Wilbon: No thanks, stay on that side of the table. Today we're going to talk about All Star snubs, we're going to talk about the 2012 PBSL Draft, and we're gonna play Tony's favorite game, Roleplay.
Kornheiser: I won't even expand on that, Mike, this is a PG show. Let's get to the headlines!
BROKEN JAW, BROKEN SYSTEM
Kornheiser: As you so eloquently mentioned at the top of the show, Mike, the All Star game has come and went. Laughs were had, tears were shed, some rando named Craig Smith won the dunk contest, and the East won by 15 points. But even with all the hoopla of All Star Weekend, there was one glaring omission: the MVP Chris Bosh. Bosh broke his jaw earlier in the week and missed the All Star Game, which would be fine if he was just named an all star on injured reserve. But with PBSL rules, his spot was given to the next man up and Bosh doesn't even get a mention. I repeat: MVP Chris Bosh, he of 32 and 10 a game, is not an All Star this year. Is the system broken, Mike?Wilbon: I'll agree it's broken, but I'm not as outraged as you seem to be about it.
Kornheiser: I am outraged.
Wilbon: You shouldn't be. Why does it matter? We know how good Bosh is. We see his numbers, we see his dominance, and we know he's one of the two best players in the world along with Kevin Durant. Why do we need to call him an all star? It's not like not being an all star suddenly takes away from how good he is. He's still one of the best in the game.
Kornheiser: He's the best in the game, Michael, and it does matter. All Star appearances matter. They're what drive contract negotiations. They're what convince members of the Hall of Fame committee to induct or reject a potential candidate.
Wilbon: The Hall of Fame system is broken too, and its committee sucks.
Kornheiser: The chairperson is awful, but that's a different story for a different day. Bottom line, Bosh should be an all star, and a freak elbow to the mouth shouldn't have the power to change that. What's next?
WADING THROUGH TROUBLED WATERS
Wilbon: Speaking of all stars and injuries, Philadelphia 76ers guard Dwyane Wade lasted exactly one minute in their game against the Hornets this week. He got hit on a dunk, made the shot and the free throw, and promptly left the game with a hobbled foot. That foot turned out to be broken, and the Sixers are now looking to be without Wade for the next 50 or so days. That's almost the rest of the season. The Sixers are enjoying a comfortable lead in the East, but can they keep it without their three-time champ?Kornheiser: Obviously they will keep their lead. I have a couple of numbers for you. Actually, no -- I have the same number for you twice, just in different contexts. The number is four. Four as in "four games above the next best team in the East." But also four as in "4-0 since Wade went down" if you count the 47 minutes Wade missed against the Hornets as a full game. Losing Wade hurts, but this team wins because of more than just Wade, who is only scoring 15 points per game by the way.
Wilbon: Is Wade the dominant force he was a few years ago? No, he's not. But the Sixers will definitely miss him, Tone. They have some tough opponents coming up. The Pacers, the Kings, the Cavs all in the next month. Four games isn't as big as you make it sound, and who knows if Kobe and Rudy can keep up their production in his place. I'd be a little worried if I were Philly.
KEEPING THE PACE
Kornheiser: It's February, Wilbon, and get this -- the Pacers are good. Wilbon: Wow!
Kornheiser: I know! Last year was the first time the Pacers had made the playoffs since 2004, but not the first time they had looked good at some point in the season. It always seemed the Pacers started off hot and cooled down. But here we are, past the all star break, and the Pacers still look good. Mozgov and Gortat have formed a European Lockdown in the paint, Richard Jefferson is killing it on the wing, and Deron Williams is the best point guard in the league. The Pacers haven't been out of the first round since 1990 -- since when we both had hair, Wilbon! Do they break that streak this year?
Wilbon: I've been bicking my head since the 80s, Tony. And yes, it's the year they break the streak. You need two things to survive in the playoffs -- home court and defense. And with the third seed and the eighth best defense, they've got both. I think this is finally a year for the Pacers to make some serious playoff noise.
Kornheiser: Back in our Binghamton club lacrosse league we had a saying: "You are who you are until you're not."
Wilbon: How poetic.
Kornheiser: Thank you. Basically it means you get judged based on what you've done, not what you can do. I don't care about how good Deron Williams is, I don't care about how good their defense is. Under the current GM, the Pacers have made the playoffs 11 times and made it out of the first round ONCE. O-N-C-E ONCE. You are who you are until you're not. And until the Pacers prove to me they can be a deep playoff contender, I refuse to believe it.
Wilbon: I guess nothing ever changes. We'll be right back with Fill in the Blank.
