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Second guesses Taking a closer look at the All-Star reserves
Updated: Monday February 05, 2001 6:31 PM
Tuesday's announcement of the All-Star reserves went mostly according to plan, but there were a few surprises. For example, I thought Miami two-guard Eddie Jones would make the team before his teammate Anthony Mason. But there are no power players on the East roster, and there are a bunch on the West. So if the coaches were thinking about the makeup of the game, they may have chosen Mason, who's a power player, and New Jersey guard Stephon Marbury, who's a true point, to make it more competitive.
Another factor in Mason's favor is that in Miami, he's considered the most valuable player on the Heat this year. He's played enormous minutes, and he's done everything he's been asked to do. Mason is also in the last year of his contract, so he's on a money drive. I think that there's the feeling that he's definitely been the MVP this season. As for the Western roster, the selection of Dallas swingman Michael Finley over his teammate Dirk Nowitzki was unexpected. But to balance the team, they needed a smaller forward instead of another 7-footer, because they selected all the power players -- even David Robinson. The San Antonio center hasn't had a big year, but sometimes player make it on name only.
That's why the omission of John Stockton came as a surprise, because he's a perennial and the coaches usually vote for a guy who's been around so long, as they did with Karl Malone. I thought that Stockton would be honored as well, but if you put him on, whom do you leave off?
New York's successful power playThe Knicks desperately needed a power player, and they got one by sending Erick Strickland and two draft picks to Vancouver for Othella Harrington on Tuesday. That's a very good pickup for New York. Harrington's a good player who will come off the bench to play power forward and center, and they didn't have to give up much for him. The Knicks' philosophy is not to worry about developing young players. If you're looking to win on a consistent basis in the NBA, you can't win with young players unless they're exceptional. And with the Knicks' consistent success, they're not going to get a good pick. As for the Grizzlies, they get Strickland, who's a pretty good player, but, more important, they get the draft choices.
Kevin Loughery is a former NBA player and head coach. He appears each Sunday on CNN's This Week in the NBA.
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