NBA All-Star Selections

Greetings all... I'll be breaking down my version of the ASG picks here... I say this every year, but the G-G-F-F-C format kind of baffles me... simply because there aren't enough "centers" to fill the rosters accurately, and because there's too many situations where you end up with Carmelo/Durant as your forwards and 2 6'6 shooting guards in the backcourt... alas... let's get to it...

EAST

Starters

• C - Dwight Howard - The lock of all locks really... career high 22 ppg, 2nd in the league in boards, 2.2 blocks, over 1 steal, and the best defensive center alive... done...
  
• PF - Amare Stoudemire - Leading the East in scoring at 26 ppg leading a decent Knicks team to an above .500 in the first half... decent rebounding (9 rpg), and he's become the leader of the squad... the clear pick in a weak year for PFs...


• SF - Lebron James - Best player on earth... I can stop there but let me share his numbers... 26/7/7 averages on a team with a different elite scoring option... wait, why am I explaining this?...


• SG - Dwyane Wade - 25 a game, an efficient 49% FG, and even defending at a extremely high level... there's a big gap between him and the rest in the East...


• PG - Derrick Rose - This would've been tough a month ago, but Rose has been unbelievable... 25/8/5 averages leading Chicago to possible home-court in the first-round, and he's doing it without Noah right now... might be my MVP of league...

Bench

• PG - Rajon Rondo - the league's assist leader... 52% FG despite that horrendous jumper (lol), and maybe the best defensive PG in the league... pencil him in...


• PG - Raymond Felton - I wish Nash or Westbrook was in the East... but Felton gets the nod here... 18 and 9 a game and doing everything for that NY team... honestly, surpassing everyone's expectations upon his arrival there...


• SG - Joe Johnson - 27 a game in January, and the best offensive player on an upper-tier East team... I went back and forth with Ray Allen for this spot, but Joe continues to answer the bell (and Boston doesn't need 4 all-stars lol)...


• SF - Paul Pierce - ultra-efficient 19/5/5 shooting 51/43/85... the stalwart of that Boston team, and even with as ugly as his game can be, he's still quite effective...


• PF - Chris Bosh - Surprisingly, I find myself inserting Bosh without much thought... 19 and 8 as the 3rd option is pretty impressive, but he's turned it up recently on the defensive end, and gotta give him the nod over someone like Granger...


• PF - Kevin Garnett - 15 and 9 doesn't seem especially All-star worthy, huh?... If you think that, you haven't watched KG... he's still an elite defender, the most irreplaceable part on a team full of irreplaceable parts, and he makes them go... an automatic inclusion even before you consider his 54/82 FG/FT splits...


• C - Al Horford - 16 and 10 with 57% FG (top-5 in the league) and he's a fantastic/versatile defender even when the Hawks put him in impossible switches (like guarding Chris Paul for an entire half)... clearly the 2nd best center in the East....

Tough Omissions - Ray Allen (shooting unbelievably with 51/45/87 percentages), Danny Granger (21 a game for a playoff contender but an ugly 42% FG)

WEST

Starters

• C - Pau Gasol - "Bending" the center position a bit... but when Bynum misses games like it's going out of style, Pau plays center, and does so fantastically...


• PF - Dirk Nowitzki - Hear me out again... I know Dirk has missed 9 games... but listen to this... The Mavs went 2-7 without him, and 27-8 with him... he was a legit leading MVP candidate until the injury and may get back there if they win 55+... 52/39/87 percentages to go along with 23 a game on a team where everything runs through him.... I think it's clear


• SF - Kevin Durant - league's leading scorer... had a bit of a "slow" start (for him) but has picked it up in January, and you can't argue with a guy who shoots 90% FT taking 9 a game....


• SG - Kobe Bean Bryant - Best 2-guard alive (still), and still giving it to you on both ends... 25/5/5 averages, and he's adapted his game immensely to age more gracefully... pencil it in


• PG - Chris Paul - Still the #1 PG for me... 16 points, 10 dimes per with a league-leading 2.7 steals, and suddenly shooting 47% from three... leading NO to 30 wins at time of print here, and carrying them to the playoffs...

Bench

• PG - Deron Williams - Getting "best PG alive" buzz as usual and I can't necessarily hate on it... 22 and 9 and keeping them competitive if not slightly underachieving...


• PG - Steve Nash - Sorry Russell... I can't leave off Nash... not in a year where he's strapped Phoenix to his back... 53/40/92 percentages... wow... he might be the best shooter in the league, and he's still giving you 11 assists a game... Toughest call of the year, but Russ can wait a year...


• SG - Manu Ginobili - Elite crunch-time guy... 19 a game in only 31 minutes per... it's tough to leave off Monta Ellis & Eric Gordon, but can't ignore the "best" player on the best team in the league... And for my colleague, Ryan... Manu's PER? 22.9... Mr. Ellis? 19.6...


• SF - Carmelo Anthony - 24 points, 8 boards a game... and while I don't love his game by any stretch... you can't leave off an elite scorer who's currently got Denver in the playoffs with that roster simply because there isn't a better SF option even if there are guys (Westbrook, Ellis, Aldridge) who I feel are having better years


• PF - Blake Griffin - Probably the best rookie I've ever seen with my 2 eyes.... at least since Duncan... 23 points, a ridiculous 13 boards, and shooting 52% while attacking the rim with vigor that doesn't exist elsewhere...


• PF - Kevin Love - Best rebounder on Earth... and somehow putting up a 22/16 PPG/RPG in an effort to make my head explode... 44% 3-point as a power forward with 88% FT as well... can't leave him off...


• C - Tim Duncan - I can't be swayed... it helps that there isn't another real option and I feel that you have to have a backup C... Duncan isn't "DUNCAN!" anymore, but he's one of the smartest players in the league on both ends, still averaging a 14/10 in 29 minutes per, and if you want to put Nene ahead of him... good luck to you... I'll take the top-10 guy of all-time with a little left in the tank

Tough Omissions - Russell Westbrook (single most brutal leave-off... 23/8/5 on a team battling for home-court in the first-round... attacks and attacks...), Eric Gordon (24 a game and filling it up nightly, but now injured and can't have 2 Clips), LaMarcus Aldridge (brutal year for PFs, but 21 and 9 carrying Portland without Roy shouldn't be ignored), Monta Ellis (26 points, 6 dimes... plays 2 spots, and is unquestionably playing better than ever)

And there it is... feel free to argue with my in the comments... I love the banter...