1995 Day 55 All Star Picks

[Craig]

Gonna throw out East vs West All Star rosters for 1995 as of Day 55 in my opinion. Went with 2 players at each position (where they are currently listed) and added 2 wild cards to get each roster to 12. This is not a prediction of who the game will pick and obviously includes two more players than it'd pick anyway.

EAST
Starters:
C Vlade Divac (Milwaukee Bucks) B- C C A A- C
17.0ppg, 11.1rpg, 2.7apg, 1.0spg, 4.0bpg, 1.6topg, .445 FG%, .811 FT%, .000 3P% (34.3mpg)
With a bit of a decline due to aging from Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson being shipped to the West, the East's starting Center spot becomes a bit more open than in years past. Vlade is a newcomer to Milwaukee and having a career year, enjoying career highs in points, rebounds, blocks, and FG%. He and Shawn Bradley form an intimidating rim protecting presence for the Bucks, helping them to be currently 3rd in the East. He gets a slight nod over Olajuwon here due to better efficiency (FG%, turnovers), similar production otherwise, and a slightly better team record.
PF Charles Barkley (Boston Celtics) B- C D A A C
13.6ppg, 12.8rpg, 2.7apg, 1.1spg, 3.3bpg, 2.5topg, .462 FG%, .587 FT%, .375 3P% (36.6mpg)
Power Forward is admittedly one of the weaker positions in the league, with a lot of Centers playing down. In the East, Sir Charles earns my starting spot as an elite rebounder/rim protector while being a solid contributor on the offensive end. Roy Tarpley was seriously considered here, but for me the defense/rebounding is more important from the 4-spot than the extra scoring Tarpley provides, so Barkley gets it by a smidge. He is a big reason the Celtics have been able to overachieve a bit and remain in the playoff race after trading Byron Scott/Bimbo Coles last year, losing Duane Causwell to free agency, and seeing Father Time start to really come for Oscar Schmidt.
SF Scottie Pippen (Orlando Magic) B- B- C+ A- A- B
21.6ppg, 10.8rpg, 3.3apg, 2.1spg, 1.3bpg, 1.8topg, .458 FG%, .671 FT%, .358 3P% (38.5mpg)
Are Scottie's numbers a bit inflated by the lack of talent around him? Yes. But there really aren't any other Small Forwards in the East that challenge his production and he is doing it reasonably efficiently. He is one of the best rebounders & defenders at the 3 in the league and scoring over 20ppg on 46% shooting and less than 2topg is legitimately solid. His reputation has been hampered by his outlandish contract (and rightfully so in many ways), but he has now had two straight seasons where he has been a very productive all around player on both ends of the floor.
SG Kendall Gill (Milwaukee Bucks) B A- C+ A- C- C
25.3ppg, 5.3rpg, 4.8apg, 2.8spg, 0.3bpg, 2.1topg, .454 FG%, .840 FT%, .399 3P% (38.4mpg)
Gill is likely going to be a mainstay here since breaking out in 1993, which is saying something considering Shooting Guard has the deepest high-end talent pool of any position in the league. There's just nothing this guy doesn't do well, and one could even argue he's having a bit of a down year by his lofty standards. He's leading his team to a top-4 playoff seed with high-volume scoring (#5 in the league) and playmaking from the wing while also being a terror on the defensive end (tied for 4th in the league in steals). He'll have his hands full with the West SG's in the All Star Game, but he's as well-equipped as anyone.
PG Kenny Anderson (Washington Bullets) B B B+ A- D A
17.5ppg, 2.9rpg, 9.5apg, 1.6spg, 0.2bpg, 2.9topg, .459 FG%, .794 FT%, .444 3P% (37.7mpg)
Point Guard is a weird position this year, as there are a high number of players performing at what I'd consider a similar level, just in different ways. Kenny Anderson gets the starting nod for me as the guy putting up the most well-rounded, efficient numbers on a playoff team. He scores as well as most other PG's (those who have teammates, anyway) & does so efficiently, is among the league leaders in assists as a playmaker, and takes care of the ball better than most of his competition in the East.

Bench:
C Hakeem Olajuwon (Cleveland Cavaliers) B C+ D+ B+ A- D
19.0ppg, 11.1rpg, 2.7apg, 0.7spg, 3.4bpg, 3.1topg, .438 FG%, .942 FT%, .294 3P% (33.1mpg)
The Dream is starting to show his age a bit at this point at 33 years old, but he's still one of the best. He has always been a feared interior presence on defense and is the team's #1 offensive option on the other end. He is surprisingly one of the best free throw shooters in the league (T-#2) and as always patrols the paint with the best of them (T-#7 in blocks per game). You'd like him to shoot a little straighter from the field, but he's still putting in 19ppg and has his team near the top of the standings while leading a top 5 defense when considering opponents' FG%.
PF Roy Tarpley (Philadelphia 76ers) A- C- C B B- C
20.3ppg, 10.3rpg, 2.5apg, 1.0spg, 1.7bpg, 2.3topg, .466 FG%, .662 FT%, .000 3P% (33.2mpg)
Tarpley has been a steady cornerstone for the Sixers ever since being traded there for the great Moses Malone in 1989. You can pretty much book him for 20pts & 9rebs per night while frustrating defenses as one of the top free throw earners in the league, and this year is no different. He and newcomer Luc Longley form a solid frontcourt duo as they try to lead the Sixers to the playoffs. He lags a bit behind on the defensive end, where he is solid but not great, which is why Barkley earns my starting spot over him.
SF Drazen Petrovic (New Jersey Nets) C+ A- C+ B+ C+ C
16.1ppg, 6.9rpg, 2.9apg, 2.5spg, 0.5bpg, 2.7topg, .492 FG%, .830 FT%, .442 3P% (31.3mpg)
Another weaker crop of candidates. Serious consideration was given here to teammate Robert Horry, with a passing glance at Lance Blank (DET) and Larry Johnson (CHI), but ultimately the all-around production on the boards and on defense to go along with the usual hyper-efficient shooting (in a downtick in playing time) gave Drazen the slight nod for me. He uses his strength and guile to crash the boards and wreak havoc in passing lanes and still never seems to miss open looks.
SG Brian Quinnett (Miami Heat) B B C B+ C B
26.5ppg, 7.4rpg, 2.6apg, 1.5spg, 0.1bpg, 1.3topg, .479 FG%, .739 FT%, .295 3P% (40.4mpg)
Quinnett has been slowly developing after being a raw prospect in the draft and finally had his coming out party last season with Philadelphia. He earned himself a larger contract with Miami this season and has proven to be one of the best players in the league. He is 4th in the league in scoring, easily one of the best rebounding 2-guards in the league, and the ridiculously miniscule 1.3 turnovers per game as a #1 option are a career high! The guy is ridiculous and just keeps getting better. He'll be an integral part of the Heat's turn toward contention in the near future after their rebuild.
PG Terrell Brandon (Chicago Bulls) B C B- A D+ B
23.0ppg, 3.7rpg, 7.6apg, 2.4spg, 0.4bpg, 4.0topg, .466 FG%, .744 FT%, .386 3P% (40.0mpg)
I don't feel great about this, since Brandon would clearly not be putting up these numbers on a good team, but it's hard to deny the production. He's top 20 in the league in scoring and is one of the best defenders at the PG position in the league. His high workload has resulted in more turnovers than you'd like to see, but everything else he's produced has been pretty damn solid, including shooting a reasonable percentage with defenses keying on him.

Wild Cards:
SG Mitch Richmond (Washington Bullets) B- A- C A- C- B
23.8ppg, 5.9rpg, 3.0apg, 1.4spg, 0.2bpg, 3.4topg, .478 FG%, .892 FT%, .449 3P% (35.4mpg)
Reaching into that deep Shooting Guard position again, Richmond has been another one of the stars of the league on the wing. He's currently #8 in the league in scoring and is hitting two 3-pointers per game at a 45% clip, all while using his size/strength to provide good rebounding and defense. He was in contention for the backup SG spot, which ultimately went to Quinnett, but he was an easy choice to fill this Wild Card position.
PG Mitchell Jordan (New York Knicks) B- A- C+ A- D+ D
24.3ppg, 4.5rpg, 5.2apg, 2.1spg, 0.1bpg, 4.3topg, .462 FG%, .745 FT%, .394 3P% (35.5mpg)
Basically just take everything I said about Terrell Brandon and also say it here. There just weren't really many other guys in the East who stood out. Robert Horry (NJ), Anfernee Hardaway (MIA), and Mookie Blaylock (MIL) are the guys I'd be most open to putting here, but Mitchell is just kinda lighting it up in New York waiting for a contender to save him.

Also considered:
Rik Smits (CHA), Anfernee Hardaway (MIA), Mookie Blaylock (MIL), Rod Strickland (ATL), Robert Horry (NJ), Darrell Armstrong (PHI)


WEST
Starters:
C Shaquille O’Neal (Phoenix Suns) A- D+ C A- A- A
22.3ppg, 12.3rpg, 3.6apg, 1.4spg, 4.6bpg, 3.2topg, .481 FG%, .569 FT%, .000 3P% (37.6mpg)
The Diesel seems to have finally arrived. He showed flashes last season but missed over half the year, but showed up where it counts in the playoffs to earn a championship for the Suns. He's become a great scorer and surprisingly is likely to be in the running for Defensive Player of the Year as well. Both he and Alonzo Mourning are neck and neck for these spots with David Robinson being injured for most of the season so far. Shaq came out the slightest bit ahead of Mourning for me due to producing just the tiniest bit more in most areas (and maybe because I'm being a homer, I dunno).
PF Charles Smith (Phoenix Suns) A- C- C- A- A- C
21.4ppg, 12.9rpg, 3.6apg, 1.3spg, 1.7bpg, 2.6topg, .479 FG%, .770 FT%, .000 3P% (38.6mpg)
Smith has been the league's best Power Forward for a few seasons now, coming off a Playoff MVP award, and he has started to take a few less shots this season to allow Shaq and Sean Elliot to put up some more, but he still tops the PF chart. He's one of the league's best rebounders and scores inside as well as anyone in the league, while providing lineup versatility in that he plays all three frontcourt positions at the same All League level. Pretty easy choice here.
SF Tom Gugliotta (San Antonio Spurs) B+ C C+ A- B C
22.6ppg, 9.9rpg, 4.1apg, 1.8spg, 0.1bpg, 2.7topg, .510 FG%, .813 FT%, .300 3P% (39.4mpg)
There was some stiff competition here with Chris Gatling and Jerome Lane, but in a surprising breakout season, Gugliotta is helping to lead the Spurs to the best record in the league while putting up 22/10/4 on 51% shooting from the Small Forward spot. He (along with Alonzo Mourning's meteoric rise) is making Spurs fans quickly forget about departed superstar Jerome Lane.
SG Michael Jordan (Houston Rockets) A- A- C A- C- C
30.5ppg, 4.7rpg, 3.5apg, 2.8spg, 0.4bpg, 3.8topg, .472 FG%, .950 FT%, .387 3P% (39.4mpg)
His Airness just continues his reign over the guards in the league. To be fair, Jim Jackson got heavy consideration for this spot to challenge Jordan. But at the end of the day, he just provides so much to a title contender in Houston, he remains the starting SG in the West this year for me. He leads the league in scoring, does it on great shooting, and is a menace on defense. Other than a few less turnovers here & there, not sure what else you could ask for.
PG Kenny Smith (Houston Rockets) B- A- A- A- C- D
19.2ppg, 4.4rpg, 10.5apg, 2.4spg, 0.2bpg, 2.5topg, .460 FG%, .880 FT%, .427 3P% (38.8mpg)
The reigning MVP is arguably having an even better season this year than last. He easily earns the starting PG spot to make the West starting lineup pretty devoid of diversity in team representation. He's commanding the floor better than ever before with a career-best assist:turnover ratio and chipping in almost 20ppg to boot. Was nice to have an easy choice, since they were hard to come by this season.

Bench:
C Alonzo Mourning (San Antonio Spurs) B+ C C A- A- A
20.2ppg, 12.4rpg, 2.3apg, 1.0spg, 3.9bpg, 2.7topg, .483 FG%, .835 FT%, .000 3P% (33.8mpg)
As mentioned above, Zo has officially arrived, putting up career highs in points (20.2), rebounds (12.4), blocks (3.9), and FG% (.483), and only just missed out on a starting spot for me. He is a legitimate MVP candidate and leading his team to the best record in the league through the first half of the season. David Robinson would've likely made these picks interesting, but his injury makes the Center spot much easier to dissect.
PF Danny Manning (Golden State Warriors) B+ C+ C- B+ A- C
22.1ppg, 10.2rpg, 1.9apg, 0.6spg, 1.6bpg, 2.5topg, .437 FG%, .781 FT%, .259 3P% (32.8mpg)
With Derrick Coleman having a down year, Danny Manning earns a familiar All Star spot. You wish he'd shoot a bit more efficiently and that he protected the rim better, but he's nevertheless a really solid offensive fulcrum who can score in a variety of ways and rebound the ball without killing you on defense. As mentioned, Derrick Coleman (MIN) got consideration and a glance was even given to Pervis Ellison (LAL) for this spot.
SF Chris Gatling (Sacramento Kings) B+ B- D B- B B
25.1ppg, 8.1rpg, 1.4apg, 1.1spg, 0.8bpg, 2.2topg, .493 FG%, .770 FT%, .286 3P% (34.8mpg)
Again, was tough to parse out the West Small Forwards, but having Wild Card spots made it a bit easier. Gatling got the slight nod for me here over Lane due to the far superior scoring efficiency on a team that lacks much else in that department. I would not quibble with putting Lane here though. Gatling's defense leaves something to be desired and I'm not sure if he passes more than twice a week, but it's hard to argue with the production.
SG Jim Jackson (Dallas Mavericks) B- A B- A C B
29.6ppg, 6.1rpg, 4.7apg, 2.1spg, 0.2bpg, 4.0topg, .494 FG%, .893 FT%, .428 3P% (39.9mpg)
Jackson is a flat out superstar, providing anything/everything you would want from a #1 option, save a few less turnovers. He's #2 in the league in scoring, a plus rebounder, defender, and playmaker, and shoots with great accuracy from anywhere on the floor. The Mavs are in a transition period and hoping the lack of long-term pieces in place doesn't dissuade him from taking a max contract from them in the off-season.
PG Gary Payton (Portland Trailblazers) B- C+ A- A D C
14.4ppg, 3.2rpg, 9.9apg, 3.2spg, 0.1bpg, 3.4topg, .462 FG%, .892 FT%, .296 3P% (36.5mpg)
Serious consideration here was given to Jason Kidd (SAC) and Kevin Johnson (GS), but with reasonably similar numbers. Payton gets the slight nod due to his elite defense and having his Blazers near the top of the West. Plus, let's be real, it's looking like Kidd will be a perennial All Star in the future, so GP can get this tiebreaker. Payton is doing well for himself, averaging a career high in assists and steals while being a threat to score and keeping his turnovers lower than his early years in the league.

Wild Cards:
SF Jerome Lane (Los Angeles Lakers) B+ C+ B- A- B+ C
23.2ppg, 9.1rpg, 4.7apg, 1.3spg, 0.5bpg, 2.8topg, .448 FG%, .682 FT%, .208 3P% (37.4mpg)
These last two spots were very difficult to decipher and ultimately came down to Lane, Hersey Hawkins (SA), and Sean Elliot (PHX). Lane gets the first spot as the all-around hub for everything the Lakers do, filling up the stat sheet and keeping them in the playoff race. His scoring efficiency has dropped off a bit from his peak years, but he's nevertheless one of the best players in the league.
SG Hersey Hawkins (San Antonio Spurs) B- A- C A- C- C
23.0ppg, 5.5rpg, 2.6apg, 2.6spg, 0.4bpg, 2.3topg, .486 FG%, .828 FT%, .411 3P% (38.8mpg)
Hawkins earns my last All Star spot by the slimmest of margins over Sean Elliot (maybe to balance having Shaq starting over Zo?). He is a bigger threat on the defensive end and has shot the ball a bit better overall. Hawkins and Elliot are both among the best players in the league but find it hard to earn All Star spots playing the league's deepest position. Hawkins gets it here to be recognized for his contributions to the top team in the league so far this season.

Also considered:
Sean Elliot (PHX), Jason Kidd (SAC), Kevin Johnson (GS), Derrick Coleman (MIN), Pervis Ellison (LAL), Eric Piatkowski (LAC)

[Oregon Ownage]

The Mavs are in a transition period and hoping the lack of long-term pieces in place don't dissuade him from taking a max contract from them in the off-season.

Dont you put any bad juju on me already. Jackson has been my first superstar and if he leaves, it will be a dark place in Dallas

[Oregon Ownage]

I also love that the Midwest is dominating your All-Star selections

[Craig]

I also love that the Midwest is dominating your All-Star selections

It sure is

[lukeyrid13]

List lacks Big Country Reeves

[lukeyrid13]

Pretty crazy to me that 2 of the starters in the East could likely be had for expiring or just slightly more (Barkley and Pippen)

[offtheheezy]

Let's be honest Anthony Taylor is better than Gary Payton

[Craig]

Let's be honest Anthony Taylor is better than Gary Payton

Do I smell an article for the Tank Commander All Stars?

[The Bean Regime]

Let's be honest Anthony Taylor is better than Gary Payton

Do I smell an article for the Tank Commander All Stars?

Tried to tell Grizzlies to stop talking up the man!

Taylor's bout to be getting a max in FA for his tank prowess.

[Craig]

Shaquille O'Neal
-Handling
-Jump Shot

[Oregon Ownage]

Shaquille O'Neal
-Handling

Done