carey
VVVV Saints Fan VVVV
Shaq in. No Nash, but I don't think anyone thought he'd be going this year.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3870364
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3870364
Hornets' West makes All-Star roster
By Marc Stein
New Orleans Hornets forward David West has been selected as a Western Conference reserve for the All-Star Game.
West
Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony, meanwhile, has been passed over by West coaches.
Guard Chauncey Billups is the Nuggets' sole representative, having led his hometown team to a 30-16 record after arriving in Denver from Detroit in a trade for Allen Iverson barely one week into the season.
West's somewhat unexpected addition to the West squad -- he's averaging 20 points a game for the Hornets but is taking in nearly two rebounds less than last season at a nightly average of 7.1 compared to 8.9 in 2007-08 -- which was announced Thursday on TNT with the rest of the reserves in each conference.
Anthony's candidacy was apparently impacted by the broken bone in his right hand that sidelined him for Denver's past 10 games and numbers that have dipped slightly to 21.1 points and 7.3 rebounds a game. Nuggets coach George Karl has said repeatedly that Anthony is doing less statistically but more overall for the Nuggets, who lead the Northwest Division and rank as one of the league's most improved teams.
Anthony, 24, was an All-Star in each of the past two seasons but has yet to be voted in by the coaches in his six-season career, earning one bid as an injury-replacement selection by NBA commissioner David Stern and getting voted in as a starter by the fans last season.
The other West reserves are include Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, the Lakers' Pau Gasol, San Antonio's Tony Parker, Portland's Brandon Roy and Phoenix's Shaquille O'Neal.
The Orlando Magic made out best in the East, with Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis picked as reserves by the conference's coaches alongside starter Dwight Howard. It's the first time Orlando has had three All-Stars.
"I was just anxious to find out," Nelson said. "I honestly don't get that way. But me hearing everywhere, 'You're an All-Star, you should be an All-Star, you're having an All-Star year.' So you just want to see if people will give you the respect that other people think you deserve."
The other East reserves include Eastern Conference Boston's Paul Pierce, Toronto's Chris Bosh, Atlanta's Joe Johnson, Indiana's Danny Granger and New Jersey's Devin Harris.