The NBA All Star Game is coming up. Here is my prediction of the entire roaster. Note that I waited until after the starting lineup was revealed because that is a popularity contest. Case in point- Yao Ming is the starter for the Western Conference once again despite playing only a handful of games this year.
Here is a look at the current starting lineup:
Eastern Conference:
Guard- Derrick Rose
Guard- Dwyane Wade
Forward- LeBron James
Forward- Amar’e Stoudemire
Center- Dwight Howard
Western Conference:
Guard- Kobe Bryant
Guard- Chris Paul
Forward- Kevin Durant
Forward- Carmelo Anthony
Center- Yao Ming*
*Since Yao Ming is injured and unable to play, a replacement player will be added to the lineup voted in by the NBA Commissioner, David Stern.
There is the starting lineup for each conference. Now before I name the All Star Reserves, I want to break down my ground rules for my selections.
1. Rookies do not deserve to make the team. I understand that a lot of people will disagree with me and argue that Blake Griffin or John Wall or whoever deserves to go, but they don’t. First off, that player is on a horrible team, which makes their numbers inflated. When you are already the best player on your team as a rookie, you are on a pathetic team. Besides that, what has any rookie ever proved? All they have done is have good stats for 40-50 games. Fifty games is absolutely nothing for a professional basketball player. Each rookie needs to have at least one season under their belt before any All Star consideration.
2. Your team’s record is a factor in determining whether you make it to All Star Weekend. Players who have lower stats but are the leader of a team with a great record deserves to make the All Star list over anybody on a losing team with great individuals numbers. There are many other factors that determine a team’s success other than individual statistics. For example, leadership, responsibility, hustle, diving for loose balls, not making stupid plays, and team defense are just to name a few. None of those categories will show up in any basic statistic measurement, but they are the most important categories for a team to be successful.
3. The number of games a player has played for his team. If you are an amazing player and get amazing statistical numbers, but if you have been injured and only played half of the games for your team, you do not deserve a spot on the roaster.
With those basic rules, here is my list of the remaining 7 players for each conference of the 2011 NBA All Star Team.
Eastern Conference:
Guard- Rajon Rondo: Leads the league in assists and is the leader of the best team in the Eastern Conference.
Guard/Forward- Paul Pierce: Mr. Clutch for the best team in the Eastern Conference. He is averaging close to 20 points a night.
Guard- Raymond Felton: This is his best year ever as a professional basketball player. Besides the addition of Amar’e Stoudemire, Felton is the reason why the New York Knicks are no longer the laughing stock of the NBA.
Forward- Joe Johnson: Had a serious injury that was supposed to keep him sidelined for weeks. He ended up only missing a few games. He is also the leading scorer of the Atlanta Hawks.
Forward- Josh Smith: Smith fills the stat line in every aspect. He is an all around great player and is a defensive stopper in the paint.
Center- Andrew Bogut: The second best Center in the East. He averages close to 3 blocks and 12 rebounds a game.
Guard/Forward- Stephen Jackson: Jackson has been the leader on the Bobcats this year. This last spot came down to Jackson or Danny Granger, and since the Bobcats have the better record, Jackson wins my vote.
Western Conference:
(This list was a lot harder to create because there is so much more talent in the West this year)
Forward/Center- Tim Duncan: He is the best player on the best team in basketball. His numbers are down this year, but when it comes down to the playoffs, he will be averaging 20 points and 12 rebounds a game.
Forward- Dirk Nowitzki: Dirk is the best shooting 7 foot basketball player of all time. He leads his team with 23 points per game, while the Dallas Mavericks are the third best team in the West.
Guard- Russell Westbrook: His maturity and leadership since last year is amazing. A true All Star for years to come.
Forward/center- LaMarcus Aldridge: Does anybody remember when the Portland Trailblazers were the team of the future? Well due to a horrific injury bug, they are barely staying alive in the West. Aldridge has been one of the only true bright spots for the team. This is by far his best year and his numbers across the board are all up. Without him on this team, the Blazers would be in the running for the biggest upset team this decade.
Guard- Deron Williams: Williams is the man in Utah. He is that rare breed of point guards who can average over 20 points and 10 assist. He has a deadly combination of speed and power that make him almost impossible to guard. I actually think he is the best point guard in the league.
Guard- Tony Parker: This vote came down to either Parker or Steve Nash. I had to give Parker the vote because he is on the best team in the league. I do feel bad for Nash though, always competing and putting up solid numbers, yet Phoenix’s time to win has come and gone.
Forward- Lamar Odom: Now I know a lot of people will disagree with this pick, but this is Odom’s year. He has never made an All Star team in his career, yet he has been one of the best versatile big men this decade. This has been Odom’s best year statistically since 2003. He is an amazing rebounder, plays excellent team defense, creates matchup problems for every team, and is the heart and soul of the Lakers. He will most likely win the 6th man award this year. The LA Lakers have also been to the NBA Finals the last three years, winning the last two, and Lamar Odom deserves a lot of the credit. And besides, the All Star game is hosted in LA this year, let the kid play on his home court.
*Starting Center- Pau Gasol: Since Yao Ming is injured, he will need a replacement. The NBA commissioner will decide who the starting center will be, but I strongly believe it will be Pau Gasol. He started at center the majority of the season while Andrew Bynum was recovering from surgery. He has proven to be a solid player, and was the best center in the Western Conference this year.
Well there is my list of the reserves for the 2011 NBA All Star Team. I know a lot of you will disagree with me, which it totally fine, so feel free to voice your opinion. It is a hard job to create a list of the remaining seven best players, especially with so much talent in the NBA. This should be a fun game to watch.
Predictions: I believe the Eastern Conference has a better starting lineup than the West, but when it comes to depth, the West has them beat by a long shot. The Western Conference will win 134-122.
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