2012 NBA All-Star Game: Players That Could Have Been All-Star Starters

The NBA has announced the starting lineups for the 2012 NBA All-Star game, and they didn't come with any surprises.

NBA superstars like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Blake Griffin fill out the All-Star starting lineups, which is in large part due to the fact that the NBA All-Star starters are selected merely by fan voting.

That's not saying that the 2012 All-Star starters didn't earn their spots, but there are players in the league who don't get nearly the attention they deserve, which results in them failing to earn the fan votes it takes to be an All-Star starter.

Ahead are players whose production this year could have earned them a starting spot in the 2012 All-Star game if voting was set up differently.   

Minnesota Timberwolves PF Kevin Love

2011-12 stats:  25.3 ppg, 13.6 rpg, 25.87 PER

There's no other player in the NBA that deserves a starting spot on an All-Star team more than Timberwolves power forward Kevin Love.  Love is dominating the NBA, grabbing double-doubles in 20 out of Minnesota's 22 games this season.

That's more double-doubles than Eastern Conference All-Star starter Dwight Howard, who's totaled 17 double-doubles on the year.  In addition to Love's double-double production, he's also one of the most versatile players in the league, being able to bang in the paint and step out and hit three-pointers at the same time.

Kevin Love will still undoubtedly make the Western Conference 2012 All-Star roster, earning his second straight All-Star appearance.  But there's no doubting that he's definitely played at a level that could have warranted a starting spot over power forward Blake Griffin or even center Andrew Bynum.   

Miami Heat PF Chris Bosh

2011-12 stats:  20.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 21.01 PER

The Heat's entire big three on the Eastern Conference All-Star roster?  

It could have happened by moving LeBron into Carmelo Anthony's starting spot, and then with Bosh replacing LeBron's empty power forward vacancy.  While it didn't happen, there's no doubt that it could have, mainly because Bosh is having one of the most efficient years of his career.

Chris Bosh is one of the main reasons why the Heat have been able to win games even without Dwyane Wade in the lineup.

Bosh even led a LeBron and Wade-less Heat team to a triple-overtime win over the same Atlanta Hawks team that had beaten them a few days before.  There's no doubt that Bosh has stepped up this season on the star-studded Heat roster.

I'd be shocked if Bosh doesn't at least make the Eastern Conference All-Star roster as a reserve, and I think his play thus far has even warranted a starting spot in the 2012 All-Star game.  

With the likes of LeBron and Wade on his team, Bosh might never be an All-Star starter as a member of the Heat, but that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve to be one.  

Utah Jazz C Al Jefferson

2011-12 stats:  18.5 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 1.6 blkpg, 22.01 PER

Utah Jazz center Al Jefferson is playing at an All-Star caliber this year, that's for sure.  He's even out-producing Western Conference All-Star starter, Andrew Bynum, in both points-per-game production and in overall PER rating.

Jefferson's dominant play at the center position for the Utah Jazz is one of the main reasons why they are above average this season in addition to being one of the biggest surprises of the young 2011-12 NBA season.  

Without a lot of other high-end talent on the Jazz's roster, Jefferson is finding ways to not only produce himself, but also make the players around him better.

I won't be surprised if Jefferson is left off the Western Conference All-Star roster because he's not necessarily a "big-name" player, but there's no doubt that his production warrants an All-Star spot, and even the starting nod over Andrew Bynum.  

If Jefferson played in Los Angeles he'd undoubtedly be the starting center for the Western Conference All-Star team.  

Oklahoma City Thunder PG Russell Westbrook

2011-12 stats:  21.9 ppg, 5.7 apg, 4.8 rpg, 23.04 PER

Russell Westbrook recently became one of the NBA's highest-paid players, signing an $80 million contract extension with the Thunder.  He's more than earned that money too, helping the Oklahoma City Thunder become one of the most dominant teams in the NBA in just four years in the league.

Westbrook brings a rare combination of athleticism, strength and speed to the point guard position, which is what makes him so dangerous.  I'm definitely not arguing here that Chris Paul didn't earn the starting spot on the Western Conference All-Star team, but you have to at least recognize that Westbrook is deserving of that spot too.

Westbrook is out-performing Paul in both rebounds per game and points per game, but the reason why Paul was named the starting point guard over Westbrook is that fans recognize just how important Paul is to his team.

Westbrook is going to have a hard time beating out Paul for the starting gig for the Western Conference All-Star team in the years to come, because Paul is a much more efficient player.  But one thing is for sure, and that is that if Westbrook is ever named an All-Star starter, he will definitely deserve it. 

Milwaukee Bucks G Brandon Jennings

2011-12 stats:  20.5 ppg, 5.6 apg, 3.3 rpg, 21.07 PER

No, I'm not saying that Brandon Jennings should have beaten out Derrick Rose as the Eastern Conference All-Star starter at the point guard position.  

Jennings should have beaten out Heat star Dwyane Wade to be named the 2012 All-Star starter at the shooting guard position.  Jennings has undoubtedly earned that kind of honor with his play this year.

All Jennings has done this season is average above 20 points per game while helping the Bucks sink the Miami Heat twice, en route to helping the Bucks remain relevant in a stacked Eastern Conference. 

Without star center Andrew Bogut, Brandon Jennings has seriously stepped up his game, shooting above 43.0 percent for the first time in his career, while playing at a more efficient and somewhat mature level.

Brandon Jennings has what it takes to be an All-Star in the NBA year in and year out, and hopefully his streak of All-Star appearances begins this year with a spot as a reserve on the Eastern Conference's roster.  

Jennings deserved the starting spot more than Dwyane Wade did, and if he continues to play like he has this year he might steal that spot from Wade in the years to come. 

Atlanta Hawks SF Josh Smith

2011-12 stats:  15.4 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 2.0 blkpg, 18.95 PER

This one is a little bit of a stretch, with Josh Smith never even making an All-Star roster as a reserve, but Smith is producing at an impressive rate this year, which has helped the Hawks overpower competition in the Eastern Conference.

The one thing that Smith is doing differently this year is playing with more efficiency than he ever has.

Smith is playing at a level this year, both offensively and defensively, that warrants serious All-Star consideration, which would result in his first All-Star appearance.  

Saying that Smith could be an All-Star this year is solely based on how valuable he is to a Hawks team that is without star Al Horford.  I know Smith isn't producing more than guys like Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony, but he might be more valuable to his than those players are to theirs.

While it seems like Josh Smith has been with the Hawks for the last 15 years, he's only been in the league eight years, and if he continues to improve, he will be an All-Star starter one day.  

Smith is a rare mix of size, speed and athleticism, the kind of combination that NBA All-Stars are made of.