Another former Chicago Bulls star has tweeted support for Zach LaVine ahead of what could be his first of many bids to being named an NBA All-Star.
In a Jan. 16 tweet, former Chicago Bulls star Jamal Crawford joined the growing chorus sounding off with support for naming Zach LaVine an NBA All-Star.
LaVine’s latest endorsement comes on the heels of getting a shout-out from future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade.
In case you missed it, take a look at Crawford’s tweet.
--hopefully next month we're saying " all star Zach LaVine" great interview! https://t.co/uWZlO1HSHg
— 🏁 Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) January 16, 2020
Does the display of star-studded support for LaVine mean anything?
I believe the devil is in the details.
The third fan returns were posted online, and LaVine ranked at No. 6 among guards in the Eastern Conference.
It’s important to note a few of the guards pulling more fan votes, which I think invalidates the process of naming All-Stars. Namely, Kyrie Irving and Derrick Rose rank at No. 2 and No. 4. Both are talented without question, but neither is playing night in and night out the way LaVine is.
Irving missed 26 games this season before returning to the Brooklyn Nets’ lineup only recently. As for Rose, he is utilizing load management and coming off the Detroit Pistons’ bench most games as a reserve.
To be fair, LaVine makes a stronger case to be named an All-Star and it’s misleading to exclude him from the conversation.
Some may argue that support shown for LaVine has everything to do with NBA All-Star Weekend being hosted in Chicago this year. I beg to differ.
LaVine is currently averaging 24.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4 assists per game. Not to forget to mention the Bulls remain in contention to make the playoffs.
Unfortunately, I think the problem with the fan returns runs deeper than some may realize. It could derail LaVine’s chances of being named an All-Star unless something changes.
It’s become apparent there’s a flaw in the voting system that extends beyond the race for guards in the Eastern Conference, which I think needs to be corrected sooner rather than later. How else can you explain the massive returns shown for Boston Celtics big man Tacko Fall and Los Angeles Lakers guard Alex Caruso? They’re both good players to a certain degree, but they’re not All-Star caliber stars.
Seeing stars such as Wade and Crawford shout-out LaVine on Twitter should not be needed, but if it helps right a wrong, I’m all for it.
NBA All-Star Weekend 2020 will be hosted Feb. 14-16. There are four days remaining for fan voting.
To make your vote count, visit NBA.com/vote.