The Magic of the Wizards

...but they do turn.

Washington's All Star!

Gilbert Arenas, inexplicably left out of both the fan voting and the coaches' choices for the All Star game, will be playing after all.

David Stern has chosen Arenas to replace the injured Jermaine O'Neal of the Indiana Pacers. It's not exactly the way this should have gone, but at least he's being recognized for his play this season.

Since the Eastern coaches didn't choose him, I wonder how many minutes Flip Saunders will give him? I'm guessing five--at the end of the fourth quarter. Still, the point's been made: Gilbert Arenas is an All Star, and his exclusion was so egregious a screw-up that the League Commissioner had to step in and correct it.

Somewhere in my heart, I kinda wish Gilbert would tell the League--and the All Star game--to go fuck themselves...but that's neither a smart response nor a likely one.

Small or unpopular markets don't get fair representation at the All Star game. Everybody knows that. Utah's Mehmet Okur should be there; Houston's Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming (both of whom have been out injured for a goodly portion of the season) should not. Washington's Antawn Jamison, who averages a double-double, should play; inconsistent Rasheed Wallace of Detroit should not.

But because players like Jamison and Okur, just to name two, don't play in big money markets they're ignored. Not just by the fans, who might not even know who they are, but by coaches--guys whose business it is to know who's doing well around the League.

One more rant: How is it that Gilbert Arenas was also overlooked for an invitation to the PlayStation Skills Challenge?! This is an event that plays directly to his strengths; he's one of the fastest and most accurate passers and shooters around.

Now, I can certainly understand the inclusion of Steve Nash. He's the League MVP and the defending champion in this event. He obviously deserves to be there. The other three contestants, however...

Well, LeBron James has the skills, but probably not the speed. Dwayne Wade?! What is that all about?! Wade's good--duh!--but are his skills developed enough to rate an invitation? Right now his biggest strength is the behemoth at his side. The fourth entrant, Chris Paul, is a rookie, for goodness sakes! He's clearly only included as youngster eye candy.

No way Gilbert Arenas should've been excluded from this event; it's tailor-made for him, as it is for Nash. gilbert would've been the only real competition for the reigning MVP, unless Kobe Bryant (also inexplicably uninvited) played. it's a gimme that Nash will repeat as champion in the Skills Challenge--but does it mean as much with the two guys who could actually challenge him aren't competing?

It's a damned shame--for Gilbert, for Kobe, and for Nash.

Will I watch All Star Weekend? Of course I will--but I'll know it for the worthless farce it is, and I hope you do too.

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