Wednesday, October 24th, 2012 at 9:00 am  |  80 responses

NBA Eliminating Center Position on All-Star Ballot


by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

The NBA’s All-Star Ballot will undergo a significant change this season. The center position will no longer appear on it.

The League, spurned on by its competition committee, elected to change the designation to “frontcourt”, which eliminates the annual glut at the center spot.

This is great news for a host of potential All-Star candidates.

Per TNT‘s David Aldridge:

The league will announce Wednesday a change to its All-Star ballot that will, for the first time, allow fans to vote for three undefined “frontcourt” players instead of having to vote for two forwards and a center. With more and more teams playing smaller than in the past, the definition of “center” was becoming increasingly difficult — not to mention finding enough quality big men for whom to vote. For years, for example, the Spurs have listed Tim Duncan as a power forward, even though everyone on earth knew he was their starting center. And so when it came to All-Star balloting, Duncan would take up a forward spot in a very crowded field of Western Conference stars instead of his logical spot in the middle. This was good for Duncan, who surely would have made his 13 All-Star teams anyway, but it often cost another forward a shot.

“It makes sense,” VP of Basketball Operations Stu Jackson. “It made sense to our Competition Committee. Having a center is the only specific position that was singled out on the ballot. It just seemed a little outdated and didn’t represent the way our game has evolved. By the same token, it also affords the same opportunity, if you have two good centers in a given year, pick ‘em both. They both can be selected. Which is impossible right now.”

Members of the media make the ballot selections. It will certainly be interesting to see which “frontcourt” players make it this season.

The new All-Star ballot will be unveiled on November 13, with the mid-season showcase set to take place on February 17 in Houston.

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  • danpowers

    the funny thing about that is, that it comes too late. we should expect bynum to put up 20-10 and the sixers having a solid year. having dwight as a log in the west as you said the both teams will feature centres who will most likely deserve their spots (if healthy). there have been alot of unjustified snubs during the last decade especially in the west where duncan for whatever reason is considered as a pf even though he exactly played like a center with a mid range shot standing more or less 7ft tall. smh

  • Mr. Wet

    Does chris paul have that starting spot locked up? I’m interested to see how Jeremy Lin does in voting. Remember Yao and McGrady were making all star games when they weren’t even playing because of Houston and China.

    and This isn’t a question of does Paul deserve it or not. I also think Westrbook will steal more votes this year than last.

  • SirGrey

    If Tyson Chandler makes an all-star team, I quit.

  • Jeremy Lin

    I thought most of my votes came from China……

  • K_HOLIDAY

    Ummm, what? I was talking about your rise to stardom when I said cue Jeremy Lin.

  • K_HOLIDAY

    IMO, it’s possible. D12 is in the west, Bynum’s knees are as good as the Bobcats, and Chandler is the DPOY. Group all those factors with the Knicks having a strong start to the season and him playing well and he could very well be an all star.

  • Jeremy Lin

    I will gladly play the power forward position in the allstar game.

  • Jeremy Lin

    Ok cool… On a seperate note, I hear you have a comfy couch. Care to elaborate?

  • biggieman

    Jeremy Lin will be the starting PG… Book it! Sorry CP3 I don’t care if you are a great player… You don’t have a billion people voting for you because we look similar. So ride the pine Chris, Russell, Tony and Steve.

  • Cameron

    I’ll happily take D12 over Shaq anyday.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    if Jeremy Lin gets elected as the starter in the All Star game the league will be forced to change it’s rules or will risk losing it’s actual viewers for the game. (the majority of voters don’t actually watch the game Live) – but i don’t think that’ll happen, Lin isn’t actually a Chinese citizen. He’s not comparable to Yao Ming, who actually represented the Country.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    that is stupid.

  • LakeShow

    Are you talking about sexually or something? Cause if it’s basketball related… GTFOH

  • SirGrey

    He’s a valuable player, don’t get me wrong. I just don’t see him having a better shot than Brook, Hibbert, or even Greg Monroe.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    It’ll be Chris Bosh or Kevin Garnett. Y’all don’t have to worry about any of those guys. I forgot about Bosh.

  • TheUnspokenTruth

    I remember Joel Anthony was on the ballot last year, and I voted for him just for the hell of it.

  • http://twitter.com/Jzakoni Verified Account

    You gotta to learn to take a joke man. Sometimes I like to be sarcastic

  • LakeShow

    I too enjoy the art of sarcasm. Making stupid statements is not always conveyed as sarcasm through the interwebs. My B.

  • Youngindy21

    WHILE YOU ARE AT IT NBA, TAKE FAN VOTING OUT OF THE DUNK CONTEST.

  • Youngindy21

    Not necessarily. I think the coaches can still vote him in.

  • http://www.facebook.com/natgeo02 Neitel Agosto

    For this year, 2012 All Star game in Houston, im going with these rosters. After you read, go get me some medicine for my mind! lol, enjoy! East Squad: Guards: Marc Jackson, Michael Jordan —Forwards: Dominique Wilkins and Josh Smith– Center: Patrick Ewing West Squad: Guards: Kobe Bryant & Kevin Johnson Forwards: Charles Barkley & Clyde Drexler and at Center: Dwight Howard or Shaq, whichever, they both superman, or they both clark kents?

  • Mr. Wet

    oh I’m aware, but I know he was still getting quite a bit of hype overseas. I do feel like people have been voted in in the past in just as ridiculous fashion though. I don’t think Lin will make it, but I’m hesitant to put a guarantee on that. Especially if he has some a few crazy games like last year and gets the media attention he did.

  • KBM

    Go Get ‘em J Lin

  • Drig

    He’s a C. But not the kind of C who is at his best with his back to the basket. He’s a PnR guy first and foremost. Bynum fills that category of old-school back to basket heavy lumbering centers.

  • MackAtttack

    KG ain’t making the All Star game anymore and Paul Pierce’s days are numbered as well…

  • JackPackage

    Dwight Howard is Shawn Kemp with a fitness trainer and a stack of condoms. Olajuwon, Mourning, Mutombo, Prime Shaq, Ewing, Robinson etc would have taken his soul at center in the 90′s.

  • danpowers

    and cars and neon dark lights and pathetic skits

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    oh he will have some good games, but he is going to have more bad ones. ANd he isn’t going to catch anyone by surprise. Expect Jeremy Lin to be an average PG this season.

  • LakeShow

    I dunno man, have you watched Dwights post game lately? It’s effective as hell. He doesn’t look as smooth as the good back to the basket guys, ie Bynum, Al Jeff, Pau, Duncan, but he is similarly effective with his back to the basket. He has a great running hook. His post game is coming along every season.
    Look for Pau to make him even better 1 on 1 in the post.

  • Drig

    Forgot to add the “Until he improves his post game and makes it more fluid and varied” part lol

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