New Year?s resolutions? Nope, not here. It?s become a clich? for those of us in this business to compose such lists this time of year, but this 2008 clich? meter long has been filled.
However, the second round of NBA All-Star balloting released last week got us thinking about some things, such as this: Have all those Chinese online voters seen the Nets? Yi Jianlian play?
Thankfully, he shouldn?t catch the only two East forwards ahead of him: LeBron James and Kevin Garnett. And actually, we never gripe much about this because whatever the flaws of fans? All-Star voting, it?s their game and they deserve some voice in who plays, ridiculous as some of their choices may be.
Still, if the system frosts you, we offer this suggestion:
Vote for Steph.
Despite his pariah status, Stephon Marbury is on the ballot. He doesn?t have one of the top 10 vote totals among the East guards and the NBA can?t (or won?t) say where he sits.
Yet, we hear enough from the "Steph should play" contingent to know that he?s one ballot box-stuffing campaign from starting.
Then we?d see the prime shape he says he?s still in and the game he still has left at almost 32 (Feb. 20, five days after the All-Star Game in Phoenix), which he says he?ll exhibit when he signs with the "surprise" team he insists is waiting for the Knicks to set him free.
We?d see him strutting his Starbury chops, maybe acting as crazy as he did when some of us interviewed him (and felt dirty afterward) during his oh-so-obvious cry for attention at the Knicks-Lakers game two weeks ago.
We?d see if someone who hasn?t played for real since Jan. 11 (let us be the first to wish Steph a happy anniversary) has still got game.
Too bad the Knicks can?t embark on a winning streak long enough for Mike D?Antoni to qualify as the East?s coach, so he could bench Steph again.
Maybe if LeBron shows up in 2010.
Steph will be almost 34 then, but there?s no need to wait. He?s rested and ready, so vote for Steph now.
