2011 All-Star Starters Announced

[Andrew]

East here, West here, full roster listings here (reserves are obviously yet to be announced).

EAST

C: Dwight Howard
F: Amar'e Stoudemire
F: LeBron James
G: Dwyane Wade
G: Derrick Rose

WEST

C: Yao Ming (will be replaced)
F: Carmelo Anthony
F: Kevin Durant
G: Kobe Bryant
G: Chris Paul

Needless to say, I'm glad to see Rose get the nod. Presumably Duncan or Gasol will end up replacing Yao at centre.

[Patr1ck]

Yao. Who is going to take his spot? Nene?

[Andrew]

Probably Duncan or Gasol, the league doesn't have to pick one of the other centres from the ballot to replace him.

[Doobie]

Glad to see Stoudemire and Rose get the start's.. Both teams are perfect (outside of Yao on the west, but that will be fixed.)

[Fresh8]

Probably Duncan or Gasol, the league doesn't have to pick one of the other centres from the ballot to replace him.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Commissioner Andrew Bynum. Possible but not probable.

[JaoSming]

...of course Yao was chosen.....were there any campaigns to get a scrub into the ASG this year?

[Lamrock]

Yeah, the Bulls and Knicks fans on RealGM teamed up to get Rose in the game.

[NovU]

Lol, Lamrock.

Other than Rose being chosen, Melo probably bothers you, I assume.

[Andrew]

I wouldn't be surprised if the Commissioner Andrew Bynum. Possible but not probable.

I'd say highly improbable at best. I'm guessing it'll be Gasol.

[Fresh8]

I wouldn't be surprised if the Commissioner Andrew Bynum. Possible but not probable.

I'd say highly improbable at best. I'm guessing it'll be Gasol.

If you look at the fact that Gasol/Duncan appeared on the ballot at Forward and not Center, that Bynum had the second most votes out of Western Conference centers, and that the game is in LA - anything is possible.

However, if you look at the numbers, the fact he's missed like 20+ games... then yes, it's highly improbable.

EDIT: Not saying he deserves it though. I agree with Jax that the honor should go to Tyson Chandler. And as a Laker fan, I'd rather see Odom in the All-Star team - which I know won't happen.

[Andrew]

They don't have a choose a centre though. Quite often they'll go with someone like Gasol or Duncan who might not make the cut due to the votes being divided amongst all the talent at forward, but can certainly play centre. If they want to replace Yao with a Laker, then Gasol will certainly suffice.

[Dan's Brain]

Great to see Rose in there. Much, much deserved and a terrific way to finish the first half of a fantastic season.

[rayallen20]

Rondo and Garnett were so close man....damn!

[kibaxx7]

Rondo and Garnett were so close man....damn!

I'm sure Rondo will get picked by the coaches.

Hopefully Mr. Fundamental can get Yao's spot...

[Cleveland wins]

:lol: Yao. Who is going to take his spot? Nene?

I'd say these three centers are most likelly to take Yao's place, Andrew Bynum, Tyson Chandler(Who better make the allstar team in some form, as a starter or a reserve) or Emeka Okafor. I don't really think there are any other centers in the west who deserves to be in the allstar game more than those three centers.

[rise]

If people have any sense, they'd pick Chandler. Nene's deserving too.

[jenroe962002]

Duncan Should replace Yao

[Andrew]

They don't need to pick a centre to replace Yao and with forwards such as Gasol and Duncan available, they likely won't.

[rayallen20]

4 celtics in the east bench! Rondo,Pierce,Allen,Garnett : All deserving!

[deihatein]

Duncan should take the starting spot, heck it should have been him instead of Carmelo Anthony.

[benji]

They don't need to pick a centre to replace Yao and with forwards such as Gasol and Duncan available, they likely won't.

I think Andrew needs some backup here against people who apparently have no clue how any of this works.

Yao is on the team, the coaches votes are in, we don't know what they will be yet, but it's done. Stern knows, and Stern gets to pick. And Stern, being Stern is not limited by the rules. He will bump Gasol, or possibly Duncan, up into the starters and then pick who he wants to fill the last slot. If Blake Griffin was not picked by the coaches I'd put money on Stern picking him.

Last year, Kobe was not going to play, so who did Stern replace him with?

Dirk Nowitzki. Then named Kidd as Kobe's replacement on the bench. Stern don't give a shit about your silly positions.

Nobody sane is going to pick a "center" from the West just because especially when you could name what, five point guards to the team. I wouldn't be shocked if the coaches vote Gasol in as a center so they can also get Duncan in there (vice versa works) and Stern goes with a guard as the replacement.

The only way Bynum, Chandler or Okafor makes the team is:
A. The coaches failed at voting again. (MOST LIKELY OPTION. SEE MY PAST RESEARCH FOR MORE.)
B. Stern failed by thinking people want centers in all-star games instead of people who can handle the ball. (Pro-Tip: Marbury and Iverson, neither of whom are "real" point guards defeated an ungodly stacked West team with Mutombo in the middle on defense only in the best All-Star Game ever. Jeffx is basically the only person left on this forum who cannot say that was not the best All-Star Game of their life. Sorry, the Jordan overtime was too contrived and did not have a 24 point comeback in the fourth by a team that should never have won systematically destroying of the greatest teams of all time. And doing it with actual visible passion instead of "when is this over so we can bang more chicks!")

[Mandich]

Duncan will get Yao's spot

[Cleveland wins]

Thats true, they could pick Pau Casol to play center but i think if Duncan does make it, he'll be reserve. And yes all of those celtics deserve to be in the allstar game. Hopefully Rose can heal from his stomach ulcers and be ready for the game.

[Andrew]

Hopefully Rose can heal from his stomach ulcers and be ready for the game.

They haven't kept him out of action as yet.

[shadowgrin]

(Pro-Tip: Marbury and Iverson, neither of whom are "real" point guards defeated an ungodly stacked West team with Mutombo in the middle on defense only in the best All-Star Game ever.

AI and Marbury in the court playing like they really like each other (they don't) and Larry Brown doing some serious coaching in the ASG (coaches don't, they only handle minutes for the players in the ASG). [/joy]
Number two in my list would be that ASG where Jordan got a triple double and Glen Rice went bonkers for the East.