2010 NBA All Star Reserves: 7 First Timers
There are 7 players making their first ever all star appearance during the 2010 NBA All Star Game: Deron Williams, Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo, Gerald Wallace, and Zack Randolph.
Those noteworthy, yet snubbed, include David Lee of the Knicks, Chris Kaman of the Clippers, and Mo Williams of the Cavaliers. Better luck next season guys!
Deron Williams joins fellow Olympian Kobe Bryant in Dallas. (Credit: picapp.com)
Deron Williams is long overdue. He had a legitimate grief for not being named to the game for the past two years. They finally got it right! I might be biased, but that is because I think Deron Williams is the best point guard in the business. No disrespect to Steve Nash or Chris Paul, but when I see Williams play, I feel he is more of a pure point like Nash, but has the ability to overtake a game like Paul. Only time will tell if I am right or not, but Williams size and strength play to his favor over Paul over the long haul. KEVIN DURANT
Sorry David, your All Star chances are "Rejected!" (Credit: picapp.com)
Kevin Durant is not only deserving of an All Star nod, but people should seriously consider putting his name in the MVP hat this year. He is playing brilliant basketball, has a current of 19 games with 25 points or more, his team is a respectable 24-21 and tinkering on the brink of playoff contention.
More importantly, Durant has focused on defense, and as he told me during this twitter interview, and is committed to working hard to improve on every facet of his game. His off season work has proven to be effective this year as his defense is vastly improved this season.
Horford's relentless hustle earned him an All-Star appearance. (Credit: picapp.com)
Al Horford is the quiet force in the middle for the Atlanta Hawks. He is one of the most athletic, self sacrificing big men in the NBA today. He might have lower statistical output than David Lee, but coaches understand how good Horford is. He is a walking talking double-double who would be putting up crazy numbers if he got to play his natural position, power forward. Plus, it never hurts your chances if your team has a winning record of 29-15. David Lee knows the Knicks suck, and if anyone on a losing team deserves an All Star bid it’s Monta Ellis of the Golden State Warriors. DERRICK ROSE
Rose is emerging as one of the leagues best in his 2nd season. (Credit: picapp.com)
Derrick Rose is the Chicago Bulls lately. He has shaken off residuals from his preseason ankle injury while steadily increasing his scoring from 16.2 in November to 23.5 in January. The result is a 9-5 record thus far during January.
There are few players in the league that possess the “all-in-one” game that Rose has. He will defend his skills challenge this year during the all star weekend as well. I would not be too surprised to see a slam dunk contest in his future. The dude can fly.
It's plays like this that make Rondo an All Star. (Credit: picapp.com)
Rajon Rondo has been an All-Star since day one of the NBA season. He is a vicious defender, leads the league in steals, and is only 0.3 APG away from averaging a double-double on the season. Rondo is on an elite Celtics team in the East, and he is an integral role of the team being so. His selection comes as no shocker. GERALD WALLACE
Wallace joins Duncan among the leagues elite stars. (Credit: picapp.com)
Simple fact: Gerald Wallace is a downright nasty basketball player. He rebounds (11.0 RPG), scores (18.6), and is an all-around stat machine (1.9 APG, 1.6 SPG, and 1.2 BPG). With the Bobcats contending for the playoffs, Wallace is a extremely deserving All Star. An winning argument could be made for him being an all star for a few years now. Now that Charlotte is winning, Wallace finally gets the nod.
You will also be able to see his insane dunking ability in the 2010 NBA Sprite Slam Dunk Competition.
Randolph has revived his career in Memphis. (Credit: picapp.com)
Last, but certainly not least, is Zach Randolph. Randolph has had a stigma surrounding him his entire career. He has been considered a distraction, selfish, or a long list or other words I dare not type, by teammates, coaches, and fans alike.
This year Randolph appears to have matured, taken the Grizzlies under his wing, and is making Memphis a team nobody wants to play. They currently rank 7th in the Western Conference playoff standings, and if San Antonio does not get it together soon, the Griz might rise higher before the end of the season.
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Thu, Jan 28, 2010 by Adam Sedie
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