NBA All-Star Weekend 2011

The 2011 NBA All-Star starters have been announced and the fans almost got it right.  On the west the starters will be Kobe, Chris Paul, Carmelo, Kevin Durant, and Yao Ming. The east starters will be Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, King James, Amare, and Dwight Howard.  The talent that will be displayed at this years event will  be one of the most dynamic ever.  With that being said, there's no way that Yao Ming should have been voted as a starter when he's out for the season and his career may be over.  I understand the need for a center in the game but both Kevin Love and Blake Griffin are deserving starters with Love having the slight advantage.  I believe that the fans having a say in who starts is a great thing but now David Stern has to name a replacement starter for Yao Ming so essentially millions of fans votes were waisted.

The NBA does the best job of all the professional sports leagues in the US celebrating its All-Stars, from All-Star Saturday Night which features the Slam Dunk and Three Point contest, to the big game itself the next day, the NBA is great at showcasing its stars and the league as a whole.  Every year the highlight of the weekend for me is the Legends Brunch, it's never advertised but it's televised every year the Sunday of the big game on NBA TV and it features the retired players association recognizing the achievements of former players on and off the court.  It lasts about 2 hours and it's great to watch and learn about the history of the game.  The mix of players from the past to the present all in one room is just an event that's too valuable to pass up.

With Thursdays announcement of the starters also came the debate about who should be the reserves for both conferences.  The commentators on TNT did a tremendous job expressing their views on who should or shouldn't be voted as reserves by the coaches next week as they do every year.  Names like Kevin Love and Blake Griffin are a lock, but players such as Russell Westbrook and Paul Pierce should be considered locks as well.  Westbrook, who plays for the Thunder exhibits the type of overall game that will one day make him the best point guard in the league, there's nothing he can't do on the court.  He's explosive, can rebound, pass, and his jump shot his getting better by the game, Westbrook can be considered the west coast version of Rajon Rondo.  Kevin Love is a rebounding machine, leading the league in boards as well as shoot almost 40% from three point land.  Paul Pierce is as deadly as he was three seasons ago when his Celtics won the championship.  What can I say about Blake Griffin that hasn't been said, he is on his way to become one of the most exciting players the league has ever seen barring injury.

This years All-Star weekend will be the best yet and yes I'm predicting a win for the east in the big game and Lebron James will earn the games MVP award.  Next year I will be giving a first hand account of the events from Orlando, that is if we have a season!  The intensity of the NBA season picks up after the All-Star break which makes for some great basketball and is astounding considering the fact that thus far this year, some of the best ball has been played in years.  Prepare yourselves because the best season that the NBA has seen is about to be raised to an entirely new level of excellence.





If there's any questions or comments feel free to email me at nbaballanation@gmail.com, all emails will be responded to.  You can also follow me on twitter @ballanation2010.