Post by New York on Nov 22, 2015 5:56:37 GMT
Back in ABCA Legends I used to do All-Star game prediction articles and, for the most part, I would be pretty spot on with the rosters I chose for America and Eurasia. So I figured after not doing one for season one of Legends I would get back into the swing of things by putting one together. While these are basically what I think they should be I did factor in how I know the game decides things but I deviated from that some on certain picks so this likely won't be 100% accurate but where's the fun in that anyway? But before we get into the actual players, let's look at the five different sections of this article.
Won't Make Their Debut = Players that I don't expect to make it this season and didn't make it last season
Not Returning This Season = Players that made the team last year but I don't expect to make a second appearance
Debuting This Year = Players that didn't make it last year but are expected to make it this season.
Returning This Season = Players that made it last season and I expect to make their second All-Star appearance this season
Final Lineup Predictions = A quick prediction of how the full lineups will look for both America and Eurasia (TL:DR for those who just want the team predictions)
Won't Make Their Debut
This was originally titled the snubbed category so you can look at this as players that have a shot but I think will end up being beat out by another player. Please note that I'm attempting to do one per position so there will be some obvious snubs who are left off of this list due to playing the same position as another player already on the list.
Eurasian Snubs
PG: Zoran Slavnic - Slavnic is one of the top PGs in this league with a game that you wouldn't expect a player standing at only 6 feet to have. The trouble for him is that he is right outside of that All-Star level with guys like Stockton, Kidd, Dumars, and Parker just a level above him. You could say that if he was in America he'd be in the running for a spot but as it stands now he will be on the outside looking in more than likely.
SG: Earl Manigault - I'll be honest there are times that I forget that GOAT is in this league. But when looking at his numbers it is clear that he is one of the league's best do everything guards. 18 PPG | 5.6 RPG | 6.4 APG |1.5 SPG is impressive by itself and when you realize he's doing it in under 36 MPG then it's even more impressive. He's currently the league's 4th best SG according to EWA, it's just too bad #1 and #3 are both in Eurasia.
SF - Jerome Kersey - Kersey may not be who you think of when you think of an All-Star but he is the best SF in Eurasia that'll miss and hasn't already made the team before. This was between him and Iso Joe Johnson and I thought that while they are close, the rebounding edge and that fact that he is doing everything in 3 fewer minutes showed that Kersey has been better this season.
PF: George Mikan - A casualty of a last minute change I made to this article, I originally had this as Rasheed Wallace with George Mikan who is averaging 20.5 PPG | 10.1 RPG | 1.1 SPG | 2.4 BPG in just 34.9 MPG as one of the positionless players. But I can't list four PFs on the Eurasian roster (since i've never seen one position load up like that in the game) so I had to make a change that I personally think there is a good chance I'll be wrong about. We shall see once the sim is run.
C: Antonio McDyess - This was a toss-up between Benoit Benjamin who has a better EWA and Dyess who has better raw numbers. I decided that Dyess averaging 19.4 PPG | 9.6 RPG | 1.6 APG | 1.7 BPG in less than 36 minutes was the bigger snub. This'll make it two years in a row that I felt Bamberg had an All-Star potential big that just missed the cut.
*Sam Jones - Jones is a bonus mention because without injury he's at worst, backing up Jordan this year.
American Snubs
PG: Mike Conley - He was the backup PG at one point but has slowed a bit. Having a good season and could still make it but has fallen behind a few other PGs for now.
SG: Andrew Gaze - Similar to Conley we could still see him make it and I wouldn't be surprised since the Earl Monroe's injury opened the door for a SG. The question will be whether bigger but less efficient stats on a worse team is more impressive and I believe for the All-Star game it might be.
SF: Kevin Garnett - I hate leaving KG off the roster again, but the move to SF cost him a spot. The top 3 SFs in the league right now are Julius Erving, Kevin Durant, and Grant Hill (you could argue Baylor) and all 3 likely get spots before KG.
PF: Bill Russell - Hard to call a rookie a snub but Russell is averaging 22 PPG | 9.6 RPG | 2.2 BPG | 2.7 APG from the PF spot. If he keeps up these numbers he'll make the All-Star game at some point. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to see him make it depending on how the game handles Pau Gasol missing all the time he did.
C: Bob Kurland - I don't have Kurland in my top 5 American conference snubs or even as the top Spurs snub as he isn't their best player. But I needed a Center for this spot and it was between him and Andrew Bogut and I thought it was a bad idea to have two rookies in American's snubs. If Kurland can get back to the type of numbers he was putting up in Bamberg then I think he can become an all-star next season but this was a down year for him.
Not Returning This Season
Last season we saw some players benefit from it being the first season of Ultimate ABCA by making the All-Star team, some benefited from others injuries, and some just had really good seasons that didn't translate to season two. For one reason or another there will always be players that don't make the All-Star team that made it the previous season. This list is looking at the guys I don't expect to return in year two.
Eurasia Players Not Returning
Gilbert Arenas - Agent Zero looked like someone that was going to have a few All-Star appearances under his belt by the time he retired but sadly he took a noticeable step back in Training Camp. Now while still a very solid player I would be pretty surprised to see him return to All-Star Sunday this year.
Harry Gallatin - Harry was the best player on Eurasia's best team last season so he was a no brainer to start in the All-Star game. While he is still on the best team in the league he isn't the best or even second best player on their roster anymore so I think it's was a one-shot deal for Gallatin in regards to the All-Star game.
Jabari Parker - Much like Arenas this is a case of Training Camp being unkind and taking a guy that likely had multiple All-Star appearances in him and knocking him down a notch. He also has had to deal with a decrease in his minutes so it's possible that is actually the main culprit for him likely missing the All-Star game. Either way, I don't see it happening this season.
Pee Wee Kirkland - He was great last season but Dumars has taken a step forward while Pee Wee took a slight step back so he'll be close but get edged out this year by JD.
Ubiratan Mereira Maciel - Maciel is still very good but offensively he hasn't been the same guy as last season. Even with Ewing in the other conference now I think we see a young guy move into that 2nd Center spot this year with Maciel now on the outside looking in.
American Players Not Returning
Al Horford - Horford has been just as good as last year but the American Conference big man scene is much improved over last season. Last year he was right there, but now I can't justify him getting a spot over any of Barkley, Daniels, Oden, Ewing, Gasol or another guy that I have missing out Aryvdas Sabonis.
Aryvdas Sabonis - This is a big shocker I think when you look at the fact that not only was Sabo the starting Center but the All-Star game MVP. But with Sabo not playing as good as last year (although he's not far off) and America's Center situation being much improved (see names mentioned above) he will have a tough time landing a spot on the 12 man roster.
Earl Monroe (INJ) - He would've made it but he's injured, it's a simple as that.
Sergei Belov - Another starter that i'm predicting won't make the team but this one is a bit easier to call. Dropped in PPG by nearly 6 PPG, PER dropped below 20, and a few other things
Debuting This Season
If I am predicting that 10 of last years All-Stars will no longer be All-Stars then that also means that I am predicting that we will see 10 different guys on the team. Since this is only season two that means everyone that I have replacing the guys that I expect to fall out will be making their All-Star team debut. Some are rookies that I expect to make it in their first season, some are guys that saw a noticeable leap from last season, and some are guys that probably were going to make it last season if not for injury.
Eurasian Players Making Their Debut
Elgin Baylor - With my prediction that both Gallatin and Parker will fall off of the Eurasian Conference roster there needs to be someone that replaces them and Baylor is one guy I'm pretty sure will take a spot. He may be a rookie, but statistically he is at worst the 3rd or 4th best Small Forward in the league and when you consider the fact that 1-3 would be all American Conference I think Baylor's 25.3 PPG | 7.2 RPG | 3.4 RPG | 1.2 SPG will be enough to secure him a spot.
Jason Kidd - I bounced around with the idea of a few different people for one of the positionless spots but in the end I went with the guy that is currently ranked the 3rd best Point Guard in the league behind Tony Parker and John Stockton. Kidd doesn't give you the flashy numbers scoring wise but he does give you an efficient 16 PTS | 6.5 REB | 9.1 AST | 2.0 SPG in just under 36 MPG. Only a single triple double this season but if you look at his stat sheet you'll see that he was close more than a dozen times with like 10+ PPG | 9 RPG | 10+ APG or vice-versa on the RPG & APG. In Legends, we didn't get to see a fun Jason Kidd, but this one has more than made up for it.
Joe Dumars - I talked about Jason Kidd's prowess as a Point Guard but right behind him is REAL Madrid's Joe Dumars. I've aways thought he was a shooting guard that could pass but he's done well as a scoring Point. 22.1 PPG | 7.2 RPG | 6.3 APG | 1.2 SPG is impressive however you spin it. Jerry Lucas is in town now but this team's leader is Dumars and he deserves to be rewarded for it with an All-Star spot.
Marc Gasol - This is another one I bounced around with because you've got guys like Antonio McDyess and Benoit Benjamin out there to take the spot of Maciel and Patrick Ewing on the Eurasian Conference roster, but I had to go with the younger Gasol brother here. 18 PTS | 10 REB | 2 AST | 2 BLK if we are rounding up again aren't the flashiest, but neither are any of the guys I have him beating out. Then when you look at things he is the most impactful big man in Eurasia not named Hakeem Olajuwon. The team around him needs to develop more and add some more pieces but when just looking at him I think he is definitely an all-star this year.
Xavier McDaniel - Out with Maciel and in with X-Man for the Eurasian Conference All-Star team. There is a young guy in the American Conference that took a big step this season that we keep hearing about, but McDaniel took one of the biggest steps forward this season from year one. Averaging around 25 PTS | 8 REB | 3 AST | 1 STL per game from the SF position he has become the robin to White's batman this season. The funny thing is I don't think we are even seeing the best of what McDaniel has to offer this year as he has been forced back into the SF spot after a monster start to the season at PF. I think as time goes on we'll see X-Man on more All-Star teams but it'll likely be at PF.
American Players Making Their Debut
Grant Hill - I'm surprised we have heard so little about Grant Hill who despite what some would say was a less than stellar Training Camp has clearly improved his game. In fewer minutes, he is scoring and passing a lot better when you consider efficiency. He does play behind Durant and Dr. J in the conference so if he's going to make it then it has to be in that 11th or 12th spot but I think he is definitely the best player once you get past the 2 of every position rule so he should be on the team.
Greg Oden - I know, I know people are tired of hearing me talk about him, but you'll have to deal with it for a bit longer. Oden was looked at as a reach by many last season and while he surpassed expectations in year one he still didn't look like a truly elite player at just over 17 PTS | 9 REB | 1 BLK per game. However this year he is shooting a monster 62.1% to give the Knicks 25.1 PTS | 10.2 REB | 2.2 BLK per game. I won't drag this on but even with the American conferences Center depth it's hard to argue any has been better than Greg Oden so he should be an all-star.
John Havlicek - Another rookie so that makes it one a piece for the All-Star teams and this isn't something we saw happen often in Legends. Hondo isn't shooting a great percentage and some have argued he shouldn't be an All-Star, but he has clearly outplayed his competition, Andrew Gaze. It's taking him 24 shots but he's putting up about 25 PTS | 6 REB | 5 AST | 1 STL from the SF position. Along with Bogut he has taken a team that won 6 games last season and led them to 16 wins with 34 games to play. On the topic of Bogut I know he deserves it more but Hondo benefited from Monroe's injury while Bogut is stuck behind Oden, Ewing, Gasol, and Sabonis so it'd be rough for him to get in.
Paul Westphal - So with Monroe out and Walt Frazier traded to Eurasia the role of starting shooting guard falls to the Mexico City Titans Paul Westphal. I still can't believe the Lakers let this guy walk for nothing because while he's not a superstar, you have a guy here who can play both guard positions and gives you 21.2 PTS | 7.1 AST | 5.1 REB | 1.3 STL and does it on pretty respectable efficiency. He probably was headed to the All-Star game with his play this year either way but now he's likely to add All-Star starter to his resume in Ultimate ABCA Season 2.
Returning This Season
While I do expect quite a bit of change this season in regards to the All-Star game, I also think there are some guys that have been just as good, if not better than they were last season and will make their second consecutive All-Star game appearance. Some of these were no-brainers, while some had some tough competition both new and old that made the prediction a lot less obvious.
Eurasian Players Returning This Season
Bob McAdoo - I have to be honest this is one I'm not sure on. I almost left McAdoo off the roster because while I think he deserves to be on here I see reasons for the game to leave him off. I even had a writeup already done for him in the other section but changed my mind last minute. But not to focus on that if Bob McAdoo makes it you can't say he doesn't deserve it as he is leading one of the best team's in the conference. He's doing that while averaging 23.0 PPG | 9.7 RPG | 2.5 APG | 1.6 BPG on a solid 49.2% shooting. He has definitely taken a step forward this season and is an all-star caliber player for sure.
Hakeem Olajuwon - He isn't putting up the numbers that we saw him put up last season anymore, but he's still far and away the best big man in Eurasia and when talking strictly Centers you could argue he's the best in the league. That's a big difference from America which has the three-headed monster of Oden, Ewing, and Gasol at Center. That's great news for Hakeem even though it may not be the best news for Eurasia in this game because even with a slightly "down" year of 27.6 PPG | 9.1 RPG | 2.8 APG | 1.3 SPG | 2.1 BPG on 50.6% shooting (goes to show how high he set the bar last season) he is in no threat of losing his starting job or missing the All-Star game this year. Expect him to be in the starting lineup come Sunday unless something major happens in the Eagles final two games before the break.
John Stockton - Stockton is not only the league's premiere Point Guard but a top 3, at worst, player in the league right now and because of that he is going to lead the way for the Eurasian Conference (along with Michael Jordan) in the All-Star game. He's recently received a new challenger to his throne in the form of 22.4 PPG | 5.6 RPG | 8.8 APG | 1.8 SPG (PER 36) but Stockton still is the clear-cut top dog with 23.5 PPG | 5.9 RPG | 11.1 APG | 3.1 SPG (PER 36). With both likely locked into the starting spots, I anxiously await their all-star face-off on Sunday.
Michael Jordan - I made mention of him above when discussing the leaders of the Eurasian Conference because he is either 1A or 1B when we are talking about Eurasia. Last season he was backed up in this game by Gilbert Arenas who while good was never a threat to steal his spot among Eurasian Shooting Guards. While his competition for the top spot has become stronger, Jordan himself has become a better player averaging more points, assist, rebounds, and steals in fewer minutes per game this season. Much like the above two players, Jordan is going to not only make his second all-star appearance but his second All-Star start and I am certain of that.
Radivoj Korac - Last season's backup All-Star Power Forward and leader of the best team in the league once again will be in the conversation for the All-Star game and I believe he'll make it again. This is another case of me deviating away from EWA which is something that people assume is the only thing I look at when writing these articles. He right now would potentially miss out on the game due to his EWA being lower than two other forwards in the Eurasian Conference. But I have seen situations where two players have comparable numbers (which is the difference between this and Hondo/Gaze situation) and the player from the better team gets the nod. Could Korac miss the game? Absolutely. Do I think the best team in the league will go into the All-Star game with zero representation? Not at all.
Sherman White - While Korac will likely be back in the All-Star game, I still think it'll be as the backup to this man. Again to reference back to the player from the better team getting the nod if the numbers are similar, that might matter when you are talking about McAdoo vs. Korac but when you are talking about 29.2 PPG (per 36) vs. 22.5 PPG (per 36) then I think it's a completely different story. There is going to be a deserving player left off of the Eurasian Conference team, but I just find it hard to believe it's going to be someone scoring at this rate.
Walt Frazier - The first of two players that were All-Stars last season in the opposite conference that I am predicting will be an All-Star in their current conference. The backup to Earl Monroe last season, Frazier would be receiving his first All-Star game start if he remained in the American Conference. However in Eurasia with a healthy Michael Jordan there is no way he starts unless we see a major injury before hand. But with that said there isn't a shooting guard outside of Jordan that could make this team over him in either conference. Sam Jones & Earl Monroe would've been in the running if not injured and Earl Manigault is good but not that good. He may only make the team as the backup, but we've seen before that the backups usually see the most minutes in the All-Star game so don't be surprised if Frazier is in the running for All-Star game MVP as he matches up with America's less than stellar shooting guards.
American Players Returning This Season
Charles Barkley - The no-brainer to end all no-brainers, this is a pick that I really don't even need to do a writeup on for anyone to understand. Charles Barkley is the league's best player averaging 34.9 PPG | 9.9 RPG | 1.3 SPG | 1.4 BPG | 2.8 APG with a good but not great supporting cast leading them to the conference's best record and just recently beat the league's best team. I'm not sure what else to say other than Barkley will continue his trend of racking up accolades this season and that starts with another All-Star apperance.
Julius Erving - What Dr. J is doing is nothing short of impressive this season. After a less than ideal training camp for his supporting cast, there were many that felt we would see this team take a step back from the 48 wins they put up last season. With 34 more games to play they already have 33 wins on the season and are on pace for a 56 win season if they can stay the course. Putting up 26.0 PPG | 7.8 RPG | 4.1 APG | 1.4 SPG in less than 36 MPG you could argue that he is the MVP if Charles Barkley wasn't in the league. While Barkley starting at PF is the easiest pick to make, I think penciling Dr. J into the SF spot is right behind that.
Kevin Durant - The Slim Reaper was just voted by some as the best non-rookie player 22 years old or under in the league. Now while I don't agree with that because he plays in the same league as Greg Oden and Tony Parker, you can't deny that this kid is an All-Star caliber player. Averaging 23.7 PPG | 8.2 RPG | 3.0 APG | 1.3 SPG he is the best player on one of the American Conference's premiere teams. He made it last year with similar numbers and even though he didn't make a significant leap, these numbers will get him in again. When he does make that big leap he will go from the conversation of All-Star player to potential All-Star starter for sure.
Mel Daniels - Mel Daniels is one of the most unlucky players in the league right now. Let me run off some things about Mel so you know what I mean; The league leader in rebounds through two seasons (1376), the league leader in double-doubles through two seasons (79), one of only 3 players to be averaging a 20 & 10 double-double through the first two seasons (23.5 PPG | 10.7 RPG ) along with Stockton (PPG & APG) and Korac (PPG & RPG), the only person to average at least 20 PPG - 10 RPG - 4 APG through their career (23.5 PPG | 10.7RPG | 4.1 APG). Despite all that Mel Daniels will never start an All-Star game because he plays behind the perennial MVP. With that said, it's clear that Mel Daniels will be an All-Star this season and you could argue if he was playing either the C or SF spots he could have a shot at being the starter.
Patrick Ewing - The second of two players that were All-Stars last season in the opposite conference that I am predicting will be an All-Star in their current conference. Making the Eurasian All-Star team as the backup to Hakeem Olajuwon last season, he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for would be rookie All-Star Sam Jones (if not for injury). Since the trade, he has been the leader of a team also featuring former All-Star Sergei Belov and future All-Stars Andrew Wiggins and Kevin Garnett. Averaging 23.4 PPG | 9.6 RPG | 2.5 APG | 2.4 BPG on 56.1% shooting I have no doubt in my mind that Patrick Ewing will add a 2nd All-Star appearance this season before heading into Free Agency in the summer.
Pau Gasol - Slight spoilers for the final section but it's something I wanted to touch on, I have Gasol as the third C on the American Conference team. Gasol has been great this season and one could argue he's been better than both Ewing and Oden this season. I for one would have him as the starter or at the very least the reserve if I was picking these players but I have to factor in the game and I am not sure how the game will handle him playing 14 less games than either Ewing or Oden. Honestly there is a chance the game snubs him and then he moves to the other section as the biggest snub of the season. 23.1 PPG | 9.2 RPG | 3.2 APG | 0.9 SPG | 1.9 BPG are definitely all-star numbers, but it remainings to be seen if that'll actually be the case.
Terry Porter - TP v2 will likely be back in his role as backup Point Guard in the All-Star game this season as he edges out both Mike Conley and future All-Star starter Chris Paul, who both have a better EWA, for this spot. Unlike the end of season awards, this leans less on that advance stat and takes raw stats into consideration more and when looking at those it's hard to argue against him here. He's clearly the best scorer between the two while still bringing in 7 APG. I could end up way off base on this one but i've seen situations like this before and I'd give Porter about a 70% chance at being an All-Star.
Tony Parker - TP has emerged as the best Guard (Point or Shooting) in the American Conference and is right up there with John Stockton and Michael Jordan for the best overall guards in the league right now. He made his debut last season as a positionless reserve behind Sergei Belov and Terry Porter but this season there is no question who the starter is as he is averaging 25.3 PPG | 10.0 APG | 2.0 SPG on 47.8% shooting and 39.6 3P% this season.
Final Lineup Predictions
So now you've got my 12 man rosters for each team but what about the actual lineups? Who will be the starters, who will be the bench players, who will make the team in the positionless spots? Let's see how I have things shaping out:
Eurasian All-Star Game Lineup
Starting C: Hakeem Olajuwon
Starting PF: Sherman White
Starting SF: Elgin Baylor
Starting SG: Michael Jordan
Starting PG: John Stockton
Bench C: Marc Gasol
Bench PF: Radivoj Korac
Bench SF: Xavier McDaniel
Bench SG: Walt Frazier
Bench PG: Joe Dumars
Positionless 1: Jason Kidd (PG)
Positionless 2: Bob McAdoo (PF)
American All-Star Game Lineup
Starting C: Greg Oden
Starting PF: Charles Barkley
Starting SF: Julius Erving
Starting SG: Paul Westphal
Starting PG: Tony Parker
Bench C: Patrick Ewing
Bench PF: Mel Daniels
Bench SF: Kevin Durant
Bench SG: John Havlicek
Bench PG: Terry Porter
Positionless 1: Grant Hill (SF)
Positionless 2: Pau Gasol (C)
This was originally titled the snubbed category so you can look at this as players that have a shot but I think will end up being beat out by another player. Please note that I'm attempting to do one per position so there will be some obvious snubs who are left off of this list due to playing the same position as another player already on the list.
Eurasian Snubs
PG: Zoran Slavnic - Slavnic is one of the top PGs in this league with a game that you wouldn't expect a player standing at only 6 feet to have. The trouble for him is that he is right outside of that All-Star level with guys like Stockton, Kidd, Dumars, and Parker just a level above him. You could say that if he was in America he'd be in the running for a spot but as it stands now he will be on the outside looking in more than likely.
SG: Earl Manigault - I'll be honest there are times that I forget that GOAT is in this league. But when looking at his numbers it is clear that he is one of the league's best do everything guards. 18 PPG | 5.6 RPG | 6.4 APG |1.5 SPG is impressive by itself and when you realize he's doing it in under 36 MPG then it's even more impressive. He's currently the league's 4th best SG according to EWA, it's just too bad #1 and #3 are both in Eurasia.
SF - Jerome Kersey - Kersey may not be who you think of when you think of an All-Star but he is the best SF in Eurasia that'll miss and hasn't already made the team before. This was between him and Iso Joe Johnson and I thought that while they are close, the rebounding edge and that fact that he is doing everything in 3 fewer minutes showed that Kersey has been better this season.
PF: George Mikan - A casualty of a last minute change I made to this article, I originally had this as Rasheed Wallace with George Mikan who is averaging 20.5 PPG | 10.1 RPG | 1.1 SPG | 2.4 BPG in just 34.9 MPG as one of the positionless players. But I can't list four PFs on the Eurasian roster (since i've never seen one position load up like that in the game) so I had to make a change that I personally think there is a good chance I'll be wrong about. We shall see once the sim is run.
C: Antonio McDyess - This was a toss-up between Benoit Benjamin who has a better EWA and Dyess who has better raw numbers. I decided that Dyess averaging 19.4 PPG | 9.6 RPG | 1.6 APG | 1.7 BPG in less than 36 minutes was the bigger snub. This'll make it two years in a row that I felt Bamberg had an All-Star potential big that just missed the cut.
*Sam Jones - Jones is a bonus mention because without injury he's at worst, backing up Jordan this year.
American Snubs
PG: Mike Conley - He was the backup PG at one point but has slowed a bit. Having a good season and could still make it but has fallen behind a few other PGs for now.
SG: Andrew Gaze - Similar to Conley we could still see him make it and I wouldn't be surprised since the Earl Monroe's injury opened the door for a SG. The question will be whether bigger but less efficient stats on a worse team is more impressive and I believe for the All-Star game it might be.
SF: Kevin Garnett - I hate leaving KG off the roster again, but the move to SF cost him a spot. The top 3 SFs in the league right now are Julius Erving, Kevin Durant, and Grant Hill (you could argue Baylor) and all 3 likely get spots before KG.
PF: Bill Russell - Hard to call a rookie a snub but Russell is averaging 22 PPG | 9.6 RPG | 2.2 BPG | 2.7 APG from the PF spot. If he keeps up these numbers he'll make the All-Star game at some point. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to see him make it depending on how the game handles Pau Gasol missing all the time he did.
C: Bob Kurland - I don't have Kurland in my top 5 American conference snubs or even as the top Spurs snub as he isn't their best player. But I needed a Center for this spot and it was between him and Andrew Bogut and I thought it was a bad idea to have two rookies in American's snubs. If Kurland can get back to the type of numbers he was putting up in Bamberg then I think he can become an all-star next season but this was a down year for him.
Not Returning This Season
Last season we saw some players benefit from it being the first season of Ultimate ABCA by making the All-Star team, some benefited from others injuries, and some just had really good seasons that didn't translate to season two. For one reason or another there will always be players that don't make the All-Star team that made it the previous season. This list is looking at the guys I don't expect to return in year two.
Eurasia Players Not Returning
Gilbert Arenas - Agent Zero looked like someone that was going to have a few All-Star appearances under his belt by the time he retired but sadly he took a noticeable step back in Training Camp. Now while still a very solid player I would be pretty surprised to see him return to All-Star Sunday this year.
Harry Gallatin - Harry was the best player on Eurasia's best team last season so he was a no brainer to start in the All-Star game. While he is still on the best team in the league he isn't the best or even second best player on their roster anymore so I think it's was a one-shot deal for Gallatin in regards to the All-Star game.
Jabari Parker - Much like Arenas this is a case of Training Camp being unkind and taking a guy that likely had multiple All-Star appearances in him and knocking him down a notch. He also has had to deal with a decrease in his minutes so it's possible that is actually the main culprit for him likely missing the All-Star game. Either way, I don't see it happening this season.
Pee Wee Kirkland - He was great last season but Dumars has taken a step forward while Pee Wee took a slight step back so he'll be close but get edged out this year by JD.
Ubiratan Mereira Maciel - Maciel is still very good but offensively he hasn't been the same guy as last season. Even with Ewing in the other conference now I think we see a young guy move into that 2nd Center spot this year with Maciel now on the outside looking in.
American Players Not Returning
Al Horford - Horford has been just as good as last year but the American Conference big man scene is much improved over last season. Last year he was right there, but now I can't justify him getting a spot over any of Barkley, Daniels, Oden, Ewing, Gasol or another guy that I have missing out Aryvdas Sabonis.
Aryvdas Sabonis - This is a big shocker I think when you look at the fact that not only was Sabo the starting Center but the All-Star game MVP. But with Sabo not playing as good as last year (although he's not far off) and America's Center situation being much improved (see names mentioned above) he will have a tough time landing a spot on the 12 man roster.
Earl Monroe (INJ) - He would've made it but he's injured, it's a simple as that.
Sergei Belov - Another starter that i'm predicting won't make the team but this one is a bit easier to call. Dropped in PPG by nearly 6 PPG, PER dropped below 20, and a few other things
Debuting This Season
If I am predicting that 10 of last years All-Stars will no longer be All-Stars then that also means that I am predicting that we will see 10 different guys on the team. Since this is only season two that means everyone that I have replacing the guys that I expect to fall out will be making their All-Star team debut. Some are rookies that I expect to make it in their first season, some are guys that saw a noticeable leap from last season, and some are guys that probably were going to make it last season if not for injury.
Eurasian Players Making Their Debut
Elgin Baylor - With my prediction that both Gallatin and Parker will fall off of the Eurasian Conference roster there needs to be someone that replaces them and Baylor is one guy I'm pretty sure will take a spot. He may be a rookie, but statistically he is at worst the 3rd or 4th best Small Forward in the league and when you consider the fact that 1-3 would be all American Conference I think Baylor's 25.3 PPG | 7.2 RPG | 3.4 RPG | 1.2 SPG will be enough to secure him a spot.
Jason Kidd - I bounced around with the idea of a few different people for one of the positionless spots but in the end I went with the guy that is currently ranked the 3rd best Point Guard in the league behind Tony Parker and John Stockton. Kidd doesn't give you the flashy numbers scoring wise but he does give you an efficient 16 PTS | 6.5 REB | 9.1 AST | 2.0 SPG in just under 36 MPG. Only a single triple double this season but if you look at his stat sheet you'll see that he was close more than a dozen times with like 10+ PPG | 9 RPG | 10+ APG or vice-versa on the RPG & APG. In Legends, we didn't get to see a fun Jason Kidd, but this one has more than made up for it.
Joe Dumars - I talked about Jason Kidd's prowess as a Point Guard but right behind him is REAL Madrid's Joe Dumars. I've aways thought he was a shooting guard that could pass but he's done well as a scoring Point. 22.1 PPG | 7.2 RPG | 6.3 APG | 1.2 SPG is impressive however you spin it. Jerry Lucas is in town now but this team's leader is Dumars and he deserves to be rewarded for it with an All-Star spot.
Marc Gasol - This is another one I bounced around with because you've got guys like Antonio McDyess and Benoit Benjamin out there to take the spot of Maciel and Patrick Ewing on the Eurasian Conference roster, but I had to go with the younger Gasol brother here. 18 PTS | 10 REB | 2 AST | 2 BLK if we are rounding up again aren't the flashiest, but neither are any of the guys I have him beating out. Then when you look at things he is the most impactful big man in Eurasia not named Hakeem Olajuwon. The team around him needs to develop more and add some more pieces but when just looking at him I think he is definitely an all-star this year.
Xavier McDaniel - Out with Maciel and in with X-Man for the Eurasian Conference All-Star team. There is a young guy in the American Conference that took a big step this season that we keep hearing about, but McDaniel took one of the biggest steps forward this season from year one. Averaging around 25 PTS | 8 REB | 3 AST | 1 STL per game from the SF position he has become the robin to White's batman this season. The funny thing is I don't think we are even seeing the best of what McDaniel has to offer this year as he has been forced back into the SF spot after a monster start to the season at PF. I think as time goes on we'll see X-Man on more All-Star teams but it'll likely be at PF.
American Players Making Their Debut
Grant Hill - I'm surprised we have heard so little about Grant Hill who despite what some would say was a less than stellar Training Camp has clearly improved his game. In fewer minutes, he is scoring and passing a lot better when you consider efficiency. He does play behind Durant and Dr. J in the conference so if he's going to make it then it has to be in that 11th or 12th spot but I think he is definitely the best player once you get past the 2 of every position rule so he should be on the team.
Greg Oden - I know, I know people are tired of hearing me talk about him, but you'll have to deal with it for a bit longer. Oden was looked at as a reach by many last season and while he surpassed expectations in year one he still didn't look like a truly elite player at just over 17 PTS | 9 REB | 1 BLK per game. However this year he is shooting a monster 62.1% to give the Knicks 25.1 PTS | 10.2 REB | 2.2 BLK per game. I won't drag this on but even with the American conferences Center depth it's hard to argue any has been better than Greg Oden so he should be an all-star.
John Havlicek - Another rookie so that makes it one a piece for the All-Star teams and this isn't something we saw happen often in Legends. Hondo isn't shooting a great percentage and some have argued he shouldn't be an All-Star, but he has clearly outplayed his competition, Andrew Gaze. It's taking him 24 shots but he's putting up about 25 PTS | 6 REB | 5 AST | 1 STL from the SF position. Along with Bogut he has taken a team that won 6 games last season and led them to 16 wins with 34 games to play. On the topic of Bogut I know he deserves it more but Hondo benefited from Monroe's injury while Bogut is stuck behind Oden, Ewing, Gasol, and Sabonis so it'd be rough for him to get in.
Paul Westphal - So with Monroe out and Walt Frazier traded to Eurasia the role of starting shooting guard falls to the Mexico City Titans Paul Westphal. I still can't believe the Lakers let this guy walk for nothing because while he's not a superstar, you have a guy here who can play both guard positions and gives you 21.2 PTS | 7.1 AST | 5.1 REB | 1.3 STL and does it on pretty respectable efficiency. He probably was headed to the All-Star game with his play this year either way but now he's likely to add All-Star starter to his resume in Ultimate ABCA Season 2.
Returning This Season
While I do expect quite a bit of change this season in regards to the All-Star game, I also think there are some guys that have been just as good, if not better than they were last season and will make their second consecutive All-Star game appearance. Some of these were no-brainers, while some had some tough competition both new and old that made the prediction a lot less obvious.
Eurasian Players Returning This Season
Bob McAdoo - I have to be honest this is one I'm not sure on. I almost left McAdoo off the roster because while I think he deserves to be on here I see reasons for the game to leave him off. I even had a writeup already done for him in the other section but changed my mind last minute. But not to focus on that if Bob McAdoo makes it you can't say he doesn't deserve it as he is leading one of the best team's in the conference. He's doing that while averaging 23.0 PPG | 9.7 RPG | 2.5 APG | 1.6 BPG on a solid 49.2% shooting. He has definitely taken a step forward this season and is an all-star caliber player for sure.
Hakeem Olajuwon - He isn't putting up the numbers that we saw him put up last season anymore, but he's still far and away the best big man in Eurasia and when talking strictly Centers you could argue he's the best in the league. That's a big difference from America which has the three-headed monster of Oden, Ewing, and Gasol at Center. That's great news for Hakeem even though it may not be the best news for Eurasia in this game because even with a slightly "down" year of 27.6 PPG | 9.1 RPG | 2.8 APG | 1.3 SPG | 2.1 BPG on 50.6% shooting (goes to show how high he set the bar last season) he is in no threat of losing his starting job or missing the All-Star game this year. Expect him to be in the starting lineup come Sunday unless something major happens in the Eagles final two games before the break.
John Stockton - Stockton is not only the league's premiere Point Guard but a top 3, at worst, player in the league right now and because of that he is going to lead the way for the Eurasian Conference (along with Michael Jordan) in the All-Star game. He's recently received a new challenger to his throne in the form of 22.4 PPG | 5.6 RPG | 8.8 APG | 1.8 SPG (PER 36) but Stockton still is the clear-cut top dog with 23.5 PPG | 5.9 RPG | 11.1 APG | 3.1 SPG (PER 36). With both likely locked into the starting spots, I anxiously await their all-star face-off on Sunday.
Michael Jordan - I made mention of him above when discussing the leaders of the Eurasian Conference because he is either 1A or 1B when we are talking about Eurasia. Last season he was backed up in this game by Gilbert Arenas who while good was never a threat to steal his spot among Eurasian Shooting Guards. While his competition for the top spot has become stronger, Jordan himself has become a better player averaging more points, assist, rebounds, and steals in fewer minutes per game this season. Much like the above two players, Jordan is going to not only make his second all-star appearance but his second All-Star start and I am certain of that.
Radivoj Korac - Last season's backup All-Star Power Forward and leader of the best team in the league once again will be in the conversation for the All-Star game and I believe he'll make it again. This is another case of me deviating away from EWA which is something that people assume is the only thing I look at when writing these articles. He right now would potentially miss out on the game due to his EWA being lower than two other forwards in the Eurasian Conference. But I have seen situations where two players have comparable numbers (which is the difference between this and Hondo/Gaze situation) and the player from the better team gets the nod. Could Korac miss the game? Absolutely. Do I think the best team in the league will go into the All-Star game with zero representation? Not at all.
Sherman White - While Korac will likely be back in the All-Star game, I still think it'll be as the backup to this man. Again to reference back to the player from the better team getting the nod if the numbers are similar, that might matter when you are talking about McAdoo vs. Korac but when you are talking about 29.2 PPG (per 36) vs. 22.5 PPG (per 36) then I think it's a completely different story. There is going to be a deserving player left off of the Eurasian Conference team, but I just find it hard to believe it's going to be someone scoring at this rate.
Walt Frazier - The first of two players that were All-Stars last season in the opposite conference that I am predicting will be an All-Star in their current conference. The backup to Earl Monroe last season, Frazier would be receiving his first All-Star game start if he remained in the American Conference. However in Eurasia with a healthy Michael Jordan there is no way he starts unless we see a major injury before hand. But with that said there isn't a shooting guard outside of Jordan that could make this team over him in either conference. Sam Jones & Earl Monroe would've been in the running if not injured and Earl Manigault is good but not that good. He may only make the team as the backup, but we've seen before that the backups usually see the most minutes in the All-Star game so don't be surprised if Frazier is in the running for All-Star game MVP as he matches up with America's less than stellar shooting guards.
American Players Returning This Season
Charles Barkley - The no-brainer to end all no-brainers, this is a pick that I really don't even need to do a writeup on for anyone to understand. Charles Barkley is the league's best player averaging 34.9 PPG | 9.9 RPG | 1.3 SPG | 1.4 BPG | 2.8 APG with a good but not great supporting cast leading them to the conference's best record and just recently beat the league's best team. I'm not sure what else to say other than Barkley will continue his trend of racking up accolades this season and that starts with another All-Star apperance.
Julius Erving - What Dr. J is doing is nothing short of impressive this season. After a less than ideal training camp for his supporting cast, there were many that felt we would see this team take a step back from the 48 wins they put up last season. With 34 more games to play they already have 33 wins on the season and are on pace for a 56 win season if they can stay the course. Putting up 26.0 PPG | 7.8 RPG | 4.1 APG | 1.4 SPG in less than 36 MPG you could argue that he is the MVP if Charles Barkley wasn't in the league. While Barkley starting at PF is the easiest pick to make, I think penciling Dr. J into the SF spot is right behind that.
Kevin Durant - The Slim Reaper was just voted by some as the best non-rookie player 22 years old or under in the league. Now while I don't agree with that because he plays in the same league as Greg Oden and Tony Parker, you can't deny that this kid is an All-Star caliber player. Averaging 23.7 PPG | 8.2 RPG | 3.0 APG | 1.3 SPG he is the best player on one of the American Conference's premiere teams. He made it last year with similar numbers and even though he didn't make a significant leap, these numbers will get him in again. When he does make that big leap he will go from the conversation of All-Star player to potential All-Star starter for sure.
Mel Daniels - Mel Daniels is one of the most unlucky players in the league right now. Let me run off some things about Mel so you know what I mean; The league leader in rebounds through two seasons (1376), the league leader in double-doubles through two seasons (79), one of only 3 players to be averaging a 20 & 10 double-double through the first two seasons (23.5 PPG | 10.7 RPG ) along with Stockton (PPG & APG) and Korac (PPG & RPG), the only person to average at least 20 PPG - 10 RPG - 4 APG through their career (23.5 PPG | 10.7RPG | 4.1 APG). Despite all that Mel Daniels will never start an All-Star game because he plays behind the perennial MVP. With that said, it's clear that Mel Daniels will be an All-Star this season and you could argue if he was playing either the C or SF spots he could have a shot at being the starter.
Patrick Ewing - The second of two players that were All-Stars last season in the opposite conference that I am predicting will be an All-Star in their current conference. Making the Eurasian All-Star team as the backup to Hakeem Olajuwon last season, he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for would be rookie All-Star Sam Jones (if not for injury). Since the trade, he has been the leader of a team also featuring former All-Star Sergei Belov and future All-Stars Andrew Wiggins and Kevin Garnett. Averaging 23.4 PPG | 9.6 RPG | 2.5 APG | 2.4 BPG on 56.1% shooting I have no doubt in my mind that Patrick Ewing will add a 2nd All-Star appearance this season before heading into Free Agency in the summer.
Pau Gasol - Slight spoilers for the final section but it's something I wanted to touch on, I have Gasol as the third C on the American Conference team. Gasol has been great this season and one could argue he's been better than both Ewing and Oden this season. I for one would have him as the starter or at the very least the reserve if I was picking these players but I have to factor in the game and I am not sure how the game will handle him playing 14 less games than either Ewing or Oden. Honestly there is a chance the game snubs him and then he moves to the other section as the biggest snub of the season. 23.1 PPG | 9.2 RPG | 3.2 APG | 0.9 SPG | 1.9 BPG are definitely all-star numbers, but it remainings to be seen if that'll actually be the case.
Terry Porter - TP v2 will likely be back in his role as backup Point Guard in the All-Star game this season as he edges out both Mike Conley and future All-Star starter Chris Paul, who both have a better EWA, for this spot. Unlike the end of season awards, this leans less on that advance stat and takes raw stats into consideration more and when looking at those it's hard to argue against him here. He's clearly the best scorer between the two while still bringing in 7 APG. I could end up way off base on this one but i've seen situations like this before and I'd give Porter about a 70% chance at being an All-Star.
Tony Parker - TP has emerged as the best Guard (Point or Shooting) in the American Conference and is right up there with John Stockton and Michael Jordan for the best overall guards in the league right now. He made his debut last season as a positionless reserve behind Sergei Belov and Terry Porter but this season there is no question who the starter is as he is averaging 25.3 PPG | 10.0 APG | 2.0 SPG on 47.8% shooting and 39.6 3P% this season.
Final Lineup Predictions
So now you've got my 12 man rosters for each team but what about the actual lineups? Who will be the starters, who will be the bench players, who will make the team in the positionless spots? Let's see how I have things shaping out:
Eurasian All-Star Game Lineup
Starting C: Hakeem Olajuwon
Starting PF: Sherman White
Starting SF: Elgin Baylor
Starting SG: Michael Jordan
Starting PG: John Stockton
Bench C: Marc Gasol
Bench PF: Radivoj Korac
Bench SF: Xavier McDaniel
Bench SG: Walt Frazier
Bench PG: Joe Dumars
Positionless 1: Jason Kidd (PG)
Positionless 2: Bob McAdoo (PF)
American All-Star Game Lineup
Starting C: Greg Oden
Starting PF: Charles Barkley
Starting SF: Julius Erving
Starting SG: Paul Westphal
Starting PG: Tony Parker
Bench C: Patrick Ewing
Bench PF: Mel Daniels
Bench SF: Kevin Durant
Bench SG: John Havlicek
Bench PG: Terry Porter
Positionless 1: Grant Hill (SF)
Positionless 2: Pau Gasol (C)
