Truehoop? In this case boohoop

by Tommy Dee on January 31st, 2009 at 12:09 am

I like Henry Abbott. He’s built a great network of bloggers at ESPN. But how on earth can you explain this take on David Lee not making the All-Star team?

David Lee
“…Lee is just here as a courtesy to the millions of Knick fans. Oh, he’s a player and all, and I know Mike D’Antoni was campaigning for him. But when your guy makes an open 20-foot jumper, and everyone is pleasantly surprised? That guy’s not an All-Star. The competition is just too stiff. Look up there and look at who made it, and tell me who he should replace…”

It’s not so much that I can tell you who he should replace, but I can go up and down the list and nitpick flaws in each player’s game. So to knock Lee’s jumper, which is improved but still spotty, is unfair. And to blame the buzz on a courtesy to Knick fans…well, that’s just plain stupid.

Lee gets knocked because he hasn’t won, but as Andrew Smith and I were talking about earlier, Lee may not be able to make a bad team great but he can certainly make a good team immensely better. I’m bothered by so-called basketball gurus who knock the guy because everyone loves him. He’s like Jeter in a sense, he’s Teflon, so after a while it’s en vogue to knock him because he CAN’T be perfect, right? But watch them play and you say to yourself, “these guys are both damn good.” Whether it be Jeter’s “flip” to Lee’s tip let’s face it NY loves them.

Sure, Jeter was thrust into winning teams and he has rings and Lee hasn’t won anything yet, but non-Knick fans point to the win column and his spotty J as reasons to say Lee’s not an All-Star.

Why not just say he was deserving and didn’t make it?
  • 2010

    Great defense Tommy. I think this comes down to the fact that someone like Henry Abbot problably has not watched many Knicks games in full this season. Yet he has no problem disregarding Lee because he knows Lee’s jumper is spotty. Knicks fans are encouraged when he knocks down an open look because we know that’s not the best of his game. His game is being a high energy, selfless, double double machine. And it’s perfectly fine that he didn’t make the game because there are tons of terrific players and only so many spots, but Abbot thinking Knicks fans are just lobbying for Lee because we like him so much is dissapointing and WAY off base. D’Antoni and Knicks fans lobbied for Lee because he deserved it. Maybe Iverson should not be on the team because his selfish, no defense style of play has sunk the Pistions. And maybe Henry Abbot should watch more (playoff bound) Knicks games.

  • bob knick slave

    NEW YORK does love him,and he hustles his ass off,but there is no way that this guy is an ALL-STAR! this is no disrespect to david lee,and he always leaves it on the floor.but on a team with a legit center,alls he would do is rebound and put-back aagain ,no diss but hes a good lunch pail player and great for NY ,but hes not AN ALL-STAR

  • JR

    everyone knows that he is a 4 playing a 5 so dont say when hes playing a legit center bs…he simply put up all star numbers so far and deserves consideration…im fine with lee not making the game but like tommy said you can point out flaws on practically everybody in the nba…even kobe gets bashed for taking harder shots then necessary and up till this year lebron got bashed for his defense…

    the bad team argument only works if granger, bosh, and harris don’t make the team (and they all do deserve it don’t get me wrong but the knicks are better then the pacers, raptors and bucks) great argument tommy and i agree completely…oh, and he could easily replace rashard lewis…but you can say that mo williams should be there instead of either lewis and nelson….all im saying is there is no “new york hype” he simply should be considered…and should be called a snub as much as someone like al jefferson is a snub on the west

  • Mucha

    David Lee’s not an all-star yet even though he deserved to make it. Kenny Smith’s explanation was on point. I believe that David Lee’s for real and he deserves to be an all-star in my opinion but he will need to prove it next season. Al Jefferson proved to be an all star last year already. That’s why he should have made it this year.

    Anyways, if you want the Knicks to resign Lee this summer you should thank the coaches for not picking him.

  • BiggieSmalls

    Sorry but Lee is NOT an All Star..

    is Andris Biedrins an All Star? 13 points 12 rebounds AND 1.6 blocks a game..

    is Marcus Camby an All Star? 11 points 13 rebounds AND 2.5 blocks a game

    what about Troy Murphy? 12 points 11 boards in only 33 minutes

    All Stars should be able to take their team on their back and single handedly will them to win.. I just dont see that in D Lee.. no disrespect.

  • http://theKnicksBlog.com Tommy Dee

    My point is that he’s obviously not an All star because he didn’t make the team but the fact that TH noted him as a “courtesy” to Knick fans is just flat wrong.

    he deserved serious consideration….