Every year there players we call “all-star snubs”.  Quality players that deserve to be an all-star, but for one reason or another are left off the final roster.  Usually this is because of fan voting, but this year the fans did a pretty good job with the starting fives.  That doesn’t mean that there wasn’t any all-star snubs though.  Here is my problem with the all-star teams this year.

EAST

My only problem with the East’s roster is Chris Bosh.  I feel like he made the team based on reputation alone.  I’ve watched plenty of Miami Heat games this year and Bosh has never stood out to me.  He is easily taken out of the game with a little physical play on the offensive end and doesn’t give you anything on defense.  And at 6’11, Bosh is a mediocre rebounder at best.

Problem is, with the East being short of talent who would you replace him with?  Bosh is averaging 18.5 ppg, 8.2 rpg and 1.8 apg on a very good Heat team.  How about rewarding one of the other top teams in the East?  The Boston Celtics can’t complain as their big 3 are going along with Rajon Rondo.  The Atlanta Hawks have their two legitimate all-stars heading to LA in Joe Johnson and Al Hortford and the Orlando Magic made a trade midseason to revamp their roster.

So what about the Chicago Bulls?  Going into tonight, the Bulls share the same record as the Heat, 20 games over at 34-14.  Derrick Rose was voted in as the starting point guard, but Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer have been a big part of their turn around.

Deng is averaging 17.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg and 4.6 apg along with a career best 35 percent from three.  He is playing excellent defense and already has a 40 point game in the books this year.  Boozer numbers are impressive as well (19.8 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 2.3 apg).  Boozer was injured in the beginning of the year, which I’m sure hurt his chances, but the Bulls have gone 25-7 since his return on Dec. 1

WEST

It’s hard to leave anyone off the West’s roster, but if I had to pick it would have to be either Manu Ginobili or Tim Duncan.  And with the San Antonio Spurs posting the best record in the league it’s hard to justify that decision, but I’m going to try anyways.

The All-Star Game is about the 12 best players from each conference playing against each other; it’s not like the MVP race.  Record shouldn’t have that much to do with it.  You could even replace Ginobili or Duncan with Tony Parker and no one would be complaining.

Kevin Love should have been a lock for the All-Star Game this season.  Love has been a beast for a lack of a better analogy.  Love is leading the league in rebounding at an outrageous 15.5 as an undersized forward.  He is also averaging 21.4 ppg, 2.5 apg and leading the Minnesota Timberwolves from 3 at 43 percent.

Take any of the Spurs big 3 off that team and they are still in the top 4 in the West, but take Love off the ‘Wolves and we may be talking about them in the same light as the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Other notable snubs in the West are Monta Ellis, LaMarcus Aldridge, Zach Randolph, and Lamar Odom.  If Ellis wasn’t in Golden State, someone would put up similar numbers as evident from last year.  Aldridge has a good argument putting up big numbers on a Trailblazer team that has been devastated with injures again.  Randolph is putting up similar numbers to Aldridge, but isn’t very liked around the league and Odom is Odom…the Lakers will always be Kobe’s team and no one is going to steal away his spotlight.