All-Star Reserves Named!

[Precious Roy 0]

NEW YORK (Ticker) - Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs and Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison of the Washington Wizards were among six first-time selections when reserves for the NBA All-Star Game were revealed Tuesday.

 

Ginobili is a key contributor to the team with the best record in the league, while Arenas and Jamison have helped the Wizards enjoy a surprising start.

 

Other first-timers on the Western Conference roster include Rashard Lewis of the Seattle SuperSonics and Amare Stoudemire of the Phoenix Suns. Also earning the honor of representing the West were Seattle's Ray Allen, Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki and Stoudemire's teammates Shawn Marion and Steve Nash.

 

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade joins Arenas and Jamison as a first-time selection for the Eastern Conference. Also making it for the East were Cleveland center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Indiana forward Jermaine O'Neal, Boston swingman Paul Pierce and Ben Wallace of the defending champion Detroit Pistons.

 

Ginobili (Argentina), Ilgauskas (Lithuania), Nash (Canada) and Nowitzki (Germany), along with starters Tim Duncan (Virgin Islands) and Yao Ming (China), give this year's game six international participants for the third straight year.

 

The starters for the February 20 game in Denver were chosen last week via fan balloting. The reserves were selected by coaches, who were required to pick two guards, two forwards, a center and two other players regardless of position from within their respective conferences without selecting anyone on their team.

 

Miami's Stan Van Gundy will coach the East and Gregg Popovich will coach the West in the 54th edition of the midseason showcase, which is the highlight of a weekend's worth of festivities.

 

Can't really argue with any of the selections. I would have liked to see Francis in the East and C-Webb or Bibby in the west, but oh well.

[Guest Vitamin X]

I'm happy with the selections now. Except for Vince Carter being there, but I guess it works for an offensive exhibition.

[alfdogg 0]

Here's a more readable version of the rosters:

East

Starters

F: Grant Hill

F: Vince Carter

C: Shaquille O'Neal

G: LeBron James

G: Allen Iverson

 

Reserves

C Zydrunas Ilgauskas

C/F Ben Wallace

F Jermaine O'Neal

F Antawn Jamison

F/G Paul Pierce

G Gilbert Arenas

G Dwayne Wade

 

West

Starters

F: Kevin Garnett

F: Tim Duncan

C: Yao Ming

G: Tracy McGrady

G: Kobe Bryant

 

Reserves

C/F Amare Stoudemire

F/C Dirk Nowitzki

F Rashard Lewis

F Shawn Marion

G Steve Nash

G Ray Allen

G Manu Ginobili

 

Like X, the only guy I have a problem with being there is Carter. He's going to live off that one dunk for the rest of his life. Take him out and put in Steve Francis.

[NoCalMike 0]

Not a single Sacramento Kings player?

[Precious Roy 0]

This is the first time in recent memory that the East has the possibility of a bigger team, with Shaq and Z. The West bigs have crazy skill and quickness though, and present defensive matchup problems for those two. I'm expecting Jermaine O'Neal and Ben Wallace to get a ton of run to match up with Amare, Duncan, KG and Dirk.

 

And I'm liking the possibilites of a Nash, Manu, Marion, Dirk, KG lineup for the West, and Arenas, LeBron, Hill, J-O, Shaq for the East

[Vern Gagne 0]

Jermaine O'Neal missed too many games to make it has a reserve. I would of had Okefor instead.

[Precious Roy 0]

O'Neal only missed 15 games, and when he's played he's been without question a top 10 player. Guys have made it missing more time than that for injuries.

 

By the time the game rolls around, Kobe will have likely missed 15+ games, but if he wasn't a starter the coaches would certainly have voted him in.

[Ripper 0]

In the preseason if I had told you that 2 Wizards(should be 3), 3 Suns, and 2 Sonics would be on the All-star team, you would have laughed at me. hell...i would have laughed at me.

[2GOLD 0]

In the preseason if I had told you that 2 Wizards(should be 3), 3 Suns, and 2 Sonics would be on the All-star team, you would have laughed at me. hell...i would have laughed at me.

 

Actually, I'm pretty sure I would have reported you to the FBI as being delusional, insane and a threat to society.

[Styles 0]

YES! Awesome to see Gil and Antwan representin' the Wiz. (I can't even remember the last all star we had not named Jordan, let alone 2). And yeah, Larry Hughes is def. there in spirit. He was having the best season out of the 3 until the thumb injury. Heck, I would have named him to the team as an honor to his play before the injury since he's injurd and you can just replace him on the team with someone else, but I can't really complain otherwise.

[Precious Roy 0]

3 Pt Shootout:

 

Voshon Lenard

Kyle Korver

Joe Johnson

Quentin Richardson

Vladimir Radmanovich

Ray Allen

 

weird that they have two guys from the same team, twice. Damon Jones of Miami should be in it, and I know he wanted to be, Shaq put money on him winning it, so that's a little weird. I'd kick Radmanovich to the curb, and Joe Johnson, since they really don't need two guys from the same team, and toss in someone like Atkins, Mobley, Rafer Alston or Terry.

[Modern Man's Hustle 0]

I'm a little surprised that Nash isn't starting as point guard. He's had a better season than Kobe, why is Kobe starting over Nash? Although, I am glad that finally, after all of these years as a Suns fan, the hometown boys are actually having a good season. It should be a good game, though I don't think it's a question which team will win.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I'm a little surprised that Nash isn't starting as point guard. He's had a better season than Kobe, why is Kobe starting over Nash?

 

Because Kobe's had a better reputation and career before this year, fans don't have current statistics readily available, the statistics they do keep are fuzzy, and voting begins near the beginning of the season.

[Guest Mindless_Aggression]

All I can say is poor poor Elton Brand. The guy just picked the wrong decade to be good in.

 

On the 3 point shoot out, Johnson and Allen should be taken out I'd say. I know Allen is a great long distance guy, but he's already got the All Star game to look forward too, give Vlad the 3 point shoot out. Peja and Damon Jones shoulda gotten the call at least. Kinda surprised to see Leonard there, I would think even a torn achilles thats had 5 months to heal would still be pretty hard to get around on in the manner that he needs to.

 

Any word on the dunk contest? Iguodola is the only one I've even heard rumored. I'd have to assume Fred Jones and probably Jason Richardson would be involved too. Desmond Mason should probably be in it as well.

[Brett Favre 0]

For the dunk contest, I've heard Josh Smith and Amare Stoudemire so far. Richardson backed out, I believe.

[Guest Vitamin X]

I'm a little surprised that Nash isn't starting as point guard. He's had a better season than Kobe, why is Kobe starting over Nash? Although, I am glad that finally, after all of these years as a Suns fan, the hometown boys are actually having a good season. It should be a good game, though I don't think it's a question which team will win.

Kobe was leading the league in scoring at one point during this season, and they play completely different positions so it's hard to say. I'd make an argument for inserting Nash over McGrady in the PG spot, though since McGrady's a SG.

[Guest Coffey]

Here's to hoping that Amare gets more PT than Meng. Amare should've started anyway.

[Guest Mindless_Aggression]

I dunno about Amare being in the dunk contest. He's a great in game dunker, but most of his best is on someone's head with force, not graceful spectacular stuff that is needed for the contest.

[Cuban Linx 0]

No great surprises among the reserves, though i expected at least one of Bibby/Webber/Miller to make it, without checking this would have to be the first Sacramento King-less all-star game in quite a while. I also didn't think both Wallace and Ilgauskas would be in, but i can't really think of any other deserving East forwards (maybe Bosh or Okafor) so i'm fine with it.

[alfdogg 0]

Amare Stoudemire was a forward on the ballot, which is why he isn't starting.

 

How the hell is Voshon Lenard going to do the 3-point contest? Isn't he supposed to be injured for the season?

 

While we're throwing out all these big guys for the slam dunk contest, Stromile Swift should get a mention.

[Modern Man's Hustle 0]

Kobe was leading the league in scoring at one point during this season, and they play completely different positions so it's hard to say. I'd make an argument for inserting Nash over McGrady in the PG spot, though since McGrady's a SG.

Maybe I read the list wrong. I thought it meant that Kobe was starting as point guard, which made no sense to me.

[Precious Roy 0]

All I can say is poor poor Elton Brand. The guy just picked the wrong decade to be good in.

 

Wrong conference too. He'd be a perennial all-star if the Bulls had held on to him.

 

Antawn Jamison, I like the guy, but 20-8 with no defense just doesn't scream All-Star to me. I'd take Brand over him any day of the week, Gasol too.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Kobe was leading the league in scoring at one point during this season, and they play completely different positions so it's hard to say. I'd make an argument for inserting Nash over McGrady in the PG spot, though since McGrady's a SG.

Maybe I read the list wrong. I thought it meant that Kobe was starting as point guard, which made no sense to me.

I think they just take two guards, regardless of whether they are point or shooting guards.

[The Electrifyer 0]

Yeah, they only take 2F's and 2G's in general. Look at the East, they've don't even have a power forward! How are they gonna handle KG and TD?

[Ripper 0]

On the 3 point shoot out, Johnson and Allen should be taken out I'd say. I know Allen is a great long distance guy, but he's already got the All Star game to look forward too, give Vlad the 3 point shoot out. Peja and Damon Jones shoulda gotten the call at least. Kinda surprised to see Leonard there, I would think even a torn achilles thats had 5 months to heal would still be pretty hard to get around on in the manner that he needs to.

Joe Johnson is second in 3 point percentage. He should be there. Damon Jones, honestly, has shot like crap for most of the season outside of his blazing start. Quentin Richardson is shooting like 32 percent or something...he shouldn't be there.

 

And where the fuck is Fred Hoiberg.

[Modern Man's Hustle 0]

Richardson is incredibly spotty with his three point shooting. There's been games where he's hit 8 threes, but he's shot like 15 of them. I honestly have no idea why he's there either.

[Precious Roy 0]

because he leads the league in 3pt makes. If we're going by percentage, Allen shouldn't be in it either, because he's down to like 37% this year. Richardson won't win it anyway, he's a guy who hits his shots in the flow of the game, running up off breaks and shit, he's not really a pure, stand-still shooter. Joe Johnson won't win it either. My money's on Korver.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Yeah, they only take 2F's and 2G's in general. Look at the East, they've don't even have a power forward! How are they gonna handle KG and TD?

They don't play defense in the All-Star game...

 

Also, another addition to my list of arguments that Kobe deserves to be there is that he's the NBA's second leading scorer STILL and he hasn't even been playing for over a month at this point.

[Precious Roy 0]

2nd in AVERAGE pts, which doesn't mean shit when talking about him being out because his average hasn't changed since he went down. He's down to 20th in total points accumulated, which is obviously still impressive.

 

BTW, who leads the league in total points scored? Amare Stoudemire. Iverson will likely win the scoring title, but due to the odd games he misses he won't win top volume scoring.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Yeah Kobe will probably come back and finish in the top ten. Whenever he does come back, anyways, which feels like it's taking an eternity right now.