Western Conference Snubs are better than Eastern Conference Reserves

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Published: February 4, 2011

So we now have the Eastern and Western All-Star rosters, and there’s something there that just flat out bothers me.  I take a look at the Eastern Conference All-Star reserves, and I can’t get away from the fact that the Western Conference snubs makes a better roster than those guys do.

Here’s the Eastern Conference Reserves as a 7-player team:

  • Starters: Al Horford, Chris Bosh, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo
  • Reserves: Kevin Garnett, Joe Johnson.

The top Western Conference Snubs as a 7-player Team:

  • Starters: Zach Randolph, Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Martin, Steve Nash
  • Reserves: Lamar Odom, Tony Parker.

Oh – and I left off David West and Monta Ellis. (I wanted Odom’s defensive versatility over West’s offense, and Parker and Martin are better shooters than Ellis)

So, if you taking out the fact that those four Celtics play together and would therefore have an advantage, just on plain talent, which team would you take in a head-to-head game?  Me?  I’d probably take the Western Conference snubs.

What’s more – if you swap the Celtics with, say, the Lakers, putting the Celtics in the Western Conference and the Lakers in the East – do four Celtics get into the All-Star Game?  Does even one? Your choices:

At forward/center: Tim Duncan, Pau Gasol, Blake Griffin, Kevin Love, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Zach Randolph, David West, and Lamar Odom.

At guard: Manu Ginobili, Westbrook, Nash, Deron Williams, Kevin Martin, Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Tony Parker, and Monta Ellis.

Between those two lists, pick seven guys.  Hell, pick eight since in this scenario Kobe went east and out of the starting All-Star line-up.

Do you have any Celtics?   I don’t.  Almost the entire Eastern reserve squad wouldn’t make it – and we’re not even talking about the disappointing Joe Johnson appearing on that squad.

For debate purposes, I picked: Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Blake Griffin, Russell Westbrook, Deron Williams, Kevin Love, Steve Nash and Tim Duncan.(Duncan by a hair over Garnett, who’s had injury problems)

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