy barely played this season - 792 minutes over 66 games or an average of 12 minutes per game (his per game is higher since it excludes the many games he missed). When he did play he was no great thing either. He only scored double digits 20 times the entire season - less than 33% of San Antonio's games. He did fine in his limited minutes but only played enough to accrue 4.2 Win Shares for the entire season. As a point of reference, Marvin Williams accrued 4.9 Win Shares.Just absolutely asinine.