The Killer Crossover 02.20.08: 48 for 48 - 2008 NBA All-Star Game
Posted by Todd Spehr on 02.20.2008
48 minutes for 48 observations - 411's Todd Spehr took in a memorable All-Star Game and shares his thoughts.
FIRST QUARTER
48) 27 seconds in: Jason Kidd no-look dime to Dwyane Wade. Somewhere, someone associated with the NBA needs to create a fantasy camp called "Run a fast break with Jason Kidd." Who wouldn't sign up for that?
47) Dwight Howard dunks on Yao then blocks his shot at the other end. So far, it's his weekend. Anyone else notice the similarities to a young Shaq personality-wise?
46) Now would be a good time to point out that I'm colorblind – seriously - and these jerseys don't agree with me.
45) Every year the ASG shows that there really is a fine line between coasting and brilliant… a guy can be jogging half-heartedly down-court and the next thing he's hanging on the rim.
44) Theme of the night – Kidd and LeBron. The Kidd-to-LeBron oop proves one thing: These guys really like each other. Like you needed that play alone to figure that out?
43) Nash just ran a pick-n-roll with Duncan – this is weird. Not usually a big deal, but after the ramifications of last year's playoffs, this all of sudden seems wrong.
42) By the way, it's funny how I never realized this before, but Nash – and his diminutive frame – looks way out of place amidst the trees in an All-Star Game. And yes, he has won two of the last three MVP's.
41) Nice to see first-time All-Star David West get an open jam within the first 30 seconds of game-time; I remember the Western Conference spent a good three minutes clearing out for another first-time All-Star, Chris Gatling, in the waning moments of the '97 game just trying to get him a bucket. Not pretty.
40) I'll be honest, the first quarter lacked a little something. Hmmm… defense, yeah that's it. Oh, and intensity as well.
SECOND QUARTER
39) Is there any way we can medically prove that LBJ and J-Kidd aren't the same person? I mean, each knows where the other is every single time down the floor, I love it. Twins, maybe?
38) Ray Allen comes right in and drains a long three. You know, he's a healthy Caron Butler away from watching this game from the same spot I am: The sofa. Keep that in mind.
37) Howard throws an oop to James, who then returns the favor on the other end. It sure is fun being a man-child. The NBA is in good hands, isn't it?
36) Following the second Howard-James play, TNT has a shot of KG on the bench in street-clothes, and he's way too much into the game. More than anyone actually playing in it. Then again, KG would show no mercy if he was playing the little sisters of the poor.
35) LeBron has 12/6/7 in the first half; working on a triple-double. By the way, MJ has the only ASG triple-dip - he did it in Cleveland in '97, a.k.a "The Glen Rice Game."
34) Brandon Roy has 11 points in the first-half of his All-Star debut, and get this – and I know this may be hard to fathom being an All-Star Game and all – he's playing hard!
33) For those you wanting to understand why Rasheed Wallace hoisted three left-handed three-pointers in the second quarter, here's the translation: I wish I was in the Bahamas.
32) Allen Iverson recorded six first-half turnovers; being one of probably six who fondly remember AI's rookie year (red uniforms, being dubbed Playground Rookie of the Year by Barkley, and the NBA memo on his crossover), just understand, I've seen this before. Dark-horse NBA MVP for '08 by the way.
31) For a guy long considered a top "mid-range" shooter, Rip Hamilton sure has discovered the joys of the long ball. And if he had've trimmed his toe-nails he may have snuck into the finals of the shootout.
30) Just seeing AI and ‘Melo out there made me realize that it's 20 years since another guard-forward combo from the Mile High – Fat Lever and Alex English – started in the ASG.
THIRD QUARTER
29) You know it's an All-Star Game when Yao is jacking threes. The step-back was maybe taking it a little too far, which, in an All-Star Game, is a fair effort.
28) Dwight Howard just crammed another, and yet again his head was rim-high. One day, DNA will show that he is in fact Larry Nance's son. By the way, the TNT crew was searching Saturday night for a comparative in terms of height-and-hops to Howard, look no further than Nance, who was a one-foot jumper (Howard prefers the two-foot plant). Check the film, Nance is in the same stratosphere.
27) LBJ has 19/8/8 through 28 minutes of game-time. Seriously, what are the odds of him not getting a triple-double? Remember this.
26) Ray Allen and ‘Melo sure are smooth. How smooth? Even in a game full of half-efforts these guys stand out for their cool manner.
25) Little Stevey's field goals in the third quarter: four. His All-Star field-goals in the four years prior: two.
24) ‘Sheed just heaved another south-paw three, ensuring that he and his ambidexterity will never be invited near an All-Star Game of any form again.
23) About halfway through the third I realized that the pace had in fact picked up, as had the intensity. Just a thought: What would it take for these guys to amp-it-up in the first half? A McHale-Rambis job? What? Give me something.
22) David West had three attempts – to get the ball above his head, that is – and was stripped repeatedly. Not unlike Charles Smith circa '93 except without MJ, Pip and the foam on the MSG backboard.
21) If you had've heard before the season that Antawn Jamison was the only Wizard to suit up in the ASG, what would your reaction be?
20) Steve Nash seems to be comfortable working off the ball, and believe me, this is kind of weird to watch considering he handles the ball roughly 98.7% of every Suns game.
19) I don't mean to harp on this, but every chance they get, LBJ and Kidd are next to each other on the bench. And watching them pair up on the floor is just too good to watch. The hoop gods gave us Bird-DJ, MJ-Pip and Dolan-Thomas (too cruel?), so would it be too much to ask to get Kidd-LBJ in Cleveland? It won't happen, of course, but it's nice to dream.
18) Follow me here: A West player was standing with his back to the camera; next to him, an East player was facing the camera; next to him was a West player facing the camera… are there three teams out there?
FOURTH QUARTER
17) Chris Paul and Brandon Roy are settling in nicely for these crunch-time minutes. Really, the game has gone up several notches this half. It's great to watch... the play, that is. Not the multi-colored uniforms.
16) Amare makes this crazy shot with his body sideways, something he does probably once a game now. Then STAT dunks on Howard, who looks an awful lot like Clark Kent on the play.
15) Chris Paul, in the middle of a fast break, pulls some sleight-of-hand that is not unlike the famous Pete Maravich "slap pass" move. If they called travel on Paul on this particular play he could've also used Pistol's line: "You can't call that travel, you've never seen that move before."
14) Kidd switches to guard Dirk Nowitzki. This reminds me, does anyone find it slightly amusing that Mark Cuban is trading "half his team" (his words, not mine) for a 35-year-old Kidd when he utterly refused to pay a 30-year-old Nash?
13) Elias Sports Bureau reported that Chris Paul got into the paint 79 times in the fourth quarter. OK, I made that up, but it sure does feel like it, right?
12) You know, the entire second-half has been competitive, it really is a treat. Heck, if tonight's game was intense for one second it would've exceeded last year's game.
11) The young pups (Paul and Roy) sparked a 12-2 West run, to which James answered with a huge three. Shall we dance?
10) Chris Paul (16 points, 14 dimes) said he nervous before the game. Honest.
9) My favorite highlight so far: Kidd with a left-handed backdoor feed to a cutting James who goes up-and-under on the reverse. Pretty.
8) Just a quick query: Why was Ray Allen not in the 3-point shootout?
7) The number this guy made famous in the Big Easy. Being the first ever ASG in New Orleans and all, it must be pointed at that if you could pick one guy who HAD to be present for a game of such flash in this very city, it should have been Pete Maravich, who was – along with his family – celebrated this weekend. RIP Pistol.
6) With 28 points, Ray Allen has officially graduated from the Tom Chambers School of Injury Replacements, established in 1987.
5) You think Kobe doesn't want to be out there right now?
4) This late Allen splurge should ensure that the MVP be at least voted after the contest is completed. Would that make too much sense?
3) OK, new favorite highlight. Let's see: James crossed STAT, made Paul (who saw this unfolding) decide to back-pedal out of bounds, and shoved his left arm into Nowitzki's nase. He also managed to dunk while sailing by the basket. The score: 127-125; eventually 134-128 East. A nice way to cap a 27-point, eight-board, nine-assist MVP-effort, wouldn't you agree?
2) This is Dwyane Wade's tenth win for the year.
1) In a city that is currently in resurgence-mode, it seems fitting that the most exciting All-Star Weekend in recent memory take place in New Orleans.
You can read Todd Spehr's NBA column every Wednesday at 411mania.com. For more NBA talk, check out his blog
