Yes, it's a few weeks away, but thoughts for me today turn to the D-League All-Star game. Taking a look at the guards in the West Conference, there's a lot of talent out there, and a lot of prolific scorers. Knowing that, it may be tough for Tulsa's Mustafa Shakur to break into the All-Star Game lineup ... yet there may not be a more valuable player right now for the 66ers than Shakur. He is one of the big reasons why Tulsa is surprising at 6-5. While 18.9 points (ninth among guards in the West) and 6.7 assists (third among guards in the West) are the statistical figures, Shakur brings leadership to the table as well.
Tulsa head coach Nate Tibbetts has told all who will listen how pleased he was that Tulsa could draft Shakur, and that Shakur is an NBA-style point guard. He's not just saying that because of numbers. He's saying it because of the all-important little things (stressed by Tulsa and OKC Thunder coaching staff members) that Shakur does on a nightly basis.
Will these things be noticed by the voters? Here's hoping. If an All-Star Game lineup is based on something other than just stats and more on the value a player brings to his team, Shakur deserves to go to Dallas.
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