This is going to be sort of an NBA round-about column. So first things first, anyone catch Lebron last night against Portland?

 Where’s The Love?

I don’t think this is even a discussion at this point, but LeBron is better than Kobe, he’s better than Nash, he’s the best player in the league. And he should win MVP. I just said the other day that Nash is STILL the MVP, but he and Lebron are running neck-and-neck. Who means more to their teams? I could go either way, but right now I’m leaning towards Lebron. But people still seem to think KG will win MVP and that Kobe is a better player. Well those people are wrong.


 K-Ci’s obviously tellin this lady what he wants to nickname Dwight Howard

Next to the All-Star picks, we already know who’s going to be the starters (Kobe, AI, Melo, Duncan, & Yao out west, with J-Kidd, Wade, LeBron, KG, and Dwight Howard, who NEEDS a nickname like Jodeci needs rehab, out east). The only one of these i have a problem with is Kidd. He is not an all-star. Chauncey Billups has been the best point in the East by far. It’s not even close. Kidd’s points and defense is down. And his team stinks. He does not deserve to be an all-star, but more on him later. After that, you could argue Wade or the two Nuggets. But basically, all of them fit a starting role. Iverson is really a combo guard on the Nuggets. So I have no real argument with him being the starting point, since he’d probably make the team anyway. Even though Nash and CP3 deserve it more. But they’ll make the team anyway. As for ‘Melo, you could put Dirk here. But while ‘Melo’s season isn’t as impressive as last year, Dirk is drastically worse than last year. It’d be arguable which Mav I’d even put on this team between Dirk and Josh Howard. They’d both be borderline picks. And Melo is the best SF in the West. Period. And Wade? Yeah, his team stinks. But is he the best SG in the East? Yes. Is he a big fan-favorite? Check. So yes he deserves to be there.

We will run on the assumption that Dirk, Amare, Nash, Ginobili and CP3 are sure shots in the West, and that Billups, Tough Juice, CB4, and Paul Pierce are sure things in the East. That leaves two open spots in the West, and three in the East. The West probably gets one more forward and one “wildcard.” The East gets one more guard and two “wildcards.” Carlos Boozer probably gets the West Forward spot, though I would go with David West.


 The new “In” NBA Analysis: David West is underrated

Yes Boozer has a higher PER than West, but West plays on a better team, and West absolutely demolishes him in +/- (10.5-0.9). That tells me that West plays incredibly better on the defensive end. And, by the looks of things, New Orleans is going to only get CP3 in the game. When’s the last time the team with the best record in a conference only got one all-star? Actually…don’t answer that. But West is getting snubbed. Especially considering, with all the conference’s guard depth, that the final “wildcard” spot will be a guard.

So who gets that final spot? It probably comes down to four guards (Baron Davis, Tony Parker, Brandon Roy, and Deron Williams) and two forwards (Shawn Marion and Howard). I was going to favor Marion over West, but the Suns are going to get 2 all-stars already, and the Hornets have a better record. Plus it’d be nice to see a perennially overlooked player (West) make the team. As far as the “wildcard”, Davis probably gets it and deserves it, but Parker, Roy or Marion might get it over him. If so it’d be a tragedy. Baron is easily the best player of the four. And has had such a sensational year. He deserves his recognition. Although it is required as a Kings fan, that I mention that Kevin Martin has a better PER than any of the four of them.

 “Andray, I have no time to hold your hand now. I Must Scoooooore!” (In Spanish)

In the East, one spot goes to the perennial “second Piston” which will probably be Rip Hamilton, though I would argue that Rasheed Wallace deserves it more. And he definitely deserves it over any of the other Centers in the East. Forreal, who is gonna pose as the East’s backup center? It was leaked this morning that Joe Johnson gets the second spot. I’d say you probably have to have a Hawk in there, either him or Josh Smith. As for the third spot, I have no clue who gets it. It probably comes down to Jose Calderon, Antawn Jamison, Michael Redd, and Ray Allen. This is where that Kidd nod comes into play. Because I think this is a two-horse race between Calderon and Jamison. Obviously, if Kidd doesn’t go and Billups starts, Calderon is the backup PG, and Jamison is the “wildcard.” But for me, it’d come down to which team has the better record. Right now, by half a game, thats Calderon. Though i think the NBA, given a choice, would go with Jamison. Personally, I’d take Wallace over both of them. But the league seems to have an agenda against him. He deserves to be an all-star.

So to sum up the column, Lebron’s the best, West is gonna be snubbed, Baron should be the final West All-Star, the NBA hates Rasheed Wallace, Kidd shouldn’t have been an all-star, and Calderon’s gonna get snubbed. Nice!

-J

[Ed. Note: I was dead wrong about Baron and D. West.  D. West and Roy made it over Baron, which is a crime.  But I was dead on about what happened in the east.]