With the All-Star game approaching, the time has come to examine which players are playing at an All-Star level. Rather than simply throwing out the names of players to populate a team, Page4hoop has decided to extrapolate upon the top two players from every team in the league so that every voter is well informed as to their voting options. Since people who are injured won’t be able to play, they won’t be in this list.
Atlanta
Joe Johnson- His numbers have been fairly impressive as the leader on a team without a real point-guard, a real center and too many small forwards. Ten wins from this team should be enough to keep even the diehard Hawks fans from voting for an All-Star from their team.
Al Harrington- Though Harrington has been good; he doesn’t really belong on the All-Star team. But, his play will be good enough to land him a fairly sizable contract in the off-season.
Boston
Paul Pierce- Pierce has been awesome. He is averaging 26.1ppg, 4.8apg and 7.5rpg. Pierce most definitely deserves strong consideration for the game. The real shame is that the Celtics don’t seem to be interested in building a team for today. Pierce and Ricky Davis are having career years; you can’t help but think that if they had a little more help that the Celtics could be something special.
Ricky Davis- As well as being a leading candidate for most improved, Davis is proving he can be a perfect 2nd option in Boston. Now if the Celtics could figure out some way to find a 3rd, 4th and 5th option. Davis has been spectacular though combining his athleticism with a solid defensive effort.
Charlotte
Gerald Wallace-Wallace looks like a very good piece in a puzzle. He’s been a very good perimeter defender and is learning to put up some offensive numbers. Though he’s not really a candidate this year…
Emeka Okafur- His numbers are down for last year so he doesn’t really belong on the All-Star team, but he and Dwight Howard should dominate the Rookie-Sophomore game.
Chicago
Kirk Hinrich- Though he’s a streaky shooter, he’s starting to find his rhythm. If this Bulls team were winning, he’d be a strong contender for a birth.
Loul Deng- Scott Skiles coaching seems to be conducive to big time players coming off the bench. When coming off the bench, Deng averages 15.1ppg and 5.8rgp. The Bulls are a young team and don’t really deserve an All-Star this year.
Cleveland
Lebron James- James has been a king this season. He will be an All-Star starter. Though the Cavs recent 4 game loosing streak makes you wonder whether or not he’ll be in the playoffs. Logic would dictate that he will, but missing the playoffs seemed unthinkable last season too.
Drew Gooden- In only 28 mpg, Gooden is almost averaging a double-double. If the Cavs big free-agent acquisition didn’t play the same position (Donyell Marshall) Gooden would certainly be a stronger candidate for the team.
Dallas
Dirk Nowitzki- Dirk is always good and he’s led his team to the third best record in the NBA. Can you say All-Star?
Josh Howard - If they’re making a stew in Dallas, Dirk brings the meat and Howard brings everything else. Howard is the second offensive option as well as the first defensive option. He is the anchor of Avery Johnson’s defense. He deserves consideration from the same people that voted for Manu last year; a guy who’s playing great for a great team but has numbers that aren’t quite as good as some other players on teams that aren’t as good.
Denver
Carmelo Anthony-Not a lot to say here. He’s a spectacular player and is really coming into his own as a team leader this year. Anthony deserves to play in the game this year.
Andre Miller- Though he’s only averaging 14.4ppg, he’s dropping 8.5 dimes a game. He’s also done a very good job protecting the ball and is really coming into his own defensively.
Detroit
Richard Hamilton- While his numbers aren’t as flashy as some of the premier shooting guards in the league, his team’s win total is. The Pistons wouldn’t be the Pistons without Rip and because of that, he deserves strong consideration for the team.
Chauncey Billups-An MVP candidate, Billups must start this game. Everybody vote for Chauncey.
Ben Wallace- The Pistons get three players on here because they’re the best team in the league. Wallace isn’t as flashy a center as Shaq, and he certainly isn’t nearly as polished offensively, but everyone fears the fro. With Shaq missing so much time and Big Ben still leading the league in rebounds, he must be considered for the starting spot. He also ranks 16th in steals and 4th in blocks.
Golden State
Jason Richardson-He’s good on points and rebounds, but he needs to find a way to pick up some better passing numbers. Richardson has really stretched his range and is 4th in the league in three pointers made. In his fifth year in the league, Richardson could find himself on the team this season.
Baron Davis- He hasn’t been injured yet so he’ll probably find himself on the team. Davis is 2nd in assists-per-game. Too bad the rest of the Warriors aren’t clicking as well as Richardson and Davis.
Houston
Even though Houston is hosting the All-Star game, they really don’t seem to have any candidates for the team this year. Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming have spent most of the season injured and because of that Houston has won only 12 games. The Rockets clearly do not have any other All-Stars beyond those two but they don’t even have many passable players beyond those two. Yao and McGrady should both be considered but only as much as a Joe Johnson or a Chris Bosh.
Indiana
Jermaine O’Neal- He’s been sick, he’s been injured, he’s been playing out of position and he’s still one of the best big men in the East. It’s a shame O’Neal isn’t eligible for a vote as a center. Even so, he’s still probably the best power-forward in the East.
Stephen Jackson- When Artest and O’Neal have been out, Jackson’s been on fire. He led the Pacers to an impressive win over the Bulls and has really been, for two seasons now, a large reason for the Pacer’s success. If not from fans, Jackson deserves strong consideration from the coaches.
LA Clippers
Elton Brand- Brand is another MVP candidate. MVP candidates belong on the All-Star team.
Sam Cassell- He’s the second best player on this Clippers team. Cassell has been doing his part to keep this team winning. If they can string together a few big win streaks, people will start talking about them as contenders again.
LA Lakers
Kobe Bryant-Yet another MVP candidate, Bryant has been amazing. He was shooting too much, but with his streak of 45+ppg, it’s easy to understand why.
Lamar Odom- He’s slowly learning to be Scottie Pippen. He’s not there yet, so he shouldn’t be on the All-Star team, but he might be by the time the playoffs role around. If he is, the Lakers will be scary.
Memphis
Pau Gasol- Gasol needs to be the first All-Star from Memphis. The team is playing well and so is he. Everybody vote for Pau.
Mike Miller- The Grizzlies are a very balanced team and Miller is the key player off the bench. Many consider him to be the second best player on the team so he deserves consideration because the team is winning.
Miami
Shaquille O’Neal- As long as he’s playing he’s an All-Star, but this year he’s not really playing as well as he has been. Bill Walton suggests that he’s just no longer interested in playing. Maybe making peace with Kobe last night will benefit his game.
Dwayne Wade-Wade is the real reason people fear the heat.
Milwaukee
Michael Redd- Not only is Redd having a career year in terms of scoring, at 24.8ppg, but he is leading the Bucks to victory on many occasions. It’s tough to vote for Redd over Piece, James, Carter and Wade, but it seems there would probably be a place for him on the team. Let the coaches handle this one.
TJ Ford- Ford isn’t having the best year in the East, but he is having the best of his career. His fast cutting through the lanes is helping free things up inside for shooters like Redd and Bobby Simmons.
Minnesota
Kevin Garnett- Garnett isn’t playing as well this year as he did the last two, but even that is better than most players. Garnett would be a good compliment to Elton Brand as a starting forward for the west.
Wally Szczerbiak- People tend to forget how good Wally really is. He’s spent the last three years injured or recovering form those injuries. Well he’s back playing as well as he was in 2002, the year he was first selected to the All-Star team. He’s having a career year in points-per-game with 20.4. He is also shooting a career best 87% from the line. Szczerbiak looks like he’s finally healthy and is providing the Wolves with a good complimentary piece to Garnett. If you don’t want to vote for Manu or Josh Howard Wally might look like a good choice.
New Jersey
Jason Kidd- Based on his previous years, Kidd isn’t playing particularly well. He seems to be entering the twilight of his career but Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter are keeping him young. He is slowing down a bit on the break and on defense, but he is still a dangerous player. Vote for Kidd for posterity if you like but Iverson, Hinrich, Marbury or Ford they may be better options.
Vince Carter- Carter is an All-Star every year regardless of how hard he is playing. This though, is his best year in a while. If he ever merited an All-Star birth, this was the time.
NO/ Oklahoma City
Chris Paul- The rookie has been out of sight. He’s leading the Hornets as well as anyone could. They’ve been hovering right around .500 all season. If they can string together a win streak, they might even be able to grab a playoff spot. All of this of course hinges on Paul’s play. Although there are a good number of point guards in the west, Paul is quickly becoming one of the best. He’s 3rd in the NBA in steals-per-game and 8th in assists-per-game. Although he turns the ball over a little too much, Paul is certainly paying dividends. He's also a favorite to spark a Rookie team victory.
Speedy Claxton- What do you do when you’re teams two best players play the same position? You play let one come off the bench, run the second unit and play point while the other runs the two. Claxton doesn’t really deserve an All-Star birth, but he’s still the second best player on the team.
New York
Stephon Marbury- Starbury played fairly poorly in 2005, but in 2006 he’s been on fire. The Knicks are winning and a lot of it depends on Marbury. People in NY have to at least consider him. Everyone else, vote for somebody else.
Jamal Crawford- Here’s an interesting stat: in the new-year, Crawford is averaging 19.4ppg, 4.3apg and 5.2rpg. He’s doing it off the bench. If JC’s solid play has been a big reason for the Knicks success. If he can keep it up he deserves some All-Star consideration and should certainly receive some attention as sixth man of the year.
Orlando
Dwight Howard- Howard has been very good. His time will come but this year his place is in the Rookie-Sophomore game.
Steve Francis- The Franchise looks good, but not great. It also looks like he might be with a different franchise by the time the All-Star game comes around.
Philadelphia
Allen Iverson- Everybody should place a vote for AI. He’s having by far the best year of his career. Iverson seems to be delivering one of the top performances in recent years. If the Sixers can pull of some sort of winning streak or two, Iverson’s name is going to come up for MVP.
Chris Webber-Webber is looking good, but not great. Vote for him if you love Blue, otherwise Webb doesn’t really belong on the team this season. Plus playing an extra game might take a lot out of him.
Phoenix
Steve Nash-This is easy; he’s the reigning MVP.
Shawn Marion- This is easy; he’s averaging 20.9ppg and 12.0rpg. That’s good enough for 3rd in boards. He’s also ranked 7th in steals, 4th in minutes, 15th in blocks and 2nd in double-doubles. A vote for Marion is a vote for a winner.
Portland
Zach Randolph- You can vote for Randolph, but he’ll be too busy eating to show up for the game.
Juan Dixon- Due to Darius Miles being Injured, Dixon has been forced to step up and do what he does best, which is to score in bunches. Aside from poor defense, the Blazers only real shortcoming without Miles is scoring and Dixon’s 12.6ppg have helped with that. As a starter, Dixon has put up 17.4ppg, which should be good enough for at least some consideration if you’re a Blazers fan.
Sacramento
Mike Bibby- He’s a decent player on a bad team. If there were fewer guards in the west he’d make the team.
Brad Miller- He’s a decent player on a bad team. Since there are fewer centers in the west, he may make the team.
San Antonio
Tony Parker- Not only is Parker having the best year of his career, but he’s coming up big for the Spurs while Manu and Timmy are recovering. He doesn’t really belong behind the arc, shooting a mere 23%, but he’s been brilliant inside. He’s averaging 53%, which is great from a point guard. Parker will not spread the floor, but he’s a great leader and passer; if open shooters surround him he’ll make plays. It might be time for Parker to head to the All-Star game.
Tim Duncan- If there was ever a strong candidate for the game it was Duncan, but this year Brand, Garnett and Nowitzki have been better. He’ll make the team, but let the coaches vote him in.
Seattle
Rashad Lewis- Lewis is playing well and he’s doing it without turning the ball over much but he’s just exactly an All-Star caliber player. He’s very good and deserves consideration if you like him, but nothing he has done for his team has been particularly noteworthy.
Ray Allen-Allen has a similar story to Lewis. He’s playing very well, but the fact remains that the Sonics aren’t winning. His scoring is very good, at 24.1ppg, but he’s not really putting up particularly good numbers elsewhere. Allen seems like an All-Star, but he’s really got to step up and get some wins to get some serious consideration.
Toronto
Chris Bosh- His 22.4ppg and 9.2rpg are good, but they’re not really All-Star good. He might sneak in on the coaches ballot and if a lot of Canadians step up to vote, but otherwise look for Bosh to work his magic in future games.
Mike James- James is having the best year of his career and though its not good enough for an All-Star birth it will be good enough to cash in really big during the off-season.
Utah
Mehmet Okur- With the injury struggles of Camby and Yao, Memo has been the most consistent center in the West. Although he’s been doing it at the four, he’s still on the ballot as a center. Even with their injuries, Memo has been better than Camby and Yao on many fronts; like shooting. He won’t play much defense, but he’s all over the O.
Andrei Kirilenko- AK47’s been very good, not as good as he has been in the past, but he’s still the second most versatile small forward in the West, behind Marion. Problem is, he’s not even top-ten in voting among west forwards. All the Utah fans and people who just love good basketball need to get out and vote.
Washington
Gilbert Arenas- Hughes is gone and Arenas is making up for it. He’s averaging 28.6ppg and 6.3apg. He’s also 2nd in turnovers… That’s not necessarily great for the Wiz, and it might worthwhile for voters to take notice of this too. Maybe an All-Star snub will be just what Arenas needs to play with a little more control.
Antawn Jamison- Up until recently Jamison was averaging a double-double. Recently he’s struggled. If you can’t find another forward for your East ballot pick him, but if that’s the case it might behoove you to review your ballot one more time.
Page4Hoop All-Star Suggestions:
East
Guard: Chauncey Billups
Guard: Allen Iverson
Forward: Lebron James
Forward: Jermaine O’Neal
Center: Ben Wallace
West
Guard: Steve Nash
Guard: Kobe Bryant
Forward: Shawn Marion
Forward: Elton Brand
Center: Mehmet Okur
