NBA All-Stars, Power Rankings... and Lin-Sanity

By Kevin Aherne

The 2012 NBA All Star Game is upon us, and though the season has been short, the action has not. We've seen Perk get Beasted, then turn around and verbally bitch-slap Lebron (it was about time), we have also seen the Orlando Magic's collapse amid the Dwight howard sweepstakes, and the emergence of a Harvard educated Asian-American point guard who has stunned New Yorkers with "Who the Fuck is Jeremy "Lin-Sanity!?"

Let's start with the All Star rosters.  The starters, as always, are elected in the fan's popularity contest, and the reserves are selected by a poll of NBA Head Coaches.  Let's see this year's squads:

EAST
Starters
Derrick Rose: Bulls (3rd Selection)
Dwyane Wade: Miami Heat (8th Selection)
LeBron James: Heat (8th Selection)
Carmelo Anthony: Knicks (5th Selection)
Dwight Howard: Magic (6th Selection)

Reserves
Luol Deng: Bulls (1st Selection)
Joe Johnson: Hawks (6th Selection)
Deron Williams: Nets (3rd Selection)
Paul Pierce: Celtics (10th Selection)
Chris Bosh: Heat (7th Selection)
Roy Hibbert: Pacers (1st Selection)
Andre Iguodala:76ers (1st Selection)

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WEST
Starters
Chris Paul: Clippers (5th Selection)
Kobe Bryant: Lakers (14th Selection) 
Kevin Durant: Thunder (3rd Selection) 
Blake Griffin: Clippers (2nd Selection)
Andrew Bynum: Lakers (1st Selection)

Reserves
Russell Westbrook: Thunder (2nd Selection)  
LaMarcus Aldridge: Blazers (1st Selection)
Kevin Love: Wolves (2nd Selection) 
Dirk Nowitzki: Mavericks (11th Selection)
Steve Nash: Suns (8th Selection)
Tony Parker: Spurs (4th Selection)
Marc Gasol: Grizzlies (1st Selection)

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So, we have a lot of the usual suspects in Wade, Lebron, Paul, Kobe, and Dwight Howard, but we also have some First-Timers in  Aldridge, Hibbert, Iguodala, Deng, Bynum, and Marc Gasol.  I have no major arguments with the rosters, but as always, there were some snubs...

Snubs
Monta Ellis (22.2 PPG - 6.1 APG)
Brandon Jennings (18.9 - 5.3 APG)
Tim Duncan (13.9 PPG - 8.3 RPG - 13 ASG Streak Snapped)
Kevin Garnett (13.9 PPG - 7.5 RPG - 14 ASG Streak Snapped)
Rajon Rondo (9.6 APG)
Danny Granger (18.3 PPG - 4.8 RPG)
Demarcus Cousins (15.4 PPG - 11.4 RPG)

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NBA POWER RANKINGS (All-Star Edition)

1. Miami Heat (19-7)

Dwayne and Lebron will represent the Heat in Orlando, rightfully so, as they have worked to become an elite NBA tandem.

2. Chicago Bulls (22-6)

Derrick Rose is in pursuit of the NBA MVP this season, as he and Co-All Star Luol Deng have been tearing apart the competitive Eastern Conference.

3. OKC Thunder (20-6)

Kevin Durant is a scoring machine, Russell Westbrook is a top 5 Point Guard, both are All-Stars.... James Harden has been a solid contributor as well.

4. LA Clippers (15-8)
The Paul to Griffin airshow has been quite a spectacle thus far,  I still think the Clippers are a piece away from being a true contender.

5. Philadelphia Sixers (18-8)
Iguodala may be headed to Orlando, but the play of Lou Williams and Elton Brand have put the Sixers in a surprising position.  We will see how they hold up as the season progresses.

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LIN-SANITY


Asian-American and Harvard Grad, Jeremy Lin has been the surprise of this NBA season.  With stars like Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, Lin is an unexpected hero for the NY Knickerbockers.

Last 10 Games
PPG: 14.1
AST: 5.9
FG%: .538

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