2009 NBA All-Star Game: The Inside Scoop

The 08-09 NBA season started less than a month ago and already fans from around the world are voting their favorite players into the All-Star game.

If you actually take a look at the ballot, there are a few players that should not be on the list. Although at least one player is put into the ballot from each team, here is a list of who should and should not be on the NBA All-Star ballot for the 2009 All-Star game.

Let's first take a look at the players that should not be on the ballot. (Besides the players that are injured and are still on the ballot, they obviously should not be on the All-Star team.)

Who Should Not Be: Eastern Conference

Yi Jianlian

Yi is averaging 9.7 points and 7.2 boards per game. Those are not All-Star numbers the last time I checked. There is no reason he should have been voted into the All-Star ballot. Yi is very popular in China and that is clearly how he got all his votes.

Luke Ridnour

Ridnour is nothing more than an average point guard in the NBA. He is putting up 10.09 points per game and six assists. His name should not be on the ballot.

Andres Nocioni

Nocioni is not even a starter this season for the Bulls. His numbers are average at best, with 10 points per game and five boards—not All-Star numbers.

Who Should Not Be: Western Conference

Nick Collison

Gary Payton announced on live TV that Nick Collison does not deserve to be in the NBA and his name is listed on the All-Star voting ballot. Collison has played nothing but horrendously this season and should not have his name on the All-Star ballot.

Michael Conley

Conley has struggled through the first month of the NBA season averaging 5.82 points with 4.09 assists. His numbers are horrible and he does not deserve to be on the list.

With five starters and seven bench players, here is the list of players who should be on the All-Star team.

Who Should Be: Eastern Conference

Starting Five

PG-Allen Iverson

SG-Dwyane Wade

SF-LeBron James

PF-Kevin Garnett

C-Dwight Howard

Bench

SG-Joe Johnson

PG-Derrick Rose

PG-Jose Calderon

PF-Chris Bosh

SF-Paul Pierce

C-Jermaine O'Neal

C-Rasheed Wallace

Who Should Be: Western Conference

Starting Five

PG-Chris Paul

SG-Kobe Bryant

SF-Andrei Kirilenko (Yes, AK47)

PF-Amare Stoudamire

C-Andris Biedrins (Yao will beat him because of all his fans back in China, but Biedrins deserves it!)

Bench

C-Al Jefferson

C-Yao Ming

SG-O.J. Mayo

SG-Brandon Roy

PG-Steve Nash

PF-Tim Duncan

PF-Dirk Nowitzki

Overview

It is pretty obnoxious that players like Nick Collison and Mike Conley are voted into the All-Star ballot. The NBA needs to change their rules so that only the elite players are voted into the ballot.

What do you think about everything? Comment!