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The New Best Draft Class? Part Dos

Continuation of my last post which you can find here, here, and here. This post shall describe the last half of the lottery picks of the legendary 2008 draft class.  The same draft class that lost to the rookies during all-star weekend some weeks ago.  So here you, picks 8-14.

8th Pick?

Who?

Every great draft class has a bust and this white boy happens to be the one of 2008.  His name is Joe Alexander, born in Taiwan, knows how to speak mandarin, and a phantom college career I do not know much about.  At one point he was described as being the next Larry Bird such as other white boys like Adam Morrison and Tyler Hansbrough.  On paper, he was considered the best athlete, having the second best 185lb bench reps, and second fastest sprint time during workouts.  And he was also able to drop 15 points on the Los Angeles Lakers once in his professional career.  Other than that, he was injured, assigned to d-league, still injured, and traded.  Not much else to say about him.

9th Pick

D.J. Augustin

The 9th pick drafted to the Charlotte Bobcats had a great rookie season, averaging 11.8 points a game and showing nice athleticism.  His second season though, he fell off a bit, averaging only a little bit over 5 points a game but that can be attributed to the ridiculous playing time that Raymond Felton is receiving.  Augustin lacks size but he has shown that he is a very smart player.  He knows his rotations, knows his plays, and can play pretty decent defense for a big man.  Just every once in a while a bigger point guard would out power him such as Deron Williams did.  As of right now, his game has a lot of expanding to do, but he can drop a lot of points at once if given the playing time.  An above average pick that still has a long way to go.

10th Pick

Brooke Lopez

The only bright spot of the New Jersey Nets right now.  Hell, he is the only person keeping those Nets afloat in this season.  His averaging of 19 points, 9 rebounds, and almost 2 blocks a game is considered all star level.  A talented center that can be almost Shaq-like in terms of dominance, Brooke Lopez will turn the Nets into a devastating team.  He’s young, he’s playing well, and everyone knows that he is only going to get better as the years go on.  All he needs is a strong supporting cast and this half Hispanic center can send his team to the playoffs and beyond.

11th Pick

Jerryd Bayless

Jerryd Bayless is a shooter, slasher, and volume scorer.  This season so far, he has scored double digits 24 times, one of those times, scoring 31 points.  Right now he’s a great backup guard to the great Brandon Roy and knows how to keep the team afloat when the Blazers starting lineup is benched and resting.  Like the rest of the players in this post, he’s still developing but he has shown many flashes of greatness here.

12th Pick

Jason Thompson

Jason Thompson of the Kings kinda got written off because of the beastmode playing of Tyreke Evans.  Last year he averaged 11.1 points a game which is decent for a rookie.  And this year he is averaging 12.7 points a game which shows slight improvement.  He is a forward center who is notoriously known for his jumpshot.  He is not a stretch 4 like Rashard Lewis or Antawn Jamison because he can’t really shoot treys but he has the long jumper which is good enough.  And Thompson also averages around 8 rebounds a game.  Good big man, I just don’t think hes ever going to be amazing now with Tyreke Evans, Omri Casspi, and Carl Landry running the Kings.

13th Pick

Brandon Rush

This guy can’t really do much besides score.  And even then he only averages 8 points a game.  I’m not disappointed because anyone having to play with a ballhog such as Danny Granger would only average 8 points too.  I don’t watch the Pacers play much but I do know from playing 2K10 that Rush can hit the trey often.  Again, he’s not horrible, he’s not great, and he is part of the late lottery picks where its either hit or miss on who you get.

14th Pick

Anthony Randolph

The 14th pick by the Golden State Warriors and the last person I’ll be writing about in this post.  Some may call him overrated, others may call him the second coming of *insert great player here*.  I do know that he was heavily hyped during the offseason last summer by all the bloggers and media.  And really, those last 8 weeks of his rookie year where he averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds was impressive, I’ll give him that.  But he’s skinny like most of his teammates and extremely fragile.  I believe that he is injured right now.  I never understood the hype, but I can tell that he’s talented and athletic.  He has star potential written all over him, he just needs room to grow.  Which means Monta Ellis can’t keep shooting 30 shots a night and should pass it to the inside once in a while.  Randolph though is just one of those players you want to see get better but you’re not sure if it’ll happen.

So there are the lottery picks of the 2008 draft class.  A nice young group of players where besides one has shown many flashes of greatness.  Some other notable people from this year are J.J. Hickson, the 19th pick chosen by the Cavs.  He’s a good power forward who plays with Lebron.  Then there’s Courtney Lee, the 22nd pick chosen by the Magic and is now playing for the Nets.  And George Hill, the fantastic point guard chosen at 26th by the Spurs, who I also have on my fantasy team and is giving me more points than I deserve.  And from the second round, there’s Mario Chalmers from the Heat and DeAndre Jordan from the Clippers.  Then there’s Anthony Morrow who went undrafted and is also on my fantasy team and gives me a lot of points, inconsistently though but whatever works.  And yes, I believe this draft class will be better than the Lebron and Darko Milicic class of 2003 simply because of all the star power here.

The New Best Draft Class? Part One

Everyone nowadays considers the draft class of 2003 as the greatest draft class of the era. I can’t blame them though because of all stars like Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, David West, and Josh Howard. Along with great role players in Chris Kamen, Kirk Hinrich, Boris Diaw, and Travis Outlaw, this was the probably the best draft class to play with in 2K9. And like every great draft class, there’s a big bust in there in Darko Milicic. There’s a new greatest draft class of this era though in 2008. The draft class that produced Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, and much others has probably the best lottery picks ever.  Today, I’ll name the first 7 picks, and the last 7 lottery picks in a future post.

Number One Pick in 2008

Derrick Rose

Averaging 19.8 Points a game right now and is the reason that the Bulls who everyone thought fell off at the beginning in the season are now playoff contenders.  His leadership qualities and athleticism has earned him a spot on the all-star team this year.  Rose is not going to duplicate the greatness of Michael Jordan for Chicago but he is now the undisputed star of the team and has the ability to bring the Bulls great success.  Him and Joakim Noah are one of the best guard/big duos out there right now and have really put a bright spot in Chicago in the post-Jordan years.

Second Pick in 2008 Draft

Michael Beasley

The number 2 draft pick in the 2008 draft pick is Michael Beasley who is having a great sophomore year.  He currently averages 16.3 points a game and 6.6 rebounds.  As of right now he is currently the second best player in the Miami Heat after Dwayne Wade.  And if Dwayne Wade was to leave Miami this summer, that would make Beasley the star player of the team which I think is a position he can handle.  His jump shot, freakish athleticism, height, and abilities to play both forward positions makes him a Kevin Garnett-esque player.  Like all the players I’m listing, Michael Beasley is a future All-Star in the making and like Derrick Rose, can carry his team far into the playoffs on his own if given the chance.

3rd Draft Pick

O.J. Mayo

The USC star who has a name that makes you hungry.  Mayo was one of those highly touted prospects that scouts were following since the age of 13.  I consider him one of those star shooting guard players in the model of Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, Allen Iverson, and Kobe Bryant.  Of course, Mayo hasn’t done much so far in his career to be named with the rest of those future hall of famers but he has shown the potential.  Right now his game is raw, but with a few years of refinement, he can and will be the franchise player, knocking down game winning shots all day.  Mayo just needs to not let his hype get in his way and improve on his own pace before he can become the top dog in the NBA.

4th Pick

Russell Westbrook

This UCLA Bruin is the Robin to Kevin Durant’s Batman.  He’s the starting point guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder and currently averages 16 points, 7.5 assists, and 5 rebounds a game.  He’s an excellent scorer and terrific second option on a rising young team that is mos def bounded for the playoffs.  And as of right now, I see Westbrook as a star only in the Scottie Pippen vein.  Like Pippen, he is a great player but proves more effective when he is not relied on as the number one option on the team.  So yes, he can become a future all star in the future but he just does not seem like a player that can lead a team.  The Thunder are lucky to have him on the team though.  Westbrook just needs to keep improving his point guard game and keep creating shots for his teammates more often.  Once he gets that down, him and Kevin Durant will be the most unstoppable duo of the new era.

5th Pick of 2008

Kevin Love

Another UCLA Bruin.  Besides having an awesome name, Kevin Love is a star in the making too.  This season, after a pretty big injury, Love is averaging 15 points a game and 11.3 rebounds.  For a white boy power forward that plays alongside Al Jefferson, another beastly rebounder, those numbers are impressive.  Unlike Westbrook, Kevin Love does not play the sidekick role to Al Jefferson.  Instead, the both of them are a tandem that clogs the middle, making it unapproachable to the likes of slashers and dunkers.  Jonny Flynn must be having a blast out there having two big men to pass to that can handle the post equally.  Kevin Love also has a nice jump shot that is pretty beastly too.  Even though the T-Wolves suck right now, Love has been a bright spot.  Give the team some wings, more time to learn the triangle, and they will be a new force in the West.

6th Pick

Danilo Gallinari

The 6th pick from Italy was supposedly a bust in his rookie year because of injuries.  But after coming back from his back injury, Gallinari showed the world his sharpshooting skill and became one of the best 3 point shooters in the league right now.  Averaging 14.3 points a game and .395 3-point shooting percentage, Gallinari is the only thing the Knicks have for them this summer that’s a for sure.  But the Knicks have made him a desirable teammate to have.  Every player would like a 3 point beast out in the perimeter to throw the ball to on any given notice.  Of course, Gallinari will never be anything else other than a sharpshooter unless he learns some hardcore defense a la Bruce Bowen status.  But right now, his future is bright.  Who knows whats going to happen this summer with the free agents, the only thing for sure with the Knicks is that they have a great role player in Gallinari.  He kinda sucked in the 3 point contest though but I’d say he was a star compared to the dunk contest.

7th Pick

Eric Gordon

The 7th pick is Eric Gordon, the future of the Los Angeles Clippers along with Blake Griffin.  Eric Gordon is a shooter who can get to the hoops and also plays beastmode defense. This year alone, he was able to shut down Allen Iverson, Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant, Brandon Roy, and Dwayne Wade, leading the supposedly lowly Clippers to nice winning streak early in January.  Being the only bright spot his rookie year in a pathetic Clippers season that ended in 19 wins, Eric Gordon has shown that he is the future of the team.  Currently second in scoring by averaging 17 points a game, Gordon has the skills to explode into a 30 point game on any given night.  Right now his ball handing skills are a work in progress which leads to many turnovers but that is something that can be worked on.  His shy demeanor also makes it hard for him because he does not get that many calls from the refs that he should be getting.  There are times when Gordon can be decked in the face and the refs still would not call a foul.  In several years time though, Gordon is going to be a destructive force in the Clippers and a top shooting guard.

Here’s the first 7 picks of 2008, and all of them are great players.  All have the potential to become future all-stars and become a powerful option on their team.  I’m going to get through the rest of the lottery picks of this draft class along with honorable mentions next time and it is not going to be as great as the first seven.  There are good players there but this first seven is just amazingly great.  In a couple years, the 2003 draft class will become just a forgotten bunch of stars with barely any champions on there while 2008 will have a bunch of players leading their teams in the playoffs.

And yes, I saw the rookie-sophomore game and this class lost to the rookies.  But with Westbrook and Beasley taking half of the sophomore’s shots and not playing coherently, they practically gave it to the rookies.  Derrick Rose was also not there distributing the ball which also hurt.  But like other all star weekend festivities, the game did not really matter.  At least it didn’t suck like the Dunk Contest.  Dontletshannondunk.com plz

My Allstar Weekend Winners

The All-Star attendance in Dallas this year is projected to be over 100,000 people! I wonder how loud that building will be with so many NBA fans in a single sitting.

Let’s start off with the Haier Shooting Stars event

This year, the NBA decided to change the “Team” shooting stars to “City” shooting stars. In my opinion I like the city option better because it gives more teams to show their city talents instead of individual team talents so they can brag about it in the end. Instead of a team bragging, it can be a whole city. So everyone can get along! Let’s see the teams.

Team Atlanta: Joe Johnson (Current Hawks player), Angel McCoughtry (Rookie Atlanta Dream), Steve Smith (Former Hawk player 1995-1999)

Team Los Angeles: Pau Gasol (Current Laker player), Marie Ferdinand-Harris (Current Los Angeles Sparks player), Brent Barry (Former Clippers player 1995-1998)

Team Texas: Dirk Nowitzki (Current Mavericks player), Becky Hammon (Current San Antonio Silver Stars player), Kenny Smith (Former Rockets player 1990-1996)

Team Sacramento: Tyreke Evans (Current Kings player), Nicole Powell (Former Sacramento Monarchs player), Chris Webber (Former Kings player 1998-2005)

My Winner: Team Texas

Why? Dirk Nowitzki is going to knock down shots no doubt. With the help of Becky who has been a consistent shooter through her career and Kenny “The Jet” Smith having a pretty decent jumper for his age, I think Becky or Dirk can finish the half court shot pretty easily.

Peter’s Winner: Team Sacramento

Why? Chris Webber is not that old and can still throw it down with the best of them right now barring injury. Pair him up with Tyreke Evans and they’d make a good team.  But this event is more shooting based so they might have some difficulties getting the last shot down but at least Webber can throw a ball further than Kenny Smith.

Now the Taco Bell Skills Challenge.

Last year, rookie Derrick Rose took the title with a quick finish of 35.3 seconds. Rose will be defending his title with plenty of past year winners this year in Dallas. Let’s see a few of the league’s fastest guards.

Phoenix Suns – Steve Nash (3rd appearance)

Milwaukee Bucks – Brandon Jennings (1st appearance)

Chicago Bulls – Derrick Rose (2nd appearance)

Utah Jazz – Deron Williams (2nd appearance)

My Winner: Deron Williams

Why? No disrespect to the others but Deron still holds the Skills Challenge fastest finish record with an incredibly low 25.5 seconds! Last year Williams wasn’t in the contest, but now that he’s back and 100%, I think he can take the title back.

Peter’s Winner: Derrick Rose

Why? The all-star and returning champion is going to be back to back.  He’s an elite point guard and more athletic than an old Steve Nash and a Deron Williams whose beard is weighing him down.  His only challenge is Branden Jennings but he was in Italy and Italians don’t know how to play.

I’m disappointed Kapono isn’t in the shootout this year. But hey, he had back to back 3-point contests before Daequan Cook stole it last year. Let’s take a look at the sharpshooters.

(The percentage is how the player is shooting behind the arc this season)

Denver Nuggets – Chauncey Billups (.415%)

Miami Heat – Daequan Cook (.300%)

Golden State Warriors – Stephen Curry (.429%)

Phoenix Suns- Channing Frye (.438%)

New York Knicks- Danilo Gallinari (.403%)

Boston Celtics – Paul Pierce (.467%)

My Winner: Danilo Gallinari

Why? No one has made more threes this season than Gallinari. Frye and Gallinari are the only players hitting over the hundred mark in three point shots this season. In the final round, I believe the sophomore Knick can edge breakout player Frye by a shot or two.

Peter’s Winner: Chauncey Billups

Why? He’s not just a team leader, he’s one of the most proficient shooters in the league and can throw it down.  When Chauncy is on fire, no one can touch him and he is the most experienced shooter out of all of them.

In the past years, the Sprite Slam Dunk contest has players using many props. Dwight Howard with his “Superman” cape, Nate Robinson jumping over short and tall people, and Gerald Green blowing candles out. I think the dunks should be based on three categories. Originality scale 1-10, Creativity 1-5, and Finish 1-5. Sounds a bit complicated but I feel that it would bring more fun for the dunk contest. I’m hoping to see many surprising things this year. Everyone is a new contestant besides current champ Nate Robinson. The 2010 dunkers are….

Los Angeles Lakers – Shannon Brown

Charlotte Bobcats – Gerald Wallace

New York Knicks – Nate Robinson

Toronto Raptors – DeMar Derozan*

Los Angeles Clippers – Eric Gordon*

* – will compete in dunk-in challenge

My Winner: Shannon Brown

Why? I’m an L.A. native, I watch Laker games. When I see Brown hop to dunk, it’s plain sick for a short kid getting that high above the rim. Shannon stated “I can touch the top of the backboard”. In case you haven’t heard, the last person to touch a top spot on the backboard was Dwight Howard with the sticker dunk a few years back. Though Dwight didn’t win that year, that’s still freakishly impressive for a 6’4 guard getting that high. If I picked a final round for the contest, it would be Brown with either Derozan or Wallace. Derozan gets up. Wallace shows to finish aggressive around the rim, so I’d also take him to the finals.

Peter’s Winner: Gerald Wallace

Why? Crash is going to do some crazy ish in the dunk contest.  Shannon Brown has hops but Wallace will do some crazy oh my god dunks that will get everyone off their seats with gaped mouths.

Rookies

Player (Team)	Position	Height/Weight	School/Country
Omri Casspi (Kings)	F	6-9/225	Israel
DeJuan Blair (Spurs)	F-C	6-7/265	Pittsburgh
Stephen Curry (Warriors)	G	6-3/185	Davidson
Tyreke Evans (Kings)	G	6-6/220	Memphis
Jonny Flynn (Timberwolves)	G	6-0/186	Syracuse
Taj Gibson (Bulls)	F	6-9/225	USC
James Harden (Thunder)	G	6-5/220	Arizona State
Brandon Jennings (Bucks)	G	6-1/169	Lottomatica Virtus Roma (Italy)
Jonas Jerebko (Pistons)	F	6-10/231	Sweden

Sophomores

Player (Team)	Position	Height/Weight	School/Country
Michael Beasley (Heat)	F	6-9/245	Kansas State
Marc Gasol (Grizzlies)	C	7-1/265	Spain
Danilo Gallinari (Knicks)	G-F	6-10/225	Italy
Eric Gordon (Clippers)	G	6-3/222	Indiana
Brook Lopez (Nets)	C	7-0/260	Stanford
Kevin Love (Timberwolves)	F-C	6-10/260	UCLA
O.J. Mayo (Grizzlies)	G	6-4/210	USC
Anthony Morrow (Warriors)	G	6-3/190	Georgia Tech
Russell Westbrook (Thunder)	G	6-5/210	UCLA

My Winner: Sophomores

Why? When I deeply think about it, the 2009 draft class was one of the league’s best ever.

Peter’s Winner: Sophomores

Why? They’re more experienced and this year’s sophomores is some of the best in the league

Last season in Phoenix was a fun one to watch. Shaq, Kobe, and Phil reunited for a fun performance. The starting line-up wasn’t so different from last year with the East having the same starters this year.

Let’s take a look at the team’s full roster.

East Roster

NO.	PLAYER (TEAM)	POS.	HT.	WT.	BIRTHDATE	FROM
23	* LeBron James (Cleveland)	F	6-8	250	12/30/84	St. Vincent/St. Mary HS
5	* Kevin Garnett (Boston)	F	6-11	253	05/19/76	Farragut Academy HS (CHI)
3	* Dwyane Wade (Miami)	G	6-4	220	01/17/82	Marquette
3	* Allen Iverson (Philadelphia)	G	6-0	165	06/07/75	Georgetown, D.C.
12	* Dwight Howard (Orlando)	C	6-11	265	12/08/85	SW Atlanta Christian Academy (GA)
15	# Al Horford (Atlanta)	C	6-10	245	06/03/86	Florida
4	Chris Bosh (Toronto)	F	6-10	230	03/24/84	Georgia Tech
34	Paul Pierce (Boston)	F	6-7	235	10/13/77	Kansas
3	# Gerald Wallace (Charlotte)	F	6-7	220	07/23/82	Alabama
2	Joe Johnson (Atlanta)	G	6-7	240	06/29/81	Arkansas
9	# Rajon Rondo (Boston)	G	6-1	171	02/22/86	Kentucky
1	# Derrick Rose (Chicago)	G	6-3	190	10/04/88	Memphis
Head Coach: Stan Van Gundy (Orlando)

West Roster

NO.	PLAYER (TEAM)	POS.	HT.	WT.	BIRTHDATE	FROM
15	* Carmelo Anthony (Denver)	F	6-8	230	05/29/84	Syracuse
21	* Tim Duncan (San Antonio)	F	6-11	260	04/25/76	Wake Forest
24	* Kobe Bryant (L.A. Lakers)	G	6-6	205	08/23/78	Lower Merion HS (PA)
13	* Steve Nash (Phoenix)	G	6-3	178	02/07/74	Santa Clara
1	* Amar’e Stoudemire (Phoenix)	C	6-10	249	11/16/82	Cypress Creek (FL)
16	Pau Gasol (L.A. Lakers)	C	7-0	250	07/06/80	Barcelona, Spain
35	# Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City)	F	6-9	230	09/29/88	Texas
41	Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas)	F	7-0	245	06/19/78	Wurzburg, Germany
50	# Zach Randolph (Memphis)	F	6-9	260	07/16/81	Michigan State
3	i Chris Paul (New Orleans)	G	6-0	175	05/06/85	Wake Forest
1	Chauncey Billups (Denver)	F	6-3	202	09/25/76	Colorado
7	i Brandon Roy (Portland)	G	6-6	211	07/23/84	Washington
35	# Chris Kaman (L.A. Clippers)	G	7-0	265	04/28/82	Central Michigan
8	# Deron Williams (Utah)	G	6-3	207	06/26/84	Illinois
Head Coach: George Karl (Denver)

	* – denotes starter # – denotes first-time selection i – denotes injured and will not participate

My Winner: East All-Stars

Why? East is the powerhouse this season.

Peter’s Winner: Doesn’t matter

Why? This is going to be a fun and entertaining game showing the best talent around the world.  Lebron’s going to do something awesome, Dwight is going to do something funny, it’s going to be a good time.

2010 All-Stars

Before I name my All-Star starters and bench I’d like to ask the NBA to fix a huge problem.

NBA’s All-Star fan voting….

Look, I know in the past Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson were terrific stars who scored ridiculous amounts of points. On top of that, they put up a great show the their devoted fans. Now, look at those two stars.

Tracy McGrady – He has only played 6 games for the Rockets. Averaging career lows in every stat. I don’t blame the guy because he barely gets to play due to some feuds going on. But deserving to be on the All-Star team? Not even. He shouldn’t even be placed as a candidate for the All-Star game in 2010. Tracy isn’t even “with” the Rockets at the moment. I’m not saying China (which is the majority of the all-star votes) votes shouldn’t count. I’m proposing players like McGrady should be off of the ballot.

Allen Iverson – I remember back in the day A.I. was probably the most sickest scoring point guard in the league. The key words were “back in the day”. Yeah Allen WAS a star. But now, he’s just some old veteran with a lot of previous talent who doesn’t have rings. It’s unfortunate to see Iverson’s career closely coming to an end. In what is probably his last year in the NBA, fans feel he should deserve to be in the All-Star team one last time. I don’t think so. With rising star point guards like Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo, Allen should be bumped off the list of candidates. I respect A.I. and what he has shown in the past, but a 2010 all-star nod just isn’t right for his mediocre season.

Another thing I’d like the NBA to change is the All-Star roster. 12 players seem to less, and 15 seems too much. I say fans can vote for top 10 starters for each conference. Add 4 more players for each conference who are chosen by the coaches in the league. I remember for two years, I felt Deron Williams deserve the All-Star nod. But with the overload of talented guards in the West doesn’t give Deron any attention.

My top 12 players (since they only have 12) from each conference deserve the All-Star spots the most.

Eastern Conference

The “easy” East isn’t too difficult to find the starters. There isn’t much to look around. Here we go.

Rajon Rondo

Rondo

The East guards aren’t hard to choose from. Rondo is the most consistent point guard in the East. If the Celtics didn’t have Rajon, the Celtics wouldn’t be looking at the Finals. Yes, the Finals. That’s how important Rondo is to their team. His defense is solid and nearly always averages a double double. The aging big 3 are still the main points for Boston. After this season, the Celtics should look to invest in Rondo.

Dwyane Wade

Wade

One of the given in the East, Wade will enter his 6th All-Star season. Dwade is basically lifting his team to the playoffs and try to reach as far as they can. In one of his fewest healthiest seasons, the MVP candidate is hands down the best shooting guard in the East so far. Competition for Dwyane against the Eastern Conference guards are nowhere near close.

LeBron James

James

Who can forget King James? LeBron is “beast mode” this season (as Marshawn Lynch likes to say). In one of his best seasons, James has helped brought the Cavs to the top of the Eastern Conference. His player efficiency rating is no surprise and is still number one in the league. His last five games he has shot 57%. Impressive. LeBron so far looks like the clear MVP winner in the league.

Chris Bosh

Bosh

All the trade rumors floating around Bosh must bother him. Or he just dusts it off his shoulders and averages career highs in Points, Rebounds, FG%, and 3-point shooting. The Raptors must be STUPID to try to shop him. Chris is a franchise player. Toronto shouldn’t ship him, but build a great team AROUND him. How is it possible for Bosh to have his best season despite playing less minutes in the past few years? Vote for this cowboy .

Dwight Howard

Howard

Any player who leads the league in rebounds should be able to earn a starting spot for the game. I gotta say this though. The Magic aren’t going to win games if they don’t use Dwight to his fullest potential. Howard aka “Superman” gets ONLY an average of 9 shots per game behind Vince Carter (15 shots) and Rashard Lewis (11.5 shots). Do these Orlando players don’t see the dominant center in the middle who can out muscle anyone? Dwight is still the best center in the league today.

Reserves:

Derrick Rose

Rose? Really? Yup… the East’s point guard reserve comes down to Derrick Rose. The Sophomore gets the vote because of his leadership for the young Bulls. Good thing for young Rose is that he increased his point scoring by 3 points since last year.

Joe Johnson

Joe doesn’t get enough respect from fans. The man has been consistent in every stat in the past three years!!! He deserves the All-Star spot right behind Wade. Johnson should be the captain for the Hawks, then the league will recognize this hard-working player.

Gerald Wallace

Another player who doesn’t get enough respect. Wallace is my favorite for Defensive Player of the Year award. Rebounds and blocks seem to be his highlights every night. Gerald has finally developed into an All-Star player I have waited to see.

David Lee

The best Eastern Power Forward behind Bosh. Lee is one of the most consistent scoring and rebounding forwards/centers in the league. The Knicks are still a mess, but Lee has picked up the slack for this team to win games. David leads the Knicks in 4 statistical categories.

Joakim Noah

Rebounding machine. In four games this season, he grabbed 20+ rebounds. Noah is +5 in rebounds and points since last year. If you don’t think that’s amazing, you try and increase your averages in two stats by 5.

Western Conference

The talented West has many players to choose from. Here they come.

Steve Nash

Nash

At this point, Nash is playing as well as his two MVP seasons. Seems like when he ages, he plays better!!! Steve has to be the toughest point guard in the league. The guy is turning 36 on the 7th of Feb. He just had 7 stitches in his mouth against the Pacers and STILL returned to try to help the Suns win. How does he do it? I don’t know. I don’t even think Steve knows himself. Nash is shooting a career high with a near 54% from the field. The Suns would be nothing without Nash.

Bryant

Kobe Bryant

How can you hit two buzzer beater game winners in the first half of the season? How can you play with a broken pinky and index right fingers AND have back spasms? Yeah, Kobe hasn’t shot well lately, I know. But that shouldn’t make him any worse… Bryant’s playing hurt and can still be clutch. Going into his 12th All-Star selected season, Kobe still proves he is the greatest player in the league. LeBron is consistent, but the Lakers led by Kobe still has the best record in the league. Plus, compare the West and Eastern Conference records. The East is nowhere near close as the tough West in standings.

Kevin Durant

Durant

Young “Durantula” are proving doubters that he can become a franchise player and bring the young Thunder team into the playoffs. Kevin, who is one of the favored players for the Most Improved Player Award is scoring a career high of 29.1 points per game. The Thunder’s chances of claiming a spot in the playoffs to me are high. Look at the Thunder roster. Besides Westbrook and Green, who else helps Oklahoma with the scoring load? KD is an amazing player at both offense and defensive ends.

Dirk Nowitzki

Nowitzki

Another player who doesn’t seem to get enough respect in this league is Dirk. Dallas is ranked 2nd best in the tough Western Conference. When I watch Dirk play, he’s the most clutch big man I have seen in the game today. From the perimeter, baseline, or driving it in, Nowitzki gets the job done for the Mavs when they need it the most. Sometimes I wonder, “How do you guard this guy?”. Give him space, he pulls up on you. Put a body on him, he can pass you and head straight to the hoop. Dirk should be finally given the starting spot in the All-Star spot.

Tim Duncan

Duncan

Tim needs to be center so he gives Dirk a chance to claim that starting spot. Duncan is aging. On the other hand, he’s still good as hell. The F/C is matching  his career high in FG% since his 2006-07 season. Double-double averaging player and turning 34 in April, Duncan is aiming for his 5th title. Tim’s career has had seasons with a few bad injuries, but he still has the All-Star performance on the court.

Reserves:

Chris Paul

Ever since Paul came back from his troubling injury, the Hornets are 15-10 and is still kept in the hunt for the playoffs. The Hornets have been a disappointment all season, but Chris hasn’t. 32 out of Paul’s last 33 games, he has scored in double figures. He is single-handedly carrying New Orleans this half of the season.

Brandon Roy

How are the Blazers even winning without even having their roster healthy? Oden, out. Przybilla, out. Batum, out. Fernandez, out. Even Roy himself is out at times, but he is STILL doing work. Averaging a career high 23 points per game, Roy should enter his third straight All-Star appearance.

Carmelo Anthony

Melo’s scoring shot up 8 points per game since last season. The Nuggets are one of the most powerful teams in the West from the help of MVP candidate Carmelo. Anthony also leads the league in scoring with 30 ppg. Melo has picked up his career by shedding weight for this season and maturing into a franchise player.

Pau Gasol

Pau is the second best player on the dominant Lakers. He averages a double-double after coming off a hamstring injury. This is his first season he has been averaging a double-double. Though Kobe is still considered the best player in the league, Gasol takes the weight off of Bryant’s shoulders when it comes down to business on the court.

Chris Kaman

When has the Clippers had a player who has played in the All-Star game? Chris has performed like an All-Star player. He is also one of the favorites for Most Improved Player Award. Averaging 20 points and 9 boards per game, Kaman is having a breakout season. I believe the Clippers have a chance to make a playoff run if the team comes together and as Kaman performs as well as he does now every single night.

Deron Williams

Deron is nearly averaging a double-double. In the past seasons, he HAS average a double-double. How has Williams never been voted an All-Star? In the past years, it has been Ginobli and Parker stealing Deron’s spotlight. Those aging guards aren’t having a great of a season as Williams has. Deron should finally be able to claim that last spot since he’s one of the top 10 point guards in the league.

Zach Randolph

Averaging a double-double per night. Wait no, make it a 20 points and 11 rebounds per game average. Zach is part of what the Grizzlies are today. Memphis is one of the most surprising teams this season. Great coaching? Probably. But Zach averaging ridiculous stats per night is probably the reason why the Grizzlies have a shot at the playoffs. With the help of the big 3…. actually make it 4 with Zach, Mayo, Rudy, and Gasol. Memphis is on pace looking at their best season since the 03-06 seasons.