Kobe Bryant, LeBron James: The NBA's All Star Game 2010 Part I

Brandon Ribak — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:16:40 -0500

It's never too early to get started on who deserves to compete in one of the most highly publicized events on television world-wide.

NBA Primetime ranks their top performers on the season thus far and lists the starting five and bench players for both conferences.

Eastern Conference

Starting Five

G- Dwyane Wade—Averaging 27.8 PPG 14 GP (fourth in league). A clear favorite in the starting lineup.

G- Vince Carter—Has helped bring Orlando to a 12-4 record (best in Eastern Conference), while averaging just under 20 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 2.3 APG.

F- LeBron James—Arguably the most elite player in the league, is there any doubt LJ won't make the starting five!?!

F- Josh Smith—An extreme underdog who probably won't make it into the starting five, but a player who is more than deserving of the opportunity.

C- Dwight Howard—The clear favorite at the center position, posting 17.3 PPG, 11.8 RPG, and 1.8 BPG.

Seven Bench Players

Joe Johnson- SG

Chris Bosh- PF (Will most likely make the starting five list)

Kevin Garnett- PF (If not Bosh, definitely KG)

Paul Pierce- SF

Rajon Rondo- PG

Andre Iguodala- SF

Danny Granger- SF

On the bubble bench players- Ray Allen- SG, Jamal Crawford- SG, Mo Williams- PG

Western Conference

Starting Five

G- Kobe Bryant—Leading the league with 30.1 PPG. Need I say more?

G- Steve Nash—Although CP3 will grab this spot, Nash is currently leading the league with 11.9 APG and is currently on the hottest team in the NBA.

F- Carmelo Anthony—If one athlete deserves to be in the starting five most it's Melo. No. 15 is posting a career-high 29.7 PPG, along with 6.1 RPG, 3.5 APG, and 1.7 SPG.

F- Dirk Nowitzki—Nowitki is averaging just under 27 PPG and 9 RPG, including 3 APG and 1.6 BPG, leading the Mavericks to a 11-4 record thus far (fourth in the West). He also scored 29 points in one quarter this season!

C- Andrew Bynum—Bynum is playing the best basketball of his career dropping 19.7 PPG, 10.9 RPG, and 1.7 BPG in 12 contests this season. On a team like LA, Bynum's inflated voting numbers should send him right into the starting five in the West.

Seven Bench Players

Click here to get sent to the full article at NBAPrimetime.com!

Read more Dwyane Wade news on BleacherReport.com

Orlando Magic Week Four Preview: Jameer Nelson Goes Down, Orlando Goes Up

Chad Waylon Pouncy — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:56:41 -0500

This past week was a busy one for the Orlando Magic, on and off the court. On Monday night, Orlando hosted the Charlotte Bobcats, who were led by their newly acquired SG Stephen Jackson. The Magic won the game 97-91, but lost their point guard in the process. Jameer Nelson underwent surgery on a torn meniscus in his left knee. He is expected to be out for to six weeks. Jason "White Chocolate" Williams replaces Nelson going forward. Williams has looked younger than he did two years ago in Miami. Orlando welcomed the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night and came away with an impressive 108-94 victory. Oklahoma City had previously beaten the Magic in a lopsided affair earlier this season. Friday night the Magic headed to Boston for a big matchup with the red-hot Celtics. Vince Carter exploded with a 26 point performance, leading Orlando to a 83-78 win. Riding the hot streak into Toronto on Sunday, the Magic had no trouble putting the Raptors away 104-96. Toronto fans booed Vince Carter and obviously haven't gotten over his departure in the 2004-05 season. Carter responded with 24 points, a game high. Vince Carter has been unstoppable in Jameer Nelson's absence, averaging 23.6 over the three games. The Orlando bench has also performed well, showing that there is no need for a desperation move to replace Nelson. An interesting note on the week, before the Thunder game, coach Stan Van Gundy asked why his team had lost their spirit. Dwight Howard responded by suggesting that Van Gundy's negative attitude is a bit much at times. Howard suggested a tad more positive reinforcement could help the team morale. Apparently the advice worked as Orlando has extended their win streak to five games. The week ahead will show how the team stands in the east as Orlando faces off with the impressive Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks. The game in Atlanta will be the first of seven road games in the following eight contests. Let's breakdown the four teams the Magic will face in the coming week.

Begin Slideshow

Bleacher Report - Dwyane Wade

Kobe Bryant, LeBron James: The NBA's All Star Game 2010 Part I

Orlando Magic Week Four Preview: Jameer Nelson Goes Down, Orlando Goes Up