The Starting Five

Do you remember this dunk and everything in San Antonio sick with it? It’s not usual a man gets to exact revenge on one he so idolized as a high school player years before only to get dissed the first time he meets him. Karma…hmmm. Which gets me to wonder…Who would you dunk on? Visions of sugarplums huh? Anyway, anyway, somehow, someway Blake Griffin should have been named a starter in some sort of secret balloted, fan gimme gimme, he’s gonna dunk on your whole family for all to see, type joint. (Whatcha gonna do Black Ice?) Griffin, who reminds me of The Thing, is absolutely super strato but I have to agree with what Chuck said last night that he’s not a rookie. Anyone who has the op to lift weights in a professional sports facility for a year and sit on an NBA bench for a year would be a fool to not soak up everything soul rock and still be on the clock. Ok, ok…to the voting…Fans got most of these right but of course Yao Ming’s NBA ghost continues to chew up votes in an alarming  but somehow almost extinct rate. Voting breakdown and Tracy Morgan’s TNT moment not so good close the piece.

Presented by AutoTrader.com

The 2011 NBA All-Star Starters were announced exclusively on TNT

Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith live from Madison Square Garden in New York

Matt Winer, Kevin McHale and Chris Webber from Studio J in Atlanta

NBA All-Star Eastern Conference Starters

Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat

Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls

Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic

LeBron James, Miami Heat

Amar’e Stoudemire, New York Knicks

Barkley on Bulls guard Derrick Rose: “The best point guard in the NBA and the MVP favorite right now.”

Barkley on whether the fans selected the right five NBA All-Star Eastern Conference starters: “They got it 100% right. Derrick Rose has been the MVP for the first half of the season, and Amar’e Stoudemire is in the conversation. The fans got it right. You know I hate the fans voting, but they got it right.”

Smith on the Eastern Conference starters: “I would agree. The five guys you have here have played the best consistently. Not only played the best, but they have dominated in so many different areas. He says Derrick Rose is the leading candidate (for MVP), but I would say you can make a mark for any of those five guys that they are the leading vote getters in the conference for MVP.”

Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire on being selected an Eastern Conference All-Star starter: “It’s a great accomplishment and I think the most important fact is that the fans really appreciate it more so than anyone because they see the success that we’re having, they see the team’s success. The most important factor of being announced an All-Star starter is that it wouldn’t be possible if you’re team is not successful. If you’re team is not successful then it wouldn’t happen, so it’s also a team award.”

Smith on the revival that the New York Knicks have had on the fans who attend the games: “You go from umpteen years of not making the playoffs and this building (Madison Square Garden) being a full house that felt deserted. It would sell out, people would be excited until about the second quarter. Then it’s a fashion show, it’s a music concert, whatever else is going on in here. Right now, the concentration is on the basketball court. These 94 feet now have the attention of the 20,000 that come every night.”

NBA All-Star Western Conference Starters

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets

Yao Ming, Houston Rockets

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets

Barkley on Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony not deserving to be an All-Star starter: “The best offensive player in the NBA is Carmelo Anthony. I’ve got to tell you something, Carmelo Anthony is a better player than some of those guys (in the West), but I don’t think he deserves to start in the All-Star Game. Kevin Love or Blake Griffin deserve to start. If both of those guys don’t make the All-Star team, that’s a travesty. Carmelo Anthony is a better player, but I think on the court performance this year…Kevin Love deserves it.”

Projected Western Conference Reserves

Matt Winer:

Manu Ginobili

Deron Williams

Russell Westbrook

Blake Griffin

Dirk Nowitzki

Pau Gasol

Tim Duncan

Lamar Odom

Kevin McHale:

Manu Ginobili

Deron Williams

Russell Westbrook

Blake Griffin

Dirk Nowitzki

Pau Gasol

Tim Duncan

Kevin Love

Chris Webber:

Manu Ginobili

Deron Williams

Russell Westbrook

Blake Griffin

Dirk Nowitzki

Pau Gasol

Kevin Love

Tony Parker

Ernie Johnson:

Manu Ginobili

Deron Williams

Blake Griffin

Dirk Nowitzki

Tim Duncan

Russell Westbrook

Pau Gasol

Kevin Love

Kenny Smith:

Manu Ginobili

Deron Williams

Blake Griffin

Dirk Nowitzki

Tim Duncan

Russell Westbrook

Pau Gasol

Tony Parker

Charles Barkley:

Manu Ginobili

Deron Williams

Blake Griffin

Dirk Nowitzki

LeMarcus Aldridge

Monte Ellis

Tony Parker

Kevin Love

Projected Eastern Conference Reserves

Matt Winer:

Rajon Rondo

Paul Pierce

Al Horford

Kevin Garnett

Ray Allen

Joe Johnson

“Joakim Boozer”

Kevin McHale:

Rajon Rondo

Paul Pierce

Al Horford

Kevin Garnett

Ray Allen

Joe Johnson

Chris Bosh

Chris Webber:

Rajon Rondo

Paul Pierce

Al Horford

Raymond Felton

Chris Bosh

Ernie Johnson:

Ray Allen

Rajon Rondo

Paul Pierce

Kevin Garnett

Al Horford

Chris Bosh

Raymond Felton

Kenny Smith:

Ray Allen

Rajon Rondo

Paul Pierce

Kevin Garnett

Al Horford

Chris Bosh

Joe Johnson

Charles Barkley:

Ray Allen

Rajon Rondo

Paul Pierce

Kevin Garnett

Al Horford

Raymond Felton

Joe Johnson

Webber on only selecting five Eastern Conference reserves: “I usually love a good argument with my guys Chuck, Kenny and EJ, but I don’t even want to argue. This is mine, you can take it.”

Barkley on the NBA All-Star starters being a popularity contest: “It is a popularity contest and that sucks. Last year it was Aaron Brooks who had a fabulous season. It was his one time to make the All-Star team, he’s not going to have many seasons like that. This isn’t a lifetime achievement award. The award should go to guys who are having the best first half of the season.”

Smith on players who impact games beyond their statistics: “A guy like Tim Duncan, the reason that some of these guys are able to play well on this team is because he’s there. I’ve been here 15 years. Whenever the stat sheet comes by I very rarely look at it because it doesn’t always say what’s going on in the game.”

Smith on the argument between adding Knicks guard Raymond Felton or Hawks guard Joe Johnson to the Eastern Conference reserves: “I think Raymond Felton probably has a better case than Joe Johnson, but Joe Johnson has been what he’s been. Raymond Felton probably has a better case to say, ‘I’m doing something I’ve never done before.’ But Joe Johnson is a tough cover. If you try to guard Joe Johnson you’re going to have a nightmare if you don’t get up on him and do the right thing.”

Barkley on agreeing with Webber on the East not having very many worthy All-Star reserves: “I 100% agree with you, C-Webb. I just put a couple of Celtics on (my list) because they had a better record.”

Barkley on why Bulls center-forward Kurt Thomas deserves an honorable mention: “Kurt Thomas of the Chicago Bulls (should get) an honorable mention. I don’t know Kurt Thomas well. At the Thomas house, Mrs. Thomas has a lot Ben-Gay around there. Kurt Thomas had no idea he was going to be playing that many minutes this season at his age.”

Voting Breakdown:

Forwards:	Forwards:
LeBron James  (Heat)  1,518,807 Amar’e Stoudemire  (Knicks)  1,143,391 Kevin Garnett  (Celtics)  1,049,544 Paul Pierce  (Celtics)  578,473 Chris Bosh  (Heat)  427,551 Carlos Boozer  (Bulls)  320,661 Josh Smith  (Hawks)  280,158 Danilo Gallinari  (Knicks)  259,619 Danny Granger  (Pacers)  201,653 Luol Deng  (Bulls)  191,312	Kevin Durant  (Thunder)  1,270,729 Carmelo Anthony  (Nuggets)  945,720 Pau Gasol  (Lakers)  851,456 Blake Griffin  (Clippers)  702,784 Tim Duncan  (Spurs)  663,487 Dirk Nowitzki  (Mavericks)  615,243 Lamar Odom  (Lakers)  364,950 Luis Scola  (Rockets)  347,986 Kevin Love  (T-Wolves)  301,529 Caron Butler  (Mavericks)  205,146
Guards:	Guards:
Dwyane Wade  (Heat)  1,499,768 Derrick Rose  (Bulls)  1,225,575 Rajon Rondo  (Celtics)  1,171,311 Ray Allen  (Celtics)  630,588 John Wall  (Wizards)  260,893 Brandon Jennings  (Bucks)  254,614 Raymond Felton  (Knicks)  246,208 Gilbert Arenas  (Magic)  240,586 Jamal Crawford  (Hawks)  163,971 Darren Collison  (Pacers)  156,230	Kobe Bryant  (Lakers)  1,757,216 Chris Paul  (Hornets)  949,049 Manu Ginobili  (Spurs)  593,718 Steve Nash  (Suns)  522,215 Deron Williams  (Jazz)  487,887 Russell Westbrook  (Thunder)  463,250 Tony Parker  (Spurs)  355,993 Jason Kidd  (Mavericks)  303,164 Vince Carter  (Suns)  277,430 Kevin Martin  (Rockets)  266,037
Centers:	Centers:
Dwight Howard  (Magic)  1,537,619 Shaquille O’Neal  (Celtics)  639,661 Joakim Noah  (Bulls)  291,107 Andrew Bogut  (Bucks)  245,253 Al Horford  (Hawks)  193,449 Roy Hibbert  (Pacers)  183,092 Andrea Bargnani  (Raptors)  162,364 Brook Lopez  (Nets)  125,022 JaVale McGee  (Wizards)  106,710 Ben Wallace  (Pistons)  79,017	Yao Ming  (Rockets)  928,928 Andrew Bynum  (Lakers)  660,576 Nene  (Nuggets)  389,263 Marc Gasol  (Grizzlies)  352,136 Emeka Okafor  (Hornets)  317,677 Brendan Haywood  (Mavericks)  276,777 Marcus Camby  (Trail Blazers)  201,133 Chris Kaman  (Clippers)  165,684 Andris Biedrins  (Warriors)  126,567 DeMarcus Cousins  (Kings)  110,230

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