Your REAL 2010 All-Stars

With the NBA's annual midseason classic a few short weeks away, it's once again time for the league's fans and coaches to team up and decide who will don the venerable All-Star tag. In theory this concept allows fans to see the players they want and be engaged in the process, while providing a certain degree of legitimacy through some more educated selections. What's unfolded instead is a dubious conundrum skewed by varying perceptions, position restrictions and the stupidity of "fans" who still think Tracy McGrady is one of the two best guards in the West. Every year, deserving players watch from the stands as their lessers don All-Star unis and take to the court on false premises. Paying some regard to team success, the guys on the court should be the class of the Association; its best players. Here's who they've been so far this season:



EAST STARTERS
G - Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
The Heat have surprised nobody with their mediocre showing so far this year, and Wade's fallen a step from last year when he was making a very loud MVP push. 27/5/6 are nothing to frown about (or be blasted by your GM) though, Wade's easily been the best guard in the East this year.


G- Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
Now that the Hawks have apparently arrived to the East's penthouse, Johnson should've gotten his proper dues as a starter (apparently Allen Iverson's just been too remarkable this year). A killer two-way player, Johnson's contributions were criminally underrated for years because Atlanta sucked. It's sad to see the same thing happening now that they're winning.


F- Lebron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Not so much of a stretch to include a guy dropping 30/7/8 for the conference's best team. I could go on about James' All-Star credentials but I'd be wasting my and your time.


F- Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors
The Raptors have played schizophrenically all year, their one model of consistency being Bosh, who's having a career year and is the only thing standing between Toronto and another lottery gamble. What's worse is that if he's still wearing a Raptors uniform far past the All-Star break, a shallow draft pool will be the least of Bryan Colangelo's concerns.


C- Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
Not to slight Dwight at all but being called the best center in the East these days isn't much of a compliment. It doesn't take much to lock this spot down; leading the L in blocks and boards is more than enough.


RESERVES
G - Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics
His jumper's still uglier than Tyrone Hill after a triple-OT loss, but remains about the only flaw in Rondo's game. He scores when needed, rebounds very well for a skinny guard, and sits third in the league in assists while leading it in steals.


G - Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
While he hasn't exploded like some heads predicted, Rose has been Chicago's best player and a worthy candidate in a conference where a sub-.500 record still but you in the playoff, and therefore All-Star, discussion. The Bulls were involved in some of the ugliest on-court debacles in the first half, but little if any of it can be blamed on Rose's tenacious attacking and playmaking.


F - Gerald Wallace, Charlotte Bobcats
If playoff contention demands All-Star votes, then Charlotte's (likely) first postseason appearance should coincide well with this guy being named their first All-Star. 18/11 look too nice; Wallace's own inclination to injury will be the only thing stopping him from making Bobcats history.


F - Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
Boston's been far from healthy this year, and Pierce has done nothing to suggest he should relinquish his requisite All-Star nod. Fans already voted in KG, and Rajon's a near-lock, so the coaches might shun a third player from the Celtics, which is a damn shame.


C - David Lee, New York Knicks
An All-Star on the Knicks? What the fuck am I smoking? Well, there's gotta be a center on here somewhere, and Dale Davis wasn't available...So the coaches could do much worse than voting a guy dropping 19/11 on a team playing better than anyone could've expected.


F - Josh Smith, Atlanta Hawks
For years, NBA coaches have indiscriminately awarded All-Star spots to mediocre players on good teams, following the logic that their contributions were more important because of team success. Riding that train of thought, Smith's stat-stuffing antics should be more than enough to snag his All-Star V-chip now that the Hawks' Mike Woodson could very well be coaching the East (Mike Brown's ineligible, as he had the honor last year).

G - Mo Williams, Cleveland Cavaliers
Before he went down with a shoulder injury, William was primed to make his second consecutive appearance with the Cavs holding court in the East standings. Even though he'll be unable to play, I'm still awarding him this spot because a) the Cavs 'need' a second All-Star and b) Who the fuck else deserves this spot? Gilbert Arenas?


WEST STARTERS
G - Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
I'm sure a lot of people are wondering how I could sleep on Steve Nash here. Well hop on over to nba.com and peep Paul's redundant but still incredible stat line. He's arguably the best point guard of this generation, doing all he can to keep the Hornets' heads above water while they try to shed excess weight like nervous girl before the prom. Remember it's the All-Star game, not the All- Team Success game; and CP3's excellence demands a starting spot.

G - Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
Score at will on anybody. Play through lingering injuries. Hit multiple icy game-winning heartbreakers. Lead the NBA's best team...blah blah blah. You get it.


F - Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets
This has been Melo's finest season; he's not only managed to avoid any juvenile stupidity for a whole calendar year, but is leading the league in scoring and has the Nuggets contending for a second division title. A no-brainer, even among a glut of talented West forwards.


F - Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
Nipping at Melo's heels in the scoring race is Durant, who's exploded onto the scene as a prodigious phenom who, at 21, is already hearing MVP chants from both over-zealous fans and experienced analysts. The Thunder are making serious playoff noise in the deep West, and his play has been central among many pleasant surprises in Oklahoma City.


C - Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns
Now that Yao Ming's on the shelf for a whole season and we've been spared the onslaught of Chinese nationals pounding out All-Star ballots like Nike kicks, we're left with a struggle to find a legitimate center to replace him. The fans did well to vote in Stoudemire, who's a power forward by trade but spends a lot more time in the post than anyone else on the Suns' roster, and is talented enough to transcend a minor technicality.


RESERVES
G - Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns
Phoenix got off to a somewhat surprising start, and though they've cooled down as they've spent more time on the road, Nash has been as impressive as ever; 18/11 on something stupid from the field, stripe and long range.

G - Brandon Roy, Portland Trail Blazers
Fans have come to expect a lot from this guy, but Roy's been just short of dominant this season in leading the Blazers to a relatively secure hold on a playoff spot given their inevitable (Greg Oden) and unfortunate (Travis Outlaw, Ghostface Pryzbilla) injuries.

F - Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
The Tim Duncan Robot continues to depreciate at an impressively slow rate; his 20/10/3/2 still come as efficiently as ever. It remains to be seen if the Spurs can live up to the preseason contender hype, but falling short will be no fault of Duncan's.

F - Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
Pencil in another All-Star nod for Diggler, who's leading a maligned Mavs team with no consistent second option or post threat to a 2-seed. He's been impressive and consistent, which is about all the nice stuff I'm prepared to say about him.

C - Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers
Although he's missed a solid chunk of the season with hamstring injuries, Gasol's made undeniable contributions to the A's best team going into the break. The Lakers deserve a second All-Star, and Pau's the clear choice.

F- Zach Randolph, Memphis Grizzlies
The acquisition of two black holes on a talented young team was mocked preseason, but while one was quickly and unceremoniously let go, the other has been an absolute beast and has the Grizz (maybe) in contention for a playoff spot.

G - Deron Williams, Utah Jazz
The Jazz have been a bit of an enigma, but Williams' stellar play has buoyed a team that's been openly shopping its former franchise player for most of the year and has serious doubts surrounding its intentions for the immediate future. This should/will be (no joke) Deron's first All-Star game.

Clearly things aren't going to play out this way; several guys who've spent too much time on the sidelines are already starting and the coaches are never on the same page about who plays where or what constitutes an All-Star. If Andrew Bogut or whoever somehow sneaks in there I won't be surprised, but here's hoping the right guys end up representing the NBA on its most star-studded night.