Two Hawks are All-Stars, but not Josh Smith; bad call, I say
Both of these men should be All-Stars, but only one was named. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
Beggars can’t be choosers, and for years the Hawks have been beggars when it comes to All-Star selections. This is the first time since 1998 that the team has placed as many as two men in the game, and that’s nice.
But not nice enough. Should’ve been three.
Josh Smith should be going, too.
Got no problem with Joe Johnson. Got no problem with Al Horford. They’re both deserving. But they’re no more deserving — maybe not as deserving — as Josh Smith.
There are two reasons these Hawks are clearly better than last season’s Hawks. Jamal Crawford is one. Smith is the other. He has taken his game, as they say, to the next level. He has learned to play basketball, as opposed to simply running and jumping and dunking. He’s averaging 15.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, a career-best 3.9 assists and 2.2 blocks. He has made 51.2 percent of his shots, also a personal best.
I know Josh Smith wanted badly to make it. We talked about it a couple of weeks ago. At the time, I thought he had a great case but might get overlooked because the Hawks still aren’t a media magnet. But I’m shocked that two Hawks made it — and don’t get me wrong; I think Horford is tremendous — and Smith isn’t one of them.
And I’m not the only one who’s disappointed. Here’s co-owner Michael Gearon Jr.: “Josh Smith is an All-Star and he deserves to be there. He deserves to make that team as much as any of the players who were selected. He is an All-Star, and he’s the heart and soul of our team. He deserves to be there.”
From general manager Rick Sund: “There area lot of players in the NBA who put up All-Star numbers, and then there are players who are All-Star players. Josh is an All-Star player.”
He is. He’s having a great year. He has come a million miles since he was drafted out of Oak Hill Academy back in 2004. If you’re asking me who’s the best Hawk, I’d still say Joe Johnson. If you’re asking me who’s the team MVP, it’s Josh Smith.
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124 comments Add your comment
WestOfAthens
January 28th, 2010
7:54 pm
All fault should be aimed at the fans. It’s the fans who vote the starters, if this rule can be taken away it will help weed out the schmoes who just dont understand the purpose.
C’mon, Iverson….McGrady?
chem
January 28th, 2010
8:08 pm
Brad’s right again.
Hawks on Fire
January 28th, 2010
8:09 pm
I’m sure Josh is let down about this slight. He’s young, he worked his tail off, he improved every element of his game, and he has seriously toned down his on-court behavior. I’m sure he would have loved the gratification of a midseason reward for his personal renaissance. Two things strike me, though: 1) the J-Smoove haters that used to be so proliferate have seemingly all-but-disappeared, and 2) Josh said at the beginning of the season that his year would be a success if he made the all-defensive team. Frankly, he should be a shoe-in.
chem
January 28th, 2010
8:12 pm
proliferate is a verb!
blonju
January 28th, 2010
8:38 pm
i’ve been searching for somewhere in the internet world to vent my frustrations about Josh’s All-Star snubbing and i believe this is the place! THANK YOU to Mark Bradley for putting it out there so people can understand, at least to whatever degree their tiny brains are capable, that Josh Smith is an “All-Star Player” – as Rick Sund so eloquently put it. From my perspective, it seems there is no real consensus about what defines an “All-Star.” For the purposes of the NBA, I believe an All-Star SHOULD refer to some one who has the following three qualities: (1) they dominate their position (1,2,3,4, or 5) on the floor consistently – both offensively and defensively, (2) they make other players better because they bring an elite level of energy, night in & night out, and (3) their individual statistical production directly relates to effecient, winning, team basketball.
David Lee has great numbers, but plays in the most uptempo system in the league, on a team that loses 60% of its games. Brook Lopez has great numbers, but the Nets couldn’t beat Kentucky if they played at Rupp tomorrow night. Think about guys that make their teams BETTER than expected. Josh Smith undoubtedly has elevated his game to the level of an “All-Star.” The Hawks might be a .500 team without Josh this year. Let us not forget that this is a political popularity contest run by a bunch of idiot fans, where the coaches must try to salvage the best of the rest for a meager 7 spots. Obviously, peoples’ opinions, including players, coaches & fans, differ dramatically on who truly exemplifies what an “All-Star” is, but I think a lot of Hawks fans can agree that Josh Smith didn’t just get snubbed this year – he was robbed. If you think an “All-Star” is just some one with great numbers, you might need to re-evaluate your position on the topic.
Again, many thanks the Mark Bradley for speaking the truth and being the real Hawks Blog man! Also, thanks to Michael Gearon Jr. and Rick Sund for actually speaking up on behalf of our most vocal and inspirational player – Mr. Josh, J-Smoooooooooooooove, Smith!
blonju
January 28th, 2010
8:44 pm
patrick, great stats! justin, do you know anything about basketball?
Nate
January 28th, 2010
8:45 pm
I completely agree, I’m from NH and a Celtics fan, but my second favorite team is ATL. There should have been 3 players from the hawks, first should have been Joe Johnson hands down, followed by Josh Smith, and third but not least Horford
Keith Brooking is a G@YER than Richard Simmons
January 28th, 2010
8:51 pm
Whoever selects the All-Stars is classless.
Nate
January 28th, 2010
8:58 pm
Iverson a starter? Mcgrady a starter? Tim Duncan a starter? No Nowitski starting? No Smoove? the nba needs to do a better job with selections
Hawks on Fire
January 28th, 2010
9:04 pm
Uh.
I meant profligate.
I think.
todd grantham
January 28th, 2010
9:18 pm
Mark, you’ve left the blog to collapse under its own weight.
AL Horford
January 28th, 2010
9:38 pm
Well thank goodness that being able to play defense wasn’t a requirement or I may have not been considered. I wish that I could learn to protect the paint like a real center.
jlewis
January 28th, 2010
9:43 pm
Sid:
AI was voted into the All Star game, that kills your point. The coaches know more than the casual fan about PLAYERS, not just numbers.
BosnianBaller
January 28th, 2010
9:52 pm
Justin- Brook Lopez is more deserving than Al
Lopez is 4-40 this year and got spanked both times by the Hawks.
John
January 28th, 2010
10:00 pm
I just hope Josh uses this as motivation and doesn’t let this get him down. He is our MVP, and we need him to make noise in the playoffs. Hopefully, Iverson will back out or Garnett will rest his ailing knee so Josh can be selected as a replacement.
thomas22
January 28th, 2010
10:04 pm
Manny-good observation I think Josh was snubbed because of the “tude” with the refs…. he’s a great player but how can a whiner be in the All Star Game?
Al-plays night in and night out- Congrats to him and Joe (Joe dont hold the ball so long….)
three jack
January 28th, 2010
10:09 pm
good news: every time josh gets snubbed, he goes on a tear…look for a massive second half and top 5 finish in mvp voting.
Ben
January 28th, 2010
10:16 pm
I have been following the Hawks since they moved to Atlanta and have been a season ticket holder for more than 30 years. I agree with everything you have said. Josh Smith is the best player on this Hawks team this year. He should have been chosen ahead of Joe Johnson and Horford.
Hugo
January 28th, 2010
10:27 pm
Well, I think that Josh has improved but the one that got robbed was Jamaal Crawford. No way the Hawks win as many as they have without him. He is deserving too.
ron fritts
January 28th, 2010
10:34 pm
The key phrase here is “If you’re asking me” – I’m not.
J-MAN
January 28th, 2010
10:38 pm
Well with A.I. geting that starting spot (Should have been Joe Johnsons) and he took J Smooves spot also it shows that the NBA fans are the least knowledgable fan of all the major sports
Hawk in Cali
January 28th, 2010
10:43 pm
To all HAWKS “haters” a quick message.
TO hell with ya and yo momma too.
Darrin "The Vent King"
January 28th, 2010
10:51 pm
Wow…it’s amazing how easily the fans sway. All I keep thinking about is how 680 the Ham led the charge to have J-Smoove ran out of town with a poll that overwhelming was in favor of getting rid of him last year. That radio station breast-fed all the negativity they could getting people to hate on him now everyone feels sorry for him and says he was robbed? I always felt he was a talented yet young guy and at times was frustrated by him too, BUT figured he and his game just needed time to mature. He has plenty time to make the All-Star team in the future I believe, just stay the course. As for the recently transformed haters- love him or hate him just make up your minds already…
Najeh Davenpoop
January 28th, 2010
10:58 pm
“The Clippers and Toronto are doing better attendance wise! ”
The Clippers and Toronto don’t compete with football.
I’m not making excuses for Atlanta’s sorry sports fans, but this is a fact. In this economy, it’s tough to ask people who shell out the ridiculous prices that football demands to have something left over for anything else sports-related.
chad
January 28th, 2010
11:07 pm
I agree with Hugo, Crawford right now is the team’s MVP. He is going to make losing ball hog Joe Johnson a whole lot easier next year. See ya Joe, it is written all over your face that you don’t want to be here.
Rick Grooms
January 28th, 2010
11:42 pm
Am I getting older, or is Mark Bradley getting better?
Dr. Warren
January 29th, 2010
2:05 am
Let’s hope Josh Smith doesn’t relapse and start trying to prove himself by shooting too much.
jj
January 29th, 2010
2:53 am
I,like John(10pm)and Dr.Warren hope Smooth use this as a positive motivation and not let it take him in a selfish or negative direction.I hope he enjoys his mates election and not be like some posters who are saying he is more deserving than Al or JJ.Smooth,keep playing hard and stay TEAM orentated and good things will happen to you and The Hawks.Congrats to JJ and Al.Let’s kick Boston’s butt tonite.
The Grinch
January 29th, 2010
2:54 am
Reid Adair, I disagree with you on almost everything except this. Smith and Crawford are the 1 and 2 MVP’s of this year’s Hawks so far. Johnson is a great scorer, but is holding this team back with his selfishness, IMO. Horford is a great player period, but not a center and not as key as Smith or Crawford. When those guys are out, the Hawks falter HUGE.
uberVU - social comments
January 29th, 2010
3:38 am
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by MarkBradleyAJC: Two Atlanta Hawks are All-Stars, but not Josh Smith. Josh got jobbed, I say. http://bit.ly/dzpj9c…
Nique
January 29th, 2010
4:47 am
Even though you could argue that he’s not putting up All-Star nimbers, Josh is cookin wit grease night in and night out
Maxx
January 29th, 2010
4:56 am
Josh got robbed, he has played much better and much more often than Garnett or Pierce. The NBA All-Star game is a joke this year, with A.I. and T-Mac, I mean gimme a break
dub366
January 29th, 2010
6:59 am
Josh going to make .because Garnett can’t move he need to rehab that knee.
teambench
January 29th, 2010
7:28 am
to be honest I would of select josh Smith first of any Hawk, his game has change 360 dregree as a player, and with the of j. Crawford.
bob
January 29th, 2010
7:33 am
smith was left out because the nba east had enough children on the roster
Parker
January 29th, 2010
7:47 am
Josh, dont give up! Keep on playing hard! Show these mofo’s they were wrong and turn it up a notch for the second half of the season and playoffs. We need you champ! Atown dowm!
overrated
January 29th, 2010
7:48 am
So if Smith made the team then that’s3 all stars. And Crawford had a shot so basically this team has 4 all stars so that means that they should have lost a lot less games and certainly not gotten blown out at San Antonio. So either these guys are overated or the team is under achieving..which is it?
Mark Bradley
January 29th, 2010
7:50 am
It will be instructive to see how Josh Smith handles this.
TheAntiMe
January 29th, 2010
8:06 am
The All Star Game (much like the NBA, in general) is all about the offense. If the ones choosing the roster were to give proper consideration to blocks and steals as well as points and rebounds then Josh would be there.
It works against Josh that he is such a good defensive player because the last thing the NBA wants in an ASG are players that can bring the defense.
That’s ok, Smoove. You will show them all by being an All Star in the playoffs in a few months.
J.J.M.
January 29th, 2010
8:23 am
my guess josh will end up going some way. I think KG will skip it and bosh will start and that will allow josh to go.
Sean
January 29th, 2010
8:23 am
The starters are voted by the fans are LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Dwyane Wade, Allen Iverson and Dwight Howard. Reserves are Al Horford, Chris Bosh, Paul Pierce, Gerald Wallace, Joe Johnson, Rajon Rondo and Derrick Rose. Who is Josh Smith going to replace? Do you expect the entire Hawks starting 5 to get selected? Cry me a river build a bridge and get over it.
Boneyard Randy
January 29th, 2010
8:31 am
Can we send J-Smoove a sympathy card? He’s mature enough to use this as motivation. He’ll be in the all-star game next year.
shannon
January 29th, 2010
8:35 am
when it comes to the attendence.. Im sure Atlanta’s economic problems could having something to do with less people showing up for games…
Harvey
January 29th, 2010
8:36 am
I think J.Crawford and J.Smith got robbed. There is no way J.Johnson is an all star he is the most overrated player in the NBA. J.Johnson is playing for a contract for next year. He is hurting the Hawks with his selfish play, dribbling in to double teams and forcing bad shots. When he has the ball the rest of the team just stand around and wait for the shot to go up. Get rid of the bum and give those minutes to J.Crawford.
Daniel
January 29th, 2010
8:41 am
Sean- Josh Smith is having a better year than Paul Pierce.
BirdDawg
January 29th, 2010
8:56 am
Smoove not making the All Star team blows goats. Smoove not making it and Allen Iverson being named a starter is a %&!#$ travesty!!!
Wilburn
January 29th, 2010
9:06 am
to Roger:
you need to shut your freaking mouth and open your darn eyes….Need I say more?
Good Grief
January 29th, 2010
9:09 am
I dont know if it is, but i wish it was available – by the numbers – how the coaches voted. I would like to see if Smoove received any votes at all. There were some other screw jobs like David Lee who by the numbers should have gotten in as well. Since this wasn’t a fan thing and a coach thing it does make you think.
No way were the Hawks going to get 3, noooo, no way the Hawks were going to have the same amount as Boston – Rondo, KG, and Pierce – and out of all of them maybe Rondo is the only that should be an all-star. Guys like KG and AI who haven’t played a whole lot of games this year should NOT be playing in the game and shouldn’t be able to receive any votes.
The NBA goes through this every year and its pretty embarrassing when you can barely play in 50% of your games and be considered an all star. I wish those two would drop out and make room for more deserving players but seeing as fan vote put them in I doubt it happens. They are the 2 main reasons why guys like Smoove and Lee didn’t make the all star teams
Big Hurt
January 29th, 2010
9:24 am
When a team goes from 0-3 to 25-16 without you, I don’t think that qualifies you as an all star… I think it speaks volumes to more of a, has been… Do the right thing AI…
Rick
January 29th, 2010
9:50 am
I don’t have a problem with Joe and Al making the All Star Team, however; it’s pretty bad when the Hawks’ MVP doesn’t make the team.