All Star Selections

With few exceptions in the sports world, nothing angers me more than the "fan vote" for the All-Star team. This seemingly harmless idea resulted in players like Steve Francis and Tracy McGrady consistently being voted to start for the Western Conference in the annual inter-conference layup line that is the All-Star game (though much of that has to do with Yao Ming's success in the NBA and David Stern allowing international fans to vote as well... as if the Chinese manipulating their currency and owning half of our debt wasn't enough, they force us to endure "Stevie Franchise" as an All-Star starter?)

Knowing this, I was not surprised when the All-Star starters were announced last week. The Eastern Conference will feature Derrick Rose and Dwyane Wade in the back court and LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard up front. Aside from Anthony (more on him later) all of these choices make sense. Derrick Rose is arguably the best point guard in the NBA (it's either him or Chris Paul, who will be starting for the Western Conference) while James and Howard are the best players at their respective positions. Despite missing a good deal of time earlier this season, Wade is still the best shooting guard east of The Staples Center.

The Western Conference will pit the dynamic Laker back court of Kobe Bryant and the aforementioned Chris Paul, while Andrew Bynum, Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin round out the starting five. With the exception of Griffin, the Western starters all make sense. Andrew Bynum is the second best best pure center in the game, plain and simple. Outside of LeBron James, Kevin Durant is the best small forward. As for the best guards in the NBA, I think a two-on-two match up pitting Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul against Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose - with bragging rights on the line - would be incredibly entertaining. As with the Eastern squad, the Western Conference team left me with only one question mark: Blake Griffin?

Let's start out east with Carmelo Anthony. While no one can realistically deny his talent, Carmelo Anthony is not a worthy starter. He is currently shooting worse than 40.0% from the field, and below 30.0% from behind the three-point line. His 22.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game is his lowest since his sophomore season in the league. Add to that the fact that he is an atrocious defender and is not a power forward, and it is quite clear that this spot is best reserved for someone else. And that someone, at least in my humble opinion, is Chris Bosh. Unlike Anthony, Bosh has played in every one of his team's games, and has done so in an incredibly efficient manner (averaging over 19 points and nearly 8 boards a night, while shooting over 50.0% from the field.) Bear in mind that Bosh is posting said averages while playing "third fiddle" on a very strong Miami Heat team, while Anthony is the number one option on a 8-13 Knicks team that will not be a contender for anything this Spring.

On the left coast, Blake Griffin is starting because he is a human highlight reel. His 21 point-11 rebound/game average is nice, but he is a woeful defender, and is being outplayed by a worthy adversary who have been overlooked. Kevin Love, averaging 25 points and nearly 14 rebounds per game while shooting over 37% from beyond the three-point arc, has vastly improved as a defender, and is no longer a liability on that end of the floor for the Minnesota Timberwolves. His team is also on the verge of playoff contention, and it didn't require adding an all-world point guard (Paul) to ensure that his team would be competitive this year.

Comparing Anthony with Bosh and Griffin with Love, it is quite clear why Carmelo and Blake were selected... they are brand names, and while Bosh and Love provide a lot of no-nonsense, winning plays, they do not play with as much flash as Anthony and Griffin. Given that it is an all-star game, I suppose I can live with that justification. 

Soon the coaches will have their chance to fill out the remaining seven roster spots for each conference. Given that it is their job to know, coaches tend to have a better handle on who is truly deserving of being selected to an all-star team. Nevertheless, I have made it my job to comment on everything-NBA, and below I have made my selections for the Eastern and Western Conference reserves. I have accounted for little more than player statistics and the system they play in, and I have tried to discount career numbers and players that fit a certain position. Comment as you want, deride as you may, but I firmly believe these reserves are deserving of a trip to Orlando later this month.

Eastern Conference Reserves:
Guards: Rajon Rondo, Deron Williams and Brandon Jennings. The first two were no-brainers. But Jennings' personal success this season has really helped Milwaukee in Bogut's absence.

Forwards: Andre Iguodala, Paul Pierce and Chris Bosh. Iguodala was the toughest choice of the three, but I feel that he has been a more integral player in his team's success this season than Luol Deng, the only other forward I gave heavy consideration to.

Center: Roy Hibbert. With appologies to Tyson Chandler, the Indiana Pacers have played beyond expectations this season, and Hibbert is a big reason why. Additionally, an 8-13 Knicks team really does not need more than one representative at the All-Star game.

Western Conference Reserves:
Guards: Russell Westbrook, Steve Nash and Tony Parker. While Nash is the only "pure" point guard of the three, all have excelled this season, and all three deserve a spot on the Western Conference bench.

Forwards: Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol. All three could start (though Gasol is definitely on the decline) and all three will get a lot of burn in Orlando.

Center: Marc Gasol. He has been able to hold down the fort in Zach Randolph's absence from Memphis, and his numbers back up the story. Without him, Memphis would be a very mediocre team.