2012 NBA All-Star Game: Potential Replacements for Joe Johnson
The Eastern Conference roster for the 2012 NBA All-Star Game is set for a shake-up and (surprise, surprise) it has nothing to do with Jeremy Lin.
Rather, as reported by Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson is likely to skip out on the festivities in Orlando on account of a knee injury he suffered during Monday's loss to the Chicago Bulls.
"Hawks Joe Johnson is returning to ATL to have MRI on injured knee and will miss next 2 games. Looks like an AllStar no go probably now.
—Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) February 21, 2012
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Assuming Johnson isn't fit to play on Sunday, who's most likely to take his place with the East?
The obvious choice here is Johnson's Hawks teammate, Josh Smith.
The eighth-year veteran is enjoying perhaps the best year of his career thus far, with averages of 16 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.5 steals.
In other words, J-Smoove has taken his stat-sheet stuffing ways to the next level. What's more, you could make the argument (and many were) that Smith deserved a trip to Orlando even before Johnson went down with a bum knee.
If the coaches are smart, they'll reward this jack-of-all-trades with his first All-Star appearance.
Danny Granger
Should the Eastern Conference staff prefer a closer position-for-position swap, they'd do well to slot Danny Granger into Joe Johnson's spot.
Granger is the leading scorer for an up-and-coming Indiana Pacers squad, pouring in 18.3 points per night along with 4.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists.
Granted, Granger's numbers have been on the decline since he was last named an All-Star in 2009.
That being said, his stats are comparable to Johnson's, and if the coaches found it fitting to reward Roy Hibbert for Indy's success, then they certainly owe Granger, the team's long-time leader, a bit of love, too.
Brandon Jennings
One of these years, Brandon Jennings will be an All-Star, so why not get the ball rolling this year
Jennings is averaging a career-high 18.3 points to go with 5.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals for a Milwaukee Bucks team that, while a mere 13-19 and stuck in 10th place in the East, would surely be mired much closer to the bottom of the barrel were it not for their point guard's efforts.
If nothing else, Jennings' flashy style of play would be a perfect fit for the most glamorous exhibition game in basketball.
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