The NBA Western Conference All-Star Reserves feature a couple of old favorites leading their team in a renaissance season, a consistent producer throughout his career and a new crop of talent that has commanded the attention of fans everywhere in recent seasons.
Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs - Parker is having one of his best seasons ever, topping his previous career-highs with 20.7 points and 7.7 assists per game, a .400 three-point field goal percentage and and .824 mark from the free throw line. He's shooting .535 overall, which is his second-best in that category and is the fifth time he's made more than half his shots. The Spurs are 9-1 in their last ten games and have the NBA's best record. As a team, San Antonio averages 25 assists per game (best in the league) and is fourth with 104.3 points per contest.
Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder - Westbrook is having his third-straight 20-plus point per game average season, ranking second on the Thunder with 22.5 per contest. The point guard is at the helm of the league's second-best offense and picks up an average of eight assists a night. In addition to helpers, Westbrook leads his team in steals per game (2). OKC is second in the NBA standings.
Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs - Duncan has been a lead-by-example player for the Spurs for more than a decade now. His .505 shooting percentage is the fourth time in five years he's made more than half of his shots and the ninth time in his career. Tim has matched his previous high in three-point percentage (.400) and is shooting better than .800 from the free throw line of the first time ever. He's 0.3 rebounds per game away from averaging a double-double (which he hasn't accomplished since 2009-2010).
Zach Randolph, Memphis Grizzlies - Randolph has had 11 games with 15+ rebounds or more for the Grizzlies, including a 38-point, 22-rebound effort in a ten-point victory over the Phoenix Suns in early December. He also has a pair of 19-rebound games for the best second-place team in the Western Conference. Randolph is the current leading scorer on the team now that Rudy Gay has been traded.
LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers - Aldridge is averaging 21.2 points per game for the Trail Blazers and has career-highs in rebounds per game (9), assists per game (2.6), is tied for blocks per game (1.2) and commits fewer personal fouls than ever before (2.5 per game). He has 26 double-doubles this season, including a 30-point, 12-rebound performance in a December win versus the Raptors.
James Harden, Houston Rockets - Harden is the only Rockets all-star in the home exhibition game. He leads Houston with 26.1 points per game, and is second on the team in rebounds (4.8), assists (5.7) and steals (1.9) per game. He has career-bests in every offensive category except shooting percentage, three-point shooting percentage and personal fouls per game. Harden has scored 30 or more points 16 times, including 45 points in the second game of the season, a 109-102 beating of the Hawks. We also heard he was born with that beard. Maybe that last statement isn't true, but he's easily one of the most exciting players to watch in the NBA.
David Lee, Golden State Warriors - Lee is second on his team in points per game (19) and first in boards per game (10.8). In his eighth NBA season, he is shooting over .500 for the eighth time. This is his fourth year averaging a double-double, and he has 33 of them this year. He had 15 points and 20 rebounds on January 31 in a three-point win against the Dallas Mavericks. The Warriors are currently the sixth seed in the west.