Three reasons why Zaza Pachulia should be an All-Star
Zaza Pachulia needs to be an All-Star for these three reasons.
The All-Star Game is supposed to be a contest where the league’s best come together in a fun exhibition. It’s where the Steph Curry’s, LeBron James’, Kobe Bryant’s, and Russell Westbrook’s of the world can set aside their regular season battles for, at least, one night. The whole weekend has become quite the event, but only the All-Star Game has a voting process.
The fans have a chance to vote for their favorite players. Most of the time, this just means that the NBA’s top stars get voted in. Veterans with long resumés and rising stars breaking into the elite tier. But every now and then, players who don’t deserve to start in the game get the votes to do so.
Bryant received vote long after his prime when he was no longer an effective player in the league. Dwyane Wade is probably going to start in this upcoming game, but he’s not as deserving as other guards including his own teammate, Jimmy Butler. Yao Ming was voted in as a starter in 2011 after playing just 5 games that season. But at least those guys are (or, rather, were) stars.
Then you have the case of Zaza Pachulia. Last year, Kawhi Leonard’s late push lifted him over the center. This season, Pachulia is second in frontcourt voting, behind only Kevin Durant.
Pachulia has become a solid player for Golden State. He doesn’t put up huge numbers like a DeMarcus Cousins or is the best player on his team like Marc Gasol. It’s hard to find someone that believes that Pachulia deserves a spot over those guys on the Western Conference team.
The NBA has implemented a media and player vote in order to try to prevent something like this from happening. Here are three reasons why it NEEDS to happen.
November 25, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Timofey Mozgov (20) moves the ball against Golden State Warriors center Zaza Pachulia (27) during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
To expand the global game
Zaza Pachulia is not getting his votes because of Golden State fans. Sure, they help, but that’s not where the majority of his votes are coming from. In fact, they’re not coming from within North America at all.
Pachulia is getting serious support from his home country of Georgia. The small Eastern European country is bordered by Russia and Turkey. They have a population of around 4.5 million people and they’re unifying to vote for Pachulia.
The NBA wants to expand the amazing game of basketball around the globe. They’ve done so exceptionally well, especially in recent years. Stars from foreign countries like Yao Ming, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kristaps Porzingis help create buzz and excitement for the game overseas.
Now, Pachulia isn’t on the level of those guys. But he’s clearly very popular back home because, for the second year in a row, he’s in the running for a starting spot in the All-Star game. He’s a global ambassador to the game.
The NBA is all about expansion and Pachulia is just another name on that list. The center is very well-liked and he represents the league and his country very well. It makes sense to have him on the game’s biggest stage.
Pachulia can help expand the game. He can help inspire the next wave of European basketball stars. Imagine Porzingis and Pachulia matching up, even for just one possession and what that would mean to children all over Europe.
It’s great exposure for the league and a chance to continue expanding.
Nov 19, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Golden State Warriors center Zaza Pachulia (27) hugs forward Kevin Durant (35) after the Warriors beat the Milwaukee Bucks 124-121 at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Durant scored 33 points to lead the Warriors. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
To troll the Internet
Since June 19, everyone with a Twitter account has tweeted something about a 3-1 lead. Whenever any kind of big event happens, there’s some troll there to remind you that the Warriors blew a 3-1 lead in the Finals. Sometimes, these trolls add a little more and include the fact that they had the first unanimous MVP in NBA history.
Everytime Bleacher Report tweets, there’s someone tweeting “3-1.” LeBron James has made sure no one forgets it. It’s one of the biggest pop culture phenomena. Cleveland loves to remind everyone that their championship didn’t happen because they won, but rather another team lost.
Why not troll the Internet jokesters right back? After the summer of 3-1, flooding Twitter with “Zaza Pachulia #NBAVote” would be hilarious. More exposure for Golden State players would make their growing number of haters angry.
Warriors fans are getting extremely creative with their votes.
I will never put Zaza Pachulia and #NBAVote in the same sentence again https://t.co/uPMAJDyADI
— Beke (@BekeGSW) January 11, 2017
Great Zaza Pachulia boxout on CJ opening up the other side of the rim. Plays like this NOT IN THE BOX SCORE. #NBAVote https://t.co/ihBReTYUSw
— Andy Liu (@AndyKHLiu) January 5, 2017
Biden: B, I got an idea to improve international relations.
Obama: What is it, Joe?
Biden: Zaza Pachulia #NBAVote pic.twitter.com/WzL4jPLRLD
— Blue Man Hoop (@BlueManHoop) January 14, 2017
Golden State fans and Georgians are making strong pushes to get Pachulia in. They’re doing it without the “official” help of the Warriors. The organization is only promoting the “Core Four” of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and Durant.
Pachulia’s campaign is extremely organic. His people from his home country are doing their best to get their star into the All-Star Game. Warriors fans gain power through the rest of the league’s complaints and displeasure and are trying to get him in.
He’s not one of the best centers in basketball. If we consider the All-Star Game a competition of the best players, he doesn’t belong there. But the All-Star Game is about fun and having him in there would be a lot of fun.
Pachulia needs to be voted in because it’s the ultimate troll job. It’s a fanbase fighting petty with petty.
To beat the new voting system
Zaza Pachulia was almost an All-Star last season. San Antonio Spurs’ fans’ late votes pushed Kawhi Leonard over the top. The then-Dallas Mavericks center was left in the fourth spot, on the outside looking in.
Since then, the NBA has tried to combat that. Now the fan vote counts for just half of the total vote. The media and the players each get a vote. They submit their votes and they’ll all get added and weighed together.
Adrian Wojnarowski posted a wonderful video essay about the new system. He argued that the fan is getting left out. The fan and media vote won’t allow the fans–the whole reason the All-Star Game exists–have their say.
The new system is there to protect against “unworthy” players being allowed to start the game. In theory, guys like Kobe Bryant and other retiring stars would be blocked from starting if they dont’ deserve it. But the media and the players would put them in.
So, really, this is the Zaza rule. The NBA is trying to block the will of the fans. Regardless of the reason why, the fans want Pachulia and if the majority truly didn’t want him in, then he wouldn’t be in. If the majority of fans were truly outraged that Pachulia is in line to start over Cousins, then they should vote for him.
I admit, I thought it was ridiculous that he was getting votes over Green last year. But it’s still the will of the people. If the majority of folks vote for someone, that person should win. There shouldn’t be a system that undermines that.
The NBA fans deserve full control of their All-Star game. The league shouldn’t try to take that away. Maybe the voting is broken, but awarding media members a vote isn’t the way to fix it. It’s a meaningless game so why are we trying so hard to assign meaning to the voting process?
Zaza Pachulia making the All-Star Game despite the obstacles placed in front of him would be justice.
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