Our American forefathers did us basketball fans a grave misdeed…

If there’s one thing that gets messed up in a democracy, it’s NBA All-Star voting.

In the past, we’ve seen both Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady voted as starters when they hardly played prior to the break.  The same thing happened about a decade ago with Grant Hill.

This year is no exception.  Some of the more notable missteps by the voters have Yao Ming starting at center for the West, while Amar’e Stoudemire was trailing Kevin Garnett for a spot in the East for the majority of the voting period (and now only holds a slight advantage).

Thank goodness that you all can lean on my unbiased ramblings of who belongs and who doesn’t.

As we inch toward the season’s celebrated mid-point, let’s examine my picks for the midpoint extravaganza of the NBA season:

Starting Five (not reflective of current voting, strictly based on merit…and my interpretation):

Point Guard:  Deron Williams - In one of the more debatable picks, Williams gets my top spot.  Readers of Ball or Nuthin’ know that I have always been a proponent of Williams’ well-rounded play, and he has proven to be the most statistically consistent floor leader in the league.  D-Will has scored at least 12 points and dished out at least 5 helpers in each game this season.

Shooting Guard: Kobe Bryant – He plays in the West, so he starts in the West.  Any questions?

Small Forward: Kevin Durant - The preseason MVP frontrunner is leading the league in scoring – again.  And don’t look now – the Thunder are tied for the fourth best record in the Western Conference.  In other words, “no Lakers in the first round”…

Watching Dallas attempt to run its offense without Dirk was a painful experience.

Power Forward: Blake Griffin - Yeah, I know he’s a rookie.  And??  Quick – name a better power forward in the Western Conference.  Duncan isn’t what he used to be, Amar’e and KG are in the East now – and this was a position that was four-deep every year, leading to the West’s All-Star Game dominance.  If Griffin really makes it in, which he should – easily, All-Star Weekend will prove to be quite a showcase for him.

Center: Dirk Nowitzki - Yes, yes…the German is not listed as a center on the All-Star balloting.  But hey, these are my picks.  The shifting of the NBA to a more face-paced, guard oriented game has chipped away at the number of important interior forces.  This has been so much so that the player who should get the starting nod here is more noted for his perimeter touch than anything else.  Although he’s missed some games, Dirk is much more of a player than Nene, as illustrated by Dallas’ freefall in the loss category during his absence.

OK, that was the easy part.

Picking reserves is always a nightmare because there are always arguments that can be made for multiple players at the same position.  There’s also the issue of picking spots based on position.  As I already mentioned, today’s NBA is stacked with elite perimeter players and very few noteworthy bigs.

That was my foreword to a very cloudy picture that exists as far as the remaining spots are concerned.  But enough said, let’s get to it…

Russell Westbrook – He’s no longer Kevin Durant’s little sidekick.  Westbrook has turned the corner and become a player that opposing defenses have to game plan against.  He’s doing it all on the court, and is clearly one of the most aggressive point guards in the league.

Chris Paul - Although he’s averaging the second-lowest point per game average in career – and his lowest assist per game numbers in over three years, Paul easily gets the nod over Steve Nash for a coveted point guard spot on this roster.  Just check the conference standings and it’s easy to see that he has done more with his mediocre cast of characters than Nash has.

Monta Ellis - In my mind, the spot came down to Ellis versus the Clippers’ Eric Gordon.  About a month or so ago, this looked like a dead heat.  Since that time, Ellis has increased his averages, while Gordon’s decreased slightly.  One thing to consider is that Gordon plays alongside a burgeoning All-Star in Blake Griffin.  The last All-Star of any position to play in Golden State was Latrell Spreewell in 1997.

Carmelo Anthony - He’s still putting up 23 points per contest.  Still waiting for the other shoe to drop to see when, or if, he’ll become a Knick.

Kevin Love – K-Love has been getting some love this season, and he’s earned it.  He’s controlling the boards night in and night out.  Love has recorded double-digit caroms in his last 29 games.  21 and 16 should get anyone to the All-Star Game regardless of the team that they play for.  Agreed?

No need to be shocked, K-Love. Hard work has placed you in elite company.

Manu Ginobili - Someone from the team that has the NBA’s best record had to find his way onto this roster.  Picking between Tony Parker and Ginobili is indeed difficult, but the point guard depth in the Western Conference makes it tough for TP to seep through.  Just think…I am already leaving two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash off of this squad… 

LaMarcus Aldridge - This is clearly my obligatory second reserve big-man selection.  In my estimation, the players that he is competing against are Zach Randolph, Pau Gasol and Nene Hilario.  Aldridge holds the edge because his outstanding performance has been self-generated.  Randolph, Gasol and Nene have Rudy Gay, Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony to thank for their success.  Aldridge has been handling business all year, and has increased his production since he has decidedly become the Blazers #1 option (with Brandon Roy out indefinitely).  Aldridge is averaging 27 points and 10 rebounds since the turn of the new year.

Notable Omissions (and explanations):

Steve Nash – Williams, Paul and Westbrook are all having better seasons than Nash, and Phoenix is going to have a tough time getting close to playoff contention.  Not that it’s his fault, but he needs to play for an Eastern Conference team to get into the All-Star Game this time around.

Tony Parker – Once again, the West is loaded at the guard position.  Even though Parker plays for the team with the best record in the NBA, his inclusion at the expense of one of the top five point guards in the league (as of this moment) should not happen. 

Tim Duncan – Same explanation as Parker, but for power forwards (Griffin, Love, Aldridge are better).  Also, selecting Duncan as a reserve would mean that he deserved a spot more than one of the my other picks…which is not the case. 

Zach Randolph, Pau Gasol, Nene Hilario and Eric Gordon - Their cases were mentioned above within the descriptions for other inclusions.

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