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They've put out who is on the all-star ballot for each team. I never realized how these get compiled.

The 120 players on the ballot were selected by a panel of media who regularly cover the NBA: Bill Simmons (Grantland), Sekou Smith (NBA.com), Doug Smith (Toronto Star/PBWA), and Ian Thomsen (Sports Illustrated).

I'm not sure if that constitutes the full list of participants in the panel or just a well-known handful? Simmons seems to really like this Pacer team or perhaps no one knows what to make of us without a certified star but we have the most choices. Six Pacers are on the ballot, the starters plus Hansbrough. No other team has 6. Six teams have 5 choices and the rest are 3 or 4. It doesn't mean much but it's interesting.

I only briefly looked at this list, but the most silly one I see so far is Joel Anthony. Why not just put Wade, James and Bosh on the ballot and be done with it?

Scratch that...Portland has 6 guys on the ballot too, but for whatever reason they didn't put a "(6)" next to it.

Haslem or Norris Cole (as a darling type vote) would have made A LOT more sense than Joel Anthony for the Heat.

The Pacers have 3 guys I think COULD go, but only 1 who will (Hibbert).

Think Hibbert, West, and Danny all got good shots. + PG should be in the rook/soph game and hopefully dunk contest.

The biggest problem for any Pacers making the All-Star team is competition.

Danny, to me, has little shot because, between popularity and production, he will have to overcome the likes of LeBron, Melo, Luol Deng, and Paul Pierce, depending on his injury status.

West I think has a decent shot, not so much because of any monster stats, obviously, but because the media seems to really be noticing what he has brought to the team, in addition to playing well. He, too, will have some stiff competition, having to compete with Amare, Bosh, and Josh Smith.

Roy may be deserving but again - competition. As long as Dwight Howard is in the East, you can reserve a spot for him in the starting lineup, as long as he is healthy. Unless Joakim Noah turns it around, Roy trumps him. But, my guess is, off the top of my head, the 2nd/final center spot will come down to Roy and Al Horford.

Val Holliday wrote:Think Hibbert, West, and Danny all got good shots. + PG should be in the rook/soph game and hopefully dunk contest.

Only Hibbert has a good chance imo. Granger isn't very good and West is stinking it up.

Hibbert! next year we'll have Hibbert, Granger, and George.

Well, I've been saying how this year's backup center spot will come down to Roy or Al Horford, unless Joakim Noah really turns it on in a hurry.

And despite the fact that Noah is second in all-star voting in the East behind Dwight Howard (which is ridiculous considering Roy is averaging 7 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.5 blocks better per game), Al Horford will miss the All-Star game with that torn pec. Fortunately for Roy, the bench slots are determined by the coaching staff, so Roy very may well now get an All-Star nod.

I'm sure Horford going down with injury isn't the way we or he would want to vastly improve his chances, but still...the Pacers now very may well have an All-Star this year.