Bradley Beal just became the first player since 1985 to average more than 28 points and be left off an All-Star team. Now that hurts, as a Wizards fan, because we could do with some good news for once.
On his snubbing, “I’m a little pissed off about it, but I know how I am,” said Beal during his walk-off interview following a win against the Hornets. “I was kind of expecting it, honestly. It’s disrespectful, but the real ones know [I’m an All-Star].”
He’s not the only one pissed off. Devin Booker became the first player in NBA history to average at least 27 points, 6 assists and a true shooting percentage of 60% and miss out on All-Star selection. Zach Lavine, Malcolm Brogdon, Karl-Anthony Towns and Paul George can also jump on the bandwagon of the pissed off.
Contributing factors on the snubbing of Booker and Beal may come down to the lack of success of the Suns and Wizards, with both teams in the bottom halves of their respective conferences. But Trae Young, quite possibly the worst defender in the NBA, was selected despite his Hawks owning the second worst record in the entire league (12-36).
Beal’s teammate Isaiah Thomas chimed in on the bullsh!t. “It’s so political,” the two-time NBA All-Star said. “[The] NBA picks who they want, and that’s just how it’s always gonna be.” Beal’s fiancee even got in on it.
“Stats don’t lie,” said Kamiah Adam, Beal’s fiancee. “It’s politics and it’s a joke. The NBA is becoming laughable in my honest opinion. 28.6 points per game, 6.3 assists per game, 4.3 rebounds per game. Didn’t make an All-Star, though? Sixth in scoring overall in the NBA, third overall in the Eastern Conference.”
So what’s the process for becoming an NBA All-Star so we can lay the blame on someone?
The voting process involves fan, player ballots and media votes. Fan votes account for 50% of the vote, while all current players (including coaches) and a media panel account for 25% each.
Players and media will also be able to complete one ballot, which features three front-court players and two guards from both the Eastern Conference and Western Conference.
NBA Coaches may have flaked on voting for Beal, as they tend to reward players from winning teams. Hopefully that doesn’t mean that Beal wants out of Washington, who have stuttered to a 16-31 record so far. In a positive sign, Beal did receive a big boost in the player vote which speaks well to his reputation with his fellow peers.
With that said, you get the feeling he’ll be pissed off for a little while longer.
