Point Forward’s Eastern Conf. All-Stars

It’s ridiculous, of course, but the calendar says it’s time to select the NBA’s All-Stars, and we will abide by the calendar. So here are my picks, but first a few ground rules:

1. I’m choosing entire rosters as if the fan vote to select the starters (released last Thursday) never happened, and I’m following the NBA rules across the board. That means the five starters must come from the position-by-position groups on the official ballot, but that I get more leeway in choosing the reserves. In picking seven backups, coaches must select two guards, two forwards, one center and two “wild cards,” but the league gives them the freedom to designate a power forward as a center if they believe no player listed as a center on the ballot is worthy.

2. I’ve long been a believer that the All-Star Game should reward players excelling within the current season, but the lockout screws up that calculus a bit. We have only 25 games to work with, and though I’m still giving more weight to those games than past achievement, the limited schedule means we have to look with some skepticism at guys who have made a giant jump in this limited sample size. That also works against rookies, which matters in only one case.

The limited schedule also magnifies the importance of injuries. It’s hard to make an argument for a spot in the 2012 All-Star Game if you’ve missed nearly half the games your team has played in 2012.

3. As always, I’m looking for two-way players — guys who contribute on both ends. I’m not interested in sending no-defense, highlight-making machines to the All-Star Game just to entertain fans. If this is to be a meaningful honor that comes up later in judging a player’s career, we should reward the most deserving players.

With that out of the way, here is The Point Forward’s official Eastern Conference 12-man All-Star roster …

STARTERS

Chris Bosh deserves an All-Star spot alongside Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. (Heinz Kluetmeier/SI)

• G Derrick Rose, Bulls

• G Dwyane Wade, Heat

• F LeBron James, Heat

• F Chris Bosh, Heat

• C Dwight Howard, Magic

I trust we’re all in agreement on Rose, Wade, James and Howard? That leaves only the second forward spot, where Bosh gets the nod over the fans’ choice, Carmelo Anthony. We might as well address Anthony’s candidacy now: I can’t remember an All-Star decision I’ve grappled with more. Anthony is shooting 39.8 percent overall and 29.7 percent from three, numbers so bad they’d normally disqualify someone from All-Star consideration.

And Anthony remains a minus defender, with the same bad habits — lazy switching, losing track of his man on cuts and spot-up chances — that have plagued him everywhere.

PHOTOS: FANS’ 2012 ALL-STAR STARTER SELECTIONS

But those shooting numbers are misleading in some ways. Anthony is averaging career-highs in both assists per game and assist rate, and he deserves credit for trying a point-forward role without too big an increase in his turnovers; among all forwards, only LeBron James and Paul Pierce have assisted on a higher percentage of their teams’ baskets while on the floor. Anthony has made up for some of his poor shooting by earning 7.7 foul shots per game — the fifth-highest mark in the league. He remains an elite rebounder for his position, and rebounding is an important part of defense.

And the Knicks’ roster, lacking in point guards and reliable outside shooters, surely justifies some of Melo’s isolation shot-taking, especially since Amar’e Stoudemire struggled so badly up until the last week or so. New York’s options are limited, and Anthony’s presence forces defenses to overplay his side of the court, opening up space elsewhere.

In the end, the defensive limitations and shot-chucking have just been too much to justify an All-Star spot this season. Here’s the defining stat: Melo has attempted 144 shots out of isolation players, according to Synergy Sports. Only Kobe Bryant has attempted more. Melo has made a hideous 29.2 percent of those 144 shots, and when the percentages get that low, it’s clear the team would be best served by incorporating the rest of the roster, regardless of the talent level available. Melo is an offense-first player, and the Knicks rank 24th in points per possession.

As for Bosh, he is the steadiest two-way player among a flawed group of candidates for the second starting forward spot. He hasn’t been as explosive or consistent as Miami would probably like, but no other nominee brings the same combination of production, efficiency and defense.

RESERVES

Rajon Rondo has taken more shots without sacrificing the rest of his game. (Brian Babineau/NBAE/Getty Images)

• G Rajon Rondo, Celtics

Rondo is back in the Celtics’ lineup, and he has responded well to Boston’s request that he take on more of a scoring burden as the Big Three ages. Rondo is attempting more field goals than last season and (most importantly) more free throws than ever, and he has done so without sacrificing defense, rebounding or passing. He turns the ball over too often (a long-term, team-wide issue in Boston) and his shaky jump shot makes everything a bit tougher than it should be for Boston’s mediocre offense, but Rondo is one of game’s finest all-around guards.

• F Paul Pierce, Celtics

An astonishing switcheroo from Pierce, who began the season out of shape due to a heel injury and nonetheless continues to age better than Boston ever could have hoped. Pierce is sporting his highest PER of the Big Three era and by far the best assist numbers of his career. His pick-and-roll game propped up Boston’s offense while Rondo recovered from a wrist injury. Pierce is a consistently elite three-point shooter, he somehow still draws nearly seven free throws per 36 minutes, and now that he’s healthy again, Pierce is playing the same steady defense as usual.

• G Deron Williams, Nets

An incredible number: The Nets, with a much-mocked roster that lacks both its starting center and his presumed backup, rank 14th in the league in points per possession. A team with zero reliable wing talent has been average on offense, and much of the credit goes to Williams, logging heavy minutes, creating scoring chances from nothing and drawing attention with some of the best off-the-ball movement you’ll ever see from a point guard.

His shooting percentages are down (40.4 percent overall, 34 percent from deep) and his turnovers are up, but if you watch the Nets, you know how hard Williams must work for this crew of misfits to manufacture decent looks. He’s developed a nice pick-and-roll chemistry with Kris Humphries (a borderline All-Star candidate, by the way), and that play, combined with Williams’ individual skills and some nice three-point shooting, has turned the Nets into a functional scoring team.

• W/C Joe Johnson, Hawks

Warning: It gets very dicey for the final four reserve spots, with a dozen B-level candidates and no clear “A” players. Johnson remains the same basic player, but his much-improved three-point shooting, solid defense and turnover-free game have provided the steadying hand Atlanta has badly needed since Al Horford’s injury.

Johnson is never going to live up to his contract, and he still bogs down Atlanta’s offense with pound-the-ball isolation plays. But with Horford out, Jeff Teague developing in fits, a shaky bench and Josh Smith being Josh Smith, Johnson’s consistency and ability to create a decent mid-range look anytime he likes have been huge for a Hawks team exceeding expectations. Also huge: Johnson’s crunch-time scoring numbers. Wow.

THOMSEN: ALL-STARS SHOULD BE LESS ABOUT FLASH, MORE ABOUT WINS

Johnson gets the token Atlanta nod over Smith, who is having his usual fine season but continues to do things that make folks uncomfortable listing him as an All-Star. He is a fantastic two-way player, but he squanders too many Atlanta possessions by jacking up long jumpers he just cannot make at a league-average rate. And on defense, where he should be an every-night force, you’ll sometimes catch Smith doing his work too late — failing to box out because he’s sure he can just out-jump an opponent, or lingering straight-legged a bit too far from a scoring threat, confident he can close the gap later if need be. The Hawks would be dead without Smith, but I’m not quite comfortable giving him a spot in Orlando.

• C Tyson Chandler, Knicks

The Knicks have a legitimate All-Star, but it’s their defense-first dunk-machine of a center. Chandler is shooting a league-best 71 percent, and before you point out how that number stems from Chandler’s limited range, consider:

• Few 7-footers outside of Dwight Howard have the speed, leaping ability and athleticism to work as consistent pick-and-roll threats in the lane. In a funky way, Chandler is as much an offensive centerpiece in New York as Anthony. He draws attention just by cutting toward the rim, because opponents know what a devastating finisher he is. Howard might be the only other player in the league who could hit 71 percent of the shots Chandler is getting. Ask the Thunder if they’d like a big-man pick-and-roll threat on Chandler’s level.

• He remains one of the league’s very best offensive rebounders.

• Chandler is attempting a career-high 5.3 free throws per game, since teams must foul him to prevent easy buckets.

Chandler is the rare player who can be an offensive force without shooting or scoring much. And on defense, he has been everything New York wanted. One play from Saturday’s win over New Jersey typified what Chandler must do for the Knicks. He was guarding Shelden Williams during a pick-and-roll, and as Deron Williams dribbled around the pick, Chandler slid over to wall off the paint. Deron Williams passed off to Humphries, guarded by Stoudemire near the foul line.

Chandler knew right away Stoudemire was in trouble, wrong-footed, as is so often the case. As Humphries drove past Stoudemire, Chandler darted to the rim and rejected Humphries’ layup attempt. Stoudemire had already reached in and fouled Humphries, but this is the kind of tireless stuff Chandler is doing every night.

• W/C Roy Hibbert, Pacers

Hibbert is playing only 29.7 minutes per game, right at the line at which you might say, “Hey, shouldn’t an All-Star be playing more?!” Probably. But big men are a different species, and this is a different of season, so we’ll cut Hibbert some slack.

The big fella is having the best offensive season of his career, having moved his game toward the hoop and developed a refined arsenal of post moves with either hand. With Danny Granger’s uneven shooting and Darren Collison’s up-and-down play, the Hibbert post-up — with cutters zigzagging around him — has become the foundation of Indiana’s offense for stretches of every game. Hibbert is shooting 52 percent on post-up chances, making him one of the league’s dozen most efficient low-post guys, per Synergy Sports.

On defense, Hibbert’s slow-ish feet make him occasionally vulnerable on pick-and-roll plays, but he’s on point at times, and when he’s not, he knows how to compensate by using his length and shot-blocking.

• F Andre Iguodala, Sixers

Here’s one I don’t completely get: Why is there a groundswell of support for Luol Deng’s All-Star candidacy, but not one for Iguodala? The only reasonable answers: Deng shoots more often, he’s on national TV more, he plays with Derrick Rose and he seems like a very nice person.

Otherwise? You’re looking at two very nice players who should ideally be second or third options, contribute in lots of different ways and rank among the half-dozen best wing defenders on earth. Iguodala gets the nod in a very tough call because he’s been healthy all season, he continues to shut down almost any wing player who dares to try him and he must carry a heavier burden on offense than Deng. Rebounding and defense are a wash, and Iguodala is shooting better and getting to the line more often.

The difference comes in distributing, where Iguodala’s point-forward skills are the trump card. Iguodala has assisted on about 23 percent of Philly’s baskets while on the floor, trailing only James, Pierce, Anthony, Hedo Turkoglu and Boris Diaw among forwards. His ability to rebound and push the ball creates easy transition buckets for a Philly offense that needs them. Deng might able to do the same, but he doesn’t have to with Rose around.

The Sixers are built as an equal opportunity team with four reliable ball-handlers, but the model falls apart without Iguodala’s versatility and defense. The guy deserves his first All-Star nod.

SNUBS

Fans named Carmelo Anthony a starter, but his play lags. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images)

• Luol Deng (see above).

• Carmelo Anthony (see above).

• Josh Smith (see above).

• Greg Monroe, Pistons. The winner of the award for highest PER not to make this team — and likely the actual All-Star team. Monroe ranks 11th in the league in PER, and I’ve already written about his wonderful all-around offensive game. But the limitations of Detroit’s surrounding talent works to inflate those numbers, and Monroe is constantly confused and out of position on defense. That stuff will come with time — as will the All-Star berths.

• Kyrie Irving, Cavaliers. Having one of the finest rookie seasons in history, quite a feat, considering the lack of potent scorers around him. Very tough to leave out, but it’s hard to bestow such a high honor upon a rookie in this small of a sample size.

• Anderson Varejao, Cavaliers. An even tougher snub than Irving, in a way. Varejao is one of the NBA’s great defenders, and he leads the entire league in offensive rebounding rate. He has become a decent pick-and-roll threat, but he’s not quite on Chandler’s level in terms of working as a foundational offensive piece. A great, great player.

• Brandon Jennings, Bucks. The shooting numbers are up, but the assist numbers are still below where they should be — and very low for a high-usage point guard. Is that the next development?

• Ray Allen, Celtics. Oh, hey: Ray Allen is shooting 54 percent from three-point range and generally playing as if the lockout never happened. He also assumed a bit more of the ball-handling/passing burden with Rondo out and Pierce laboring, but he did not have the same success level with it as did Pierce. Allen’s turnovers are up and his field-goal attempts are down. He looks more like the fantastic complementary player he is.

• Kevin Garnett, Celtics. Boston is up to No. 2  in points allowed per possession after looking washed-up on defense for the first two weeks of the season. Garnett is still one of the finest defensive players alive, an absolute genius when it comes to angles, positioning and timing. Toss in the fact that he’s filling in capably at center, and this might be the most painful pseudo-snub of all, even if KG could use the time off. But Garnett, at this stage, just isn’t reliable night to night on offense, even if his mid-range game remains sound enough to rank him among the league’s dozen most efficient post-up scorers, per Synergy.

• Ryan Anderson, Magic. The league’s best three-point gunner is also an elite offensive rebounder, but that skill doesn’t translate to the defensive end, where Anderson is a neutral presence at best.

• Andrea Bargnani, Raptors. Was on track for a spot–likely Hibbert’s–until suffering a calf injury.