Post by eric on May 27, 2016 10:29:46 GMT -6
This year's voting results have been released. There were 37 players to receive votes, of whom 13 were listed at multiple positions. This is dumb, and here is why.
Paul Millsap got 11 second team forward votes and 51 third team forward votes, good for 84 total points.
LaMarcus Aldridge got 1 first team (Mike Fratello), 7 second team, and 53 third team, good for 79 total points.
...but he also got 2 first team centers, 4 second, and 2 third, so his grand total was 103 points, so he's All-NBA 3rd Team forward.
And it's dumb the other way around too.
Draymond Green got 40 first team votes (3 forward / 37 center), 74 second team (73/1), and 9 third (9/0). That's 431 total points and the second most first team center votes.
But DeAndre Jordan is the first team center with 311 points, so Draymond has to be All-NBA 2nd Team.
Even though literally everyone who thought Green was a center put him ahead of DeAndre on their ballot. (The second place center was behind Boogie.)
There's no way to know how people would have voted if for example they could only vote Aldridge as a center, or as a forward. This year was an exceptional case due to Draymond, but he's not going anywhere (except fishing ayyyyyyyyyyyy) and as shown it matters from the top of the ballot to the bottom. The solution seems pretty obvious to me: just like for the All Star ballot, tell people what positions a player can be voted as. If a player is a tweener, pick one or the other. Letting the free market fumble around with it is not working, it's time for a strong hand.
.
Some other results:
Steph Curry was the only unanimous 1st teamer, but three other players received a vote on every ballot. Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, and LeBron James, whom Jim Barnett of the Bay Area decided to give a vote for first team guard. This let him fit Durant, Kawhi, and Draymond (center) on the first team alongside Westbrook, and those five were by far the highest point getters, so it is probably the right move, but it's also completely wrong and makes no sense.
Kevin Durant received votes on 128 out of 129 ballots. Antonio Harvey of Faux Sports Radio 620 AM (Portland) went LeBron/Kawhi first team forwards and Green second (fair), Aldridge the other second team (iffy), and Millsap/Nowitzki third (horrible). He was also the only voter to give Anthony Davis a first team vote, and did so as a center. Take a lap Antonio Harvey.
An incredible five players received votes on exactly one ballot:
Andrew Bogut a third team center from Diamond Leung (Bay Area). You besmirch the name of diamonds from Neil to Lou Phillips with your homerism, sir.
Blake Griffin a third team forward from the aforementioned Jim Barnett.
Dwight Howard a second(!) team center from Eric Hasseltine (Memphis) (!?!?).
Brook Lopez a third team center from Brian Lewis of the New York Post. smh.
Tony Parker a third team guard from Mike Rice of Comcast NW, and what's interesting about that is Mr. Rice voted Kawhi only second team and didn't vote LMA at all.
Paul Millsap got 11 second team forward votes and 51 third team forward votes, good for 84 total points.
LaMarcus Aldridge got 1 first team (Mike Fratello), 7 second team, and 53 third team, good for 79 total points.
...but he also got 2 first team centers, 4 second, and 2 third, so his grand total was 103 points, so he's All-NBA 3rd Team forward.
And it's dumb the other way around too.
Draymond Green got 40 first team votes (3 forward / 37 center), 74 second team (73/1), and 9 third (9/0). That's 431 total points and the second most first team center votes.
But DeAndre Jordan is the first team center with 311 points, so Draymond has to be All-NBA 2nd Team.
Even though literally everyone who thought Green was a center put him ahead of DeAndre on their ballot. (The second place center was behind Boogie.)
There's no way to know how people would have voted if for example they could only vote Aldridge as a center, or as a forward. This year was an exceptional case due to Draymond, but he's not going anywhere (except fishing ayyyyyyyyyyyy) and as shown it matters from the top of the ballot to the bottom. The solution seems pretty obvious to me: just like for the All Star ballot, tell people what positions a player can be voted as. If a player is a tweener, pick one or the other. Letting the free market fumble around with it is not working, it's time for a strong hand.
.
Some other results:
Steph Curry was the only unanimous 1st teamer, but three other players received a vote on every ballot. Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, and LeBron James, whom Jim Barnett of the Bay Area decided to give a vote for first team guard. This let him fit Durant, Kawhi, and Draymond (center) on the first team alongside Westbrook, and those five were by far the highest point getters, so it is probably the right move, but it's also completely wrong and makes no sense.
Kevin Durant received votes on 128 out of 129 ballots. Antonio Harvey of Faux Sports Radio 620 AM (Portland) went LeBron/Kawhi first team forwards and Green second (fair), Aldridge the other second team (iffy), and Millsap/Nowitzki third (horrible). He was also the only voter to give Anthony Davis a first team vote, and did so as a center. Take a lap Antonio Harvey.
An incredible five players received votes on exactly one ballot:
Andrew Bogut a third team center from Diamond Leung (Bay Area). You besmirch the name of diamonds from Neil to Lou Phillips with your homerism, sir.
Blake Griffin a third team forward from the aforementioned Jim Barnett.
Dwight Howard a second(!) team center from Eric Hasseltine (Memphis) (!?!?).
Brook Lopez a third team center from Brian Lewis of the New York Post. smh.
Tony Parker a third team guard from Mike Rice of Comcast NW, and what's interesting about that is Mr. Rice voted Kawhi only second team and didn't vote LMA at all.
