| |
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| GUARD |
| Kobe Bryant SI CONSENSUS PICK |
| Los Angeles Lakers |
| 10 career All-Star appearances |
|
| PPG |
RPG |
APG |
FG% |
| 27.0 |
5.6 |
5.1 |
47.6 |
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Ian Thomsen:
Kobe Bryant. The reigning MVP is having a remarkably quiet, dissent-free year. How can a guy average 27 points (with the best shooting percentage of his career) and appear to be pacing himself for the playoffs? He's struck a healthy rhythm with his teammates, which is too bad for everyone else.
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Jack McCallum:
Kobe Bryant. He goes off on shoot-first tangents once in a while -- that's just Kobe being Kobe -- but he seems to realize that he is the linchpin of the league's deepest team. His willingness to make teammates like Pau Gasol and Trevor Ariza better makes the Lakers better.
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Chris Mannix:
Kobe Bryant. How tough is Bryant? After dislocating the ring finger on his right hand against Cleveland, he is now playing with two mangled fingers on his shooting hand. Not just playing, either. Dominating. Bryant may not win a second straight MVP award, but he is still the most skilled player in the NBA.
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Steve Aschburner:
Kobe Bryant. Time flies: Bryant has been in the league as long as Michael Jordan was (13 seasons). And who can forget the 1998 All-Star Game in New York, where the precocious Bryant waved a cranky Karl Malone off a pick-and-roll to go at Jordan one-on-one.
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Paul Forrester:
Kobe Bryant. After a slow start by his standards, the Kobe we all know has gradually made his return, increasing his scoring average each month this season.
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| GUARD |
| Chris Paul
| | New Orleans Hornets |
| 1 All-Star appearance |
|
| PPG |
RPG |
APG |
SPG |
| 20.9 |
5.4 |
11.1 |
2.7 |
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Ian Thomsen:
Chris Paul. He continues to keep New Orleans in contention for home-court advantage in the crowded West. The Hornets need him to dominate the ball, so the fun part will be watching him play without the ball in Phoenix.
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Jack McCallum:
Chris Paul. No one is doing his job better than Paul, who has the ball in his hands more than anyone and ranks second in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio.
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Chris Mannix:
Chauncey Billups, Denver Nuggets. Think I'll catch some heat for this pick? Bring it on. Chris Paul is the more obvious pick and Steve Nash is still a worthy choice, but my vote goes to the player who has single-handedly salvaged a team tagged for demolition.
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Steve Aschburner:
Chris Paul. I went with Dwyane Wade and Vince Carter as my starting guards in the East. There needs to be one pure point guard among the All-Star starting backcourts, don't ya think?
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Paul Forrester:
Chris Paul. It's clear the fourth-year point guard isn't just putting together a playing résumé akin to Isiah Thomas'; he's putting together a career better than Zeke's.
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| FORWARD |
| Dirk Nowitzki SI CONSENSUS PICK |
| Dallas Mavericks |
| 7 All-Star appearances |
|
| PPG |
RPG |
FG% |
FT% |
| 25.9 |
8.6 |
47.5 |
91.5 |
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Ian Thomsen:
Dirk Nowitzki. He's scoring like he used to, and after all these years he's still only 30. But the Mavs still haven't created a new identity around him and Jason Kidd, and it's going to take all of Nowitzki's fight to make the playoffs. At least he can relax in Phoenix.
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Jack McCallum:
Dirk Nowitzki. Admit it: We've written off the 2007 MVP a little, haven't we? Well, the guy is as good as ever. He's playing big minutes and hitting big shots, and he's the reason you can't completely count out the Mavs.
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Chris Mannix:
Dirk Nowitzki. His production is similar to his 2006-07 MVP season, and his scoring is at a three-year high. He gets the nod over the Suns' Amaré Stoudemire.
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Steve Aschburner:
Dirk Nowitzki. Eleven seasons in, his scoring, shooting and minutes this season all are higher than his career averages. Like Tim Duncan, he makes consistency exciting, just from farther out on the floor.
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Paul Forrester:
Dirk Nowitzki. It's a shame his playoff failures have obscured how good the 11-year veteran is. Nowitzki is on track to average at least 21.8 points and 8.6 rebounds for the ninth consecutive season.
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| FORWARD |
| Tim Duncan SI CONSENSUS PICK |
| San Antonio Spurs |
| 10 All-Star appearances |
|
| PPG |
RPG |
BPG |
FG% |
| 20.4 |
10.2 |
1.8 |
51.4 |
|
|
|
Ian Thomsen:
Tim Duncan. Don't ignore this guy. He's averaging 20 and 10 now, which means he'll be good for 26 and 14 in the playoffs -- and even more in the biggest games.
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Jack McCallum:
Tim Duncan. Is there anything new to say about this guy? He held the Spurs together through an early injury epidemic.
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Chris Mannix:
Tim Duncan. A no-brainer. For what feels like the 36th straight season, Duncan has positioned the Spurs as a contender for the NBA title.
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Steve Aschburner:
Tim Duncan. Maybe this will be the year that Duncan unveils his wicked crossover, tosses a few set-up passes behind his back, soars in for a 360-degree slam and mugs for the worldwide audience in this entertainment-first event. Uh, maybe not.
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Paul Forrester:
Tim Duncan. Ho-hum, another terrific season for the game's most consistently excellent player.
|
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| CENTER |
| Yao Ming SI CONSENSUS PICK |
| Houston Rockets |
| 5 All-Star appearances |
|
| PPG |
RPG |
BPG |
FG% |
| 19.9 |
9.5 |
1.7 |
54.3 |
|
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Ian Thomsen:
Yao Ming. His numbers are down slightly, but Yao is maintaining his health (despite his unique Olympic burdens last summer) and he has never shown more leadership while keeping the Rockets in contention amid injuries to Tracy McGrady, Ron Artest and Shane Battier.
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Jack McCallum:
Yao Ming. As long as he stays healthy, pencil him in for the next half-dozen years. Along with being a near 20-10 guy, you can't foul him late (as you can Shaquille O'Neal) because he hits 86.2 percent of his free throws.
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Chris Mannix:
Yao Ming. Remember when everyone thought Yao was the Rocket who was going to break down? Instead, it has been everyone else. Yao has missed only one game this season.
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Steve Aschburner:
Yao Ming. Look, the world has enough troubles right now without unduly irritating all the mouse-clicking fans in China who expect to see Yao as the West starter again.
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Paul Forrester:
Yao Ming. Injuries have forced the Rockets to use 14 starting lineups this season, but Yao has been one of the few constants.
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Ian Thomsen:
Shaq (right) makes it not just on legacy but on merit. Pau Gasol is among the league's most efficient big men across the board. The impossible choice involves Steve Nash, whose scoring is down through no fault of his own, as he has been quarterbacking Phoenix through its coaching transition while creating shots for Shaq and Jason Richardson as well as Amaré Stoudemire and Grant Hill. Nash rates behind Chauncey Billups and Tony Parker statistically and in the team standings, but there is no right answer when choosing which one to leave out.
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G Brandon Roy, Portland Trail Blazers
G Chauncey Billups, Denver Nuggets
G Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
F Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets
F Amaré Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns
F Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers
C Shaquille O'Neal, Phoenix Suns
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Jack McCallum:
I wrestled with starting either Amaré Stoudemire or Pau Gasol for Dirk Nowitzki, but neither has the nightly responsibility of the Mav. Three Suns among reserves is a lot, but tell me Steve Nash (right) doesn't belong and Shaq, besides having an excellent season, must be there for entertainment value. Tracy McGrady may get voted in as a starter, but he's not on my team. It's hard not to have a Jazz representative, but they've had too many injuries and too much inconsistency, though Paul Millsap would've been the best candidate.
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G Brandon Roy, Portland Trail Blazers
G Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns
F Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets
F Amaré Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns
F Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers
C Shaquille O'Neal, Phoenix Suns
C Al Jefferson, Minnesota Timberwolves
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Chris Mannix:
Timberwolves center Al Jefferson loses out to the Hornets' David West (right) because the latter plays for a contender. I'm excluding Steve Nash even though the game is being played in his home city. That's no knock against Nash, who is having an All-Star-caliber season. But one of my starting guards, Chauncey Billups, has been a franchise-changer, Chris Paul has to be on the team and Tony Parker is putting up better numbers for a better team. Leaving one of them off for what would only be a PR move just isn't right.
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G Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
G Brandon Roy, Portland Trail Blazers
G Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
F David West, New Orleans Hornets
F Amaré Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns
F Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers
C Shaquille O'Neal, Phoenix Suns
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Steve Aschburner:
Gotta have Steve Nash -- the game's in Phoenix. No Amaré Stoudemire? I'm taking Manu Ginobili (making the Spurs the only West club with two All-Stars) because he's a living, breathing model of team-first focus on a day when that value gets trampled. See, kids, you can be a sub and still be an All-Star. Stoudemire often seems 180 degrees from that. Kevin Durant is ready for his national close-up, and Al Jefferson (right) has been the best center, day in, day out, in the West. Besides, Shaq's more fun to watch all duded up on the sidelines.
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G Brandon Roy, Portland Trail Blazers
G Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns
G Deron Williams, Utah Jazz
G Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs
F Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets
F Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
C Al Jefferson, Minnesota Timberwolves
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Paul Forrester:
No Steve Nash? Right. Not when his numbers are down and the competition is tough. Al Jefferson almost earned my starting nod at center; he deserves his first All-Star berth. The importance of Brandon Roy (right), Tony Parker, Chauncey Billups and Amaré Stoudemire to their teams is self-evident. Paul Millsap has become a force in Utah in replacing an injured Carlos Boozer in the starting lineup. Some might think Kevin Durant needs to wait a year, but with the improvements he's made, he's earned a place.
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G Brandon Roy, Portland Trail Blazers
G Chauncey Billups, Denver Nuggets
G Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
F Amaré Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns
F Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
F Paul Millsap, Utah Jazz
C Al Jefferson, Minnesota Timberwolves
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