2009 NBA All-Star Starters

The starters for the 2009 NBA All-Star were announced today and the reserves are set to be announced next week. For now, let's look at the starters. Here they are at a glance really quickly.

EAST
G- Allen Iverson, DET
G- Dwyane Wade, MIA
F- LeBron James, CLE
F- Kevin Garnett, BOS
C- Dwight Howard, ORL

WEST
G- Chris Paul, NOR
G- Kobe Bryant, LAL
F- Tim Duncan, SAS
F- Amare Stoudemire, PHX
C- Yao Ming, HOU

Every year people say that some player isn't worthy of starting the All-Star game, or that another player was more deserving then a starter, but you know what, it happens. The All-Star game is for the fans anyways, so if the fans decide they want to watch a particular player start, then how is that the wrong choice. It's an exhibition game anyways, if people want to see stars, then let them see stars, just so long as the stars don't come from being beating by Ron Artest.

The starting lineup for the West is interesting as it has three players who work best closer to the basket. On top of that, Kobe and CP3 are so affective because they are always a threat to burn their defender and take it to the hole, but with this lineup, the middle might be a little bit clogged up. Good thing it's an All Star game and no one will be playing much defense anyways, because if these starting lineups went against each other in a game that actually mattered, the East dominate despite lacking a true point guard.

The East's lack of a point guard shouldn't matter as the game will all be isolations and three-point attempts anyways. With it being an All-Star game, I wonder who will have the sickest dunk. There's LeBron who "throws it down with no regard for human life" as said by the Cavs home television announcer. Then there's D-Wade who is clearly back to being the 2006 Finals MVP he once was and has had just a few SportsCenter Top Play dunks. And you can't count out last years slam dunk champion Dwight Howard. However, I feel like the best dunk might not come from any of these guys.

I have this feeling that Amare Stoudemire is going to have one spectacular dunk in this game on an alley-oop from CP3. It likely won't happen, but how far fetched is it that on that alley-oop would break a backboard? How incredible would that be, if Amare shatters the backboard on an pass from CP3? I think they might just have to cancel the All Star game for years to come if that happened, especially because the place would go nuts since the game is in Phoenix this season.

Anyways, onto the picks themselves. As I said before, I never have qualms with the fans choosing who they want to see be a starter, that is, just so long as the deserving starters get in as a reserve. And hey, they might not be the most deserving starters, but everyone starting is incredible at basketball and are all very fun to watch, that's what an All Star game should be anyways.

In the East, I would start either Devin Harris or Jameer Nelson over AI. As for the West, Amare has the talent to dominate the way Howard has this year, and should be putting up at least 20-10, but he isn't. Also, I know the roster's are set to have two forwards and a center, but the West basically has three centers starting, since Amare has been a center for the Suns a great deal of the time and Duncan basically is the Spurs center, even if he is listed as a power forward. Dirk Nowitzki or Kevin Durant (even though the Thunder are terrible) are both more deserving then Amare, and would actually make the West's starters resemble an actual team.

All in all the rosters are pretty close though to who the starters should be in the game. Good job fans. I know I can't wait for the game to occur, though the slam dunk contest will be incredible. It will be hard to top last year, but having two slam-dunk champs in the field as well as Rudy Gay (who will bring it way better then last year, trust me). I just wish the dunk contest was longer and with more people involved.

There's only one more thing I can ask for from All Star weekend since we have great starting squads, and that's for another announcer-referee challenge. Maybe Charles Barkley and Dick Bavetta having a rematch of last year, only this year, how about a drink-off? (Sorry Charles, too soon?)