When Kobe Bryant announced Thursday he would not play in tonight's NBA All-Star Game at Cowboys Stadium, it opened the door—a third time—for Houston Rockets starting point guard Aaron Brooks.
David Stern quickly shut it again. The commissioner instead selected Mavs' point man Jason Kidd to replace the injured Bryant.
Chase Budinger, a productive second-round pick from Arizona, was not picked to play in Friday's rookie-sophomore challenge. He averages eight points as a member of one of the five highest scoring benches in the association.
Brooks leads the 27-24 Rockets in scoring, averaging 19.4 per game, and represents the team's closest approximation of an All-Star. With a signature playoff performance already under his belt, he has continued to display the growth and grit GM Daryl Morey and Coach Rick Adelman needed to see.
The Rockets have a much better shot at the playoffs than Chris Kaman's L.A. Clippers. No one can argue the host Dallas Mavericks played well enough in the previous two weeks to deserve multiple All-Stars.
Yet, I'm not here to champion Brooks or Budinger as this year's biggest snubs. Kidd a ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Robert Kleeman
Aaron Brooks, Weary Houston Rockets Can Rest During All-Star Weekend
February 14th, 2010 by Robert Kleeman Leave a reply »
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