Wow, They Actually Got it Right

NBA All-Star game reserve selections were announced today and, for possibly the first time ever in the history of an All-Star game in any sport, they were good. There were several first-time selections who were quite deserving.

Let's look at the West first. Deron Williams finally was selected, although this should be his third All-Star game. Kevin Durant was selected after scoring a ton and leading a surprisingly good Thunder squad. Dirk Nowitzki was deservedly selected to another All-Star game, which is nice because the game is in Dallas. He, in all honesty, should probably be starting. There were several not-so-old reliables such as Brandon Roy, Chris Paul (yes we are at the point where those two are expected to be All-Stars) and Pau Gasol. And the seventh selection? That went to Bill Simmons' favorite man, Zach Randolph. As unbelievable as this may sound, it's deserved. Randolph has had an unbelievable year. He's averaging a 21 and 12 and actually playing like he cares. His season, of course, provoke the question: Where have you been all these years?

Now to the East. It starts with a couple of deserving point guards in Rajon Rondo and Derrick Rose. Everyone knew Rose would be an All-Star and he hasn't disappointed so far. And, now that he's improving his jumper, his game is ready to soar. Rondo, on the other hand, has refuted his criticisms to become a defensive stud who is also quite adept at running a team. Next is Chris Bosh, who does not need an explanation. Same with Joe Johnson. The sixth was Gerald Wallace. Wallace is averaging a 19 and 11 while playing Defensive Player of the Year-worthy defense. No qualms there. And finally, we are left with the one selection who I didn't like: Al Horford. I've actually loved Al Horford since his Gator days and I predicted that he would be the best pro of that Florida team. Horford is having a solid season, averaging 14 and 10. But is he really better than David Lee, who is averaging a 19 and 11? Sure, the Hawks are having an excellent season but the Knicks are exceeding all expectations and surprisingly are in contention for a playoff berth. I would have gone with Lee.

Anyways, those are your All-Star reserves. You probably don't care. I don't think anyone actually cares about the All-Star game. But if you do care, I hope you learned something.