Vote Memphis Grizzlies Into NBA All-Star 2015
Nov 5, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley (11), forward Zach Randolph (50) and center Marc Gasol against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center. The Grizzlies defeated the Suns 102-91. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The Memphis Grizzlies deserve all of the national attention as they could possibly receive with their 18-4 start to the 2014-15 NBA season.
On Thursday, NBA All-Star balloting 2015 began for fans to utilize in order to vote their favorite NBA stars into the highly-touted event. The voting will last until January 19th, but Grizz fans can fill out their ballots, text, and tweet on a daily basis, from now until then, in favor of Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, Mike Conley, Tony Allen, among others.
Marc Gasol, a valid MVP candidate at the moment, has been selected to play in one previous NBA All-Star Game. Power forward Zach Randolph has played in two of the All-Star Games. Both players seem to always be deserving of an All-Star nod–it just comes down to available spots for frontcourt players in the annual game.
Mike Conley, whom is vastly underrated, is still looking to earn his first All-Star selection. Conley has had superb seasons in the past, but the Western Conference has been and still is packed with star guards. With the Grizzlies’ 18-4 start, hopefully team success will help Mike Conley gain the recognition he has been deserving. Mike is currently averaging 17 points, three rebounds, and 6 assists per game with 47% shooting.
Tony Allen deserves to make the All-Star Game because of his tenacious defense–at least one time. There truly may not be a better defender in the NBA than the Grindfather. Allen is posting averages of eight points, four rebounds, nearly two assists, and more than two steals per game. Plus, with a nickname like the Grindfather, it is a must for Tony to be selected!
With the Grizzlies being the second-best team record-wise in the league, at least two players should definitely be chosen for the All-Star squad. Which ones have the greatest chance?
Definitely Big Spain, Marc Gasol. Gasol is arguably the best center in the NBA now and he is an early favorite to win the MVP award with his excellent all-around play on both ends of the court.
Next in line should be Mike Conley. It is time for Conley to receive some attention that he has deserved beginning several seasons ago. There may not be any other player in the league right now that is more worthy of a first All-Star selection.
But for now, this discussion lies in the fans’ hands. Your grit and grind Memphis Grizzlies. All heart. Always fighting for a full 48 minutes each game. Cast your ballot.
This is another big opportunity for the Memphis Grizzlies to gain the nation’s attention that they have earned.
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Here is more from NBA.com on the balloting for the 2015 NBA All-Star Game and the festive weekend altogether–and remember, VOTE GRIZZ and VOTE OFTEN!
"NBA All-Star Balloting 2015 presented by Sprint gives fans around the world the opportunity to vote daily for their favorite players as starters for NBA All-Star Game 2015. The official NBA All-Star Ballot presented by Sprint will include all current NBA players for the first time ever. Fans will continue to select two guards and three frontcourt players when choosing the starters for the 2015 NBA All-Star Game, but can now vote for any current NBA player.As part of the NBA’s all-digital program, fans can vote on NBA.com, through social media networks including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Sina Weibo and Tencent Microblog in China, via SMS text, and the NBA Game Time and NBA Game Time from Sprint applications.New to this year’s program is SAP, which will integrate daily stats into the online ballot. Fans can sort players on the NBA Ballot by their current stats from NBA.com/stats powered by SAP HANA. SAP will also host a new feature on NBA.com/stats called the SAP NBA All-Star 2015 Game Predictor. After fans vote, they will be able to see how the East and West starters they picked would match up. The game predictor will compare player statistics and compute a game score based on the fan’s picks.How to vote:• The NBA.com ballot is available in 11 languages on NBA.com/asb. Voters can fill out one full ballot per day on NBA.com/asb from a desktop or mobile browser.• Twitter voting allows fans to tweet a vote for 10 unique players each day throughout the All-Star balloting period. The tweet, retweet, or reply must include the player’s first and last name, along with hash tag #NBABallot.• Facebook voting allows fans to post a status from their personal Facebook accounts. The posts must include the player’s first and last name, along with hash tag #NBABallot. Fans can post votes for 10 unique players per day.• Fans can use Instagram to vote by posting an original photo, using #NBABallot and the player’s first and last name in the photo caption. Fans can vote for 10 unique players per day.• SMS voting by texting the player’s last name to 6-9-6-2-2 (“MYNBA”) on any wireless device. Fans can vote for 10 different players per day, per phone number, via SMS voting by sending 10 separate SMS messages, each one with a different player’s last name. Message and data rates may apply.• NBA fans can also access the ballot and vote through the NBA Game Time and NBA Game Time from Sprint applications, available on Android and iOS. Fans can fill out one full ballot per day, through the NBA Game Time and NBA Game Time from Sprint application, the most comprehensive app in the marketplace for NBA fans.Balloting concludes on Monday, Jan. 19, and starters will be announced live on TNT on Thursday, Jan. 22, during a special one-hour edition of TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by Autotrader.com at 7 p.m. ET, featuring Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith. The special will air prior to TNT’s exclusive doubleheader featuring the San Antonio Spurs at the Chicago Bulls (8 p.m. ET) and the Brooklyn Nets at the Los Angeles Clippers (10:30 p.m. ET).About NBA All-Star 2015:NBA All-Star 2015 in New York City will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league’s history for a global celebration of the game. The 64th NBA All-Star Game, which will take place Sunday, Feb. 15 at Madison Square Garden, will reach fans in 215 countries and territories in 47 languages. TNT will televise the All-Star Game for the 13th consecutive year, marking Turner Sports’ 30th year of All-Star coverage, as well as the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, Feb. 13 and State Farm All-Star Saturday Night on Saturday, Feb. 14, which will both take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Other events at Barclays Center include the NBA Development League All-Star Game presented by Kumho Tire and the NBA Development League Dream Factory presented by Boost Mobile on Sunday, Feb. 15, airing on NBA TV. Madison Square Garden will host Friday night’s ESPN-televised Sprint NBA All-Star Celebrity Game."