Banter's 2016 All-Stars

All-Star voting. Don't get me started.

Whatever, too late. The whole process is backwards; starting with the fan voting. It's a popularity contest, which at the same time is used as a highly-touted yardstick when measuring a player's legacy and/or Hall-of-Fame credentials. The sometimes-quizzical coaches do a by-and-large better job of putting the right guys on the bench, but even they are subject to bias and error.

The NBA made a nice adjustment a few years back, eliminating the forced "Center" position to reflect the increasingly perimeter-oriented nature of the game. But even that measure has left out many deserving players, with more All-Star caliber guards than the NBA has ever seen.

Put simply, there's fewer All-Star spots available to the positions with the most talent. A "Perimeter"/"Frontcourt" designation with more spots allocated to the former would make a logical next step for wing players- we live in a world where Kobe Bryant was somehow just voted in as a Forward.

While the coaches did a mostly solid job of mopping up the mess left by the starters' voting, let's wipe the slate clean and travel to an alternate universe where I decide the All-Stars because I'm clearly smarter than every NBA coach, and the millions of fans who cast votes.

Using an abstractly weighted assessment of the player's overall season (Personal Performance x Team Success), I've come up with the 24 guys who truly deserve to be repping the title "All-Star" this season; the guys who have defined the season with outstanding play. Here are Banter's 2016 All-Star picks:

EAST STARTERS

G - Kyle Lowry

Lowry was already an elite two-way PG, but over the summer he lost a visible amount of weight and has thus attacked this season with the voracity of his former self at In-N-Out. Still an aggressive bull on both ends, Lowry's now a step quicker, and possesses greater bounce. It's translated to him averaging career-highs in (points+assists), rebounds, and steals - the latter of which he sits 2nd in the league.

Meanwhile the Raptors have somewhat-surprisingly been perhaps the East's steadiest team this year, and the only ones really threatening Cleveland's #1 seed. Canadian fans pulled a last-ditch rally to bump Lowry into the starting lineup for the 2nd straight year, and there's no question this time it was deserved.

G - Jimmy Butler
Much like Lowry, Butler's a menace on both ends of the court for one of the conference's best teams. While the Bulls have had some periods of adjustment through a new coach and their usual boatload of injuries, Jimmy's been a monstrous presence, carrying Chicago offensively for stretches and willing them to wins by himself on several occasions.

Unfortunately it's doesn't look like the Windy City has enough huff & puff to challenge Cleveland in the East this year, but even with John Wall's recent rampage of box score destruction, Butler's been the better season-long player for a top-3 team, making this spot his.

F- LeBron James
25/7/6, with a combined 2 steals/blocks per game would be a banner year for 99.9% of the NBA. For LeBron, it's become routine, beyond the point of being taken for granted. The Cavs have coasted to the #1 spot, even through chemistry issues, injuries and unforeseen coach-firings, and LeBron's pretty much been LeBron; as automatic an All-Star starter as has existed in the NBA.

F- Paul George
Both the Pacers and George have cooled off slightly after completely scintillating starts to the season, but in a conference somewhat light on compelling cases for starters, PG is a total no-brainer. He's rebounded from his injury-porn broken leg to have his best year statistically so far.

Moreover the Pacers have been pleasantly competitive over a first half marred by injuries and large doses of unfamiliarity on a mostly-flipped roster. Even if they'd slid outside the playoff bracket, George would still be a must-start.

F - Paul Millsap
Lost in the usual rhetoric about the Hawks' team play and their slight stumble in the East standings is that Millsap is having an absolute monster of a season. Already one of the NBA's most versatile players, he's currently averaging career highs in all five of the major statistical categories. He sits top-10 in steals, top-20 and blocks and rebounds, and top-30 in scoring. Millsap's brilliance has been subtle (aside from this vicious assault on John Henson) and unheralded, but he rounds out a fairly obvious East frontcourt. #SmallBall.

EAST BENCH

G - John Wall
Has been playing the best ball of his career over the past six weeks. Even with the Wizards decimated by injury and performing well below par, he needs to be here.

G - Demar DeRozan
DeRozan's smoothly transitioned from a mid-range gunner to a relentless attacker who shoots the third-most free throws in the NBA. He's top-ten scorer on a top-two team, making it very hard not to give the host Raptors a 2nd All-Star.

F - Carmelo Anthony
Melo has been getting jerked off a lot lately for trusting his teammates, trying on defense, and more or less playing the way everyone's been wishing he would for a decade now. Regardless, the Knicks are far less of a laughing stock, so Anthony's All-Star stock has risen as well.

F - Chris Bosh
Not that the Heat "need" an All-Star by any logical stretch, but both Bosh and Dwyane Wade (who's been remarkably durable this year) carry decent cases for bench spots. In the end, the Boshtrich gets the nod, largely due to having more potential roster spots and less competition.

F - Andre Drummond
If you can stomach the absolutely abhorrent free-throw shooting, Drummond's a destructive force that's cleared a path for Detroit's seemingly likely return to the playoffs. Hasn't dropped as many 20/20s lately, but still has left a large crater in this season.

WC - Isaiah Thomas
The first Wild Card spot goes to Thomas, who's having a borderline-dominant offensive season as the heartbeat of the wily, cagey Celtics, who thanks to the new division champs rules, are a game back of homecourt in the East.

WC - Pau Gasol
This spot comes down to a bunch of guys with somewhat-compelling cases. I changed my mind 2 or 3 times and went with Pau, still putting gaudy numbers on the board for a top-3 team, which none of the guys below can really front on.

REGARDS TO: Kemba Walker, Al Horford, Reggie Jackson, Dwyane Wade, Nicolas Batum, Kevin Love

WEST STARTERS

G - Stephen Curry
Duh.

G - Russell Westbrook
Westbrook's been a supremely destructive force on box scores and defenders alike, offset only slightly by Kevin Durant's return to health. Russ sits 7th in scoring and 2nd in assists, accounting for more raw offensive output than anyone but Chef Curry. For good measure, he also leads all guards in rebounding, and the entire league in steals.

Westbrook's relentlessly undying energy is a perpetual force of nature on the basketball court. You can expect the reigning All-Star MVP to put up a solid title defense, simply because he doesn't understand the meaning of "not trying".

F - Kevin Durant
It hasn't taken long for the Slim Reaper to slay all that preseason fretting about his foot and the total hatchet job OKC's medical staff pulled on it last year. Playing slightly fewer minutes than seasons past, his output is par for the Durant course, among the league's scoring leaders, shooting dangerously close to 50/40/90. Welcome back KD.

F - Kawhi Leonard

That season we were all waiting for, when Timmy, Tony and Manu finally turned the reigns over and Kawhi Leonard was fully unleashed, is happening. Not only is he continuing to wreak utter havoc on the defensive end, he's dropping a career-high 20/game on arguably the most efficient-shooting season in NBA history. Not even LaMarcus Aldridge's arrival has been enough to offset the assertion that it's Leonard Time.

F- Draymond Green
You have to love Draymond Green. He backs up every single brash and/or boisterous statement he makes with a pure embodiment of (sorry, Grizzlies) Grit and Grind. This guy isn't a transcendent athlete, he wasn't blessed with any otherwordly talents (like, say one of his teammates). He's just a very smart basketball player who hustles on every play and has busted his ass over the past 18 months to expand his game.

As a result, you'd be very hard-pressed to name a more versatile player in the league, such that he's averaging numbers nobody has since Grant Hill 19 years ago. To boot, Dr. Dray kicks in almost 3 steals/blocks per game, while capably guarding as wide a range of opponents as anyone. Curry may be the Warriors' best player, but Green is their heart, hustle, and a borderline MVP candidate himself.


WEST BENCH

G - Chris Paul
The Clippers were a sinking ship in November, but Paul's return to full health has sparked a dramatic resurgence in Blake Griffin's absence. They're back in the top-4, largely due to CP3's dominance on both ends.

(side note: I single out "CP3" as one of two examples of those dumb, once-trendy initial-to-number nicknames that should be used. The monosyllabic rhyme-rattle just works too well. The other is CB4, which is probably the coolest thing Chris Bosh has ever initiated, even if unwittingly.

G - James Harden
Houston's been a pretty big disappointment this year, but Harden's been a beast. You can only penalize a guy so much for his team, and there's no denying The Beard belongs. He's still putting up LeBron-esque numbers, so book his ticket.

F - Dirk Nowitzki
The Mavs aren't quite a team that demands an All-Star, but their unexpected status as mortal locks for the West playoffs is noteworthy, as is Dirk's refusal to quit leading a competitive team. This isn't a "Legacy Nod" like the fans gave Kobe, this is a "Still Got It" nod.

F - Anthony Davis
The Pels have been bit by the injury bug, the inconsistency bug, and the "All our Centers Suck" bug, but Davis is doing what he can. He hasn't yet displayed the growth many had hoped for this year, but the player he already was is really fucking good.

F- DeMarcus Cousins
Another West star who started the season in an injury-mired funk, Cousins has been Godzilla on the block this month, averaging an absurd 34 & 14 on 61% True Shooting. The Kings are also fighting for a suddenly-available playoff spot, making the All-Star game an official Boogie Nights production.

WC - Klay Thompson
The competition for the final two spots here was a lot fiercer than in the East, but Klay seems like a relatively easy pick. His numbers have dipped ever-so-slightly with Curry in GodMode, but Golden State might be the best team in history, so, you know...

WC - Damian Lillard
Finally there's the often slept-on Damian Lillard, who's been putting up outrageous numbers for a Portland team that maybe five people on Earth thought would fight for the playoffs this year. Even if he's a crappy defender, he's a destructive offensive player whose team's highly-unlikely 'success' propels his case.

Regards To: Marc Gasol, LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre Jordan Gordon Hayward, Rajon Rondo

Banter's Halftime Awards

We're just about in the middle of the NBA season, with every team at or across the 41-game Halftime threshold. While the All-Star Break won't happen for a few weeks, this is as good a time as any to check up on who's making moves for the league's end-of-season awards. Here are Banter's picks for the first half:

Rookie of the Half: Karl-Anthony Towns

Not even three full months in, the 2015 Draft Class is already looking like a smash. Three of the top four picks are probable-to-certain future All-Stars, and a number of players from all over the board are flashing skills and contributing regularly.

But among all the early hype, Towns has been delivering a rookie season for the books: 15.5/9.5/1.7 in just 29 minutes per game (to contrast, as rookies, Alonzo Mourning averaged 34, Hakeem Olajuwon 35.5, and Tim Duncan just under 40). Towns is a consistent two-way bull who delivers the trifecta of currently-coveted NBA big men skills (floor-running, shooting range and rim protection), while at 85% from the charity stripe is already tied w/ teammate Gorgui Dieng to lead all centers.

Plenty of the names that got called last June sound like they might ring out in years to come, but Towns' already does. Very loudly.

Regards To: Kristaps Porzingis, Jahlil Okafor, D'Angelo Barksdale Russell

All-Rookie Teams
First: G-D'Angelo Russell, G-Devin Booker, F-Kristaps Porzingis, F/C-Jahlil Okafor, C-Karl-Anthony Towns

Second: G-Emmanuel Mudiay, G-Jonathon Simmons, F-Stanley Johnson, F-Bobby Portis, C-Nikola Jokic

Most Improved Player of the Half: CJ McCollum

A lot of guys are making noise for this award, and it's not all from the usual places. Jae Crowder has come semi-out of nowhere to become a highly coveted 3-and-D wing. Draymond Green - last year's runner up - took an unlikely step from fringe All-Star to fringe MVP candidate. And speaking of MVPs, last year's winner is very much in the race for this year's Most Improved, which is maybe the ultimate testament to just how badly Steph Curry is crushing the NBA right now.

But beyond the compelling narratives worn by Green and Curry, McCollum is delivering a textbook MIP campaign that can't be ignored. Obviously the offseason exodus from Portland left huge voids to be filled in the Blazers' lineup, but CJ's responded by tripling his scoring average to over 20ppg, while doubling his rebounding output and more than quadrupling his assists. He's maintained identical shooting clips from the field and on threes through his vastly increased volume, and is shooting a full 10% better from the line (just under 80%). Lots of people expected a leap from him, but McCollum's blown up bigger, sooner than just about anyone saw coming.

Regards To: Draymond Green, Stephen Curry, Jae Crowder

Coach of the Half: Luke Walton

I have no patience for the nonsense about Walton not being credited for the Warriors' wins; far as I see it if he can win Coach of the Month, he can win Coach of the Half. Nor do I think it's valid to hold the ease of coaching the Warriors against him in deciding this award; the ease of playing with them didn't seem to hurt Steph Curry much in last year's MVP race.

Here's an interim coach charged with meeting the sky-high expectations of not only defending the NBA Championship, but silencing the many doubters - media, players and owners alike - who emerged around the league in the months since. He's piloted a roster that's already dealt with more injury issues than all of last season, steering them on course for the best record in NBA history - which is pretty much a benchmark for an automatic COY.

Regards To: Gregg Popovich, Rick Carlisle, Stan Van Gundy

Sixth Man of the Half: Ryan Anderson 

Tough call here. Especially since none of the contenders are putting up Must-Win seasons, and I find it really hard to reward someone on the Pelicans, who've been a gross disappointment. Yes, I know, they started off the season hurt. Everyone's heard that violin. But the Pels have had Tyreke Evans back for 20 games; Jrue Holiday's been back to full duty. They're still 13 games under .500 in a conference where many teams are reeling. They also bafflingly traded away Ish Smith.

But it wouldn't really be fair to punish Anderson for the Pelicans' organizational misfortune; bouncing back from a stretch marred by both serious injury and personal tragedy, to basically become his old self again. With retro-Anderson shooting %'s and a per-36 scoring clip on par with his career high (and a dispiriting lack of growth from Anthony Davis), he's been perhaps the lone consistent bright spot on the Pelicans' roster.

It's tough to say what the second half will bring for Anderson's viability - with his name appearing constantly in trade rumors and Zach Randolph possibly qualifying for the award - but for now he's got the top spot among sixth men.

Regards To: Victor Oladipo, Will Barton, Zach Randolph

Defensive Player of the Half: Kawhi Leonard

It's hard to say whether Leonard will pull off the DPOY double-dip; history certainly isn't on his side.You'd have to go back to 1984 and Sidney Moncrief - the award's first winner - as the only perimeter player ever to repeat.

That said, Kawhi's a transcendent defensive player, spearheading a team that is just crippling the league on D this season. He could make history, and should, as he's far and away the best defender in the NBA right now. I've legitimately stopped playing my fantasy teams' swingmen against San Antonio.

Regards To: Draymond Green, Kyle Lowry, Hassan Whiteside

All-Defense Teams
First: G-Kyle Lowry, G-Tony Allen, F-Kawhi Leonard, F-Draymond Green, C-Hassan Whiteside

Second: G-Chris Paul, G-Jimmy Butler, F-Anthony Davis, F-Serge Ibaka, C-DeAndre Jordan

MVP of the Half: Stephen Curry 

Obviously Steph Curry is on an island right now in terms of the MVP race, we can just get that out of the way. Instead of waxing poetic or dropping rhetorical stats about all the ways Curry is revolutionizing basketball right now, let's instead hypothetically imagine (god forbid) he were to bust his ankle tomorrow and be out until til the playoffs. Who then emerges as the favorite?

Chris Paul - Had a shaky, turnover-heavy start to the season, but has been absolutely dominant for a Clippers team that's completely turned its season around despite the absence of Blake Griffin (who himself was an MVP candidate prior to his injury).

Kevin Durant/Russell Westbrook - The Thunder are starting to roll with Durant healthy and Westbrook doing Westbrook things, but regardless of how high they lift OKC, they're likely to sabotage each other's chances here.

LeBron James - Kept the Cavs safely atop the East through Kyrie's absence with the usual LeBron stat-stuffing we've come to take for granted (although note that he's shooting a rancid 29% on four three-pointers/game).

Kawhi Leonard - He's slowly swimming out to Curry Island. With every passing game, the Spurs solidify themselves as a historic regular-season team perhaps on par with Golden State. And Kawhi's dominance on both ends can't be ignored. Easily the NBA's best defender and flirting with a 50/50/90 (a mark nobody has ever hit for a season), for a team on pace to win 71 games with the best net rating ever.

But give Curry credit where it's due, he was already on top of the basketball world, then took flight up into the ether. We may only be halfway, but it seems like barring that hypothetical injury, he may not be brought down.

Regards To: Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook 

All-NBA Teams
First: G-Stephen Curry, G-Russell Westbrook, F-LeBron James, F-Kawhi Leonard, C-DeMarcus Cousins

Second: G-Chris Paul, G-Jimmy Butler, F-Draymond Green, F-Kevin Durant, C-Pau Gasol

Third: G-Kyle Lowry, G-John Wall, F-Paul George, F-Anthony Davis, C-Andre Drummond

That's all for now - check back next week as we try and make sense of this mess called "All Star Voting".