2019 NBA All Star Ballot

We're halfway through the NBA season - here are the best players thusfar.

East

Starters

Frontcourt
G.Antetokounmpo Mil
N.Vucevic Orl 
J.Embiid Phi   

Backcourt
K.Irving Bos
K.Walker Char

Reserves

Front Court
K.Leonard Tor
B.Griffin Det
P.Siakam Tor

Backcourt
B.Simmons Phi
J.Butler Phi
B.Beal Wash
E.Bledsoe Mil

West

Starters

Frontcourt
A.Davis NO  (MVP)
P.George OKC
K.Durant GSW

Backcourt
J.Harden Hou
D.Lillard Por

Reserves

Frontcourt
L. James LAL
R.Gobert Utah
N.Jokic Den
K-A Towns Min

Backcourt
S.Curry GSW
J.Holiday NO
D.DeRozan SA


Alternates:
J.Nurkic Port
C.Capela Hou
D.Gallinari LAC
S.Adams OKC
D.Jordan Dal

The Greatest MLB Tournament Ever Created (NL, Round Two, Group 8)

Last group

4 more teams to round out the 32 greatest teams in National League history:

5 Dodgers
5 Braves
4 Cubs
3 Cards

3 Reds

3 Pirates

3 Giants

Phillies

Mets

-there are no Dodgers or Braves in this group, so they will both be locked at 5 teams moving forward; the Cubs and Giants each have 3 shots to move more teams to the next round; the Cards and Mets round out Group 8.

8. 1905 Giants (World Champions)

v.

72. 2008 Cubs (lost NLDS)

Catcher: Bresnahan (26) v. Soto (25) Winner: Giants-Bresnahan

First Base: McGann (33) v. Lee (33) Winner: Giants-McGann

Second Base: Gilbert (29) v. DeRosa (33) Winner: Cubs-DeRosa

Shortstop: Dahlen (35) v. Theriot (28) Winner: Giants-Dahlen

Third Base: Devlin (25) v. Ramirez (30) Winner: Push

Left Field: Mertes (32) v. Soriano (30) Winner: Push

Center Field: Donlin (27) v. Edmonds (38) Winner: Giants-Donlin

Right Field: Browne (29) v. Fukudome (31) Winner: Push

SP1: Mathewson (24) v. Dempster (31) Winner: Giants-Mathewson

SP2: McGinnity (34) v. Lilly (32) Winner: Cubs-Lilly

SP3: Ames (22) v. Zambrano (27) Winner: Cubs-Zambrano

Closer: Elliott (28) v. Wood (31) Winner: Cubs-Wood

Team Offense: Giants

Team Pitching: Cubs

Giants 7 Cubs 6 - Giants offense, even with three lineup ties, overcomes Cubs pitching to move on.  

25. 1917 Giants (lost WS)

v.

40. 1908 Cubs (World Champions)

Catcher: Rariden (29) v. Kling (32) Winner: Cubs-Kling

First Base: Holke (24) v. Chance (31) Winner: Cubs-Chance

Second Base: Herzog (31) v. Evers (26) Winner: Cubs-Evers

Shortstop: Fletcher (32) v. Tinker (27) Winner: Cubs-Tinker

Third Base: Zimmerman (30) v. Steinfeldt (32) Winner: Giants-Zimmerman

Left Field: Burns (27) v. Sheckard (29) Winner: Giants-Burns

Center Field: Kauff (27) v. Slagle (34) Winner: Giants-Kauff

Right Field: Robertson (27) v. Schulte (25) Winner: Giants-Robertson

SP1: Schupp (26) v. Brown (31) Winner: Cubs-Brown

SP2: Benton (27) v. Reulbach (25) Winner: Cubs-Reulbach

SP3: Sallee (32) v. Pfiester (30) Winner: Cubs-Pfiester

Closer: Anderson (31) v. Coakley (25) Winner: Giants-Anderson

Team Offense: Giants

Team Pitching: Cubs

Cubs 9 Giants 7 - just like the prior game, it's Giants bats against Cubs arms, but the result flips.  Cubs tie the Braves and Dodgers with 5 teams moving forward.  

9. 1905 Cubs (3rd in NL-no playoffs)

v.

56. 2013 Cardinals (lost WS)

Catcher: Kling (29) v. Molina (30) Winner: Cards-Molina

First Base: Chance (28) v. Craig (28) Winner: Cubs-Chance

Second Base: Evers (23) v. Carpenter (27) Winner: Cards-Carpenter

Shortstop: Tinker (24) v. Kozma (25) Winner: Cubs-Tinker

Third Base: Casey (35) v. Freese (34) Winner: Cubs-Casey

Left Field: Schulte (22) v. Holliday (33) Winner: Cards-Holliday

Center Field: Slagle (31) v. Jay (28) Winner: Cubs-Slagle

Right Field: Maloney (27) v. Beltran (36) Winner: Cards-Beltran

SP1: Reulbach (22) v. Wainwright (31) Winner: Cards-Wainwright

SP2: Weimer (31) v. Lynn (26) Winner: Cubs-Weimer

SP3: Brown (28) v. Miller (22) Winner: Push

Closer: Pfeffer (23) v. Mujica (29) Winner: Cards-Mujica

Team Offense: Push

Team Pitching: Cubs

Cubs 7 Cards 6 - St Louis leads through the matchups - but then the Cubs take the pitching and it sends their 6th representative into the next round.

24. 1954 Giants (World Champions)

v.

88. 1990 Mets (2nd in NL East-no playoffs)

Catcher: Westrum (31) v. Sasser (27) Winner: Mets-Sasser

First Base: Lockman (27) v. Magadan (27) Winner: Mets-Magadan

Second Base: Williams (26) v. Jefferies (22) Winner: Mets-Jefferies

Shortstop: Dark (32) v. Elster (25) Winner: Giants-Dark

Third Base: Thompson (28) v. Johnson (29) Winner:Giants-Thompson

Left Field: Irvin (35) v. McReynolds (30) Winner: Mets-McReynolds

Center Field: Mays (23) v. Boston (27) Winner: Giants-Mays

Right Field: Mueller (27) v. Strawberry (28) Winner: Mets-Strawberry

SP1: Antonelli (24) v. Viola (30) Winner: Mets-Viola

SP2: Gomez (26) v. Gooden (25) Winner: Mets-Gooden

SP3: Maglie (37) v. Cone (27) Winner: Mets-Cone

Closer: Grissom (36) v. Franco (29) Winner: Giants-Grissom

Team Offense: Push

Team Pitching: Push

Mets 8 Giants 4 - the totals both push, but the Mets take those matchups easily and move on.  

That's it.  The 32 greatest teams in National League history remain:

Group 1

1. 1906 Cubs (lost WS-Frank Chance)

v.

33. 1976 Reds (World Champions-Sparky Anderson)

49. 1988 Mets (lost NLCS-Davey Johnson)

v. 

17. 1943 Cardinals (lost WS-Billy Southworth)

Tinker's 25, Evers is 24, Chance and Three Finger Brown are both 29 - they lead the top seeded Cubs against the Big Red Machine - Bench is 28, Perez is 34, Morgan's 32, and Rose is 35. That winner moves to the Sweet 16 where they take on either the '88 Mets - with a 34 year old Gary Carter, a 34 year old Keith Hernandez, a 26 year old Daryl Strawberry and a 23 year old Dwight Gooden or their opponents, a 22 year old Stan Musial and the '43 Cardinals.

Group 2

2. 1902 Pirates (1st in NL-no playoffs-Fred Clarke)

v.

31. 1997 Braves (lost NLCS-Bobby Cox)

15. 1975 Reds (World Champions-Sparky Anderson)

v.

18. 1908 Giants (2nd in NL-no playoffs-John McGraw)

The second overall seed is the '02 Pirates with a 28 year old Honus Wagner and a 29 year old Fred Clarke - they meet the '97 Braves, Maddux and Glavine are both 31, Smoltz is 30 and Chipper is 25.  The Reds from Group 1, minus one year, return in Group 2 -- they face John McGraw's '08 Giants with a 27 year old Christy Mathewson.  

Group 3

3. 1909 Cubs (2nd in NL-no playoffs-Frank Chance)

v.

35. 2011 Phillies (lost NLDS-Charlie Manuel)

115. 2013 Braves (lost NLDS-Fredi Gonzalez)

v. 

19. 1998 Braves (lost NLCS-Bobby Cox)

-Add 3 years to that Cub squad from Group 1; they're all back here; they face Cliff Lee (32) Roy Halladay (34) Cole Hamels (27) and the 2011 Phillies.  In the other side - the Braves are guaranteed to make the Sweet 16, either with the 2013 team - Andrelton Simmons/Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman or the '98 Braves, just like that '97 team we just saw but a year older.  

Group 4

4. 1944 Cardinals (won WS-Billy Southworth)

v.

36. 1949 Dodgers (lost WS-Burt Shotton)

13. 1942 Dodgers (2nd in NL-no playoffs-Leo Durocher)

v.

20. 1953 Dodgers (lost WS-Chuck Dressen)

-lot of repeat business in the Round of 32 - we've gotten two of the Tinker/Evers/Chance clubs, two Big Red Machines, two of Maddux/Glavine/Smoltz Braves, and now Musial, a year older than the first Cards team we saw.  And the rest of Group 4 is all Brooklyn Dodgers -- in '49 Jackie and Pee Wee were both 30, Campanella was 22 and Duke Snider 22.  Tack on four years and they're all still here on the '53 team -- now, they play a Dodger team of an earlier vintage - Pee Wee is there, he's 23, but he's playing with Pete Reiser and Ducky Medwick and Billy Herman on the '42 club.  Pee Wee vs Pee Wee in Group 4.  

Group 5

5. 1942 Cardinals (World Champions-Billy Southworth)

v.

92. 1957 Braves (World Champions-Fred Haney)

12. 1901 Pirates (1st in NL-no playoffs-Fred Clarke)

v.

21. 1974 Dodgers (lost WS-Walter Alston)

-One more WWII Cardinals team, Musial's 21 in '42 - he's going to face Hank Aaron (23) Eddie Mathews (25) and Warren Spahn (36).  The winner of that game will battle against the winner of the second Honus Wagner Pirates club still alive and our first Los Angeles Dodgers squad - Garvey's 25, Cey's 26, Lopes is 29.  

Group 6

6. 1904 Giants (1st in NL-no playoffs-John McGraw)

v.

38. 1940 Reds (World Champions-Bill McKechnie)

11. 2016 Cubs (World Champions-Joe Maddon)

v.

43. 2017 Dodgers (lost WS)

McGraw and Mathewson are back with the '04 Giants; they meet Bucky Walters, Ernie Lombardi and the Reds.  Look at the other half of the bracket, a matchup of contemporary rivals - this Kris Bryant/Anthony Rizzo Cub team beat the 2016 Dodgers in the NLCS, and the 2017 Dodgers came back and beat the Cubs in the NLCS themselves.  A 29 year old Clayton Kershaw will lead that group.  

Group 7

7. 1909 Pirates (World Champions-Fred Clarke)

v.

103. 1958 Braves (lost WS-Fred Haney)

10. 1907 Cubs (World Champions-Frank Chance)

v. 

23. 1911 Giants (lost WS-John McGraw)

-A third Honus Wagner Pirates team against a second Aaron/Mathews Braves squad.

-A third Tinker/Evers/Chance Cub group battle a third Mathewson Giants team.  

Group 8

8. 1905 Giants (World Champions-John McGraw)

v.

40. 1908 Cubs (World Champions- Frank Chance)

9. 1905 Cubs (3rd in NL-no playoffs-Frank Chance)

v.

88. 1990 Mets (2nd in NL East-no playoffs-Davey Johnson)

-And because we liked it so much in Group 8 it is a 4th, count it, a 4th Christy Mathewson Giants team -- and once again they face a 4th, count it, a 4th Tinker/Evers/Chance Cubs squad.  

-And can you believe we've got one more?  A 5th Cub team from that same group; and they will play the remnants of that Mets team we saw previously, still including Strawberry and Gooden.

32 National League Teams left.  32 American League teams left.

When I return, we start the next round - American League Group 1:

1939 Yankees v. 1977 Yankees

1936 Yankees v. 1973 Orioles

Who will advance to the Sweet 16??