Hoops Habit
Fansided

NBA: 25 Least-Deserving NBA All-Stars

By Phil Watson

February 15, 2015; New York, NY, USA; General view of the opening tipoff as Eastern Conference forward Pau Gasol of the Chicago Bulls (16) and Western Conference center Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies (33) during the first quarter of the 2015 NBA All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden.Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
February 15, 2015; New York, NY, USA; General view of the opening tipoff as Eastern Conference forward Pau Gasol of the Chicago Bulls (16) and Western Conference center Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies (33) during the first quarter of the 2015 NBA All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden.Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
13 of 26
Next
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - JANUARY 31: Isiah Thomas #11 of the Detroit Pistons and the East All Stars drives on Gus Williams #1 of the West All Stard during the 1982 NBA All Star Game January 31, 1982 the Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Thomas played for the Pistons from 1981-94. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – JANUARY 31: Isiah Thomas #11 of the Detroit Pistons and the East All Stars drives on Gus Williams #1 of the West All Stard during the 1982 NBA All Star Game January 31, 1982 the Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Thomas played for the Pistons from 1981-94. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

14. Isiah Thomas, 1982

How chosen: Fan vote

Isiah Thomas had been the second overall pick by the moribund Detroit Pistons in the 1982 NBA Draft after leading Indiana to a national championship the previous season.

Thomas was a runaway winner in the fan voting for a starting spot in the Eastern Conference backcourt along with Tiny Archibald of the Boston Celtics.

The Pistons, meanwhile, got to the All-Star break with an 18-26 record, eighth in the East but a massive improvement already over their 16-66 finish in 1980-81.

Thomas would go on to have a great career, but was averaging 17.4 points at the break, having slumped badly in December and January (14.8 points per night over those two months).

Thomas was voted in over a couple of guards in the East who wound up not being chosen at all, Ray Williams of the New Jersey Nets and Maurice Cheeks of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Williams was averaging 16.7 points a game for a Nets team that was also in the middle of a huge turnaround season, while Cheeks was putting up eight assists, 2.5 steals and 11 points a night for a Sixers club that was battling with the Celtics for the top spot in the East.

Thomas logged 17 minutes in the East’s 120-118 win at spanking-new Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, N.J., finishing with 12 points, four assists and three steals on 5-of-7 shooting.

Thomas had a fantastic Hall of Fame career that included 12 All-Star bids in 13 seasons, but his first was more about popularity and name recognition than it was about performance.

Cheeks went on to four All-Star games, while Williams was never chosen in his 10-year career.

Next: Bad Year Bad Team=All-Star Berth