With the 2013 NBA All-Star Game in Houston less than a week away, we glance at each starter and how he earned his spot on the team. We'll have a more in-depth look at them and the reserves later this week.
The Eastern Conference All-Star Team has a pair of teams represented with two starters in the lineup, with a couple new players tossed in (one because of an injury). The Miami Heat and Boston Celtics each have two representatives that were scheduled to be in the first lineup on the floor in Houston.
Dwayne Wade is second on the Heat in points, assists and steals per game, but it's hard to lead your team in any category when the most complete player in the NBA is on it.
Rajon Rondo was supposed to be a starting guard for the Eastern Conference All-Stars, but his partially torn ACL will sideline him for the rest of the season. Brooklyn Net Brook Lopez will take his place on the team. Lopez leads the Nets in points per game (18.9) and blocks per game (2.2). Either Kyrie Irving or Jrue Holiday will replace Rondo in the lineup as the only other guards on the East squad.
LeBron James leads the Heat in points, rebounds assists and steals per game. His Heat squad is in first place in the Eastern Conference, 2 1/2 games up on the New York Knicks.
Carmelo Anthony leads his New York Knicks team in points per game with 29 and is second on the squad in rebounds with 6.4 boards per game. The Knicks lead the Atlantic Division by 3 1/2 games.
Kevin Garnett and the Boston Celtics have had the definition of an up-and-down season and are currently just over .500 for the year after a season-high win streak was snapped. KG is second on his team in points per game with 15.2 and is the leader in rebounds, averaging 7.6 per game. He has the highest player efficiency rating (PER) of any Celtic at 19.5.
The Western Conference also has two teams with two players each in the starting lineup, all of which play in the same arena. It will be an LA-heavy slate in the home of the Rockets on Sunday.
Chris Paul is averaging 16.6 points per game with 9.5 assists and 2.6 steals each leading his team by landslides.The Los Angeles Clippers are having their best year in franchise history, and the Chris Paul trade was one of the biggest factors in turning the former perennial basement-dweller into a (most likely) long-term contender.
Kobe Bryant has changed his role with the Los Angeles Lakers during the most turbulent season for the team in recent memory. The purple and gold has been near .500 for a while but hasn't played consistently under either of the two head coaches it has had this season. Bryant leads the team in points scored per game (27.4) and is among the top three in almost every single other category, and he's playing a much larger factor into the team's defense under the current system.
Kevin Durant leads the NBA in scoring with 28.9 points per game, and his team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, led the league in record until a recent 9-1 burst by the San Antonio Spurs. Durant is second on his team in rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, and is trying to win the scoring title for the fourth year in a row.
Blake Griffin has the most magnetic personality on the Clippers and leads the team in scoring (18-4 points per game). He also leads the squad in rebounds and is second in assists. The artists no longer known as "the other LA team" are 20 games over .500 and have the third seed in the West by more than a handful of games.
Dwight Howard is the leading rebounder (11.7 per game) and shot-blocker (2.4 per game) for the Lakers despite his penchant for being in the limelight in good times and bad. The former Dunk Contest Champion notches 16.2 points per game on average.
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