Jazz duo's All-Star chances appear slim

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Feb 8, 2006 | by Tim Buckley Deseret Morning News

Mehmet Okur says going would be a high honor not only for himself but also for his native country of Turkey.

Russian Andrei Kirilenko has been once already, in 2004, and is respected enough by coaches throughout the NBA that he at least will be considered to go again.

Listen to the pundits, though, and it seems the candidacy of both for reserve spots on the Western Conference's entry in the Feb. 19 NBA All-Star Game at Houston is a long shot at best.

The Jazz, NBA senior writer Marc Stein posted on ESPN.com's Web site, are "likely to get shut out despite fielding two worthy candidates" in Okur and Kirilenko.

Okur, who is the Jazz's leading scorer while averaging 17.9 points and a team-high 9.3 rebounds over 49 games in what is shaping up as a breakout season, and Kirilenko, whose all-around game is built around his highlight shot-blocking, will find out for sure if they're headed to Houston when Western reserves are named Friday.

The fans have already spoken, tapping guards Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Steve Nash of Phoenix, forwards Tracy McGrady of Houston and Tim Duncan of San Antonio, and Houston center Yao Ming to start for the West.

Conference coaches pick the rest of the team. They -- or their assistants, for those who can't be bothered -- submitted ballots Monday.

Each was asked to name two guards, two forwards, one center and two wild cards, but they were not required to vote based on player positions listed on the fan ballot -- or even based on the position they've been playing this season.

Any power forward, for instance, can be fudged into the backup center spot.

One coach, Seattle's Bob Hill, told the Seattle Times that Okur is on his ballot, as are fellow big men Kevin Garnett of Minnesota, Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas, Shawn Marion of Phoenix and Elton Brand of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Most other coaches, though, keep their selections secret.

Until Friday, then, it's a guessing game as to who will go -- and a game in and of itself for writers and broadcasters to suggest who they think ought to be chosen.

And while little love is going out to Kirilenko, who has missed 10 of 49 games due to injuries this season -- what do those guys know anyway, many coaches would say -- some are keeping Okur close at heart, even if not actually on their proposed ballots.

Stein went with San Antonio's Tony Parker and New Orleans/ Oklahoma City rookie Chris Paul as his guards, Nowitzki and Marion as his forwards, Gasol at center, and Garnett and Brand as his wild cards. He also offered condolences to "leading snubees" that included not only Okur, Kirilenko and Denver center Marcus Camby, but, first and foremost, Nuggets small forward Carmelo Anthony.

Stein's ESPN.com colleague, Chad Ford, blogged in favor of the same seven.

Another ESPN.com writer, current studio host and ex-NBA player Greg Anthony, agreed with Parker, Paul, Gasol, Nowitzki, Marion and Brand. But he went with Carmelo Anthony over Garnett, writing that the Nuggets standout has "raised the level of his game."

Added Greg Anthony, who has no problem with fans turning the selection of starters into a popularity contest: "Once you get beyond the starters, we get down to who is the most deserving. Now we're talking about the impact a player has, especially the impact on winning games. It's not just stats. It's also about the players who are creating the most team success."

Over at TNT, which also broadcasts NBA games, its studio crew -- all ex-players -- weighed in as well.

Magic Johnson picked Parker and Seattle's Ray Allen as his guards and big men Brand, Nowitzki, Garnett, Gasol and Marion.

Charles Barkley went with six the same but put Paul over Allen.

Kenny Smith agreed on Brand, Nowitzki, Garnett, Marion and Parker; went with Allen instead of Paul; and listed the Jazz's Okur rather than Gasol.

In numerous sports sections throughout the country last Sunday, old-school ink writers weighed in as well.

The Arizona Republic's Paul Coro endorsed Parker and Paul, along with Brand, Garnett, Gasol, Marion and Nowitzki. Wrote Coro, who discounts Camby as Yao's backup center because he missed 20 games with a broken finger: "You figure out who the center is among Gasol, Garnett and Brand."

The Dallas Morning News' David Moore had Parker and Allen as his guards, Nowitzki and Marion as his forwards, Gasol at center, and Brand and Garnett as his wild cards. In defending his selection of Gasol, Moore also took a shot at one of the Jazz's very own, writing, "Hey, who do you want, Utah's Mehmet Okur?"

Peter May of The Boston Globe likes the same seven as Coro but called Okur one of his "toughest omissions."

And the Deseret Morning News' own NBA writer, Loren Jorgensen? He favors Allen and Parker at the guards spots, Nowitzki and Brand at the forward spots, Gasol and Carmelo Anthony and -- guess so, David Moore -- Okur at center.

NOTES: Kirilenko had an explanation for teammate Matt Harpring's team-high 28 points off the bench in Monday's overtime win over Chicago. "Matt was the only one who was executing our offense," he said . . . The Jazz, idle until opening a three-game trip Friday at Minnesota, took Tuesday off but return to practice this morning. Forward Carlos Boozer, who has not played all season due to a strained hamstring, plans to practice . . . The Chicago Tribune, citing an unnamed Jazz teammate as its source, reported that Jazz rookie backup point Deron Williams -- who did not play Monday -- sprained his left ankle when he stepped on a ballboy's foot during pre-game warm-ups. Williams also said this to a Chicago Tribune reporter who covered him at the University of Illinois: "I'm disappointed in myself. I'm not playing like myself. I don't have any confidence. That's not me. I should just go out there and play with confidence, but it's easier said than done."