Tacko Fall does not deserve to play in the All-Star Game. He probably does not even want your votes.
If he does want your votes, then by all means, vote for him. It would obviously be fun to watch Tacko hammer down alley-oops and standing dunks alongside NBA elites in a defense-less game.
The first returns from #VoteNBAAllStar 2020!— NBA (@NBA) January 2, 2020
Make YOUR vote count twice today by voting here ➡️ https://t.co/VMuxMjeZQO pic.twitter.com/qRzXqLxMti
But my guess is that Fall would rather play in the Rising
Stars game with his fellow rookies and let the more deserving players take the big stage.
Guys like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who
are vying for their first All-Star appearances, belong in that game. It would
be a huge achievement for Boston’s rising stars.
But that experience and accomplishment would be cheapened
and overshadowed if there are players on the roster who do not belong there.
It is also demeaning to Fall, a rookie who hopes to eventually crack the Celtics rotation.
Fall has played less than 12 total minutes this season and is fighting back against the hindering narrative that his Senegalese nationality and 7’5 frame make him a gimmicky big man.
It is also demeaning to Fall, a rookie who hopes to eventually crack the Celtics rotation.
Fall has played less than 12 total minutes this season and is fighting back against the hindering narrative that his Senegalese nationality and 7’5 frame make him a gimmicky big man.
That unfortunate narrative has become a major obstacle for
Fall, who went undrafted in 2019 despite his obvious sky-high potential.
Voting Fall for All-Star feeds that negative narrative.
It does not give him positive recognition.
The Celtics are surging (12-4 last 16 games) and their wins often end with fans chanting for Tacko. Celtics players and fans
alike have demonstrated intense support for him.
Even the unflappable Brad Stevens could be seen embracing Tacko Mania
when he urged Boston fans to chant louder for Fall if they wanted to see him play.
But Stevens upset some fans on Friday when he admitted he was
not a big fan of the 110,269 All-Star votes his reserve center had received.
Coach Stevens was understandably hesitant to support the possibility of players receiving accolades such as All-Star status based on non-basketball factors.
Coach Stevens was understandably hesitant to support the possibility of players receiving accolades such as All-Star status based on non-basketball factors.
Brad Stevens loves Tacko Fall. But he's not feeling Tacko being 6th in first round of All-Star voting.— A. Sherrod Blakely (@ASherrodblakely) January 3, 2020
"I don't love it, " Stevens said. "I don't love the idea, when you talk about awards ... not being based on what's solely happening on the court."
Votes for Fall could displace deserving players, like Bam
Adebayo, who is having a breakout year in Miami.
For fringe All-Stars like Adebayo, Tatum, and Brown, making
the team could completely transform their career trajectories. It can change
their lives.
Boisterous social media support for Zaza Pachulia nearly got
him named as an All-Star starter in 2016. Pachulia averaged 8.6 points per game for the Dallas Mavericks that year.
Following that season, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver changed the voting process for All-Star starters to a weighted system which included media and
player votes to balance out fans who vote recklessly.
The current situation is arguably worse because Fall is not a
longtime veteran receiving ironic or sympathetic votes. He is a hard-working
rookie with his entire career in front of him.
Fall wants to improve his game to become a legitimate All-Star someday. Give him
time and the opportunity to earn his rightful place amongst NBA elites instead
of fueling a dangerous narrative with meaningless undeserved votes.
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| Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports |
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