Get Out the Youth (NBA All-Star) Vote

What exactly makes for an All-Star? We spend plenty of time each year arguing over what the meaning of “Most Valuable Player” is; I guess that’s the more lofty, and legit, award, seeing as it’s not decided by low-information fan voters and a small sample of coach balloting. But this season, which has seen a sizable number of breakout seasons and some big names in serious decline, maybe it’s time we take on this bedeviling question.
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↵Any reasonable NBA fan with an eye toward justice has to be pulling for newly-minted stars Devin Harris, Danny Granger, Rajon Rondo (less now?), Al Jefferson, and maybe O.J. Mayo to make their respective squads, as well as the perennially-underrated Brandon Roy and Joe Johnson. Maybe also Rodney Stuckey if he stays this hot. Oh, and naturally, a certain scoring machine marooned in OKC, who has some pretty clear views on what it means to be an All-Star—and how little he deserves this most frivolous of honors. From The Oklahoman ↵↵⇥“No, I don’t think so,” Durant said when asked if he feels he should be an All-Star. “Because one of the requirements is that the team’s got to win. That’s a big part of being an All-Star, leading your team to victories. Hopefully, before I’m done in this league I can be one of those, but right now I’m just trying to help this team turn it around and get better . . . I definitely would trade (being a top 10 scorer) for being 30-4 right now.” ↵↵Granted, Durant’s an extreme case, since his team is so freaking bad. But all too often, All-Star appearances feel like lifetime achievement awards that never end, in large part because of fan voting. In fact, sometimes you feel like veterans get into the game just because they’ve got a history of being in it. Durant’s got a point, and this is a prime example of his sometimes harrowing relationship with winning and losing. Most of the other players I listed have good records on their side. I shouldn’t stress. Still, haven’t we seen enough of Garnett, Allen, and Pierce this season? Is Jason Kidd really relevant anymore? Doesn’t Tracy McGrady need the rest? Shaq may be exceeding expectations, but he’s no All-Star. Something’s wrong with Nash.
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↵Bottom line: Durant’s right, a mindless gunner on a lottery team doesn’t qualify on stats alone. But how else is the league going to get the word out about its newest stars (or their recent progress) if not through this kind of national showcase? As we’ve seen in Boston, San Antonio, and Los Angeles, no one man makes a team a contender unless his name is LeBron James. Unless a player’s individual performance is hurting the team, a good-faith effort to win games is all they need to show to qualify an All-Star. Otherwise, you get stuff like every Celtic, Spur, and in the past, Piston, in the game, which seems to defeat the purpose of celebrating individual talents.↵