The NBA All-Star Episode

Let's talk about the thoughts. All Star starters were announced, and we talked a bit about them in the previous episode when we broke down the journey that my man Andrew Wiggins had from number one pick to bust to someone that franchises gave up on to a man that is now starting in the All Star Game despite despite being twenty fourth highest score in his conference, pushing p people though, are still grumbling about it, but we won't go down that road again. It is safe to say

that was a controversial pick. That was a controversial pick, but you should not hold that against Wiggins. He did not control that vote. He's played very well in Golden State. It's a great story. I'm not gonna hold it against him any more than I already have, but I do have to say that there is a conspiracy that got him there, and I know it for a fact and now we can talk about it. According to The Athletic,

k pop is to blame. The Warriors social media team leveraged their partner with singer Ty singer Bam Bam, a

massive star in the K pop world. The NBA allows fans to vote using tags on Twitter, so Golden State enlisted my Man Bam Bam to solicit votes for players like Steph Clay Thompson and Green, But when it came to the tweet promoting Wiggins, the Warriors specifically asked Bam Bam to send it out on January seventh, According to Slater, when the NBA ran a two for one campaign in which any votes that were cast on that day counted as double Excuse me, excuse me? That is egregious. Why

does that matter? Fan popularity was the determining factor in Wiggans selection as a starter. The fan vote counts as fifty percent, and the choices for the media and the players are waited at twenty five percent each. How big

was this push, you might ask. Bambam has nine million global followers, nine million, and his tweet for Wiggins got thirty seven thousand retweets, sixty nine thousand likes, and three thousand replies, and that doesn't even count his tens of thousands of fans who also tweeted hashtag Andrew Wiggins hashtag

NBA All Star from their own accounts. The tweet was Thailand's number one trending topic, folks, and considering every vote counted as two, the Athletic claims Wiggins got hundreds of thousands of votes, enough to eclipse Paul George and the fan vote and to edge out Draymond Green as well. Tisk tisk tisk, Shenanigans, no shade to Andrew Wiggins. But we all know, and we all knew as soon as this came out something was afoot, didn't we And this is now why, this is how it happened. So much

else to talk about. Let's move on. Katie and Lebron biggest vote getters, not a shocker, so they get to be they get to be captain captains. But Kdi is out due to injuries, so somebody else will be starting in this place. Here's what else we know about the starters. Let's break that down. Western Conference starters. Lebron James Andrew Wiggins.

Andrew Wiggins, congratulations Andrew Wiggins, congratulations. See we're pushing Pete, Steph Curry, Jah Moran Westpool reserves, Devin Booker, Luka, Doncic, Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green, Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz. De Jonte Murray from the Spurs named as an injury replacement placement for Draymond Green. Congratulations to you, de Jontay Murray. You deserve it. Chris Paul from the Phoenix Suns and

kitty Cat Karl Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves. I think saying kitty cats mean, but I think it's borderline, so we're gonna keep it. NBA All Star Eastern Conference starters Jason Tatum has replaced kd Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks, Jojoe Embiid, Trey Young, and Damar DeRozan Eastern Conference reserves. Lamello Ball named as an injury replacement. Jimmy

Butler for the Miami Heat. Darius Garland, James Harden, come on like love, James Harden, great player, not an All Star this year. Zach Lavine Chicago Bulls Chris Middleton, fam Fred van Fleet from the Toronto Raptors. That is the list. So let's look at the East first, first, and foremost. What I noticed probably the most banged up front court

in the NBA history. Like, let's break that down. Durant has missed fourteen games this season, Jannis has missed ten games this season, and Biid has missed twelve games this season. Durant's not even playing in this fucking game because he's still hurt. When is the last time that you've seen three All Star Game starters who have missed over a quarter of their team's games. I don't remember that. And of course Katie, of course will not be playing. With

Bron's knee starting to act up. I think Lebron will play, but it's possible that both captains aren't really prominent forces of this game. Kind of fitting this year with a number of players putting on a jersey in an NBA all of these hardship clauses, and I'm surprised we didn't get a hardship clause into the NBA All Star like Hardship All Star. Lance Stevenson a few more points to make tons of chatter about Trey Young. Should he be an All Star starter? Should he not? Dude's balling out.

Just stop. He's averaging twenty eight five and nine, playing probably his best ball since January when the Hawks, just like last year, resurrected their season, even break it out that whole boo, I'm cold type of a thing like Trey Young with his running his mouth getting into people's grills. They got that same That was that same move that got the Nick Soeen rage, which I loved. I didn't love that. I'm sorry, Knicks fans, I love you. You'll know why I said that very shortly. Also, let's remember

the All Star Game is an exhibition game. Like nutmegs and passes and threes from forty feet out. That is a part of the game here, folks. This is not like an All Star game where you would want to see Rucker Park type level of intensity. We want to see what these players can do when they're not worried about this going against their record. I think everybody else

is in agreement about every other Eastern starter. But now that KD isn't playing in the All Star Game, you know, I think I probably would have given his spot to Levine out West. Other than Wiggins. Not a ton of controversy there either. Jokic having a surreal year. Stat's probably the only rival Wilt Chamberlain. Eight times this year, Yoki has recorded fifteen assists. Only Yeah, only Wilt the still has done that in a single NBA season as a center. So as an aside, do you think think about this?

Is Jokic deserving of another MVP award. He's got a thirty three point twenty nine efficiency mark, which is the highest in NBA history, which is better than Will when he averaged fifty in a single season. His fourteen point six y three box plus minus value is also the best in history. He is legitimately the affecting the game more than any other player in the NBA and more

than any other player in NBA history. And yet because he's how do I say this in a positive way, I don't know, Like because he looks like he looks Yeah, because he's not how about this? Because he's not shredded like a Greek god, and he has a haircut that looks like it's from Super Cuts, and he plays in Denver, no one's really checking on him, you know what I mean? Like, I want to say it better than that, but I can't.

There's just nothing else that's truthful. He's just so good, and yet no one cares, like, no one pretends like people pretend he didn't even win the MVP last year. They don't even They didn't even put this man on national TV on Christmas. Every MVP gets a national televised Christmas game. But Jokic because of the aforementioned items that I won't not say again because that would not be nice.

Because he's dowe, because he has those supercuts haircut, and because it just cuts just like this eight dollars buzz cut that he his brothers probably did for him one hundred ten times out of ten times that happens every time. Endeavor's last seven games, Yokic is averaging thirty twelve and ten seventy three point five percent true shooting percentage, also averaging two steals and a half of a block. That

is an eighteen net rating in that stretch. Jesus Christ, can we figure out a way to make him look like not that? Like? Can we send a marketing firm to his house and make this man a star? Jesus? This is with Al Jamal Murray. This is with Al Michael Porter Jr. They're missing Will Barton and stretches in somehow, some way. The Denver Nuggets keep winning games, they keep covering games. They're one and a half games out of fourth place, and it's just him. It's only him. It's ridiculous.

That is an All Star, that is an MVP, and we're not gonna give it to him. We're not even gonna talk about him anymore. Everybody talks about Jaw. I love Jaw, but come on, and Jaw's a lot more swaggy, I tell you a lot more swaggy than Yogic. Jaw probably the favorite to win Most Improved Player, and he's telling everyone, don't vote for me. I don't even want that trash ass award. That's a little That is a peasant award. I am so much better than that. I

was already good. Just give it to my boy Baine. Give it to Baine. Give it to my other guy, Jaron Jackson. Let him share it, split it up, break it in two, split it in three, give it to me. Give it to him, gives him. That's how you know you should fade that pick. Do not vet on Jah Morant to win that. I actually a disrespectful to Jow to even put him in that mix. Never seen so

many circus shots that I've seen from Jaw. I got guys out here on these streets like Bill Simmons comparing my guy nineteen eighties Michael Jordan to Jahn Morant right now. That's how good Jaw is playing is they're getting comparisons to one another, not d Rose. He's like, he's like fucking early, Michael Jordan. Are you kidding me? Goodness, gracious, I don't even know though, if Steph Curry deserves to be a starter, that is not a nice thing to say.

I'm trying so hard, guys, I am. But if you would have asked me this question a month ago, I would have laughed you off the pothet. What you mean is Steph Curry an All star starter? But since January one, Kurry has averaged twenty two points a game one just thirty nine percent from the field. That's not a small sample size either. In fifteen games. He's just way off from his career average of thirty two points last year. Do you know what who is averaging twenty two points

a game right now? My man Fred van Fleet, Aunt Edwards, Brandon Ingram, Can you make an argument for any of those guys as All Star starters. No, Pascal Siakam is averaging twenty one, He's never gonna be a starter. I mean, the only way he's going to the All Star Game is in an uber black. He's gonna cruise up there and sit on the floor with a swagged out outfit. Tyler Hero is averaging twenty. He is not even gonna

sniff the All Star Game. You have a better argument, probably for CP three, probably for Devin Booker, even for Donovan Mitchell before that concussion. I know that contradicts my point that this is an this is an exhibition game and there's no better like box office guy than Curry. But like it's just an accolade. He always gets, you know what I mean, Like it doesn't matter how trash Curry plays, and he's been very good, like does not sleep.

His versatility is the reason that he has MVP buzz, his versatility without Draymond Green, He's got to do other things. His assists are up to nine since nine a game, since Draymond Green went out. All of that, As Steven Asmith would say, I get all that, but like, come on, come on Chris Paul. He is the reason that the Phoenix Suns hold two records for the longest win streaks at eighteen and eleven. This year, they're easily the most dominant team in the NBA, and he's that reason. He's

the guy who makes the entire dish balanced. You know what I mean. You've got Booker, you've got eight, and you've got Michale. But his defense, his leadership, his ability to sprinkle a little season and on that, that's him. He's increased his scoring in the last ten games eighteen and twelve. He's leading the league and assists. He has five and two steals per game, which is tied for second in the league, team leader every level. He should

be starting over Steph Curry. And that's for the West reserves. I know Booker got some respect. Se'd be three got some respect, but they could both be starters. I'm happy for Draymond. He's not gonna play, but he is an All Star. So now we get a big, pleasant surprise de Jontay Murray, who I love Electric Factory. De Jonte coming into his own probably two years ahead of schedule in terms of reaching an All Star Game. He's twenty five, entering his prime. Like he makes the Spurs feel not

like the Spurs, you know what I mean. Like he is a piece Rudy Luca, Spider Cat round out the Western reserves, and I have to say hard to make an argument against them, except for Kitty Cat probably out east. Three big surprises. First, James Harden. It is shocking he it is. He is sitting out games because he's just got a sore hamstring and a sore hand. You may tell me it's just sore. It's just tight and sore. Imagine if I didn't come to work and I was like,

my throat is just tight. It doesn't hurt. I'm not coughing. It's just tight. I don't have COVID, I don't bronchitis. It's just it's just tightness. It's just tight. Just tighten it up. It's shocking. Second cool surprise Darius Garland. I don't know if anybody thought he would be an All Star, but Cleveland has been incredible this year. Him and Yerick Allen should have both been All Stars. But it just shows how much his game has improved. Third surprise, Man

LaMelo Ball. That's like, that's what we needed. I'm happy. No, I'm not happy. I am relieved that we get to see La mel mellow ball. I don't want to see Kad Hurt. I love KD. He's probably one of my favorite players in the league. To watch, his analysis for the game, his savagery on Twitter, all of that, I love. But LaMelo ball is like joy in a human being. He is pushing p in a human like. Everything he

does is pushing pe you know what I mean. As for the rest, Jimmy Butler, Zachlavine, and Chris Middleton, Fred van Fleet also making the reserves, So I love that. I love it for Fred because he should have been an All Star last year. Truthfully he was balling then. Biggest snubs probably Drew. Chris Middleton should not have been an All Star. Like he's okay, he's deserving ish, but

not as much as Drew. Jared Allen, of course, sixteen eleven and two, two blocks and a steal, a game, defense, out of this world, mentoring mobile, two seven footers, meshing like peas and carrots, terrorizing anyone driving into the leg in the league one hundred percent deserves to be an All Star. Probably deserves to be an All Star. Over Mellow, which I hate to say, because he's just been better.

They've been better as a team. Would have been amazing to see him come out in front of that Cleveland crowd on All Star weekend, like you should give an act extra nod to guys who play for that host city. You should. That's just facts. Less than two weeks until the All Star Game, and I am particularly excited because All Star Saturday Night has the skills, the three point the slam dunk going off exactly at the same time.

And like I told you, folks, there's a reason I'm particularly optimistic about the Nets particularly optimistic about the Knicks is because on All Star Saturday Night, I start my very first solo show on w FAM eight to eleven pm Eastern every Saturday, so you can find me there. I will give you more details to come, but I am thrilled and I am very excited that that is my start date. That is all the time that we have for the Heat Check. Well, be back Friday with

a new episode. Do not forget to download. No, we will not be back Friday. We'll be back Monday. Do not forget to download. Subscribe and tell all your friends follow us on social at it, this heat check and tristokrit on time on.