Before we get to the All-Star picks and snubs, this ridiculous stat from Elias: Gilbert Arenas has scored 97 points in two games against the Lakers this season, including 37 on Saturday. Arenas' average of 48.5 points per game against the Lakers this season is the highest by one player against one team in a season since Karl Malone averaged 50.5 points in two games against Milwaukee in 1989-90 (minimum: two games played).
The NBA "record" for such a thing belongs to Wilt Chamberlain. Chamberlain averaged 54.5 points in 12 games (654 points!) against the Knicks in 1961-62…

Now that the All-Star starters and reserves are in, here’s what I think…

2007 NBA All-Star Rosters

Eastern Conference

Starters

Guard
IS: Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
SHOULD BE: Dwyane Wade…28.4 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 7.8 APG…Flash continues to amaze and is the most dangerous player in the league going to the basket…

Guard:
IS: Gilbert Arenas, Washington Wizards
SHOULD BE: Gilbert Arenas…29.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 6.3 APG…having an unbelievable year and has established himself as the most clutch shooter on the planet right now…

Forward
IS: LeBron James, Cleveland
SHOULD BE: LeBron James…26.7PPG, 6.8 RPG, 6.0 APG…Occupying the traditional ”small” forward spot would seem to be a misnomer in this case, LeBron is generally considered to be having a down year (which considering his averages is ridiculous) but Bron is all-world all the time, although slowed recently by a sore toe…

Power Forward
IS: Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors
SHOULD BE: Chris Bosh…22.8 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.2BPG…Bosh is now in the top 3 discussions when it comes to the PF position (Garnett, Duncan) and is still improving…

Centre
IS: Shaquille O'Neal, Miami
SHOULD BE: Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic…16.8 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 1.8 BPG…this is where fan voting goes off the rails with Shaq being hurt most of the year and averaging a very pedestrian 12.0 PPG and 6.5 RPG, while Howard has exploded for Orlando and has become the best centre in the East while only scratching the surface of his Shaq-like (Shaq-esque? Shaq-a-licious?) potential…

Reserves

ARE:
Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons…18.1PPG, 3.5 RPG, 7.6 APG
Caron Butler, Washington Wizards…20.6 PPF, 8.0 RPG, 3.9 APG
Vince Carter, New Jersey Nets… 25.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 4.4 APG
Richard Hamilton, Detroit Pistons…22.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.6 APG
Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic…see above
Jason Kidd, New Jersey…14.9PPG, 8.2 RPG, 8.8 APG
Jermaine O'Neal, Indiana Pacers…19.5 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 2.8 APG

SHOULD BE:
Emeka Okafor, Charlotte Bobcats…14.8 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 2.9 BPG…Seeing as I removed Shaq from his starting spot for Dwight Howard, I will remove him entirely by putting Emeka Okafor as the backup centre for the East…I pick him over Eddie Curry (19.5 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 0.5 BPG) of the New York Knicks, who since he’s laid off the Twinkies has really established himself as a low-post scorer, but who is an atrocious rebounder and shot blocker for someone so big…

Note: I’d like to remove Vince Carter for Joe Johnson (25.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 4.3 APG) just because Carter is so annoying, but his numbers are great even as most observers acknowledge that he’s still not getting the most out of his talent and the fact that the Hawks suck a little harder than the Nets, which is saying something…Luol Deng (17.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.2 SPG) was also a possibility here, especially as a defender and a master of the disappearing mid-range game, but who is still more of a “glue’ guy than an All-Star…Oh, and if Michael Redd had not gotten hurt (27.7 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.3 SPG) hurt, than I would also have considered him as a worthy substitute for Vicki Carter…

Western Conference

Guard
IS: Tracy McGrady, Houston Rockets…
SHOULD BE: Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns…19.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 11.8 APG…Although McGrady should still be an All-Star with averages of 23.7 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 6.3 APG, Nash is the best player on arguably the best team in the NBA, especially when you factor in that he’s shooting a collectively and individually preposterous 53.6% from the field, 49% from three, and 88.2% from the free throw line…

Guard
IS: Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers…
SHOULD BE: Kobe Bryant…28.7 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 5.5 APG…no question, he’s the most dangerous player not named Arenas, although his stupid self-imposed nickname (“Mamba”) almost disqualifies him from my list…

Forward
IS: Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves
SHOULD BE: Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks…25.1 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 3.2 APG…Although Garnett remains a superstar player with averages of 22.7 PPG, 12.4 RPG, 4.3 APG, Nowitzki is just more dangerous, in that he could go for 50 points at any time…

Forward
IS: Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
SHOULD BE: Tim Duncan…20.4 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 3.4 APG, 2.4 BPG…Yawn…one day we’ll wake up and miss the Big Fundamental…

IS: Yao Ming, Houston Rockets
SHOULD BE: Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns…18.6 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 1.4 BPG… Yao (25.9 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.2 BPG) has a broken leg, so Amare, who has made a remarkable comeback from micro-fracture knee surgery, gets the nod here…

Reserves

ARE:
Carlos Boozer, Utah Jazz…22.1 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 3.0 APG
Allen Iverson, Denver Nuggets…28.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 7.5 APG
Shawn Marion, Phoenix Suns…18.9 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 1.6 APG, 2.1 SPG, 1.5 BPG
Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns…see above
Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks…see above
Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs…19.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 5.6 APG
Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns…see above

SHOULD BE:

Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets…31.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.2 SPG…An easy replacement for Boozer who is hurt, Anthony (Madison Square Garden slapfest notwithstanding) is having a career year…I pick him over Josh Howard of the Dallas Mavericks (19.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.0 BPG) who is similar to Deng in his “glue” guy role…

Ray Allen, Seattle Supersonics…26.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.6 SPG…I pick Allen over Parker because he is simply a better player who is, unfortunately, on a far inferior team…