Bay Area Sports Guy – Likelier All-Star: David Lee or Stephen Curry?

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The last time I ventured out to Oracle Arena, the Golden State Warriors defeated the Charlotte Bobcats and Mark Jackson talked up David Lee and Stephen Curry as potential All-Stars both before and after the game. That victory was followed by an overtime loss to the Lakers and four straight wins against the Jazz, Sixers, Celtics and Clippers. After beating the Clips, Jackson renewed his postgame All-Star campaign with vigor:

“Maybe I’ll hold my own game if these two guys aren’t in there. Maybe that’s the answer. These two guys are All-Stars. Steph Curry played Chris Paul, and it looked like two of the best in the business going at it.”

“These two guys” was in reference to Curry and Lee, not Curry and Paul. Paul’s already almost guaranteed of being a starter for the Western Conference, as he stands over 45,000 votes ahead of Jeremy Lin according to the latest numbers (fan voting ends Jan. 14):

Frontcourt: Kevin Durant (OKC) 1,088,797, Dwight Howard (LAL) 716,671, Blake Griffin (LAC) 593,024, Tim Duncan (SA) 352,534, Pau Gasol (LAL) 239,440, Kevin Love (Min) 221,291, Omer Asik (Hou) 160,935, Rudy Gay (Mem) 140,864, Serge Ibaka (OKC) 134,172, Marc Gasol (Mem) 114,465, LaMarcus Aldridge (Por) 111,156, Zach Randolph (Mem) 111,046, Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) 106,623, Metta World Peace (LAL) 106,025, Chandler Parsons (Hou) 93,057

Backcourt: Kobe Bryant (LAL) 1,177,456, Chris Paul (LAC) 651,893, Jeremy Lin (Hou) 605,624, James Harden (Hou) 337,585, Russell Westbrook (OKC) 268,558, Steve Nash (LAL) 202,274, Tony Parker (SA) 128,966, Ricky Rubio (Min) 112,352, Stephen Curry (GS) 97,761, Manu Ginobili (SA) 84,564

There’s a chance both Curry and Lee are named to the roster once the coaches have their say, but let’s assume only one gets an All-Star nod. Which Warrior would it be? Lee had an interesting (if not exactly humble) answer yesterday when The Game’s Ric Bucher asked him the following question at the end of an interview yesterday:

Bucher: Take yourself out of the equation. You can’t vote for yourself. Who’s the MVP of this Warriors team right now?

Lee: Oh, I think Steph’s done an unbelievable job this year. And even if you let me include myself, I’d put us as a tie.

Lee and Curry start each game with a pregame sprint toward the opposite baseline, a race that rarely ends in a tie (in fact, Curry seems to win every time). But when it comes to individual accolades like “Warriors MVP so far” or who might be named to the Western Conference All-Star team, Lee vs. Curry is as close to a tossup as you can find. Let’s go through a few categories one could choose to decide who gets an All-Star nod.

Statistics

Lee has the advantage here, although it’s close. While Curry has a slight edge over Lee in points per game (20.4 to 20.2) and minutes played (38.1 to 37.7), Lee has the higher offensive rating (115 to 112), defensive rating (102 to 104) and PER (21.2 vs. 19.2 for Curry). However, Curry’s Alternate Player Efficiency Rating (a slightly different take on PER that takes into account charges and a couple other things — if you want to find out more check out HoopData) is a little bit better (20.34 to 20.15).

If round numbers are your thing, Lee has 20 double-doubles to Curry’s 5, and he’s the only player in the league averaging better than 20/10. Curry has made more threes than anyone besides Ryan Anderson, and Curry makes a much higher percentage of his shots behind the arc than New Orleans’ long-range specialist.

Competition

No surefire ways exist to predict an All-Star based on stats, as backcourt and frontcourt players aren’t expected to do the same things. That’s why the double-doubles discrepancy shouldn’t make too much of a difference, since rebounds are easier to come by for Lee than assists for Curry given their respective roles. There is also the current composition of the West to consider. Unless Lin makes a huge comeback in the voting (and I wouldn’t put it past the NBA to, ahem, make sure that doesn’t happen given Lin’s mediocre showing this season), the starting lineups are set. Here’s the best of the rest:

In for sure:

Frontcourt: Tim Duncan (having his best season in years), Zach Randolph (leading rebounder in the West and Memphis should get at least one representative)

Backcourt: Westbrook (the Blake Griffin of point guards), Harden (scoring over 26 per game), Tony Parker (19.1 ppg, 7.4 apg, has already made four All-Star teams)

That leaves two spots. Lee benefits from Dirk Novitzki’s injury troubles, while Curry similarly benefits from Steve Nash missing 24 games. However, the Warriors have only been a winning team for two months. Players from more established squads could sneak in, guys like Rudy Gay, Serge Ibaka or even Marc Gasol. LaMarcus Aldridge made his first All-Star team last season, and his Blazers (17-15) have been decent.

Star power

Lee is nearly ambidextrous and possesses an offensive repertoire that is nearly impossible to guard according to Ethan Sherwood Strauss. He isn’t exactly Terrence Ross when he goes to the rim, but Lee has a respectable 26 dunks this season. On the other hand, while Lee acts almost as the Warriors spokesman, Curry has been the team’s public face for quite some time. (Remember the NBA’s commercial from last year that featured a young Steph shooting with Dell?)

If he’s up to it, the NBA will probably want Curry to participate in the 3-point shootout and the Skills Competition. That’s not a reason why a player would or wouldn’t be included on the actual All-Star roster, nor should it be. However, it speaks to Curry’s game, which is undeniably flashier than Lee’s. Lee would have a good shot at hustling his way to a 20/10 night in an All-Star Game, but Curry’s the one who’d throw the prettiest alley-oop passes to Griffin that don’t come from Paul.

Conclusion

Players get in to the All-Star Game for a variety of reasons, and key among those include reputation, team winning percentage and tenure.

Lee was previously named an All-Star during his days with the Knicks, has slightly better numbers than Curry, and was memorably dubbed “White Chris Webber” by Shaq earlier this season after a win over Denver where Lee went for 31/9/6 on 13-of-15 shooting. Even so, when it comes to who’s the likelier participant in the 2013 All-Star Game I’d give the edge to Curry. Why? Fewer backcourt players with comparable numbers and Curry’s more telegenic game. The NBA wants Curry to join their list of TV stars, but have had to wait through a string of ankle injuries instead. Now is a good time to give him his first real invite, and performances like his recent 25-point first half in a glamour game against the Clippers attract All-Star consideration from coaches.

However, with each Warriors win it’s getting harder to argue with Coach Jackson — at this point, both deserve to go.

7 comments

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Fitz's Future Unemployment Check

Lee, mostly because there's too many guards in the West that Curry would have to be way better than to even get consideration. No way he passes Paul or Westbrook, let alone guys like Parker or Nash who may not deserve, but have the big name he'd have a hard time trumping. I wouldn't be surprised if they both miss, just because the NBA all-star game is a huge joke.

Dan

I would say Lee as well. The powers that be do appreciate the points/rebounds combination, summed up in the huge number of double-doubles. Meanwhile, Curry is just up against too many big names in the backcourt. If it were a fair fight, Lin would have no chance, instead he's a shoo-in. Kobe and Paul are automatic, Harden close to it, Parker and Westbrook considered stars.....Curry will have a tough time breaking that backcourt this year.

Otis Byrd III

By the way, why is the NBA All-Star Game in Houston this year? No offense to Houston, but they just had it there back in 2006. The Toyota Center (the Rockets arena) looks like a nice arena from afar, but they just hosted it 7 yrs. ago. It would be nice if it was at Oracle again. I remember the All-Star Game at Oracle which was then called "The Arena in Oakland" at the time, but it was cool that some of the stars in the NBA at the time, were here in the Bay Area at one time. Of course, Vince Carter's dunk contest was insane! The Warriors will probably host the NBA All-Star Game again sometime, probably when they move to new San Francisco arena, I'm guessing. I'm sure Brooklyn will get one too one of these years, but it's just, the All-Star Game was just in Houston though. It's kind of like when it was in L.A. a couple of years ago. They just hosted it in 2004, even though I guess in 2004, the Lakers technically hosted it, while the Clippers technically hosted it a couple of years ago. But still though, L.A. had it, but Staples Center looks like a nice arena, so I wouldn't be surprised if L.A. gets considered again a lot of the time for future NBA All-Star Game locations. Plus, it's L.A. You know the NBA, and all of the stars and celebrities that go to these NBA All-Star Games, are going to want to have it there. Ok, sorry for my mini rant, but there were other locations they could've had it at than Houston this year, I thought. Why not Miami or San Antonio, or even Portland perhaps? New York (the Knicks) haven't hosted it for a while now, and wasn't Madison Square Garden recently renovated? Of course I would like to have it at Oracle again. I mean, I'm sure the NBA All-Star Game will work out again in Houston this season, but they could've had it somewhere else this year. Does anyone agree?

I think the more likelier Warriors All-Star is David Lee. He's been putting up double-doubles consistently, and his numbers are pretty much up there for PF's in the NBA right now. I think in the Warrior telecast the other night, they put David Lee's stats up against Blake Griffin's stats, and he was better than Griffin statistically in some categories. Curry has been great too, and has had an unbelievable 1st half of this season so far, but sadly there are too many good guards in the West, and Lin and/or Harden will probably make it over Curry this year, especially since the All-Star Game is Houston. Honestly, Curry and David Lee should both make the All-Star team, but as we all know, the NBA All-Star Game is a popularity contest. We'll see though. It's unbelievable how the Warriors haven't had an All-Star since 1997. Monta should've made the All-Star team last year and really two seasons ago. He was screwed two seasons ago. Baron should've made the All-Star Game in 2008, but he basically got screwed because some of the coaches on the West roster basically didn't like him and the All-Star Game was in New Orleans that year, and of course, the people there aren't big fans of him, after the way things went towards the end of his tenure with the Hornets years ago. But yes, hopefully the Warriors All-Star Game drought ends this year.

Bay Area Cholo Guy

Well since the question was who is the LIKELIER one to make the All-Star and not the MOST DESERVING, I'm going to say: It Depends. Let me put it this way, i was reading a Laker Blog from a couple of days ago, and one of the fans commenting on Pau Gasol proposed trade scenarios suggested a Lee-Gasol trade which elicited other fans saying that Lee straight up wasn't enough That the Warriors would have to include Jack and Barnes (as one suggested) for the trade to be 'beneficial' LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL! Anyways, Lee more so than Curry is STILL somewhat of an unknown commodity. So I BELIEVE that if Lin is NOT voted in, Curry is a shoe-in for that last Guard Spot. HOWEVER, IF Lin overtakes Paul for that starting PG spot nod, I don't see the Math working in Curry's favor. In this case, due to a glut of Guards, and lack of quality big men in the Western Conference, I can totally see David Lee being selected. Unfortunately I don't see Scenario 1 merging with Scenario 2. These are the Warriors we are talking about, AND I just DON'T see 2 all stars from the Warriors rounding out a roster of 12. Do I think both deserve to make it though: YES!

Tom Skerritt

The worst thing about living in LA for the past 10 months has been their brand of sports talk radio. However, one of the best things has been listening to the Southern California and therefore the national take on the Warriors change greatly over the course of the season. Only last month, the Lakers were terrible because as they would say, "even the warriors have a better record". But after this weeks beat down of the Clips, the dubs are now respected outside the bay! On Wednesday, when all the LA sportstalk was about the clips, a panel of Sportswriters was asked to justify the hypothesis that Jamal Crawford is a deserving all star. At first most of them said yes, but when presented with the fact that the only way to make room for Jamal was to not have Lee or Curry on the squad, all of them relented. Not one of them could make any argument that both shouldn't be selected. And all agreed that they would be shocked if the west did nothave two Warriors. Finally, some Warrior love!!!