That question should be on every Celtics fan's mind this week.
Reserves for the NBA All-Star Game will be announced Thursday and the C's have the chance to make a killing on the Eastern Conference's roster this year. The Celtics could send so many representatives to Dallas next month, they might as well have the East All-Stars decked out in green.
Kevin Garnett, despite missing a significant chunk of the first
half of the season with a knee injury, is ironically the only mortal
lock to be headed for Dallas. With nearly 2 million votes from the
fans, KG will start for the East at forward alongside LeBron James.
But how many other Celtics will make it? After the East's starting five, there are still seven more roster spots left open. On paper — and in a vacuum — you could say that any of the C's other four starters are at an All-Star level.
Kendrick Perkins is probably the most improved big man in the game over the past year, developing his game offensively and becoming an imposing force on the defensive end.
Paul Pierce has stepped up his game on offense as well, having one of the best shooting seasons of his career.
Ray Allen has been a staple of the All-Star game for a decade, making six straight squads and nine of the last 10.
Rajon Rondo is developing into a legitimate superstar — one of the game's best point guards.
But you can't let all five Celtics make it, can you? You have to have limits somewhere — even in the NBA.
At center, Perk will be hard-pressed to find a spot on the East's bench. Perk has blossomed into one of the East's best centers — but behind Dwight Howard, Perk probably wouldn't be the first off the East's bench –and how many centers would the team need? The best candidate to back up Howard is probably Al Horford, who's been a big part of Atlanta's rise to the East's elite. Beyond that, a couple of combo big men that can also play power forward — such as Chris Bosh or David Lee — will do the trick. Perk might be the odd man out.
At small forward, Pierce is a borderline call. He has the fans on his side — after LeBron, KG and Bosh, he ranked fourth in the East forward voting — but there are convincing cases to be made for Lee, Josh Smith and Danny Granger as well. Smith is another key cog in the Hawks' rise to the top, making him hard to be denied. Granger is ninth in the NBA in scoring, pouring in 23.5 points per game — how can someone turn him down? This one will be close, but in the end, Pierce's name, experience and leadership should make him a slight favorite. Expect him in Dallas.
At guard is where it really gets intriguing.
Allen and Rondo are both very compelling candidates and worthy All Stars. But Joe Johnson, the leader of those pesky Hawks, has to be guaranteed a spot. It's tough to make a case for three backup guards on a team that already has so many qualified forwards to make room for. When push comes to shove, we'll probably only see one of Allen or Rondo in Dallas.
So who makes it? Allen is the incumbent, with his long track record of making All-Star squads in past seasons. But who would you rather have — a 34-year-old shooter or a 23-year-old point guard with the athleticism, passing wizardry and defensive commitment to be one of the game's all-around best?
Rondo has become one of the best point guards in the NBA and in the East, you could make the case that he's the very best right now. It's about time he got some recognition for that.
It'll be tough to say goodbye to Ray Allen the All-Star. But times are changing, and the East's lineup should do what it can to keep up. The Celtics could very well have a Big Three at the All-Star Game next month — but it's not the three you'd expect. Say hello to the Celtics' biggest three this season — Garnett, Pierce, Rondo. The future is here.
