I'd love to give this to someone else, but nobody in the East has stepped up. Wade is still giving 20 points and four assists, which are very good but not great. Sadly, nobody else is close. Koremenos: James. Does this even need explanation? He's putting up historical great numbers so routinely that it's almost boring. Dude's the best player in the game, 'nuff said.
Nowell: James. LeBron is still, along with the small forward starting for the West, the easiest All-Star call to make. Wallace: James. You know you're having a good run when another All-Star starting spot won't even rank among the top five accomplishments from the past 12 months. But that's the life of King James. Wilborn: James.
Durant is the best offensive player; James is the best all-around player. Twenty-six points, seven assists and eight boards a night. He's the best thing going today. Feldman: Carmelo Anthony. At times during his career, Anthony's gaudy scoring averages have been fairly empty, a product of high usage and high minutes. But he's scoring more and more efficiently than ever.
It almost makes me forget how little he does besides score. Koremenos: Anthony. He has been the catalyst for the surprising Knicks so far this season. Not only has he been scoring more efficiently than in the past since moving primarily to the 4, but his willingness to move the ball out of double-teams has helped New York make massive strides in its offensive efficiency.
Nowell: Anthony. You've heard enough about the Knicks, I'd hazard, but Melo's season so far has given some of even his staunchest doubters reason to reconsider. Wallace: Anthony. The MVP discussions regarding Anthony are overstated, but he's having one of his most productive seasons on both ends. He's a lock, although Paul George is creeping on his heels.
Wilborn: Anthony. Remember when people were questioning whether Melo was still a top player? Oh, you forgot? Well, he didn't. Melo is lighting it up with 29 a night and keeping the Knicks in contention. Feldman: Tyson Chandler. Add 28 missed shots to Chandler's total, and he still leads all NBA starters in effective field goal percentage.
He's super-efficient offensively, because he offensively rebounds well and doesn't take many shots other than the high-percentage looks he gets near the rim. Even if his defense has slipped a little, Chandler is still a very good defender. Koremenos: Chandler. It's hard to articulate his worth to the Knicks in such a small space.
But his threatening rolls to the rim on offense open up the floor for his teammates while on the other end, his mobility, effort and leadership cover up for a lot of subpar defending.
Nowell: Chandler. Until Dwight Howard recovers fully and reclaims the mantle, Chandler has a legitimate claim to the league's center throne.
A claim that my final starter is well positioned to dispute, but a viable claim. Wallace: Joakim Noah. But the Bulls are where they are right now without Derrick Rose in large part because of Noah's relentless play. Wilborn: Chandler. He's already an elite defender, and this season he has added more offensive touch to his game.
Chandler is a walking double-double for a very good Knicks team. I'll take him over Bosh and KG. Why was there ever a debate about the NBA's best point guard? It has been Paul for years. In fact, he'll retire the best point guard since Magic Johnson. This is about an absolute no-brainer. The game's best point guard is running perhaps the game's best team. Not too much to scrutinize here.
Nubyjas Wilborn, HawksHoop : Paul. He's averaging close to 10 dimes a night. He's also shooting a shade under 50 percent and hitting 90 percent of his free throws.
Paul is the best PG in the game for a great team. Feldman: Kobe Bryant. James Harden is the best player whom I don't have starting, and Tony Parker might be second. But the Lakers' poor season has masked the fact that Kobe is scoring better by both volume and efficiency than he has in years. Koremenos: Harden.
Houston is the surprise team in the West thanks largely to its preseason acquisition of Harden. The bearded menace is averaging Nowell: Bryant.
First thoughts here went to Harden or Russell Westbrook, but Kobe submitting perhaps his best offensive season yet is enough to get him the nod. In weal or woe, being Kobe counts for something when rationing out All-Star starting spots. Wallace: Bryant. The Black Mamba is defying his age by leading the league in total minutes and scoring. He remains as lethal as they come in the league. Wilborn: Bryant is dropping Bryant is an all-time great and is playing better than ever.
Feldman: Kevin Durant. Best player in the Western Conference -- question mark. Durant is having the type of season that usually belongs to the league's best player, but so is Chris Paul. Koremenos: Bryant. This might be a little bit of a reach, but Bryant has filled in at the 3 for stretches for an underachieving L.
He may not technically be deserving of a "frontcourt" spot, but if the All-Star Game wants the most deserving players in the West's starting lineup, he should be there. Nowell: Durant. Kid Backpack has long been incredible, but he is now historically so, with improved defense, rebounding and distributive skills to match his somehow-still-improving shooting.
Wallace: Durant. The improvements he has made to his overall game could make him a champion after falling short last season.
Wilborn: Kevin Durant. The speedy Drexler helped revolutionize the game with his above-the-rim play and came within one stat point of a quadruple-double in two different games over his career. At 50 years old, The Glide might not be what he used to be, but he's sure to have a savvy move or two up his sleeve for this one. One of the world's most phenomenal athletes, Usain Bolt should provide some big moves on the court in this celebrity game.
The 6'5", pound Jamaican sprinter is a six-time Olympic gold medalist, as well as an athletic freak of nature. Given the opportunity for a fast break towards the hoop, it'll be exciting to watch what kind of monster dunk Bolt can pull off. The four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year was a monster on the court, totaling 3, blocks and 12, rebounds in his career. At 46 years old, Mutombo might not be the beast he once was, but most of these celebrities lack any NBA-caliber talent—meaning Mutombo should be hosting a block party in this one.
Kevin Hart is a funny guy, and he had plenty of highlights from last year's celebrity game—in which he was MVP—including this one:.
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