Jazzhoops   There are More Ways to get the All-Star Crowd Involved by Stef Siepel The All-Star Game is all about dunks and flashy passes; it’s a game in which the pace is high, and where the NBA’s best try to collect as many highlights as they can. Last year’s All-Star Game was a nice example of that, highlighted by McGrady’s off-the-backboard pass to himself. Surely, in a game like this, why would anyone want to see Jazz player Matt Harpring, who performs a lay-up rather than a dunk? In this game, fans want to see a lot of highlights, and an effective lay-up and hard defense don’t fall under that category … or do they? I think a lot of Salt Lake City inhabitants remember the 1993 All-Star Game, which was held in the Delta Center. Representing the Phoenix Suns, Dan Majerle walked on the floor, and “Thunder Dan” was partly responsible for making this All-Star Game a classic. Majerle, who averaged 16.9 points on 46% shooting, and 4.7 rebounds per game, didn’t stand out because of his dunks in the 1993 All-Star Game; it was his defensive effort that helped set the tone in this game (along with Mark Price, Stockton, and Malone). How many times have you seen a mid-range shot by Michael Jordan blocked from behind? If you saw that game, at least once. Majerle collected 18 points in that game, including a beautiful reverse lay-up on a Stockton pass. He also connected on several three-pointers, equally beautiful. But despite a great offensive game, his defensive game stood out, as it did so many times during his career. The number of floor burns Majerle had must have been uncountable, as he didn’t shy away from contact, or from anything for that matter. He played his heart out every day, just like Harpring does for the Jazz now. “I had a hard time spelling it (Majerle’s name) for awhile and saying it,” says Lou Welker, 63, longtime Suns fan , “He became a favorite of mine right away because he played as hard as he could every game, he had a good attitude, didn’t get into trouble and I thought he was just a good all-around fella.” The owner of the Suns, Jerry Colangelo, described him nicely. "He was a slasher," Colangelo said. "He was a defender. He was a hustler." He missed one thing though, as, especially later in his career, he became a dangerous three-point shooter. And that description, including the shooting part, fits Matt Harpring nicely. Harpring is converting 51% of his shots into points, including the 44% he shoots from beyond the arc. And with that kind of shooting percentage it isn’t a total surprise that he collects almost 19 points per game, while also adding 7.2 rebounds into the mix. His numbers alone don’t secure a ticket to the All-Star Game, as the Western Conference has a lot of good forwards/guards, but Majerle didn’t get his ticket because of his stats either, but because of his three-pointers and his hustle. There is one difference between Majerle and Harpring though; Dan Majerle could actually dunk. In his rookie season he dunked the ball over Manute Bol, a 7-7 foot giant. It became one of the highlights of his career, even though he was called for an offensive foul, something he still thinks wasn’t the case. "First of all, it wasn't a charge," Majerle said. "I even know the ref who called it. I'll never forget - Joe Forte." But there will be enough dunks in the All-Star Game, that the hustle Harpring brings with him may cause the coaches to pick Harpring, instead of one of the other talented players in the Western Conference. If there are ten people on the court who all have the same goal, dunk the ball, then the game will become unbearable to watch, and predictable. I’m not saying that you should eliminate dunks the All-Star Game, but if all ten players are trying to dunk then you will get forced drives, with errant passes as the consequence, and forced shots, because the shot clock is winding down and they haven’t seen an opportunity to drive yet. Those things have never been something the fans want to see. Insert Matt Harpring, or any other hustler. He will work hard for every ball, and that’s something the fans would like to see as well. Diving for a loose ball, and initiating the fast break when he gets it, will get the crowd on their feet as well. Hard work is also something that draws the crowd, and that is something Harpring will always give you. "I try to work hard, play hard -- it's not about seeing how many shots I get or how many dunks I get. I never play that way. But whether that's worthy of being an all-star, that's a whole other question." On the question if Harpring would like to play in the All-Star Game, he says he thinks it would be nice to be there, but he wouldn’t be upset if he wasn’t. "It would be neat, but I don't get worked up about it. It's a worthless worry. I'm not voting, nobody here is voting, so it's nothing I can control," Harpring said. He may not control it, the coaches do. And some of them picked Majerle to be in the All-Star Game, so Harpring does have a shot. Greg Boeck, from the USA Today, already said he should be taken into consideration, at least. “Note to NBA Western Conference coaches about to pick All-Star Game reserves: Check out Matt Harpring.” And many people agree with that, not only because he can compete with the best of the West statistically, but he also plays his heart out every time. But that might not be enough to shine in an All-Star Game. Andrei Kirilenko, who is like Matt Harpring in his defensive focus and hard work, couldn't impress during the Rookie Game last year. One of the reasons was that when Kirilenko cut to the basket in that game, he didn’t receive the ball, and neither will Matt Harpring. All the other players want to produce highlights, so passing the ball, something which Harpring likes about the Jazz system, will not be part of the game, at least not as big a part as with the Jazz. And Harpring scores a lot of points by cutting to the basket. But where Stockton and Malone will give him the ball, most of the All-Star Squad won’t. Nevertheless he can still have a great game, if he is selected. He will get his share of points, with three-point shots and fast breaks, but the important thing is that, despite what other people might say to him, he must play defense. He just has to play his normal game, which means that he has to work hard, fight for loose balls, and get some more floor burns that will go nicely with his current collection. Because Dan Majerle practically did the same thing, and his All-Star appearances, especially the one in Salt Lake City, were successful because of that. Joe Kleine, a former teammate of Majerle’s puts it best: “If you don’t like Dan Majerle, you don’t like basketball.” And that quote is also applicable to the All-Star Game.