Ballot battle

An (early) voter's guide to this year's All-Star picks

By John Hollinger, SI.com

And I ran, I ran so far away... NBAE/Getty Images 5x5 Feat achieved twice in the past week by Utah's Andrei Kirilenko -- having at least five blocks, five steals, five rebounds, five assists and five points in a game. It had been accomplished only four times in the previous 10 years.     "There are only two things wrong with that guy. He can't play. And he can't be coached. That's a bad combination." -- Bulls guard Rick Brunson, on his former Raptor teammate and current fellow Bull Chris Jefferies.

In yet another effort to put hype before substance, the NBA releases All-Star ballots comically early in the season -- well before any reasonable voter can hope to have determined who the most deserving candidates are.

Thus, look for one or two guys whose fame exceeds their production to take the floor in Los Angeles' Staples Center this February. Houston's Steve Francis, for instance, could end up starting for the West despite his career-low numbers in every significant category.

But for the conscientious voter, there's still the lingering question of who actually deserves to be there. With more than a quarter of the season in the books, it's no longer outlandishly early to start suggesting how fans fill out their ballots.

Thus, I will share how I am filling out mine, and add in the other seven players from each conference that should make it as reserves if the teams were picked today.

I'll save the best for last, which is a nice way of saying I'm starting with the East:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Center: Ben Wallace, Pistons (9.3 ppg, 12.4 rpg, 3.2 bpg)
He's the pick only because I went with guys who actually are listed on the ballot -- Jermaine O'Neal has been the best center in the East, but he's on the ballot at power forward. Big Ben isn't playing as well as he had the past two years -- he's shooting more (a bad scene) and rebounding less. He also isn't even playing center this season. But look at the other bozos on the ballot and it's clear he's still the best player, by a nose over Zydrunas Ilgauskas of Cleveland.

Power Forward: Jermaine O'Neal, Pacers (20.2 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 2.8 bpg)
Should be the starting center but was put on the ballot at power forward. As if the 20 and 10 a night wouldn't get him the vote already in a conference that's largely devoid of big guys, O'Neal is also a beast defensively. At some point, the league is going to realize how much he impacts the game at that end and put him on the All-Defense team.

Small Forward: Ron Artest, Pacers (18.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.7 apg)
Wins by a nose over Vince Carter, mainly because he's stopped behaving like he's in a prison league. Artest is an outstanding defensive player who has combined with O'Neal to make the Pacers a dominant team on that end of the floor. Offensively, he hasn't been dominant in any one area, but can score from anywhere on the floor and is improving as a passer.

Shooting Guard: Michael Redd, Bucks (22.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 83.3 FT%)
A lot of people will be screaming bloody murder that I'm picking him ahead of Allen Iverson, but look at the evidence: Redd has been healthier, he's shooting 45 points higher, he's about the best rebounding guard in the league, he never turns the ball over, and he's done it with arguably even less talent around him than Iverson.

Point Guard: Baron Davis, Hornets (23.8 ppg, 8.6 apg, 2.8 spg)
With Jason Kidd not playing up to last year's level, this is an easy call. Davis' shooting mark isn't great, either (38.8), but nearly half of his attempts have been 3-pointers. Meanwhile, his defense has been ridiculous. Not only is he averaging nearly three steals a game, he's shutting down his man while doing it, and has singlehandedly made the Hornets a surprise contender in the East.

Reserve: Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Hawks (20.5 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 51.5 FG%)
Sure, his team stinks, but with 0.3 more boards a game, Abdur-Rahim will average 20 and 10 with 50 percent shooting. In the past four seasons, only three players have done that -- Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett.

Reserve: Allen Iverson, 76ers (28.9 ppg, 6.1 apg, 2.9 spg)
The Answer has been much more attuned to his teammates than in the past, parceling out six dimes a game for the least-bad team in the Atlantic (they can call themselves a first-place team just as soon as they get above .500).

Reserve: Kenyon Martin, Nets (17.7 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 50% FG)
Scoring far more consistently than he used to, Martin is playing like a guy who might even deserve the max contract extension for which he's clamoring.

Reserve: Paul Pierce, Celtics (24.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 5.5 apg)
He fired up one brick after another early in the season -- apparently he was trying to fill Antoine Walker's role -- but has been on fire the past month, and he has help on the way in Ricky Davis.

Reserve: Vince Carter, Raptors (23.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 4.9 apg)
After a two-year hiatus, Air Canada is finally back on track. If he stays upright all year, the Raptors are headed back to the playoffs.

Reserve: Tracy McGrady, Magic (24.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 5.4 apg)
He's a controversial pick because his team has been so awful, but in spite of his less-than-enthusiastic defense McGrady still has been one of the East's more valuable performers.

Reserve: Jason Kidd, Nets (15.8 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 6.4 apg)
He's not playing at the level he did a year ago, but Kidd's passing and passion still more than make up for his wayward shooting stroke (37 percent).

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Center: Shaquille O'Neal, Lakers (20.3 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 54.8 FG%)
His scoring average is down and he's not a home-run MVP candidate anymore, but Shaq is still the unquestioned centerpiece of the best team in the league, and the first thing that every opposing coach thinks about in their game plan.

Power Forward: Tim Duncan, Spurs (21.8 ppg, 12.9 rpg, 50.7 FG%)
Boring. Monotonous. Robotic. A cardboard cut-out. Whatever. He's still the best player in basketball. Here's how consistent Duncan is: He's had double-figure rebounds in every game except one -- and he left that game after seven minutes with an ankle sprain.

Small Forward: Kevin Garnett, Timberwolves (23.8 ppg, 14.3 rpg, 4.6 apg)
As per usual, Garnett's carrying the team at both ends and single-handedly guiding it toward a first-round loss in the Western Conference playoffs -- most notably in a 33-point, 25-rebound effort against Sacramento when he made two last-second 3-pointers to tie a game that the T'wolves won in OT.

Shooting Guard: Kobe Bryant, Lakers (22.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 4.2 apg)
The similarities between Bryant's career and McGrady's are becoming eerie; the only difference is that McGrady's season ends about two months earlier. Much like McGrady, his play hasn't been within a mile of what he did a year ago, but still good enough to merit his inclusion on the squad.

Point Guard: Mike Bibby, Kings (17.3 ppg, 5.9 apg, 46.6 FG%)
It's not a great year for point guards in the West -- Francis can't find the basket and Stephon Marbury is off last year's pace as well. Thus, Bibby's sweet shooting and turnover-free direction of the Kings' ridiculously efficient offense merits the honor.

Reserve: Andrei Kirilenko, Jazz (15.6 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.6 bpg)
This is the biggest reason the Jazz are shocking the masses. Kirilenko ranks in the top five in blocks and steals, which hasn't been done since David Robinson in 1991-92. The only bad news is that A Flock of Seagulls called and demanded their hair back.

Reserve: Peja Stojakovic, Kings (23.4 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 50.9% FG)
Good heavens, this guy can shoot. He's nailing 41 of his 3-pointers, but the real scary part is that he's become far more effective taking guys off the dribble and then pulling up for his virtually unblockable jumper.

Reserve: Zach Randolph, Blazers (22.5 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 50.9% FG)
Rasheed Wallace isn't the go-to guy for the Blazers anymore, unless they're going to their dealer. Like Abdur-Rahim in the East, Randolph quietly is making a move toward membership in the prestigious 20-10-50 club.

Reserve: Yao Ming, Rockets (16.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 2.0 bpg)
Jeff Van Gundy decreed that Yao will get the ball, and in turn Yao has delivered. Houston's big man has also been the anchor of a typical stifling Van Gundy defense.

Reserve: Gary Payton, Lakers (14.1 ppg, 6.1 apg, 48.7 FG%)
While Kobe and Shaq have been uncharacteristically mortal thus far, Payton and Karl Malone have more than picked up the slack. Malone can't grab a spot in the West's loaded forward field, but Payton richly deserves the nod in the backcourt.

Reserve: Corey Maggette, Clippers (21.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3.2 apg)
The reason the Clippers were able to weather the storm while Elton Brand was out is because Maggette has quietly put together a fantastic season. He's finishing at the basket with his usual flair, but now he's also seemingly spending entire games at the free-throw line.

Reserve: Sam Cassell, T'wolves (19.0 ppg, 7.4 apg, 48.1 FG%)
Finally, let this be the year! Cassell is the best player never to play in an All-Star Game (not to mention the ugliest). With Steve Nash and Francis both having off years, the competition for guard spots in the West is pretty soft, so he may return the honor to Byron Scott.

• Bad karma department: Within hours of trading for Ricky Davis, who wore No. 31 in Cleveland, the Celtics retired the number. It was worn by 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell.

• Since being traded to the Raptors from Chicago, Donyell Marshall has made 23-of-43 from 3-point range, a 53 percent clip. His career mark is only 33 percent, so he has to cool off at some point ... doesn't he? Or did his 33 percent American mark convert to 53 percent Canadian?

My question is why I am reading so many experts discount James Worthy's election to the Hall of Fame? He was the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, Finals MVP, and won three Championships (not the Mitch Richmond variety, either). His numbers would have been even higher had he not been playing with other Hall of Fame players but his impact on the team cannot be underestimated. Worthy always elevated his game when it counted the most, in the post-season. I thought guys who played at high levels for 11 years who stepped up in the clutch and won championships were considered "great" and therefore SHOULD be in the HOF. Why should Worthy not get in? -- Gary Murphy, Roseburg, Oregon

Gary,

Worthy is used a lot in Hall of Fame comparisons because he, along with Robert Parish, is the most recent inductee.

And as far as comparisions, all I can say is that compared to Alonzo Mourning, Worthy doesn't compare. Let's face it, if Mourning had been the Lakers' third-best player instead of Worthy, they would have gone 75-7 and swept the Celtics in the Finals every year. That's why I think Mourning is more deserving of the honor -- not that Worthy isn't worthy, but the comparison with a current Hall of Famer demonstrates how deserving Mourning is.

Hi, Jay. I read your write-up on the Denver Nuggets the day after Utah thrashed New Jersey to also go to a 10-6 record. Admittedly, the Jazz have had a relatively soft schedule. However, given the "talent" they have, and the fact that they have already beaten the record many prognosticators foresaw for them, I think a few more lines of ink ought to be spilt on their behalf. Furthermore, how many wins do the Jazz need before Jerry Sloan finally gets some real recognition as one of the NBA's great coaches and consideration for Coach-of-the-Year? -- Eric Jewell, Kirksville, Mo.

Eric,

Thanks for the letter, but who's Jay?

As far as the Jazz, I couldn't agree more. I've already spilled a lot of link on  Kirilenko this week, and I've talked extensively about Matt Harpring and Carlos Arroyo in this space as well. Those three are the nucleus, but Raja Bell, DeShawn Stevenson and Greg Ostertag are all having career years. And when that many guys are playing that well, certainly the coach deserves a good chunk of the credit. Sloan is a mortal lock to win the award if the Jazz make the playoffs, and he might take it even if they don't.

With all those coaches being fired almost every month, why doesn't any team take a risk and hire one from Europe. Is the NBA afraid that it will be obvious that European coaches are better, or are they afraid that they will improve teams' defences and the league's scoring will be at an even lower level? -- Andrius Podzeckas, Lithuania

Andrius,

The NBA already has a European coach, in a way. New Suns coach Mike D'Antoni coached in Italy last year and has extensive experience on that side of the pond. Of course, Lithuanians also know that Mavs assistant Donn "don't call me Ddon" Nelson has played a major role in the national team's development.

But those aren't native Europeans, and I think we're still a long way away from one. A European coach needs to come here and learn the players and the systems before becoming a head coach, which means he'd need to be an assistant in the NBA for at least a year and probably longer. I can't imagine too many Euros who are making primo scratch over there suddenly playing second fiddle over here, especially if they don't have great English skills.

When do I think a European will coach? When a former NBA player decides to take the plunge. When a guy who comes here and decides to stay after his playing days -- like Detlef Schrempf did, for instance -- also decides he wants to get into coaching, then we'll have our first European coach. Maybe Vlade Divac will go in that direction.

John Hollinger covers basketball for SI.com and is the author of Pro Basketball Prospectus. Click here to send him a question or comment.