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I don't think much of the all star game itself but who makes the roster is interesting. The Celtics have four all star candidates this year.

The East has a few obvious all stars and then a bunch of equally worthy candidates. Iverson making the team as an unworthy vote winner further muddies the water.

There will be some players left off who are just as good as the guys who make it regardless of who is selected.


Here's the question: Leaving players from other teams out for the moment, in what order would you rank the four Celtics in terms of deserving to make the squad?

1. ?
2. ?
3. ?
4. ?

I'd rather rest all the Celtics, but I do think all 3 of the big 3 are worthy of making it on the team. Rondo has had his ups and downs and I don't think he deserves a spot though.

1- KG
2- Ray
3- Pierce

For all-star teams, it seems based upon the quality ofd one's peers as much as th equality of one's own play. Hence if there are three point guards playing better than Rondo, he does not deserve to get an all-star slot. If there are not, he does. Are there three 3s, 2s and 1s in the east playing better than PP, RA and RR? That is the question. And it is complicated if undeserving players (e.g. AI) get voted into one fo the three slots.

I think Paul is in the top 3 in the east at small forward. You can make cases for Ray and Rajon to make the team, but they face more competition. I know on this board that will be seen as heresy, but some people actually would take, say, Iguodala over Ray Allen. Or Andre Miller over Rondo. Please don't flame me for saying that. I wouldn't. But some would. And there are others who are having similar seasons.

KG should make it w/o question. Period.

I can flip flop on who is deserving all day. In the end I think KG and Pierce will rep the celtics this year. Not to say I dont think Ray is deserving,but there is no way that we get three all stars when the Cavs and Magic are still ahead of us even if its by just a few % points. I really do wish the coaches picked the teams. Having AI and Yi(more then likely) at the all star game is laughable.

Kg, Pierce

Allen could make it regarding he is having better year and that he is probably the best 3pt shooter in the League

Rondo is close but I think Nelson of Orlando will be in

HOWARD/
GARNET/BOSH
LEBRON/PIERCE
AI/JOHNSON
WADE/HARRIS

Above 9 I think is a lock...all the others will be close

ALLEN, NELSON, PRINCE, GRANGER, CARTER, IGUODALA

Gant: You can't ignore the competition, especially the spot that Iverson will get that he clearly no longer deserves.

Also, the East Coach (Mike Brown or Stan Van Gundy) will lobby for one or two players,
in Stan's case probably Rashard Lewis.

Moving on: This is the order I would rank players by position.
Where there are only 2, I don't expect the coaches to go deeper than that.
First I'll rank them, at the end I'll cull the list to just 12 players.


C: Dwight Howard / Zydrunas Illgauskas
PF: Kevin Garnett / Chris Bosh
SF: LeBron James / Danny Granger / Paul Pierce
SG: Dwayne Wade / Ray Allen / Joe Johnson
PG: Allen Iverson / Rajon Rondo / Jameer Nelson / Mike Bibby / Devin Harris

Now, Granger is a serious, and quite possibly likely, threat to upset Pierce at SF.
Joe Johnson will likely have more support than Ray, but a 5th wing would force
a choice between Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.
Based on play to date I think the coaches would vote for Ray Allen.

Now, with Iverson wasting a spot,
that leaves two more for point guards.

Devin Harris gets destroyed everytime by Rondo,
going back to last season,
but the coaches will look at Devin Harris' statistics on a crappy team
and give Harris a spot.
Jameer Nelson is arguably the second best player on Orlando,
especially the last two months, and could easily rate a spot over Rondo.

Again, if no one sits out for injury, Rondo and Pierce could be squeezed.

My prediction is:

Center: Dwight Howard / Zydrunas Illgauskas
PF: Kevin Garnett / Chris Bosh
SF: LeBron James / Danny Granger
SG: Dwayne Wade / Joe Johnson / Ray Allen
PG: Allen Iverson / Devin Harris / Jameer Nelson

I personally think that Rajon Rondo should go as a point guard,
but my prediction is that the coaches will take
Harris from the Nets and Nelson from Orlando.

I wasn't really asking who people thought would literally make the all star team. I was just curious as to who people here think has contributed the most to the team over the first half of the season.

All four guys look fairly even to me though I'd put Garnett on top.

This is like a modern day Sophie's Choice

Jammer wrote:Gant: You can't ignore the competition, especially the spot that Iverson will get that he clearly no longer deserves.

Also, the East Coach (Mike Brown or Stan Van Gundy) will lobby for one or two players,
in Stan's case probably Rashard Lewis.

Moving on: This is the order I would rank players by position.
Where there are only 2, I don't expect the coaches to go deeper than that.
First I'll rank them, at the end I'll cull the list to just 12 players.


C: Dwight Howard / Zydrunas Illgauskas
PF: Kevin Garnett / Chris Bosh
SF: LeBron James / Danny Granger / Paul Pierce
SG: Dwayne Wade / Ray Allen / Joe Johnson
PG: Allen Iverson / Rajon Rondo / Jameer Nelson / Mike Bibby / Devin Harris

Now, Granger is a serious, and quite possibly likely, threat to upset Pierce at SF.
Joe Johnson will likely have more support than Ray, but a 5th wing would force
a choice between Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.
Based on play to date I think the coaches would vote for Ray Allen.

Now, with Iverson wasting a spot,
that leaves two more for point guards.

Devin Harris gets destroyed everytime by Rondo,
going back to last season,
but the coaches will look at Devin Harris' statistics on a crappy team
and give Harris a spot.
Jameer Nelson is arguably the second best player on Orlando,
especially the last two months, and could easily rate a spot over Rondo.

Again, if no one sits out for injury, Rondo and Pierce could be squeezed.

My prediction is:

Center: Dwight Howard / Zydrunas Illgauskas
PF: Kevin Garnett / Chris Bosh
SF: LeBron James / Danny Granger
SG: Dwayne Wade / Joe Johnson / Ray Allen
PG: Allen Iverson / Devin Harris / Jameer Nelson

I personally think that Rajon Rondo should go as a point guard,
but my prediction is that the coaches will take
Harris from the Nets and Nelson from Orlando.

At this guys logic.

Ray has played better than Pierce? So why does Pierce have better numbers across the board? You really think the coaches are gonna leave out the Finals MVP/ guy that makes everything go for the Celtics?

If voting holds up then this is what the East AS should look like.

Iverson/Harris/Nelson
Wade/Johnson
LeBron?Granger/Pierce
Garnett/Bosh
Howard/???

magic fan here, and from years past it seems like if you're on a winning team, you get the nod over someone with better numbers on a worse team (e.g rasheed wallace a couple years back)

this years eastern all stars should look like this:

c-howard/bosh (moved him to c because there isnt anyone else and he played it last year like that)
pf-kg/lewis
sf-lebron/pierce
sg-wade/allen/johnson
pg-iverson/nelson/harris

thats if we are number 1 or 2 (behind boston) and svg picks the replacement to say, big z from cleveland. i think he would go with rashard in which case he'd move bosh to c. granger deserves it based on numbers, but his team is bad. NJ doesnt deserve 2 all stars, like some people seem to think. detroit has 1 in AI who doesnt deserve to be there. you guys have 2 locks in PP and KG and i think allen will make it because he is such a big part of your success (much like lewis or nelson with us). a hawk has to make it and its gonna be their leader in johnson. lebron and wade are both locks.

now things change if yi got the fans vote in which case someone will be screwed, probably rashard.

in case you guys might be interested my west looks like this:

pg-kobe/paul/williams
sg-mcgrady/roy
sf-nowitzki/anthony
pf-duncan/amar'e/gasol
c-yao/o'neal

even though CB7 from den deserves a spot, t-mac screws him over via fans vote

To whoever said Granger will upset Pierce on a coaches vote is way off.
There is no way Pierce, Finals MVP, will be left off. Joe Johnson will be off before Pierce

Gant wrote:I don't think much of the all star game itself but who makes the roster is interesting. The Celtics have four all star candidates this year.

The East has a few obvious all stars and then a bunch of equally worthy candidates. Iverson making the team as an unworthy vote winner further muddies the water.

There will be some players left off who are just as good as the guys who make it regardless of who is selected.

Here's the question: Leaving players from other teams out for the moment, in what order would you rank the four Celtics in terms of deserving to make the squad?

1. ?
2. ?
3. ?
4. ?

3. Rondo is not an allstar. On his best day, he plays like he could be one, but he's way too inconsistent to be one.

m1kenoff wrote:To whoever said Granger will upset Pierce on a coaches vote is way off.
There is no way Pierce, Finals MVP, will be left off. Joe Johnson will be off before Pierce

I don't think either is going to be left off. Joe Johnson is the reason the Hawks are one of the better teams in the East and Pierce just won the finals MVP and has his team on the top of the standings. I think the East allstar team should be something like this...

G - AI, D-Wade, Harris, Joe Johnson, Ray (5)
F - Lebron, KG, Pierce, Granger, Rashard Lewis (5)
C - D-Howard, Bosh (2)

I don't think Mo Williams deserves to be an allstar, but I can see them putting him on to have 2 from the Cavs. I see no spot for Rondo to squeeze in at all. And I don't think he deserves a spot.

KG, Pierce & Ray Allen will be all-stars. No for Rondo.

Bosh seems to be more of a Forward then a Center to me...

Is there a center besides Dwight who should go though? That's usually the reason for the Sheeds and Boshs going as centers.

That is true... but i just find Bosh isn't physical enough to play center, but that just really shows how weak the east is at the center position other than Dwight.

They don't really care about position so if they can shove KG or Bosh as a 5 they will. I think that Granger is in trouble because his team blows, Harris is in the same boat. I think that Mo Williams and Jameer Nelson are just as deserving and their teams are great.

I would be surprised if the big 3 don't all go, I don't think Rondo deserves it yet.