It's kind of crazy to be thinking about selecting all-stars after the season is only 20 games old, but there are a lot of crazy things about this shortened season, so I guess we will just go with the flow.

A team's record, injuries, and the simple fact that coaches haven't seen everyone will make it difficult to have accurate selections, particularly for the coaches selecting the reserves. It's easy to look at winning teams and pick multiple players but in this case, I'll give the nod to one player on each team with the question, "would the team be performing as consistently without him?" For the fans, it's easy as the popularity contest rolls on regardless of the season.

-- Paul Jones, sportsnet.ca

We have asked our panel of experts who they think should start this year's NBA all-star game which will be played on Feb. 26 in Orlando. The game's starters will be officially announced on Feb. 2. On Tuesday, we will unveil our panel's picks for the Western Conference starters, but in the meantime, you can let us know who you think should be starting for the East by voting here.

	Guard	Guard	Forward	Forward	Centre
Michael Grange sportsnet.ca @michaelgrange	Derrick Rose	Joe Johnson	LeBron James	Chris Bosh	Dwight Howard
Paul Jones Sportsnet 590 The Fan @Paul__Jones	Derrick Rose	Joe Johnson	LeBron James	Carmelo Anthony	Dwight Howard
Kevin Nielsen sportsnet.ca @Kevin_H_Nielsen	Derrick Rose	Rajon Rondo	LeBron James	Josh Smith	Dwight Howard
Evan Rosser Sportsnet magazine	Derrick Rose	Dwyane Wade	LeBron James	Andrea Bargnani	Dwight Howard
Eric Smith Sportsnet 590 The Fan @Eric__Smith	Derrick Rose	Dwyane Wade	LeBron James	Josh Smith	Dwight Howard
Dave Zarum Sportsnet magazine @DaveZarum	Derrick Rose	Dwyane Wade	LeBron James	Chris Bosh	Dwight Howard

G - Derrick Rose (CHI): Best player on the East's best team = no-brainer.

G - Joe Johnson (ATL): Too easy to go for D-Wade here. Instead like the way JJ has carried the load with Horford out.

F - LeBron James (MIA): I kind of hope he gets his ring this year with a big 4th finish so we can get on with realizing how awesome a player he is.

F - Chris Bosh (MIA): Guy is taking advantage of Wade's injury absences and playing efficient, consistent basketball.

C - Dwight Howard (ORL): It's almost laughable how good a defensive rebounder he is; even more amazing given his shot-blocking.

G - Derrick Rose (CHI): He's the outright leader in Chicago. A good defender but offensively he can get to any spot on the floor he wants to get to and also makes teammates better. The Bulls have played well without him but are a really tough out with him healthy.

G - Joe Johnson (ATL): The popular pick here would be Dwyane Wade but in these eyes, while D-Wade is an all-star calibre player and the real heart of the Miami squad, he has missed too many games and his team has marched on without him. Johnson continues to be the main decisionmaker for the Hawks, who are second in the standings at the time of this writing. As well as others like Jeff Teague and particularly Josh Smith in the absence of Al Horford are playing, they would be lost without Johnson.

F - LeBron James (MIA): Even the fans will get this right. Ask all the questions you want but if he isn't in a class by himself from a skills standpoint, it sure doesn't take long to do roll call of the people that are in his class.

F - Carmelo Anthony (NY): I know what I said about winning a few lines earlier but there is an exception to every rule. The guy is on that list with James as one of the most skilled players in the NBA. While he sometimes stops the ball on offence, there is no denying that he can put it in the hole. Melo scores at 25 plus points per game clip, averages six to seven rebounds a contest and is amongst the top 10 in assists at the forward position.

C - Dwight Howard (ORL): He is the best centre in the East, and arguably the NBA. His presence on the inside at both ends of the floor changes the game. The Magic can bomb away from the outside because all their opponents are aware of "Superman" in the paint. On the defensive end, his shot blocking is a huge factor in protecting the rim.

G - Derrick Rose (CHI): Last season's MVP continues to dominate the league as Rose is among the league-leaders in both scoring (21.1) and assists (8.3) per game.

G - Rajon Rondo (BOS):Where would the Celtics be without Rondo at the helm? As Boston's Big 3 ages, people are starting to get more of an idea of how good he is.

F - LeBron James (MIA): As much as I would love to see another name here there James is clearly the best player in the game.

F - Josh Smith (ATL): The Hawks lost Al Horford for the season but haven't missed a beat dut to the stellar play of Smith and Jose Johnson.

C - Dwight Howard (ORL): Simply a man among boys in the paint, Howard leads the NBA in blocks and boards. He also chips in almost 20 points per game to boot.


G - Derrick Rose (CHI): Consistently performs the most impressive physical feats in a league that includes genetic anomalies Dwight Howard and LeBron James.

G - Dwyane Wade (MIA): Explosive scorer putting up good numbers despite injury.

F - LeBron James (MIA): 29.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 10,000 fast-break dunks per game.

F - Andrea Bargnani (TOR): Vastly improved on the boards and on D with two unstoppable offensive moves (up-and-under reverse layup and step-back jumper)

C - Dwight Howard (ORL): Hometown cyborg owns the paint and averages a 20-16.


G - Derrick Rose (CHI): In spite of the fact that he has battled his health issues thus far he's still the straw that stirs the drink in Chicago and the reigning MVP. Is there a better point guard in the league today? No chance.

G - Dwyane Wade (MIA): He gets this spot by default. Like Rose, Wade's health has been a serious issue. I'd consider Joe Johnson but I like Josh Smith's impact in Atlanta that much more (see below). Darren Collison and Jrue Holiday have been solid in Indiana and Philadelphia but they're not "starting guards in the All Star Game" in my eyes. Thus, I somewhat reluctantly default to Wade.

F - LeBron James (MIA): If he's not in your starting five you know nothing about basketball. The man-child continues to get better year after year -- if only he could carry that dominance into the Finals (I'm sure one day he will).

F - Josh Smith (ATL): - I've always believed that if he got his attitude right, Smith could be a dangerous four- or five-tool player in this league. Not only did he mature during the off-season but he developed his offensive game too and he has elevated his overall game even more in the absence of teammate Al Horford. Atlanta's record let's be slide Smith just ahead of Carmelo Anthony in New York (great individual stats but his team has been a big disappointment).

C - Dwight Howard (ORL): The drama of his trade desires have been swirling around Superman all season but he continues to dominate opponents. He is single-handedly keeping the Magic in the "elite" conversation in the East and despite what Shaquille O'Neal says, Howard is the best big man in the game today.


G - Derrick Rose (CHI): Like J-Kidd before him, Rose will be a fixture in the ASG starting lineup for years.

G - Dwyane Wade (MIA): Unquestioned leader of a perennial title contender, and one of the most electrifying players around.

F - LeBron James (MIA): Because...have you seen him play basketball?

F - Chris Bosh (MIA): Haters gon' hate, but finally looking comfortable in Heat offense and doing a good job of carrying the load while Wade has been out.

C - Dwight Howard (ORL): Narrowly edging out Zaza Pachulia and Andy Varejao.