Note: If you can't name everyone in this picture, this blog may not be for you. Ok Shareef Abdul-Rahim is pretty tough. Ill give it to you.
The 60th NBA All-Star Game will be played at the Los Angeles Staples Center (yeah, I been there) on Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011. Voting closed on January 23rd, and the starters will be announced Thursday Jan. 27th on TNT. I'm not 100% sure but I think that the reserves will be selected by the leauge's coaches the next day. These projections are not necessarily what I WANT to happen, or think SHOULD happen, but it is what I think will happen.
Here is an early look at who I think will be representing the Eastern Conference starters.
Starters:
G - Derrick Rose
G - Dwyane Wade
F - LeBron James
F - Amar'e Stoudemire
C - Dwight Howard
Pretty straight forward here. KG is always in the running for starting forward just because of fan name recognition (which is a problem every year and will be in the West again, this year.) Amar'e is clearly the better player this season and has been the last few seasons. He has done enough in the first half of the season to get enough votes to start. His team is relevent and he's an exciting fan-favorite and is probable going to finish in the top 3 in MVP voting this year.
You could also make a case for Rajon Rondo as a starter (10 ppg, 13 apg, 2nd in the league in steals). Much of that production came early in the season, however, and he has only appeared in 32 of his teams 44 games. That's a quarter of the season missed so far. The nod has to be given to Derrick Rose who is my MVP right now averaging 25/4/8 and leading his team thru injuries to big men Boozer and Noah. He has them as a 3-seed in the East currently and I would not be surprised to see them finish 2nd behind the Heat (ahead of the Celts as they are resting their veteran players down the stretch) this year. Bold prediction of the day right there.
Fan-favorite Dwight Howard will be the leading vote getter in the conference. His annoying Superman antics and clear emergence as the elite Eastern center will have him at starting center for the next 12 years....assuming he resigns with the Magic after his 5-year $80 million dollar contract expires after next season.
Tomorrow:
Eastern Conference Reserves
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