NBA All Star Game 2012 Rosters: Power Ranking Biggest Surprises

This year's NBA All-Star rosters may have had the most surprises in a long time, particularly in the East.

There is plenty of room for argument and plenty of reasons for NBA fans to be upset this year. A great deal of snubs deserved to make the All-Star reserves.

Whether it be one longtime All-Star getting too much credit, or one of the great point guards in the league getting robbed, we saw it all on Thursday.

Here's a look at the biggest surprises on the All-Star reserves.

Dirk Nowitzki In, Rudy Gay out

Apparently we've just taken a time machine back to last season.

Dirk Nowitzki was unquestionably a better player than Rudy Gay in 2011-2012, but he didn't deserve to make it over the Grizzlies' forward this season.

Aside from Nowitzki saying himself that he didn't deserve to make the All-Star team, he had averages of 17.8 points and 6.2 rebounds while shooting 46 percent from the field and 21 percent from three-point range.

Gay, on the other hand, has averaged 18.4 points and 6.7 rebounds (despite being a smaller player), while shooting 44 percent from the field and 35 percent from three-point range. He's also averaged 1.8 steals.

Nowitzki did not deserve to make the All-Star team this season.

Pau Gasol out

Not only has Pau Gasol averaged 16.4 points and 10.1 rebounds this season, he's done so amid numerous distractions. Head coach Mike Brown has been using him as a Lamar Odom-type player (ineffectively, I might add).

Gasol is not meant to be used on the high post all the time. He's Pau Gasol, not Lamar Odom. Despite this, he's still helped the Lakers post the second-best rebounding differential in the NBA and averaged 3.0 assists.

Tim Duncan out

I don't think Tim Duncan deserved to make the All-Star team this season, as he's obviously slowing down, but I did think he'd get the same treatment as Dirk Nowitzki.

Duncan is a 13-time All-Star and a four-time NBA champion. That kind of dominance generally earns you an All-Star selection regardless of how you're playing later on in your career.

Again, I didn't think Duncan deserved to make the team, but I figured he would be voted on based his reputation anyway.

Joe Johnson In, Josh Smith out

You have got to be kidding me with this selection.

Joe Johnson shot 43 percent from the field this season and he's not nearly the defensive player, or rebounder, that Josh Smith is.

Smith averaged at least 1.3 steals and 1.5 blocks for the sixth straight season—that's remarkable. He also shot 47 percent from the field.

This is the sixth straight season Johnson has been selected to the All-Star game. After this year, I'm beginning to think something's in the water.

Andre Iguodala in

Andre Iguodala has had one of the most efficient seasons of his career, but he also hasn't been a primary reason why the Philadelphia 76ers have jumped off to a great start.

In that sense, it's hard to call him an All-Star.

You could make the argument that both Louis Williams and Jrue Holiday have been more important players for the 76ers this season.

Rajon Rondo out

I know Rajon Rondo has missed time this season, but the reality is when he's on the floor he's dominant, both offensively and defensively.

We've seen plenty of players get on the All-Star reserves despite missed time throughout the years, so I don't see how Rondo is different.

In 16 games this season, Rondo has averaged 13.6 points, 9.8 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals as a point guard. He's also shooting 50 percent from the field.

With Rondo, it's about more than the numbers, though. He finds teammates so well on offense and his length makes him a pest for opposing guards on defense.