Fans come to Kobe's defense, argue All-Star criteria

	In shooting 38 percent from the 3-point line, Rasheed Wallace is making a good case for his first All-Star appearance since 2001. Gregory Shamus/NBAE via Getty Images
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Who says the NBA season doesn't really begin until after the Super Bowl? From Antonio Davis' venture into the stands and Kobe Bryant's 81-point explosion to Ron Artest's trade to Sacramento and the Pistons' march toward 70 wins, January certainly had its share of interesting developments in David Stern's league. Not surprisingly, the mailbag was bursting at the seams.

But before touching on those hot button issues, let's start with a topic that always generates fire and brimstone from hoop fans: the All-Star Game. The starters for the Feb. 19 midseason showcase in Houston will be announced Thursday night on TNT (7 p.m. ET) prior to the Cavs-Heat game. Right now it appears as if the honorees in the East will be Allen Iverson and Dwyane Wade at guards, LeBron James and Jermaine O'Neal at forward, and Shaquille O'Neal at center. In the West it looks like the guards will be Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant, the forwards will be Tracy McGrady and Tim Duncan, and the center will be Yao Ming.

Judging from the responses to my recent column on the All-Star fan voting, there won't be too much controversy over this year's selections. Obviously, one could make a case (as I did) for Ben Wallace and Chauncey Billups in the East, and the frontcourt trio of Dirk Nowitzki/Kevin Garnett/Marcus Camby in the West, but it's not like all of those guys won't be added to the reserve team later. Meanwhile, Jermaine O'Neal will not play because of his groin injury. That means Stern will get to select a replacement, possibly Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace.

While 'Sheed has never been in good graces with the league office, he deserves the honor as much as anybody. He is a major part of the league's best team, a 6-foot-11 low-post force who also happens to be shooting 39.5 percent from 3-point range. He's also the best defender on Duncan I've seen in years. To top it off, he's the third-leading vote-getter in the East at forward, so it's a natural step up.

As for the age-old debate about whether fans should vote for the best -- or most entertaining -- players in the All-Star Game, reaction was split roughly down the middle.

"I like the idea of using substance to pick the guys and use style as a tie-break when things are close," wrote Ben Rigby of Johnsburg, Ill. "This game is more about entertainment, as you said."

No, no, no, countered Dennis from Rosamond, Calif., who likes to see his All-Star Game kept pure. "It's the same in baseball. The players that deserve to start the game get left out because a 'superstar' having the worst season of his career is a fan favorite," he wrote. "I understand it's the fans game, but if they want to see a true all-star game, let the players and managers decide!"