The NBA changed the NBA All-Star voting, essentially taking it partially away from fans because they didn’t want a situation where Zaza Pachulia was voted an NBA starter. The fans still get 50 percent of the vote, but the media gets 25 percent and the players get 25 percent because they were going to take this seriously.
Enter Tony Allen.
The Grizzlies wing defender went on Periscope and had fun at the expense of the process.
— Tony Allen (@aa000G9) January 9, 2017
In case you missed it, Alle cast this ballot for the All-Star starters next month in New Orleans.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets
Mo Williams, Atlanta Hawks (just traded from Cleveland)
Luke Babbit, Miami Heat
Michael Beasley, Milwaukee Bucks
Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies
Tony Allen, Memphis Grizzlies
Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies
James Ennis, Memphis Grizzlies
Zach Randolph, Memphis Grizzlies
Somewhere, Adam Silver is just shaking his head.
I do not have a vote, but the media members take this responsibility seriously, with few strange candidates in the mix (particularly since end-of-year award votes were made public). That said, guys vote based on who they see, and things can become skewed (for example, can you blame someone who sees Damian Lillard every day for appreciating him more?).
Most players will take it seriously as well, but you can bet there will be a lot of guys bumping up teammates/friends/guys with the same agent. I know Russell Westbrook and other players have said media members don’t know enough to have the vote in their hands, but the idea that somehow the player vote will be some pristine truth is laughable.
At least he didn’t vote for Pachulia.