The starting five for NBA All-Star teams were announced last week for each conference and while there were no former Gators on either side yet, most agree that two Gators, Al Horford and Bradley Beal, should be among the Eastern Conference reserves. If so, it would mark Bradley Beal’s first All-Star game appearance and Horford’s fifth All-Star selection.
Beal was reluctant to do any sort of campaigning to get votes, believing that his game should speak for itself and saying he thought it was kind of conceited to campaign for All-Star votes. An unselfish stance in this age of selfies, but he did agree to post one promotional video on his Twitter account @RealDealBeal23 shown here:
Means a lot to have the support of Murray, Ralph and all the pandas in the world behind me for #NBAVote! https://t.co/j92ezM6zR6 #PandaPower for Bradley Beal! 😂🐼💪 pic.twitter.com/GCDGednnXd
— Bradley Beal (@RealDealBeal23) January 5, 2018
If Beal doesn’t make the All-Star team, his play hasn’t gone unnoticed by his teammates, coaches and other athletes in the Washington D.C. metro. John Wall called Beal the MVP of the Wizards, head coach Scott Brooks said Beal has never mentioned the word All-Star to him, but he deserves it, and Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin made a video supporting his fellow Washingtonian:
Listen to @ovi8!
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS RETWEET THIS TWEET to #NBAVote FOR @RealDealBeal23 TO BE AN @NBA ALL-STAR!
So let’s go! #DCFamily #ALLCAPS@WashWizards pic.twitter.com/N6xEuYq6bm
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 8, 2018
Around the NBA, Lakers forward Corey Brewer averaged five points and five rebounds in three games for L.A. this week as the team went 2-1 and are now six games out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference halfway through the season.
Knicks center Joakim Noah could see more playing time soon as teams are reportedly showing interest in New York’s other big men Enes Kanter, Kyle O’Quinn and Willy Hernangomez who get minutes over Noah.
Mavericks forward Dorian Finney-Smith has been out with tendonitis in his knee since mid-November and it doesn’t look like he will be back anytime in the near future. Earl Sneed of Mavs.com reports that the second-year forward will be out at least another month with the knee injury, and fans should expect him back by February at the earliest. Similarly, Grizzlies forward Chandler Parsons hasn’t played at all in 2018 and has now missed 11 straight games with knee soreness.
Side Note: Gator great Mike Miller has made several guest appearances recently on ESPN and NBA-related talk shows doing some analyst work. No official contract with ESPN has been confirmed yet.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Boston Celtics
Al Horford (C)
Dallas Mavericks
Dorian Finney-Smith (F)
Los Angeles Lakers
Corey Brewer (F)
Memphis Grizzlies
Chandler Parsons (F)
Miami Heat
Udonis Haslem (F)
New York Knicks
Joakim Noah (C)
Orlando Magic
Marreese Speights (F)
Washington Wizards
Bradley Beal (G)
Devin Robinson (F)
