RETRO: all star picks for '07

I know, again, that no one reading this probably cares, but I have my own selections for the NBA All-Star game in Vegas. I think the starters were all deserving, so that's nice. I hate to see the fans pick VINCE someone CARTER who hasn't really VINCECARTER! been playing that well, or that much. Shaq actually falls into that category now, but then, he did win the title, he's fun to watch at these events, and there aren't any great big men in the East who will be denied spots because of him. And who knows if he'll even play.

WEST:
Starters (determined by fan voting): Kobe, McGrady, Duncan, Yao (out), Garnett

Definites: Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Carlos Boozer (likely out), Shawn Marion, Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson

Injury Replacements and Wild Cards: Elton Brand, Zach Randolph, Baron Davis

Just Missed Out: Ray Allen, Tony Parker, Amare Stoudemire, Josh Howard

The first five or six of these were easy, but the last couple spots were tough. It helps that Boozer, a sure pick, is going to be out. I think both Carmelo and AI deserve to be there - their numbers are just too much to ignore, despite the fact that neither has played a whole lot in Denver. I'll go with Brand and Randolph as my injury replacements. The Clippers are getting better and he's holding them together despite constant trade rumors. Randolph has been great coming back, and even though his team sucks, they're better than I thought. Davis wins the last spot by a slim margin over Ray, because the Warriors still have a playoff shot and he's upped his assists. They're both gunners, so it's tough to decide. But Ray missed a few games, and his team is crap, so that seals it. Stoudemire has made an amazing comeback, but he's still inconsistent. Hard to fit him in with Nash and Marion. Parker and Howard are the second best players on great teams, but it's not quite enough individually.

UPDATE: The coaches saw differently. Parker's good... Carmelo should be in... Stoudemire? Meh.

EAST:
Starters: Shaq (maybe out), Wade, Arenas, LeBron, Bosh

Definites: Dwight Howard, Jermaine O'Neal

I guess: Vince Carter, Michael Redd, Jason Kidd, Rip Hamilton, Ben Gordon

Very close: Joe Johnson, Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison, Chauncey Billups, Paul Pierce (would be a shoe-in if he wasn't hurt)

This was tough because there aren't any guarantees, except for Howard and Jermaine, because they're keeping teams in playoff races by themselves. Carter, Redd, Hamilton, Johnson, and Gordon are all scorers who don't do much else. Kidd doesn't score, but he's been amazing in every other category this year. Butler and Jamison have nearly identical numbers for the Wizards, who are good enough to warrant maybe two stars but not three. They'll split votes. Billups, Pierce, and Redd have also missed time with injuries.I decided to take both Carter (as much as I hate him - he made like three of these he never deserved to) and Kidd for having such good individual seasons, even though the Nets are disappointing. They're coming on a little bit now, and they don't have any post players to help out. Hamilton carried the Pistons with Billups missing time and 'Sheed sucking it up. Gordon is the only offensive creator on a team full of defenders. Their teams are doing too well to ignore. Pierce's great season ended too early, and now the Celtics are awful. Hopefully not as awful as the Sixers.

Redd gets the last spot by a hair over Joey Jo-Jo. His big scoring is too much to ignore, and while he's been hurt, and his team is falling, they were doing well when he was playing. He's one of the most valuable players in the conference. Johnson is scoring but isn't doing as much of the other things as the Hawks expected of him... and they still suck. It's not fair that Butler and Jamison are in the same position. If they were on separate teams, they might both make it. For stepping up, I think Butler has the advantage. He should be the injury pick if Shaq sits. If anyone else sits, it goes to Johnson. And if Vince doesn't make it, I will shed no tears (but he is playing great now).

UPDATE: Surprised to see Chauncey, but I have no major quarrels with their picks.

[And yes, that means I would pick the Heat, Nets, and Nuggets to have two players, despite their mediocrity, while the mighty Spurs and Mavs have just one each. It's not fair, but All Star games are never an exact science. By the way, I like the rosters for the rookie-sophomore challenge, and I have no idea if there will be a dunk contest, but even if no one important shows up, it can be fun. Maybe Iggy can come back and they'll just give it to him for being robbed last year.]