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Not everyone can be a star.

Article Excerpt
As a player once told me, "Everybody's an All-Star in November." Point taken--it sure is easy to righteously put forth the names of poor, under-appreciated players in the first month or two of the season. Now, though, it's time to take a long, hard look at the ballot. There are only 12 spots for each conference, and the rosters will be set next week. You want to put some young upstart on the team? Go ahead, but you'll knock off an established veteran. And when he comes around wanting to know why, well, you'll have some explaining to do.

There are rules to follow, too, which makes it tougher. The roster must be made up of five starters--two guards, two forwards and a center. Fans vote on the starting five, but I've assumed that duty here. Then there are seven reserves, chosen by the league's coaches--again, it's two guards, two forwards and a center, with two wild cards. Even with those restrictions in place, it's hard to believe that yours truly managed to construct a pair of All-Star rosters that left out the likes of Baron Davis, Steve Francis and Andrei Kirilenko. But I did. See for yourself.

East starters: Stephon Marbury, Knicks; Michael Redd, Bucks; Vince Carter, Raptors; Jermaine O'Neal, Pacers; Ben Wallace, Pistons.

The starting frontcourt for the East is pretty obvious. The backcourt is not so clear-cut. Marbury is a score-first point guard, but he has been a better set-up man since joining the Knicks. Redd is an even more abstract pick. He is a rare commodity in the East--he's the focus of his team's offense, but he can score without needing to...