As usual, there are still many flaws with the voting procedures of the NBA All-Star game. According to Howard Beck of Bleacher Report, it seems that NBA players are still among the worst voters.
So, the players still aren’t taking this All-Star voting thing very seriously. The following got votes from their peers: Tyler Cavanaugh, Marvin Williams, Lance Thomas, Tyler Zeller (4 votes!), Stanley Johnson (3), Anthony Tolliver, Amir Johnson, Semi Ojeleye, Bobby Portis (2)…
In the modern All-Star game format, the media and the fans are allowed to vote for who they believe are deserving of an NBA All-Star selection. Apparently, in this case, NBA players are “fans” and can vote for whomever they please. This even includes their own teammates, some of whom are the least bit deserving. As you can see, none of the players that Beck mentioned are even close to All-Star worthy. Granted, they are all good players for their teams, but they don’t necessary stand out to anyone.
Even in the brand new All-Star game format, conceived by the NBA front office, players are still allowed to cast their own votes. While there is nothing wrong with showing support for teammates, it undermines the integrity of the inclusive voting structure when anyone is able to be selected for All-Star consideration. Many deserving players will unfortunately be snubbed from the affair entirely, and it is a mockery for undeserving players to be given a single ballot.
Obviously, the NBA is powerless to stop this technicality, so this trend will likely continue in the future. Maybe there is a comical side to the reason why players knowingly select their undeserving teammates.
