NBA All Star Game

The NBA All-Star game is nigh, and on the eve of the Super Bowl, We Make It Rain feel that it is almost time to start caring about basketball. That is why we are going to offer our own suggestions for the rosters of the NBA All-Star game. A few rules. (1) The starting five are going to be the five players - one at each position - in each conference who I feel deserve to start this year; (2) the seven backups are going to be selected just like they are in the NBA - 2 forwards, 1 center, 2 guards and 2 from any position; (3) my substitutes are going to selected to fill in gaps and/or weaknesses in the starting lineup; and (4) if a selection seems close, I will give a little more weight to someone who has not been in the game before. My team, my rules. On to the selections.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Starting Lineup

SF - LeBron James
PF - Kevin Garnett
C - Dwight Howard
PG - Chauncey Billups
SG - Dwyane Wade

Most of the starters should seem self-explanatory. I selected Billups over the actual starter Jason Kidd because I feel that he is simply better at this stage of Kidd's career. With James, Garnett and Wade, this team isn't going to lack for passing anyway.

Substitutes

F - Caron Butler
F - Antawn Jamison
C - Chris Bosh
G - Michael Redd
G - Richard Hamilton

When I look at the starting lineup, Chauncey Billups is the only player with true 3 point range, although both James and Wade can get hot from three. Because of this, Redd is selected. He is the purest shooter in the east, at least among those with talent enough to be an All-Star. Butler has a good mid-range game, as does Richard Hamilton. I don't believe any explanation is needed for Bosh. Jamison is an interesting player because he can score on almost anyone in the paint with his quick release, but is also unselfish enough to lead a good second unit.

At-Large Selections

Jose Calderon
Joe Johnson

From the first ten selections, it is apparent that the team needs a bit more size and another pure ball handler. Jose Calderon plain and simply deserves it, and gives the team another point guard. Johnson doesn't address the teams issue of size, but with Howard, Bosh and Garnett, this east team is very active. Assuming nobody is in foul trouble, the length of Bosh and Garnett might be enough.

Left off from the actual rosters are Jason Kidd and Paul Pierce. Both excellent players, but I felt Calderon and Johnson deserve it a bit more this year.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Starters

SF - Carmelo Anthony
PF - Marcus Camby
C - Tyson Chandler
PG - Steve Nash
SG - Kobe Bryant

Now this team is very interesting, especially when compared with the actual Western Conference starters. No Allen Iverson, Yao Ming or Tim Duncan. Some of this will be remedied with the substitutes, but I did simply want to mention a couple of facts here. Duncan doesn't seem to be having his best year. Is he one of the best 4 or 5 players on the planet - Yes. But, do Camby and Chandler need to be rewarded for their phenomenal seasons to date - Absolutely. Chandler especially adds something on the defensive end, which will be important with Garnett, Howard and Bosh on the floor. Therefore, no Ming, Duncan or Iverson.

Substitutes

F - Dirk Nowitzki
F - Carlos Boozer
C - Amare Stoudemire
G - Allen Iverson
G - Chris Paul

Iverson and Paul would be starting on almost any other All-Star team, and deserve the nod. Nowitzki gives us an additional pure shooter to go with Nash. Anthony and Bryant can also be streaky from the outside. With Bryant and Anthony as great slashers who can get into the paint (as can Paul and Nash from the point guard position), Boozer and Stoudemire are incredibly active and can work their way open on the inside for easy baskets.

At-Large Selections

Al Jefferson
Brandon Roy

I wanted to add David West to this team, but I couldn't select him over Al Jefferson simply because Jefferson is on an absolutely abysmal team. Brandon Roy is an exciting young player that can do a lot of things well.

Key omissions include West, Baron Davis, the three big Spurs, Yao Ming and Chris Kaman, all of whom could make the All-Star team in a normal year. Ginobili is having the best year out of all of the Spurs, and Duncan is simply the best player while Parker makes everything go, but none of them seem to be having that "wow" type of season as they normally have. Couple that with rather exceptional seasons by Jefferson, Chandler, and just the absolute outstanding play by seemingly all of the guards in the west, and we simply don't have enough room for all of the deserving players on the roster. Anyway, Duncan, Parker and Ginobili probably want the rest, after playing well into June for seemingly the last decade.

NHL All-Star Game

Last Sunday was the NHL All-Star game in the international hockey hotbed of Atlanta. [Cue Jermaine Dupri] "Welcome to Atlanta where the players play". The elected starters for the game were:

Eastern Conference

Sidney Crosby - Pittsburgh Pengiuns
Vincent LeCavalier - Tampa Bay Lightning
Andrei Markov - Montreal Canadians
Zdano Chara - Boston Bruins
Martin Broduer - New Jersey Devils

Western Conference

Jarome Iginla - Calgary Flames
Pavel Datsyuk - Detroit Red Wings
Henrik Zetterberg - Detroit Red Wings
Niklas Lidstrom - Detroit Red Wings
Dion Phaneuf - Calgary Flames
Roberto Luongo - Vancouver Canuks

Just like any All-Star game, once the substitutes are selected, there is much debate over which deserving players were left off the roster. In short, who got snubbed?

I can answer this question very simply. THE FANS!!! Nobody cares about the NHL All-Star game. In fact, nobody can even find it on television. I think it was on the Home and Garden Network.

As exciting as the sport of hockey can be, the league has made itself 100%, absolutely irrelevant.