The NBA All-Star Game will be in Orlando on February 26. And when the rosters were all completed last Thursday, there were a lot of intriguing combinations and deserving selections. Unfortunately, those who had more deserving stats but were left out had to wait for David Stern's hand to pick, if one of the selected players would fall prey to an injury before the ASG.
Without further ado, here are the story lines to watch in this year's NBA All-Star Game.
1. The LA 'Clickers'
The Clippers franchise have two All-Star representatives for the first time since 1976, when Bob McAdoo and Randy Smith represented the then-Buffalo Braves. Blake Griffin's popularity has been off the charts so far, and red-clad fans have regularly packed the Staples Center for a glimpse of the 21st-century 'Human Highlight Film'. The addition of Chris Paul made the Clippers relevant again, and the combo has led the team to its best start since the Buffalo days. Their co-tenants in purple may be struggling, but they have shown who's the boss in terms of winning excellence. Kobe Bryant, as always, has been a crowd-drawer time and time again. The center position race in the West proved to be a tough choice after Yao Ming's retirement, where in the end, Andrew Bynum won the fan's hearts deservingly so through his 17 ppg and 12 rpg averages. Bynum has shown potential All-Star talent despite a myriad of injuries that have derailed his blossoming career so far.
2. Class of '03 in One Roof
Imagine the 'Big Four' from the Draft Class of '03 in one roof, and then you have one of the most intriguing combinations in All-Star history. They have played together in the 2004 and 2005 Rookie Challenge, and in the 2008 Beijing Olympics for Team USA, but never in the same team in an NBA All-Star Game. Carmelo Anthony's trade to the New York Knicks last year came after the All-Star Game had ended, but better late than never. When LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Anthony were on the court at the same time, watch out, because they'll blow the roof wide open.
3. Two Top Teams = Two All-Stars Each
Deservingly so, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Chicago Bulls were given a pair of All-Stars each, a reward for leading their respective conferences for much of the season. Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose have been selected to three straight All-Star games since 2010, and as they led their respective teams atop the West and East, respectively, a potential 'Bird vs. Magic' or 'Wilt vs. Russell' type of rivalry is brewing. Both teams were young, rising superpowers hungry to take the NBA spotlight away from its more celebrated counterparts. Russell Westbrook deserves a second selection for being Durant's answer to an Elgin Baylor or a James Worthy, while Luol Deng's hard work and perseverance ala Scottie Pippen gave the Bulls its first pair of All-Stars since 1997.
4. Hot Starts Mean All-Star Berths in Philly, Indy
It took Andre Iguodala eight seasons before finally earning his first All-Star slot, and it's only because the 76ers were off to a strong start. Iggy, whose All-Star like stats were not good enough because he played for bad Sixers teams, finally got a second look by the coaches. Same goes to Roy Hibbert, after the Pacers' own strong start. Hibbert's own career was a work in progress in his first three seasons, as his poor mechanics and skills made him a constant ridicule amongst critics. This season however, his consistency on offense and defense won't be overlooked, as he finally earned All-Star recognition.
5. Enhancing their Legacies
Both Paul Pierce and Dirk Nowitzki were All-Stars who have had growing pains over the years and yet worked hard to earn their cherished goals. Pierce won a championship and Finals MVP in 2008; Nowitzki earned his last year. While Vince Carter has been the most popular guy from the Class of '98, Pierce and Nowitzki's enduring legacies have been sustained through hard work despite their lack of 'rock star' treatment. And while their stats so far haven't been All-Star worthy, Pierce and Nowitzki's march to the NBA record books have been well-documented, as Pierce passed Larry Bird for No. 2 on the Celtics scoring charts (he's also nearing 22,000 career points), while Nowitzki scored his 23,000th career point.
6. Off the Shadows
Before earning his first All-Star nod, LaMarcus Aldridge played behind the shadows of Portland's superstar Brandon Roy. Despite his All-Star numbers, he continued to be overlooked by the coaches. This year, however, Aldridge flourished as the Blazers' new offensive leader after Roy retired due to bad knees, delivering the goods with 23 ppg and 9 rpg. Marc Gasol was first known as Pau Gasol's baby brother, the footnote of a franchise-changing trade between the Lakers and the Grizzlies in 2008. Pau became an All-Star for the championship-contending Lakers, while Marc paid his dues for the then-mediocre Grizzlies. This year, Marc has been blossoming for Memphis, averaging 15 ppg, 10 rpg, 3 apg and 2 bpg, and has filled in nicely when Zach Randolph went down with a knee injury. Both Aldridge and Gasol have been splendid for their teams, who are in the thick of things for a playoff berth.
7. If We Were Teammates...
If the Nets were able to get Dwight Howard, this would've been a dream pairing. However, Howard has been stuck in Orlando, while Deron Williams has been toiling on a weak Nets team. Howard has expressed his desire to team up with Williams in New Jersey, but all the trade negotiations went to waste as the season began, and for now, Howard continues to be the focal point for the Magic offense which has been inconsistent and in need of more balance. Williams, on the other hand, would've been passed over to more deserving candidates, such as Brandon Jennings, due to New Jersey's bad record.
8. One-Man Crews for Good Teams
With Tim Duncan on the decline and Manu Ginobili injured, Gregg Popovich decided to shift the focal point of the Spurs offense to Tony Parker, and so far, the 29-year old Frenchman has not disappointed. Averaging a career-high 19 ppg and 8 apg, Parker has kept the Spurs atop the Southwest Division despite doubts surrounding the age of the team. On the other hand, Joe Johnson has kept the Hawks in contention despite losing center Al Horford for perhaps the season. Johnson's averages of 18 ppg and 38% 3FG shooting continue to show he's the Hawks' most important and consistent leader.
9. The Young and the Ageless
Kevin Love is a young 23-year old specimen who has been sparking the Minnesota Timberwolves' return to prominence. Last year, Love was overlooked by coaches despite his lengthy double-double streak, and only after an injury to Yao Ming did commissioner David Stern gave him a thumb's up. This year, however, Love is selected outright, due to averaging a double-double of 25 ppg and 14 rpg, both of which are in the top five. Steve Nash continues to defy father time at 38, as he once again leads the NBA in assists with 10 apg, despite the Suns' uncharacteristic record so far. If he plays, Nash joins a select company of All-Stars who played in the ASG at age 38 or over, which includes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and Karl Malone.
10. Who to Coach?
This year's contenders for the Eastern Conference and Western Conference All-Star coaches may come down to the past two NBA Coach of the Year winners. Scott Brooks, the 2010 winner, has been leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to the West's best record, due primarily to its offense averaging 101 ppg, while Tom Thibodeau, the 2011 winner, has brought the Bulls to the league's best record, with a pesky defense holding opponents to 87 ppg. Vinny Del Negro and Erik Spoelstra are the closest pursuers to both of them, but as far as records are concerned, it may go down to Brooks and Thibodeau in coaching the All-Star Game.
The last repeat All-Star MVP happened in 1959 when the 1958 winner Bob Pettit shared the award with Elgin Baylor. Could Kobe Bryant surpass Pettit's total of four ASG MVPs, or will the alternating victories between East and West continue at the All-Star Game? Catch the NBA All-Star Game in Orlando on February 26.
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