The fans have spoken, and they got the All-Star Game starters mostly correct. The big quibble is with the selection of Allen Iverson, but voting for All-Star teams is one of the few acts of fan democracy left, and if a million or so people want to watch A.I. run around and jack up 3’s, that’s their right.

Outside of Iverson, Kevin Garnett also was voted in mainly on reputation. Before his injury he was playing at an All-Star level, so it’s certainly a defensible selection. But it’s hard to overlook the fact that he’s missed a quarter of his team’s games.

In the West, Amar’e Stoudemire is having a solid season, at least statistically, but an All-Star season? No.

Still, seven out of 10 isn’t a bad percentage for the fans, and on Thursday night the coaches will have their say when the full squads are announced.

In advance of the announcement, here are my picks for the reserve spots in the East and West.

First, a little methodology: In making the picks I looked at the seven most deserving players. I did not take into account whether a team “deserved” to have a certain number of players based on its record, nor did I discount players if their teams already were well-represented. So, Cleveland and Orlando only get one representative each, while the Celtics and the Hawks get three apiece.

I did, however, take into account team success when looking at comparable players. Big stats on bad teams carried little weight with these picks (sorry, Monta Ellis).

EASTERN CONFERENCE STARTERS

Allen Iverson

Dwyane Wade

LeBron James

Kevin Garnett

Dwight Howard

RESERVES

Rajon Rondo: The easiest pick, along with Chris Bosh, for the East. Rondo should be a starter, but his reputation will catch up with the general public after a few selections. Rondo is the best point guard in the conference and he is beginning to develop consistency to go with his undeniable talent.

Joe Johnson: For a few years Johnson was underrated to the point of being overrated, but he has settled into a starring role for the Hawks as the do-everything hub of their team. Johnson is one of those players who looks better the more you watch him and realize all the things he does.

Paul Pierce: We have become so used to Pierce’s excellence that it’s easy to take him for granted. Take a closer look at the season Pierce is having. His field goal, 3-point and free throw percentages all are the highest of his career. The fact that Pierce doesn’t have to as much to do offensively means his numbers are down slightly from year’s past, but that shouldn’t obscure the fact that he does everything better.

Chris Bosh: Like Rondo, Bosh should have been elected as a starter and he is in the midst of his best season. Bosh takes some heat for not making the Raptors better than they are, but let’s see him play on a more talented team before branding him with the "very good but not great" label. Whoever gets Bosh after this season will be getting the best power forward in the East in the prime of his career.

Gerald Wallace: The NBA’s strangest player is putting together one of the more sublime seasons. Wallace leads the league in minutes played, is among the leaders in rebounds and even is shooting 3-pointers at a respectable clip. The Bobcats have been one of the biggest surprises in the East and Wallace is main reason for their success.

Josh Smith: Speaking of breakout seasons, Smith has been a monster for the Hawks, who are very much a legitimate contender along with Boston, Cleveland and Orlando. Smith has shelved his erratic 3-point shooting and become a much more efficient scorer. He has also become a better, and more willing, passer, while remaining one of the league’s best shot-blockers.

Read More

Blogs

• Chris Wilcox and JaJuan Johnson may not be Kareem Abdul-Jabar but they were pretty good Sunday
• Kevin Garnett on Rajon Rondo: ‘He had a bit of rough day’ (before his triple-double)

Audio on Demand

• JaJuan Johnson with Grande & Max post-win
• Grande & Max with Doris Burke

Columns

• The Rajon Rondo conundrum
• Sun begins to set on Celtics, Lakers

Tickets

02/15/2012

Boston Celtics vs Detroit Pistons - TD Garden, Boston, MA
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02/29/2012

Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks - TD Garden, Boston, MA
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03/2/2012

Boston Celtics vs New Jersey Nets - TD Garden, Boston, MA
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Al Horford: David Lee has better numbers in terms of points and rebounds and Antwan Jamison is a more accomplished scorer, but in a league bereft of centers, Horford has emerged as the best of a solid, if not spectacular, lot. If he played on another team he would put up better individual numbers, but Horford is an efficiency machine in terms of his scoring and rebounding and a perfect complement to Smith.

Also considered: Lee, Jamison, Derrick Rose, Andre Iguodala

WESTERN CONFERENCE STARTERS

Steve Nash

Kobe Bryant

Carmelo Anthony

Tim Duncan

Amar’e Stoudemire

RESERVES

Chris Paul: Because of inept management, the Hornets have gone from a team on the rise to a disaster in the making. Paul is good enough to make them a playoff contender all by himself, but unless something changes quickly he is in danger of falling into the KG Zone, where his prime years will be wasted.

Brandon Roy: At times last season, it seemed like Roy was on the cusp of joining Bryant and Wade as the game’s best 2 guards. He hasn’t quite lived up to that level this season, but Roy still has been very good. No team has suffered more injuries than Portland, but the Blazers still are among the better teams in the West. Credit Roy with keeping them there.

Kevin Durant: The All-Star Game has served as the coming-out party for many players over the years, and there’s a chance it could be a showcase event for Durant. Still a hero in Texas from his days as a Longhorn, he should be a crowd favorite in Dallas. Doc Rivers noted when the Celtics played in Oklahoma City that it was only a matter of time before Durant joined the elite. This will be his biggest stage thus far.

Dirk Nowitzki: Do people understand how good Nowitzki really is? He’s an automatic 20 points every night and still one of the league’s toughest covers because of his size and range. He’s also durable, missing just 31 games during his 12-year career. Nowitzki will go down in history as one of the great shooting big men of all time, but even that distinction will short-change his accomplishments.

Zach Randolph: Who knew? Who knew putting the erstwhile Z-Bo on a team as dysfunctional as the Grizzlies would be exactly what he, and they, needed? Randolph always has put up huge numbers when he’s played, and it’s not like he’s become a Garnett-like passer and defender, but he has stopped shooting 3’s and he is in much better shape than in the past. Good for him for figuring it out, but you can’t help but wonder how good he could have been if he had done this for his entire career.

Chauncey Billups: Like Pierce, Billups knows his game so well that he has traded periodic bursts of excitement for sustained excellence. He is among the best 3-point shooters in the league and is shooting 90 percent from the line. He also seems to be the only thing at times that keeps the combustible Nuggets together in one piece.

Deron Williams: Four point guards? Sure, why not, especially if they’re this good. A case could be made for Williams’ teammate Carlos Boozer and one could be made for Pau Gasol, but Gasol missed more time than Garnett, and if there’s only room for one player from the Jazz, it should be Williams.

He always will be unfairly compared to Paul since he was drafted one spot ahead of him, but Williams is an All-Star player in his own right. There’s no crime in being Carmelo to Paul’s LeBron, and the way their two teams are run, Williams may wind up the winner, after all.

Also considered: Gasol, Boozer, Carl Landry