Tracy McGrady can't beat the Jazz in a playoff series, but he might make sure that none of them become an All-Star. Deron's injury this year will keep him out, but Paul Millsap has a good shot. But not if the legion of voters for McGrady have anything to do with it.
Hollinger has this bit in his second set of predictions for the NBA,
Paul Millsap makes the All-Star team - For this prediction to come true, two things will need to happen in the fan voting, both of which seem fairly likely. First, Chris Paul will need to edge past Tracy McGrady at the guard position; provided anybody in China is actually watching the games, this should happen. Second, Amare Stoudemire will need to beat out Anthony at forward; with Anthony out with a broken hand, that also seems probable.
Should both of those events take place, Millsap has a good chance of filling out the end of the West roster. If you accept that the first five spots would go to starters Stoudemire, Paul, Bryant, Tim Duncan and Yao Ming, and the next five to subs Brandon Roy, Chauncey Billups, Tony Parker, Pau Gasol and Dirk Nowitzki, that leaves two spots open.
In that scenario, the Jazz would be the only one of the top nine Western teams without a representative. And Millsap’s argument is getting stronger by the day. He’s averaging 18 points and 11 rebounds as a starter, and since Nov. 24, he’s had a double-double in every game. All 18 of them. Even the Milwaukee game, when he left in the first half with a hyperextended knee and somehow came back to finish it.
The problem is that McGrady now has about a 156,000 lead over Paul right now,
| Guards | |
| Player | Votes |
| Kobe Bryant (LAL) | 1,903,798 |
| Tracy McGrady (Hou) | 1,216,224 |
| Chris Paul (NO) | 1,059,161 |
That's not insurmountable, but with a strong Chinese following, it's formidable.
McGrady is having probably the worst season of his career. He's had injuries as well. But he's averaging only 15 points a game, shooting 39%, and having career lows in other categories.
So as Jazz fans, it might be hard to swallow, but voting for Chris Paul in the All-Star game will be a vote for Millsap. I would love to see Deron get his first nod, but that's not going to happen this year. Millsap is our best shot.
So it pains me to say this, but vote for Chris Paul all you can.