Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce get All Star nod - NBA Update
Dallas Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki maybe having a pretty ordinary season by his lofty standards so far, but this has not stopped him from landing his 11th straight NBA All Star appearance.
On Thursday night, the name of the talismanic German forward was in the list of players that will be featuring in this seasons All Star Game which will be held on February 26th.
Nowitzki, a bit surprised with his inclusion after a pretty average season so far, thanked the coaches for considering him.
"It was a tough road back to full health for me, but I am honoured that the coaches thought enough of me to make me an All-Star," Nowitzki said in a statement. "It has been a privilege to represent the Mavericks organization over the last decade and I look forward to doing it again in Orlando."
Dirk, who is easily one of the most accomplished players in the league and played a pivotal role in Mavericks winning the title last season, is averaging 17.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game this season, which is a lot less than his previous season averages.
In his last three games though, against the Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Denver Nuggets, he seems to have gained some momentum. Probably, those three performances helped him in extending his All- Star run to 11.
Nowitzki however is not the only veteran to make it to the All Star game courtesy a strong finsih. Boston Celtics captain Paul Pierce also got the All Star nod, making it the 10th of his career.
The elite forward missed three Celtics game at the start of the season due to a foot injury but since returning he has not looked back. Pierce is averaging 18.4 points, 5.7 assists and 5.8 rebounds so far and on 22nd January, he pounded his season high 34 points in a game against the Washington Wizards.
Last week, he was declared the Eastern Conference player of the week as well and the late heroic were certainly worth a while. Pierce will add a lot of experience, toughness and guile at the small forward position, one which Carmelo Anthony is slated to start on. Given Anthony's struggles this season, Pierce might just be the perfect reliever.
The coaches had a stiff task in selecting the All Star team this season because of the condensed season, having only 25 games to judge the players. Not surprisingly, they have gone with the safer - read time tested - options. Boston’s Coach Doc Rivers admitted he was shocked with such a short notice All Star team declaration.
"I think it's too early. I'm sitting on my couch when they announced the rosters and I'm floored. I didn't even know they had started the voting," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said.
The starters who would be featuring in the game along with Pierce and Nowitzki in both the conferences are LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Andrew Bynum, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Blake Griffin, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and last year’s MVP Derrick Rose.
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