Kevin Durant- Oklahoma City Thunder (Starter)
Kevin Durant is set to make his second All-Star appearance and his first career start. Although Durant is only 22 years old, he is one of the best scorers in the NBA (28.9 ppg). Durant is the unquestionable leader of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the young team is taking the NBA by storm.
Amidst all the trade rumors and off-the-court distractions, Carmelo Anthony is still having an All-Star season. ‘Melo may not be a member of the Denver Nuggets by the end of the month, but the All-Star weekend will allow him to escape from the trade talks for a few days.
Pau Gasol- Los Angeles Lakers
Pau Gasol will be playing in his fourth All-Star game and this year he will have the privilege to showcase his talents in front of the Staples Center crowd. Gasol will play along side his teammate Kobe Bryant, and both Lakers will surely appreciate their time off from basketball.
Tim Duncan- San Antonio Spurs
Tim Duncan has been selected to his 13th All-Star game, but he has not put up stellar numbers. Many people believed Duncan’s 2010-2011 statistics were not worthy of an All-Star selection, and that someone else should have been voted in. Nevertheless, “Mr. Fundamental” will be with the world’s greatest players.
Blake Griffin- Los Angeles Clippers
Blake Griffin is the lone rookie on the Western Conference All-Star team, and he has dazzled fans with his athletic plays and leaping abilities. Despite the Los Angeles Clippers’ poor record, the NBA coaches believed Griffin was one of the best players in the first half of the season.
Kevin Love- Minnesota Timberwolves
Kevin Love was neither voted in by the fans nor selected by the coaches. Instead, David Stern chose Love as the replacement player for the inured Yao Ming. Kevin Love has been absolutely amazing this season, and he is putting up historic numbers. Love once recorded 31 points and 31 rebounds in a single game, and this season he is averaging 18.1 ppg, 14.0 rpg and 2.2 apg.
Dirk Nowitzki- Dallas Mavericks
Dirk Nowitzki will play in his 10th NBA All-Star game as a result of his MVP-like season. Nowitzki has brought the Mavericks to the second seed in the Western Conference and they are expected to challenge the Lakers for a Finals bid. In the first half of the 2010-2011 season, Nowitzki put up 22.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg and 2.5 apg.