By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Wednesday, February 4
Updated: February 4
11:45 AM ET

It's close, but statistically speaking, LeBron James is better than Carmelo Anthony.

But by going by the standings, and there are those who say those numbers are even more important, then, well, Anthony is far and away better than James.

But, and this is a big but if we are to believe all the ensuing talk of all-star snubs, by combining the two criteria, both players are lacking in Feb. 15 credentials because adding them to the team means taking someone else off of it.


Carmelo Anthony
Small Forward
Denver Nuggets
Profile


2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
50 19.0 6.1 2.7 .417 .748

"I was like, 'Oh, man, I should have been on there,' " Anthony said in N.Y. Times after learning he had not made the Western Conference squad. "But it's my first year and I still have a long way ahead of me. Even though it's just the All-Star Game, it's much deeper than that. We'll take it as motivation. I probably deserved to make it, but things happen for a reason."

Ditto for James.

"I think I played well enough to make that team," LeBron said in Lorraine Morning Journal after learning that he had not made the Eastern Conference squad. "By not making it, that will make me work harder. It's just another thing I have to earn, to be part of that elite group. I don't have anything to prove."

But instead of focusing on those two players who did not make it, perhaps it might be better if we looked at those players who beat them out.

Anthony, a forward, lost out to Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, Andrei Kirilenko and Peja Stojakovic.


LeBron James
Point Guard
Cleveland Cavaliers
Profile


2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
45 20.6 5.8 5.9 .411 .759

James, a guard, lost out to Allen Iverson, Baron Davis, Jason Kidd, Paul Pierce and Michael Redd.

"I'm old school," Cavs coach Paul Silas said in the Detroit News when he learned that his player had not made the All-Star team. "I always like players to pay their dues and to earn it, but it is what it is. He's earned it. It's just one of those things."

Ditto for Anthony's representative.

"I love our guys and I think they've played well enough (to be all-stars)," Nugget GM Kiki Vandeweghe said in the Rocky Mountain News when he learned his player had not made it. "But every year there are deserving players who don't get picked. Hopefully, this will inspire our guys."

Both Silas and Vandeweghe were careful not point out any players they believed should not have made it and they were smart. They've both played in the league, made their own all-star teams and are now back in the league in different capacities. They not only understand the game but they also understand the NBA.

And this is the simple truth. These are the facts. These are the numbers.

James and the Cleveland Cavaliers have a 19-29 record.

The players selected ahead of James with losing records were Iverson, McGrady and Pierce, and here's how they stack up individually.

LeBron James
2004 Stats: 20.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 5.9 apg, 1.4 spg, 0.7 bpg, 41.4 FG%, 27.3 3P%, 75.7 FT%

Allen Iverson
2004 Stats: 27.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 6.2 apg, 2.5 spg, 0.09 bpg, 39.3 FG%, 29.4 3P%, 74.9 FT%

Tracy McGrady
2004 Stats: 27 ppg, 6 rpg, 5.6 apg, 1.3 spg, 0.7 bpg, 42.2 FG%, 35.1 3P%, 81.4 FT%

Paul Pierce
2004 Stats: 22.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 5.5 apg, 1.6 spg, 0.7 bpg, 40.2 FG%, 33.1 3P%, 83.2 FT%

As you can see, James is good, even great. Brilliant if you've only seen him through highlights. But these guys are, statistically speaking, better. They score more points and excel in other categories as well. And as far as the standings go, Kidd, Redd and Davis, as the leaders of their respective teams, are seven games better than James in the win column.

Here's how Carmelo stacks up.

Carmelo Anthony
2004 Stats: 19 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.2 spg, 0.6 bpg, 41.7 FG%, 32.4 3P%, 74.8 FT%

But instead of listing the numbers for Duncan, Garnett, Nowitzki and Stojakovic and embarrassing the rookie, I'll put it in his own words . . . "but Kirilenko, man," he said in the Rocky Mountain News.

So let's see.

Andrei Kirilenko
2004 Stats: 16.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 3.3 apg, 2 spg, 2.8 bpg, 46.9 FG%, 39.3 3P%, 79.2 FT%

Anthony scores a few more points than Kirilenko, but is outclassed in every other statistical category from rebounding to assists to shooting to being in a completely different league in terms of defensive prowess.


Andrei Kirilenko
Power Forward
Utah Jazz
Profile


2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
44 16.3 7.9 3.3 .469 .792

Don't get me wrong. Anthony is having a great season. The simple fact that the Nuggets are 29-21 should make him the Rookie of the Year at this point ahead of James. But there isn't a coach in the league who would take a 41 percent shooter scoring 19 a game over what Kirilenko is doing night in and night out for the Jazz.

To argue otherwise would be to include Shawn Marion, Rashard Lewis, Larry Hughes and Michael Finley in this argument of snubs. How about Corey Maggette, averaging 19.9 a game on 46 percent shooting?

There are 27 players in the NBA averaging 18 or more points a game.

Try to find another player who has 124 blocks at this point to go along with 42 3-pointers while ranking third in his team in assists and fifth in the entire league in steals for a team with a winning record whose second-leading scorer on the court this month is Carlos Arroyo.

Sure, James and Anthony sell more jerseys, sneakers and seats in the stadiums. And there is an argument to be made of this as columnist Bernie Lincicome writes in the Rocky Mountain News :

"Either Anthony and James are what they are or they are not. They are the lead item on the nightly basketball news, whenever Kobe Bryant is not in Eagle County. They are forgiven flaws that veterans must apologize for.

"If James and Anthony are all of this, then they should be authenticated as such, and Anthony certainly was, finishing in fan voting just behind Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan and ahead of even perennial Karl Malone, not to mention Nowitzki and Peja Stojakovic.

"We, the public, have been assured that, in Anthony and James, we are seeing the future and should be making notes for later.

"What the coaches are saying is that the future is fine, but it is just not Feb. 15 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles."

But the fact is, to add Anthony or James means that you've to subtract one of these other players or simply base the game on Jersey sales and make room for Memphis point guard Jason Williams on the roster.

And perhaps the biggest indictment comes from the two, themselves. After saying the right things and doing the right things under such extreme media scrutiny all year, they wait for this moment to put their foots in their mouths.

"I wasn't part of their team they picked first," James said after being asked if he would be an injury replacement on the All-Star team. "I wouldn't like to be part of the team . . I'm an only child. I never want to be picked second. I don't come second. Don't even put me on that. That's how I feel."

Ditto for his partner.

"I'm not going to play if somebody gets hurt," Anthony said. "I don't want to be picked if somebody gets hurt."

Which only proves, more than anything, that perhaps they are a bit too young, still, to be on the All-Star team in the first place.

* Two Rookie Sensations Don't Make All-Star Cut
Lee Jenkins / New York Times
* Someone must explain All-Star glitch
Bernie Linicome / Rocky Mountain News
* James will be All-Star one day, but it isn't his time yet
Rob Parker / Detroit News
* James doesn't make the cut
Bob Finnan / Lorain Morning Journal
* Melo, Miller lose in All-Star wars
Chris Tomasson / Rocky Mountain News

Spurs, Pistons give more bang for the buck

By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Send an Email to Chad Ford Tuesday, February 3
Updated: February 3
11:42 AM ET

The fans have spoken. Quality players who are good citizens in the community mean more than stars with fat contracts and even fatter rap sheets. Value for the buck means more than deep pockets. An organization's ability to relate to the fans and the city means more, according to you, than winning championships.

How is it possible, in an age of star over inflation, lavish spending and luxury taxes, that a team with one of the most conservative payrolls in the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs, and another team that doesn't have anyone making more than $6.5 million a year, the Detroit Pistons, rank in the top four of ESPN the Magazine's Fan Satisfaction Rankings while the two teams with the highest payrolls in the NBA -- the New York Knicks and Portland Trail Blazers -- rank 27th and 28th respectively?


Tim Duncan's effort hasn't gone unnoticed by fans.
Call it bang for your buck. Fans appreciate a good bargain when they see it, and no one does it better than the Spurs and Pistons.

The Spurs are in a position to win another championship and are doing it with a committed payroll of just $46 million. They have just one star, Tim Duncan, but somehow ranked No. 1, out of 121 professional sports franchises, when fans were asked to rank players' effort on the court and their likability off it.

The Pistons have the second-best record in the East, yet don't have a player making even close to a max contract. The fact that the team is looking at $5 million in cap room next season without losing any key players is just astounding. Even more surprising, the Pistons ranked No. 3 out of 121 teams when fans ranked the likability of a team's players on and off the court.

Bang for your buck isn't all that's important.

# The Mavericks and Kings were the only teams in the league to get high marks despite huge payrolls. The Mavs succeeded in the poll because of high ratings for owner Mark Cuban and his ability to relate to fans and make the team more accessible. They also ranked high on their new arena and general popularity of the players to whom the Mavs pay big money.

# The Spurs, Pistons, Kings and Grizzlies also get high marks in the fan relations category -- judged by readers to be the most important of the seven categories. Speaking from experience working with these teams as a member of the media -- the fans are right on. All of these teams really know how to sell their product and they understand their audience. Not surprisingly the Hawks, Blazers, Knicks, Wizards and Bulls all took major hits in this department. Again, speaking from experience here, it's tough to argue with the fans. These teams have done a terrible job, in the past, of selling their product or making the team relevant to their fans.

# Championships and perceived closeness to championships matter. The Spurs rank No. 2 among all teams and No. 1 among NBA teams. The Lakers ranked 10th. In the weirdest stat of the entire poll, the Chicago Bulls ranked 20th overall and third in the NBA in this category. Please tell me that the poll was taken before the team self destructed at the start of the season. The Pistons, Rockets and Mavericks also get high marks in the category.

# Not surprisingly, the Blazers ranked dead last, out of 121 teams, when fans ranked the players' reputations on the court and in the community. What can Blazers GM John Nash learn from perusing the rankings? Fans care as much about a team's image and its ability to connect with fans as they do about consecutive playoff appearances.

# More surprisingly, the no-name Utah Jazz ranked 10th on player likability despite the fact that most fans outside of Utah would be hard pressed to name one player wearing a Jazz uniform this season. The Kings, Hornets, 76ers and Grizzlies also ranked in the Top 25. As far as bad rosters go, the Bulls, Magic, Hawks and Knicks all joined the Blazers at the bottom of the barrel.

# Speaking of the Jazz, long-time coach Jerry Sloan ranked No. 3 out of 121 coaches -- tops among the NBA. Only the Cowboys' Bill Parcells and the Chiefs' Dick Vermeil ranked ahead of him. The next closest competition was the Lakers' Phil Jackson, who ranked No. 10. Second-year head coach Eric Musselman was, by far, the youngest coach to get his props. He ranked 27th ahead of such veterans as Jeff Van Gundy, Jim O'Brien, Paul Silas, Flip Saunders and Rick Adelman. Former Knicks Coach Don Chaney sits at the bottom.

# Why are the New Jersey Nets so intent on moving to Brooklyn? Their stadium came in dead last among NBA teams when fans ranked the friendliness of the environment in which their team plays. The Magic and Sonics also got surprisingly low ratings in this category.

# The survey ranked owners based on their honestly and loyalty to their home city. Surprisingly, the Maloof Brothers, who were the most popular NBA owners last season, have fallen from third to 10th despite the Kings strong surge this season. This year Spurs owner Peter Holt took the top spot, ranking No. 2 among all owners in the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL. Cuban ranked fifth. The Pacers, Kings, Lakers, Pistons, Jazz and 76ers all ranked in the top 25. Despite finally opening his wallet last summer, Clips owner Donald Sterling, for the second straight year, sits at the bottom of the barrel.

# Discount the Knicks' rankings a bit. Only one team, the Hawks, ranked worse overall, but the survey was taken before Isiah Thomas took over and Stephon Marbury came to town. Our guess is that the Knicks would take a pretty big up tick in the rankings.

# Finally on to the movers and shakers. The Pistons rose from 13th to fourth in this year's rankings. Jerry West must be doing something right in Memphis as the Grizzlies went from 73rd to 38th in this year's poll. LeBron James had a more modest effect in Cleveland than one would think. Last year they ranked 106th. This year they're up to 83. Not sure that's worth the $100 million Nike is throwing his way.



Peep Show

By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Send an Email to Chad Ford Wednesday, February 4
Updated: February 4
10:30 AM ET


Stoudemire
Phoenix Suns: It seems that everyone believes the doctor when he says that Amare Stoudemire's ankle and toe are OK to play except, well, Amare Stoudemire. "I've never questioned his heart," Suns chairman Jerry Colangelo said in the Arizona Central. "Personally, I think he has the heart of a warrior. That's not in question. I think once the player is cleared with any injury, ultimately it's still up to the player to feel comfortable. Coming back from an injury is as much emotional as it is physical." Of course, what, exactly, do the Suns have to gain by having him come back now anyways? "Obviously, if we're in the stretch drive or the playoffs, players cast that kind of thing to the wind," Colangelo said. "But he's a young player who has already established himself with a tremendous rookie year. There's no reason to put him in jeopardy."

Washington Wizards: Don't worry. Gilbert Arenas says be happy. "I'm just going to wait until after All-Star, get 100 percent and come back and play," said Arenas in the Washington Times. "No one is going to be happy if I come back too soon, so I'm just going to make everyone happy and come back after All-Star." The point guard has missed 26 games so far this season with a strained abdomen and Wizard fans are hoping they get to see him paired up with Stackhouse, who recently returned from injury, in the backcourt before too long.


Hamilton
Detroit Pistons: Not naming Richard Hamilton to the all-star squad, he believes, was bad. "It's kind of disappointing," he said in the Detroit News. "I didn't want to get my hopes up too high because the last couple of years I thought I should've made it and I was devastated. I was like, 'Man, what do I gotta do? But this year, after playing in the playoffs, that was such a great thing, and having a chance to play for a championship, that's more gratifying. But, once they put that team out there and you see some of those names, it always get frustrating." But not naming him AND Chauncey Billups is even worse. "If you don't take one, take the other," Hamilton said. "We can't be considered one of the best backcourts in the league and not have at least one of us go. If he would've made it, I would have been happy. To not take either of us, it's tough."

Cleveland Cavaliers: Tony Battie is down but not out after being placed on the injured reserve list. "It's a strategical move," Battie said in the Lorraine Morning Journal. "They know I'm not 100 percent. I know I'm not 100 percent. I could play through it. I'm going to get healthy through the All-Star break. The hefty knee brace slows me down a lot. Some of my quickness is taken away. It affects my running. I'll see how I feel after the All-Star break." He will be replaced by 3-point specialist Jason Kapono on the active roster.

Los Angeles Lakers: Who knew Phil Jackson was such a baseball fan? "The league has a problem with the officiating," he said in the Orange County Register. "The other day (at Toronto), a player put the ball on the floor, picked it up and resumed his dribble, and nothing was called. You can't advance a fumble in this game. Against Indiana last night, they fouled us three times at the end of a quarter. They were trying to give a foul. Nothing was called . . . Baseball brought in people and attacked the issue. Instead of protecting the people involved and using an official to oversee them, they recognized they had a problem. Young players are being allowed to carry the ball, to travel. I tell the officials that we can't teach the players the things they're letting them get away with."

* Stoudemire: Turned ankle or bent ear?
Paola Boivin / Arizona Republic
* Arenas won't return until after break
John N. Mitchell / Washington Times
* Hamilton is not happy about his All-Star snub
Chris McCosky / Detroit News
* Kapono replaces Battie on roster
Bob Finnan / Lorain Morning Journal
* Jackson: NBA has a problem
Mark Whicker / Orange County Register