2021-2022 MAVS NEWS: 4th in West | WCF loss [ARCHIVED]

[TXBamanut]

As stated:

1. He didnt deserve it.
2. I like that this board looks to be occupied with rational people who love basketball in general.Personally I watch and like other teams and players too.

I disagree with #1.  There is no other player in the league averaging 25/9/9 than Luka.  He may not have been up to his lofty standards, but for an All Star selection, you aren't competing against a former version of yourself.

There is so much talk about the team success and I totally agree.  I think that the only argument should be between Booker and Luka, Ja isn't in the equation and he's only there because he dunks big with his awesome

PHX is 3-2 without Booker.
MEM is 5-4 without Ja.
DAL is 6-9 without Luka.

There's your TEAM difference that everyone uses for the "reason" that this INDIVIDUAL award should go Ja over Luka.

Luka leads his team in..
Minutes per game
Points per game
Rebounds per game
Assists per game
Steals per game (tied with Doe-Doe)

Booker leads in PPG only and Morant leads in MPG, PPG and APG and we aren't talking about a cellar dweller, but Dallas is 5th headed for 4th, so this ain't Mitch Richmond doing everything for a team that doesn't matter.  It's an individual award, so what the individual does should matter more and the less of a difference in standings from the teams of the players in question, the less the record of the team should matter.

Luka is 3-1 H2H over Ja.
Booker is 3-0 H2H over Luka.
Ja and Booker are 1-1 so far.

He'll be an All Star for sure.  I honestly would have a far less problem if Booker were starting over Luka, because Booker deserves it more than Ja, because their stats are basically the same and Phx is #1 in the West, but that's still a slim thing and to say that Luka doesn't deserve it, is really buying into the "fat" narrative and ignoring him playing hurt and STILL putting up stats on a team that is far weaker than the other guys in question without him.  The only team that's worse without their guy is Steph Curry and NO WAY should Luka be starting over Steph, but with Booker and Ja...yeah, there's plenty of room to make that argument without calling anyone a homer.

If anything, there were 3 guys that deserved to be in the conversation...and the last one of the 3 that should have gotten it got it, imho.