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Minnesota Timberwolves center Al Jefferson's name was not among the reserves announced Thursday night for the All-Star game.
Despite being one of only three players in the league to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, Jefferson did not tally enough votes among the Western Conference's head coaches to be named as a backup.
Jefferson is averaging 22.7 points and 10.5 rebounds a game. He was likely hurt by the team's 16-28 record, but the team was hoping a 10-3 mark in January would have been enough to get him in.
They instead chose O'Neal, who at age 36 often doesn't play in back-to-back games. The Feb. 15 game is in Phoenix, where O'Neal now plays.
"I can tell you, Al's played like an All-Star," Wolves coach Kevin McHale said after Thursday's morning practice. "He deserves to be an All-Star."
This will be the 15th all-star game for O'Neal, 36.
It would have been the first for Jefferson, 24, who was attempting to become the Wolves' first all-star since Kevin Garnett in 2006-07 and said after the team's midday practice that he was ready for the whole thing to be over.
"If I make it, I'm happy," he said. "If I don't make it, I'll just put it behind me and continue forward."
From Henry Abbott/TrueHoop:
If David Stern names an injury replacement to the Western team, my money's on Minnesota's Al Jefferson...
Al Jefferson didn't make this team last year. And do you know what I wrote? "Play some defense! Jefferson might have the best right hand in sports. But without a commitment to defense, teamwork, and passing, all that gets you is a 'Junior Zach Randolph' badge."
Now, I can't say he has really mastered the art of defense yet. But his team has improved notably, and his numbers prove he is truly a bear. His PER is 14th best in the NBA. He's on track to have his second straight year averaging better than 20 and 10. At some point, that's good enough, even if your team is not elite.
In fact, Jefferson may be the strongest example yet that now, more than ever, the quality of your team matters as much as the quality of your play. I'm OK with winning being a factor. But I hope it's not a litmus test. If Danny Granger hadn't made it, you'd have to start thinking the players from also-ran teams weren't in the mix at all.
Jefferson is clearly one of the best big-men in the league and is averaging 22.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks this season. This year, Jefferson has recorded 24 double-double performances, fifth best in the NBA. The Wolves have turned around their season behind the consistent production from Jefferson as the team has posted a 10-3 record in January. For further evidence of the incredible first half of the season from Jefferson, the Wolves media relations staff put together a highlight video on a GPS unit that was sent to the 14 coaches in the West.
O'Neal was named to his 15th All-Star team. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been selected to more (with 19). O'Neal, second in the league in field-goal percentage (.599), held off a late charge from Minnesota's Al Jefferson, who is averaging 22.7 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.
Maybe once Shaq retires, Jefferson will have his day in the sun. It won't be this year, though.
Jefferson has had a better season than Lakers power forward Pau Gasol, and there's only one reason Gasol got the nod over the Timberwolves' big man: He plays for the team with the best record in the NBA. Jefferson, meanwhile, plays for a team that has won only 16 games.
Do the coaches factor in a team's record when they vote for the reserves?
“I think it's important,” Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said a couple of hours after casting his All-Star votes. “Somebody's going to score on a bad team. It just ends up being that way. Somebody's going to get opportunities.”
“I’m really disappointed for the simple fact he had great numbers,” said former NBA star Gary Payton, one of TNT’s All-Star announcement commentators. “Now that he’s got his name out there and got it buzzing, next year will be a lot easier for him. He’ll come out and get these type of numbers again and his team will be a little better because I think Kevin McHale will add some stuff and he’ll be an All Star next year. But I’m really disappointed he didn’t make it.”
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