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I will say yes. Here's why:

Williams will be looking to score more and be more aggressive offensively with Boozer gone. He is now the unquestioned leader and best offensive player on this team. He understands being aggressive is the way to get his teammates open looks for easy buckets. I dont see his scoring and assists averages going down at all. If he can stay healthy and not hurt that wrist, I see him averaging 21 points/game. Add this to the fact I still think we are a playoff team in the West, and coaches consider winners heavily when voting for All-Star reserves.

Now the case for Deron's competition:

LA: Fisher and Blake aren't All-Star quality.

Dallas: Kidd is too old and said he's ok with a reduced role this year.

Phoenix: Im still waiting for Nash's age to catch up to him. Even if it doesn't this season, he lost his pick 'n roll buddy with Amare heading east. I also think the Suns may miss the playoffs.

Denver: Billups is great, and is certainly capable of having an All-Star year. But he didnt make it last season and I see Denver falling off significantly this year.

Portland: Andre Miller never got the respect he was due when he was younger, and he wont now that he's older unless Portland is a top 3 in the west and his stats are amazing.

Spurs: Parker always benefited greatly from playing w/ Manu and Tim. Now that they're older and the team is declining, Parker hasnt stepped up enough to even merit being the starter.

Oklahoma City: Westbrook is a stud, and could make it this year if he can score more. Still, even if he was a top 5 PG in his second year...he still plays in a small market and may not get recognized quite yet (sound familiar?)

Houston: Brooks has a great chance to make it, but both he and the Rockets need to improve from last season for him to be considered.

Memphis: Havent seen enough of Mayo to be objective....but he'd have to have unreal stats to make it as I dont see the Grizzlies being competitive in the West.

NO: Paul may be an All-Star starter if he can stay healthy and will his team to around the .500 mark.

LA Clips: I never got the love affair with Baron Davis. He's never been a winner and he quits on his teams. Will this be the season he quits on the Clippers?

Golden State: Monta Ellis is a higher scoring, less assisting version of Baron Davis. I dont see him getting voted in unless turnover per game becomes a favorable stat.

Sacramento: Tyreke Evans is my dark horse pick to have a great shot at the All-Star game. I think the Kings improved their team through the draft and with a little luck they may be in a spot to compete for the playoffs.

Minnesota: Of the seven PGs on the roster, only Flynn/Rubio have the talent to be All-Stars. But this team wont win, even against the Jazz as in years past now that we have Jefferson!


What do you guys think?

DWill is maybe the best point maybe second best behind Paul

Yes he will. I don't see anyone taking his spot from him. He's the best point guard in the league and deserves to go.

Yeah assuming everybody is healthy, I can see this happening..

Yao/Jefferson
Nowitzki/Gasol/Duncan
Anthony/Durant
Bryant/Roy
Paul/Williams/Nash

The only problem with the all star game is the starters are picked by a popularity contest. I mean last year Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson were voted in. I do think Williams makes it but as a coach choice.

I will vote for D-Will if the team performs better than Phoenix. Otherwise I'll still be voting for Nash.

Of course, none of us know what will happen. The Suns might have lost Amar'e but well, they still have Steve Nash. Pick and roll may unleash in another form. Who knows?

I would probably wait until we see how things turn out to assume anything. If he has a similar season to the last 4, he will no problem. If Big Al turns into a bust, he won't.

Ming Kong! wrote:Yeah assuming everybody is healthy, I can see this happening..

Yao/Jefferson
Nowitzki/Gasol/Duncan
Anthony/Durant
Bryant/Roy
Paul/Williams/Nash

That looks about right to me. But I do expect Durant to get the other forward starting spot this year.

I don't see why Williams wouldn't make it. He'll be asked to play a larger role now than before, and I think he poised to do it well. It will be another race between him, Paul, and Nash . . . I just hope he finally eclipses them. In the past, it has always been arguable who's dominant of the three, and I kinda expect someone to emerge this year.

How's Yao's rehab going?

Better to wait until the season begin.... it's difficult to know if anybody will be healthy, how the teams are doing (who is really important)

FJS wrote:Better to wait until the season begin.... it's difficult to know if anybody will be healthy, how the teams are doing (who is really important)

Nice job cropping Boozer out of your avatar

This is a no brainer. Deron is easily an All Star. We're talking about top 12 in the CONFERENCE here, and he is a two time 2nd team All-NBAer (top 10 in the *league*). Unless the team is really struggling, Deron will be a shoe in.

Deron will be in for a decade. The question is will Al be an all-star. I think Paul has a shot too if Al is a center the whole time.

Just visiting your board from Milwaukee, but IMO, Williams should have been an all-star pretty much every year he's been in the league. I think he's routinely underrated despite the fact that he's very well respected. He does things that no other PG in the league does, IMO. But a lot of his qualities aren't immediately apparent to the more casual fan. I think the heavy minutes he got, and the way he played in the olympics are a better compliment than is an all-star vote. Still he deserves it every year.

Since his second year he's been upstaged by big years from a Nash or Kidd having early season success. Deron would do awesome in the second half and then come the first half next year it's be all forgotten. From now on I think he has become an automatic guy, one who given equal performances gets the nod.

I'm really surprised the OP has to ask if D Will will be an All-Star....If he isnt an All-Star next year every Coach who votes for the reserves should have their vote revoked. The guy is 1a or 1b with CP3 he'll make it.

DelaneyRudd wrote:Since his second year he's been upstaged by big years from a Nash or Kidd having early season success. Deron would do awesome in the second half and then come the first half next year it's be all forgotten.

Which is why I think All-Star selections are a really stupid way of validating a player's status as one the league's best players.

1) The starters are voted on by fans, and fans are stupid (see last year's voting)
2) The selections are made roughly 35 games into an 82-game season.

In the 2007-2008 season, Deron Williams was All-NBA 2nd Team, which puts him (roughly speaking) in the top 4 guards in the league, yet he didn't make the All-Star squad. I really wish more sports writers would start referencing the number of All-NBA squads guys have made rather than the number of All-Star pageants they've appeared in.