David Lee: First Knick All-Star Since 2001?

Today, the 2009 NBA All-Star game reserves will be announced. This is significant as this may be the first time since 2001 that a member of the New York Knicks will be named to the team.

In 2001, the Knicks were still a contender and had a pair of All-Stars in Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell, both of whom were named to the 2001 Eastern Conference All-Star team. Ever since then, it's been dark for the Knicks on all accounts.

Aside from the team's obvious struggles on and off the court, there hasn't been many great players on the team in that time period, and therefore no All-Stars. Although, that hasn't discouraged the fans from believing some would make it. Time for a list of those who never made it:

• Stephon Marbury was supposed to be a great player for the team and win a lot of games when New York traded for him. We all know how that worked.
• When the team traded for Eddy Curry, he was going to be an All-Star center and finally live up to his potential. Total minutes played this year? Try three.
• Trading for Zach Randolph will surely propel the team over the top and give the team two All-Star big men, right? Wrong.
• Power forward Mike Sweetney (who was drafted over Josh Howard, David West, and Leandro Barbosa) had a game similar to Elton Brand and played well in college. So, after some early struggles, he will emerge as an All-Star player. Except he was traded in a deal for Eddy Curry and is out of the league now.
• Maciej Lampe was projected to be a lottery pick, and he was tall and European...like Dirk Nowitzki. The only problem is he was kind of awful.
• Channing Frye had a good rookie year and looked like a legit future All-Star...but confidence problems and bad coaching his sophomore season sent him to Portland.
• Frank Williams had a stretch of games in the 2003-04 season when he scored 18 points and had five assists consistently and Knick fans rejoiced! Here's our future All-Star guard: the glorious Frank Williams! No more need be said.
• Jerome James played well in a game one time! He should...OK, never mind. Not even the most wide-eyed and optimistic Knick fan expected Jerome James to be an All-Star.

Now, we are not here to dwell on the past struggles of the Knicks, but to look ahead to brighter times.

For those of you unaware, David Lee is the energetic, young power forward on the Knicks drafted at No. 30 in the 2005 draft. He was the MVP of the Rookie-Sophomore Game in his sophomore season, has career averages of 10 points and 8.5 rebounds, and has been one of the few bright spots on the Knicks in recent years.

This season, Lee is averaging a double-double with 15.7 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. He is currently second in the league in double-doubles with 33 behind Dwight Howard's 34.

Starting at both power forward and center in Mike D'Antoni's offense, Lee has developed an outside jumper that he never had in earlier years to make him a solid all-around threat on offense. He has stepped up as the Knicks' best and most consistent player in this transitional period that we call the 2008-09 NBA season.

The East has many deserving candidates this season. Danny Granger and Chris Bosh will likely make it as the reserve forwards (and rightfully so, they have played fantastic this season and deserve it). However, Lee could make it as the reserve center or wild-card. The center position is a bit weak in the Eastern Conference this year and Lee has done well at that position as well as power forward, so it's still possible.

Is Lee a lock to make the team? No. Is he likely to make it? Once again, probably not.

But then again, it's not out of the question. He is the closest Knick to make it since 2001. And not in a ridiculous way, either.