Somewhat Reserved

Tonight's NBA All-Star Reserve selections come as a bit of a surprise. Every year, players are left off. There are only 12 spots on the team (there should be 15, not sure why there isn't, its a friggin all star game) and that means a player who is worthy of the position won't be going. This years ASG is in New Orleans, which will answer some questions down the road as to why certain people are on it. Who deserves it, and who doesn't? Lets have a look...

Eastern Conference:
Chauncey Billups
Chris Bosh
Caron Butler
Richard Hamilton
Antawn Jamison
Joe Johnson
Paul Pierce

- Not too many complaints here. I thought Josh Smith deserved the position over teammate Joe Johnson, but thats neither here nor there. The problem I have is with Paul Pierce. Yes, Pierce is a great player, but the team's record is not directly correlated to his performance. It's because of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen this time. I would rather have seen Allen or Jose Calderon as the reserve in place of Pierce. Yes the Celtics have the best record in the land, but Paul Pierce has reaped the benefits of having two other superstars on the C's. Also, Richard Hamilton makes it because of Detroit's record, he too could be replaced. Overall, most of this team was selected with care.


Western Conference:
Carlos Boozer
Steve Nash
Dirk Nowitzki
Chris Paul
Brandon Roy
Amare Stoudemire
David West

- David West and Brandon Roy are the two names that stand out here. The two youngsters have worked hard and put up great numbers this year, helping lead their teams to outstanding first halves. I have to say it comes as a bit of a surprise. Baron Davis probably could have made the squad over David West, but the game is in NOLA, so looking at it from that perspective, West becomes a great pick. Playing in front of the hometown crowd is an amazing accomplishment. Shawn Marion was also snubbed here. The guy is down a little bit this year in the numbers game, but he is the absolute glue of the best team in the West. He plays great D and does it all. Does everything. He will see more, no doubt, in the future.


So stepping back and looking at the big picture, there are of course some shockers, but all-in-all, the players chosen aren't bad. I do like that David West made it, the Hornets deserve two players in this game. Hopefully, in the near future, we see 15 players on each squad. Brandon Roy making it to the squad is also a sign that the young players are growing fast in this league. The Blazers have come out of nowhere as well, and Brandon Roy will be a star in the association for a long, long time. The coaches too absolutely deserve to be there. Congrats to Byron Scott for leading a team of youngsters to the best second record in the West. NOBODY saw this coming. Doc Rivers has done his job in Boston, and will be there too. Hopefully the game is a blast and brings a little bit of brightness to a city that has seen it's share of gloom in the past few years. New Orleans deserves a great game, and these guys should give them one.