This is just a really quick rookie ladder that’ll get updated as the season rages on.

Oct 17, 2012; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Victor Claver (18) battles for a loose ball with Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried (35) in the third quarter of the game at the Rose Garden. The Blazers won the game 97-80. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-US

Honorable Mentions: Miles Plumlee: F/C, Indiana Pacers; Arnett Moultrie: F, Philadelphia 76ers; Evan Fournier: G, Denver Nuggets; Moe Harkless (Hernia): F, Orlando Magic

25. Kendall Marshall: Point Guard, Phoenix Suns
Preseason Stats: 3.0 PPG, 3.3 APG, 2.3 RPG
Last 3: 8 pts, 2 ast vs. GSW; 5 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl vs. OKC; 4 ast vs. POR

Kendall Marshall can’t shoot, and that’s always a red flag for point guards. But he’s easily the best passer/playmaker in his draft class and has kept his assist-to-turnover ratio positive by making good decisions.

24. Victor Claver: Forward, Portland Trail Blazers
Preseason Stats: 3.6 PPG, 1.6 RPG
Last 3: 1 stl, 10 min vs. UTAH; 2 pts, 4 reb, 1 stl vs. GSW; 13 pts, 3 reb, 2 stl, 13 min vs. DEN

Victor Claver makes this list solely because of his performance against the Denver Nuggets. He’s been aggressive on defense and has shown an ability to score in a variety of ways.

If you don’t remember him, it’s probably because he was drafted all the way back in 2009.

23. Meyers Leonard: Center, Portland Trail Blazers
Preseason Stats: 6.4 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.0 BLKPG
Last 3: 8 pts, 4 reb, 1 blk vs. UTAH; 4 pts, 6 reb, 1 blk vs. GSW; 6 pts, 3 reb, 2 stl, 1 blk vs. DEN

Many argued that the Blazers should’ve gone with Tyler Zeller over Meyers Leonard at No. 11, but he does everything Portland needs. He gets into heavy foul trouble (just like Greg Oden), but Leonard has been active on defense, somewhat crashes the boards and is super athletic, especially off the pick-and-roll.

22. Austin Rivers: Guard, New Orleans Hornets
Preseason Stats: 7.3 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.0 APG
Last 3: 6 pts, 4 ast vs. MIA; 0 pts, 14 min vs. DAL; 11 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl vs. ATL

I’d go out on a limb and call Austin Rivers the least efficient player in this draft class, and I’m probably right. He took 59 shots in the preseason and only nailed sixteen (16) of them—that’s a droplet over 27 percent from the field over eight games.

What makes it worse is that coach Monty Williams is being extremely patient with him. Rivers has played more minutes than any guard drafted with him not named Damian Lillard and only has 7.3 points per game to show for it. He’s quickly falling down my power rankings, and if he doesn’t step it up, he’ll fall right out of it.

21. Terrence Ross: Shooting Guard, Toronto Raptors
Preseason Stats: 6.8 PPG, 1.8 RPG
Last 3: 10 pts, 2 stl vs. MEM; 2 pts, 5 min vs. NYK; 5 pts, 2 reb, 2 stl, 1 blk vs. DET 

I haven’t seen Terrence Ross play yet, but his stats have proven him to be more efficient than Austin Rivers in significantly less playing time.

20. Jeremy Lamb: Shooting Guard, Houston Rockets TRADED TO OKC
Preseason Stats: 6.2 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.3 APG
Last 3: 0 pts, 2 reb, 6 min vs. ORL; 5 pts, 3 ast vs. NOH; 2 pts, 1 stl, 12 min vs. MEM 

I love Jeremy Lamb in Oklahoma City. He gets to be on a winning team that will demand nothing but the absolute best from him. This is exactly what he needed for him to get out of his shooting funk.

19. Royce White: Forward, Houston Rockets
Preseason Stats: 2.3 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 1.0 APG
Last 3: 2 pts, 2 ast, 13 min vs. ORL; 7 pts, 3 reb, 1 blk vs. DAL

I’m probably the only guy who still has faith in Royce White, but he hasn’t gotten playing time to show his skills. He needs to somehow beat his anxiety disorder and travel with the team, but I think that, once he gets settled in, White will become the dominating player we saw at Iowa State.

18. Khris Middleton: Forward, Detroit Pistons
Preseason Stats: 6.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.0 APG
Last 4: 3 pts, 1 ast, 1 stl, 4 min vs. ATL; 5 pts, 3 reb, 10 min vs. MIA; 5 pts, 1 reb, 8 min vs. ORL; 11 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl vs. MIL

I’ve been so impressed with Khris Middleton’s ability to do so much in such a short bit of time. Lawrence Frank absolutely has to give this guy a solid spot in the rotation if he wants the Pistons to start turning the ship around.

17. Tyler Zeller: Center, Cleveland Cavaliers
Pre-Season Stats: 8.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG
Last 3: 13 pts, 7 reb, 1 blk, 1 stl vs. IND; 6 pts, 2 reb vs. PHI; 8 pts, 5 reb vs. ORL

Zeller hasn’t made much happen on defense, but we expected this. He’s a center that can pop out to around 15-18 feet and knock down jumpers. Great for Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters to have someone to dump the ball out to.

16. Dion Waiters: Guard, Cleveland Cavaliers
Preseason Stats: 8.6 PPG, 2.1 APG, 2.0 RPG
Last 3: 12 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl vs. IND; 5 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl vs. PHI; 8 pts, 2 ast vs. ORL

Not impressed with Dion Waiters one bit, especially since he skipped the line to get picked up third in the draft. They’ve given him every chance to show what he’s worth, and he still hasn’t lived up to the hype.

I didn’t watch much of him at Syracuse either, so here’s to hoping Cleveland didn’t blow it with their 2012 NBA Draft pick.

15. John Henson: Forward, Miilwaukee Bucks INJURED
Preseason Stats: 7.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.6 BLKPG
Last 3: 4 pts, 1 reb vs. CHI; 12 pts, 6 reb, 4 blk, 4 ast vs. DET; 6 pts, 7 reb, 1 blk vs. CLE

Henson looked so promising until he sprained his left knee. Hopefully he doesn’t lose any of that bounce he had when he gets back to the court.

14. Perry Jones III: Forward, Oklahoma City Thunder
Preseason Stats: 9.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG
Last 3: 2 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast vs. DAL; 14 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast vs. CHI; 4 pts, 2 reb, 1 stl vs. DEN

I haven’t seen Perry Jones play once this entire preseason, but the general consensus is that OKC got a steal for him late in the first round. I’ll come back next time with a better analysis after I’ve seen him play a few games.

13. Andre Drummond: Forward/Center, Detroit Pistons
Preseason Stats: 9.0 PPG, 5.9 RPG
Last 3: 13 pts, 10 reb, 2 blk vs. ATL; 2 reb, 9 min vs. MIN; 8 pts, 7 reb vs. CHA

People talk about Andre Drummond the same way they talk about Perry Jones. They can play at a high level if they feel like it. Their stats reflect that same mentality. Some games they put up monster numbers, and the next day, you can’t even find them on the court.

I do think, though, that Drummond will develop into the best center in this draft class.

12. Donatas Motiejunas: Forward-Center, Houston Rockets
Preseason Stats: 9.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG
Last 3: 12 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast vs. ORL; 8 pts, 5 ast, 1 blk vs. DAL; 16 pts, 8 reb vs. SAS

I almost forgot to include Motiejunas in this list because he was picked up in last year’s draft. I had him pegged as a sort of Dirk Nowitzki 2.0, but he’ll have to develop his jumper a lot more before earning that honor.

Motiejunas does many things well. He’ll have to bulk up to avoid getting shoved around down low, but his offensive game is so well-rounded, it more than compensates for his frame. Still, at seven feet and only 22-years old, the Lithuanian big man has a chance to become one of the better shooting bigs in the NBA.

11. Terrence Jones: Power Forward, Houston Rockets
Preseason Stats: 10.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.2 BLKPG
Last 3: 4 pts, 2 blk vs. ORL; 15 pts, 9 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk vs. NOH; 9 pts, 5 reb, 2 blk vs. MEM

Terrence Jones has been a great blue-collar type of player who’s getting his minutes by doing all the grunt work down low. I’d like to see him get a few more looks in the low post, though.

10. Jae Crowder: Forward, Dallas Mavericks
Preseason Stats: 11.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.875 STLPG, 1.6 APG
Last 3: 11 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 2 blk vs. CHA; 21 pts, 9 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl vs. OKC; 12 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk vs. NOH

Crowder made a name for himself as a do-it-all kind of guy in the Summer League, and has kept his reputation in tact. He’s rebounding better than some of the bigs drafted next to him and has been a better scorer than many of the bigger named guards picked up in the first round.

Talk about a steal for Dallas.

9. Thomas Robinson: Power Forward, Sacramento Kings
Preseason Stats: 7.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.2 STLPG
Last 3: 17 pts, 8 reb,1 stl vs. PHX; 6 pts, 4 reb vs. LAL; 8 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl vs. LAL

That is all.

8. Jonas Valanciunas: Center, Toronto Raptors
Preseason Stats: 8.3 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.8 BLKPG
Last 3: 15 pts, 7 reb, 1 stl 1 blk vs. MEM; 10 pts, 8 reb, 4 blk, 1 stl vs. MIL; 4 pts, 10 reb, 1 blk vs. NYK 

How many of you guys forgot that Toronto picked up Valanciunas in last year’s draft? He’s been a monster on the boards, and had a sick highlight where he had a monster dunk against the Wizards.

He’ll be a great piece to build around with Terrence Ross, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry.

7. Harrison Barnes: Small Forward, Golden State Warriors
Preseason Stats: 10.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG
Last 3: 16 pts, 7 reb, 1 stl vs. PHX; 9 pts, 3 reb vs. LAC; 6 pts, 1 ast vs. POR

Once Harrison Barnes learns to create for himself, he’ll be the best player in this draft. Barnes shoots well, can defend and gets out on breaks, but if there’s a defender in his face (like Nicolas Batum was for Portland), the ball is coming right out of his hands.

6. Jared Sullinger: Forward, Boston Celtics
Preseason Stats: 10.9 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 
Last 3: 11 pts,6 reb vs. PHI; 10 pts, 8 reb, 1 stl vs. NYK; 12 pts, 6 reb vs. BKN

I was a HUGE Sully fan back when he was at Ohio State, and seeing him destroy all the teams that passed up on him brings nothing but endless joy to my life.

Sullinger’s showed every facet of his game: He’s shot the ball well, posted up and crashed the boards. He’s not an athlete or a shot blocker, but Boston doesn’t need him to be. He’s filling the role of a stretch four very well.

Oct 24, 2012; Uniondale, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets power forward Andray Blatche (0) fouls New York Knicks small forward Chris Copeland (14) at the net during the second quarter at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE

5. Chris Copeland: Forward, New York Knicks
Preseason Stats: 15.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG
Last 3: 16 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast vs. BKN; 15 pts vs. PHI; 34 pts, 6 reb, 2 stl vs. BOS

Here’s a guy who nobody knew about that came to arguably the biggest market of them all and hijacked the spotlight. The guy’s a 28-year old rookie that defied the odds and made the N.Y. Knicks’ jam-packed roster.

Chris Copeland can fill it up, but like many of the Knicks on the roster, he struggles defensively. With Amar’e Stoudemire out for a couple weeks recovering from a knee injury, we might get an early dosage of Copeland in our diets.

October 19, 2012; Orlando FL, USA; Indiana Pacers center Luke Nevill (26) and power forward Miles Plumlee (13) defend Orlando Magic power forward Andrew Nicholson (44) during the second half at Amway Center. Orlando Magic defeated the Indiana Pacers 112-96. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

4. Andrew Nicholson: Power Forward, Orlando Magic
Preseason Stats: 10.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.14 BLKPG
Last 3: 5 pts, 7 reb vs. HOU; 5 pts, 6 reb, 1 stl vs. MEM; 18 pts, 2 blk vs. SAS

I don’t know much about Andrew Nicholson, but he’s been great at helping Orlando forget about Dwight Howard. Especially after that 18-point outburst against San Antonio, he and Jameer Nelson will become best friends once he gets set in the rotation.

Oct 15, 2012; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) shoots over Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

3. Bradley Beal: Guard, Washington Wizards
Preseason Stats: 11.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 2.5 APG
Last 3: 0 pts, 19 min vs. SAS; 9 pts, 4 reb, 3 stl, ast vs. MIA; 10 pts, 4 reb vs. MIL

Brad Beal’s been in attack mode all preseason long which is exactly what John Wallneeds to help get the Wizards back to being relevant in the NBA.

The young Ray Allen comparisons were a bit too extreme, but Beal’s got a cocked-and-loaded rifle that he’s unafraid to fire. Playing next to Wall, he should get plenty of open looks.

Oct 22, 2012; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard (0) speaks with Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts during a break in the third quarter of the game at the Rose Garden. The Blazers won the game 120-114. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-US PRESSWIRE

2. Damian Lillard: Point Guard, Portland Trail Blazers
Preseason Stats: 16.2 PPG, 5.8 APG, 2.5 RPG
Last 3: 12 pts, 5 ast vs. UTAH; 21 pts, 8 ast, 4 reb, 2 stl vs. UTAH; 15 pts, 7 ast vs. GSW

There have been a few menial rookie mistakes here and there, but Damian Lillard has been all that AND a bag of chips (yes, I went there) for the Portland Trail Blazers.

He’s a bit prone to turning the ball over, but Lillard’s shown a poise in running this Blazers team that no other rookie in the draft class has. He can shoot the three, but more importantly, he’s been great at running the pick-and-pop with LaMarcus Aldridge and dumping the ball out at the perfect moment.

Damian Lillard for president, anyone?

Oct 26, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; New Orleans Hornets power forward Anthony Davis (23) shoots over Miami Heat power forward Udonis Haslem (40) during the second half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

1. Anthony Davis: Power Forward, New Orleans Hornets
Preseason Stats: 14.9 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 1.57 BLKPG
Last 3: 24 pts, 11 reb, 3 stl, 1 blk vs. MIA; 13 pts, 8 reb, 2 stl, 3 blk vs. HOU; 6 pts, 17 reb, 2 blk vs. DAL

We knew he’d make some noise in the NBA once he was selected to travel with Team USA, but Anthony Davis has lived up to and exceeded the hype that latches itself onto a No. 1 overall pick.

The Brow has been incredibly efficient, as any big man should be, but has also shown the ability to help from the weak side and close out on shooters on the wing.

While Lillard will give him a run for his money, Davis is looking like the clear front-runner for the 2013 Rookie of the Year Award.

	Player	Pos.	Team	PER	Chg
1.	Anthony Davis	PF	NOH	16.43
2.	Damian Lillard	PG	POR	14.50
3.	Bradley Beal	G	WSH	10.12
4.	Andrew Nicholson	PF	ORL	9.86
5.	Chris Copeland	F	NYK	11.67
6.	Jared Sullinger	PF	BOS	14.12
7.	Harrison Barnes	F	GSW	8.88	—
8.	Jonas Valanciunas	F/C	TOR	11.83
9.	Thomas Robinson	PF	SAC	9.17	—
10.	Jae Crowder	G/F	DAL	13.88
11.	Terrence Jones	PF	HOU	10.83
12.	Donatas Motiejunas	F/C	HOU	9.83
12,	Andre Drummond	PF/C	DET	12.83	—
13.	Perry Jones III	F	OKC	10.00
14.	John Henson	PF	MIL	9.00
16.	Dion Waiters	G	CLE	5.14
17.	Tyler Zeller	PF/C	CLE	9.71	—
18.	Khris Middleton	G/F	DET	7.00
19.	Royce White	F	HOU	1.25
20.	Jeremy Lamb	G	OKC	7.50	—
21.	Terrence Ross	G/F	TOR	5.2
22.	Austin Rivers	G	NOH	5.86
23.	Meyers Leonard	C	POR	9.57	—
24.	Victor Claver	F	POR	3.8
25.	Kendall Marshall	PG	PHX	4.75

Any questions, comments,or concerns? Leave ‘em below, and I’ll be sure to address them!

Thanks for reading.

@BriscoXCI | KrisWinfield@gmail.com

May 3, 2010; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns forward (1) Amare Stoudemire celebrates a shot with guard (13) Steve Nash against the San Antonio Spurs in game one in the western conference semifinals of the 2010 NBA playoffs at the US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Spurs 111-102. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

With the free agency period drawing nearer and nearer, one of the most highly-coveted guards on the market, Steve Nash, is weighing his multitude of options, one of which are the New York Knicks.

Nash, 38, is a sure-fire, first-ballot Hall-of-Fame point guard. A member of the impossible to join 50-40-90 club, the Canadian waiter has shot over 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three and 90 percent from the free throw line four times in five years in his career with the Phoenix Suns, flirting around with those same percentages every year of his career.

Just for some perspective, the only other players to reach that milestone in NBA History are Larry Bird (2), Mark Price (1), Reggie Miller (1) and Dirk Nowitzki (1) with Nash reaching it the most times.

But unlike Nowitzki and Bird, Nash has yet to attain an NBA Championship, let alone the NBA Finals. The closest he’s been to grandest stage is the Western Conference Finals, where the Suns have fallen to Kobe Bryant the Lakers twice (2010 and 2005).

Now that he’s closing in on the end of his career, Nash wants that very thing that separates the greats from the immortal, and many believe that he can achieve that very goal playing alongside Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler with the New York Knicks.

Steve Nash and the Knicks are popping up in every magazine.

Apr 14, 2012; San Antonio, TX, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash (13) shoots during the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at the AT

He told SLAM Online:  ”I would consider the Knicks. Amar’e actually called me to tell me about his engagement a couple weeks back, and we talked a bit about how nice it’d be to play together again.”

If there’s any reason why Nash wouldn’t sign with the Knicks, it’s monetary. New York can only offer him the mid-level exception of $5 million, and Phoenix could offer him much more, if not match last year’s contract of $10 million. In addition, Nash was close friends with coach Mike D’Antoni who was, justifiably, forced out of New York.

ESPN New York’s Mark Mazzeo reported:

Nash said he worries about the possibility of taking less money to play for a team he believes is a contender, only for one of its top players to be injured — or worse, for him to be traded.

“I have to be really careful and make a sound decision,” Nash said.

Yet in the same interview, Nash told Mazzeo:

“I wouldn’t have any fear of the fans maybe having a love affair with Jeremy [Lin]. … I think it’s great. … That doesn’t really bother me.”

The bottom line?

No one knows whether he will or won’t sign with the Knicks at the mid-level exception, but he’d revitalize Stoudemire for sure.

STAT looked like his old, All-Star self running the pick-and-roll with Jeremy Lin before they both went down with injuries, and Nash is arguably the best pick-and-roll guard in the NBA. They ran it 100 times/game in Phoenix under D’Antoni and it would re-spark a flame that was put out when Stoudemire left for New York.

Throw in an athletic defender in Tyson Chandler, who ran his own pick-and-roll game back in Charlotte with the Hornets, and you’ve got a starting five that can put up 80 points every night. Include Iman Shumpert off the bench, who’s looking at a six to eight month timetable for his return to the court after a torn ACL (smack in the middle of the season), Jeremy Lin and  Steve Novak, whose Bird Rights the Knicks recovered after the arbitrator ruled in their favor, with Jared Jeffries and you’ve got a solid eight-man rotation to wreak havoc amongst the league.

Jan. 7 2011; Phoenix, AZ, USA; New York Knicks forward Amar

Would they be able to compete with the HEAT? I don’t know.

But one thing’s for sure. They wouldn’t meet them in the first round ever again, and Nash surely wouldn’t allow them to get swept.

The other teams that are “in the race” to land Nash, according to SportsNet’s Eric Smith, are the Portland Trail Blazers, Toronto Raptors and Phoenix Suns, but championship odds with the Knicks are much greater.

But at the end of it all, Steve Nash knows what he wants.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal’s Jason Gay, Nash said:

“I’m open to every team that has interest in me. … I have to weigh it up with family, salary, environment, opportunity to win—all these different factors that are in a big pot, and figure out what’s best.”

“Maybe it will be Phoenix or another team that’s kind of a project. Or maybe it’s a team that’s on the cusp.”

“I’m completely open to it. … In some ways, it’d be great to play for the Knicks. I don’t want to, you know, set off any alarm bells right now, but it’d be a great opportunity. It’s a franchise I’d love to play for. It’s a city I love, obviously, living here the last 10 summers…I would definitely consider it, if they had interest in me.”

The interest is there, Steve. Now the ball’s in your court.

One of the most intriguing stories in sports so far in 2011 is the NHL’s break with tradition in the assembling of its All-Star teams. Rather than leave the rosters up to popular vote and coach selection, the league opted instead to have the two teams selected by a pair of captains. This idea has been near-universally praised, as it should be: in addition to mixing up the rosters and not limiting it to conferences, it opens up a whole new level of potential “he snubbed me on the All-Star team, I’m killing him in our playoff series” drama. Needless to say, the NBA adopting a similar system for picking its All-Star teams would be a win-win. Andrew Lynch, the lead blogger for FanSided’s excellent Phoenix Suns site Sun ‘n’ Gun, felt the same way, and he and I spent a good 45 minutes last Friday throwing out hypothetical All-Star draft scenarios over Twitter. We decided to sit down and hammer out a mock draft, with LeBron James (played by me) and Kobe Bryant (played by Andrew) as the two team captains. Enjoy:

Sean:

The top two vote-getters were Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard. Dwight, however, ceded his team-captain spot to LeBron James, saying in a statement only he could get away with making: “Everyone knows LeBron’s the King of Decision-making. Besides, I’ve got a feeling I know who he’s going to pick first.”

LeBron won the coin flip and was awarded the first overall pick. Although the speculation was that he would, in fact, take Howard first, he ended up playing it safe and taking superstar teammate Dwyane Wade. They’ve already gone through the “can they share the ball?” media cycle once this season, and he doesn’t want to start that up again.

In his own sign of solidarity, Kobe took the most productive Spaniard he’s ever played with, Pau Gasol. In a game where he’d be without the security of the triangle, Kobe wanted a player with whom he was familiar and who would crash the boards and play defense.Why didn’t Kobe take Dwight and throw off LeBron’s plans? Kobe, when asked, merely insinuated that he’d beaten Howard once before and would have no problem doing so again.

LeBron figured Kobe would, like him, take his own right-hand man first, and so took Dwight Howard second, as expected. Given the hit in popularity LeBron took this summer post-Decision, he figured he could do worse than to take the superstar who is his polar opposite in public approval and likability. That, and it’s Dwight Howard. Taking him high in a draft like this is usually a good call anyway.

Up to this point, the name of the draft game had been loyalty, but Kobe wouldn’t miss an opportunity to take advantage of a betrayed teammate and to drive a wedge in between the Heat’s Big 3. In continuing with his infatuation with tall, long players that could get him plenty of rebounds, Kobe selected Chris Bosh, hoping that the slight by Team LeBron would fuel Bosh like ladies-of-the-night make a Charlie Sheen binge run on all cylinders.

In a (supposedly) completely unintentional follow-up to Kobe’s Bosh pick, LeBron inadvertently gives PTI two weeks of material by taking Kevin Durant, implicitly agreeing with KD’s “fake tough guy” assessment of his teammate. When asked about this, LeBron insisted that he didn’t know what “fake tough guy” meant until someone told him.

Anything LeBron can do, Kobe can do better – especially when it comes to drawing media (and triple-team) attention. They said it could never happen. But in a scenario where Kobe has to win one game in order to save us from the aliens, Bob Ryan style – that is what this game is for, right? – he selects Kevin Garnett. In taking cheap shots at the Suns, Kobe sees in KG the reflection of a true warrior, like himself, and a man who can show Durant and Howard that there’s nothing to smile about on a basketball court. Kobe taking a Celtic? Forget whether or not he’s clutch – we’ll be talking about this one until Kornheiser makes another “skirt” comment.

LeBron would be ridiculous as the point guard on this team, but we’re all well aware that he doesn’t want to play the position. So it comes as no surprise that he selects close friend and fellow CAA client Chris Paul next.

As it so often goes in picking teams, Kobe responds in kind by selecting a point guard. Given what he’s doing in Chicago and the current play of Deron Williams and the Jazz, Kobe takes Derrick Rose to set up his harder-than-necessary shot selection.

LeBron’s next pick is a can’t-miss from a storyline standpoint as well as a from a basketball one. He knows all too well that Kobe’s squad will be the crowd favorite given that this year’s game is being held in his house, so he takes the city’s other hot commodity, Blake Griffin. LeBron and/or CP3 throwing lobs to Griffin. Think about that for a minute. You’re already in love with this All-Star-draft concept.

Kobe Bryant cares not for your foolish, misguided notions of entertainment. Kobe bathes in the blood of the vanquished, sustains on the hearts of orphans and seeps wins from every one of his pores. Count. The. Rings. Kobe simply wants to win this game, carry LeBron’s head home on a pike, and carry his precious conch onto the NBA Finals. And what better way to prepare for a war than to recruit a German? Kobe takes Dirk Nowitzki for his defense and spacing of the floor – and besides, someone on this team is going to need to be an effective clutch shooter.

In selecting Russell Westbrook next, LeBron both fills the need for a backup point guard on his squad (all but guaranteeing he won’t have to play it himself), and reunites Kevin Durant with his most trusted teammate. This opens up all kinds of possibilities for trotting out the Oklahoma City tandem in the second unit, which is just absurd.

And now, Kobe is angry. He’s going to need a backup point guard of his own, and he knows who he should pick. But can Kobe really take another Celtic in Rajon Rondo – particularly one who may or may not have beef with his first point guard, Derrick Rose? For now, the answer is a resounding “no,” but Kobe makes things interesting by taking another Laker, Lamar Odom. How will 3 Lakers and 1 Celtic get along? From a basketball standpoint, I’d say “wonderfully.”

LeBron is faced with a dilemma: he, like Kobe, is well aware that the correct pick there would have been Rondo, and is tempted to take him himself. But he also knows all too well that pairing him with any Celtic will drudge up ghosts of the “did LeBron quit in the semifinals?” storyline. Besides, he’s already got two elite point guards. He opts instead for Amar’e Stoudemire, who is having a monster year in New York.

It’s simple math from here, folks. A 1 negates a 1, and 3 > 2. Now that he has three Lakers on his team, Kobe feels leagues more comfortable selecting another Celtic, especially one that plays defense as well as Rondo. In the breaking of the seventh seal and the heralding of the Apocalypse, Kobe takes his second Celtic in Rajon Rondo. Expect hellfire and brimstone, with a touch of smog, at Staples Center.

Kobe may have undercut the Heatles’ ability to play together in this game, but LeBron wants to give buddy Carmelo Anthony a taste of what it would be like to play with Amare Stoudemire. Or at least, that’s how the media will inevitably portray it. Asked about this, LeBron declined to comment, saying that just as Melo must do what’s best for his family, he wanted to do what was best for his team.

Let’s not kid ourselves – Kobe would play all 48 minutes in this game if he could. And a younger Kobe might be able to keep up the intensity required by this bout for four full quarters, but he no longer has that energy. In order to give himself approximately 4 minutes of rest, Kobe selects Manu Ginobili, as his team takes on a very foreign flair.

Likewise, LeBron realizes he needs to give Wade a real backup. While he considered playing it safe and taking Ray Allen, he ultimately decided to go with a semi-sleeper, Houston’s Kevin Martin, quietly having a terrific season.

With 2 point guards and 2 shooting guards, Kobe continues with his philosophy of big, long players that can score effectively, play excellent defense, and get rebounds. Kobe takes the most under-appreciated player in the league, Al Horford.

LeBron decides to counter Kobe’s selection of another big man by going small, taking another high-volume scorer, Monta Ellis, to bring off the bench.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer – particularly when you’re trying to win the most prestigious basketball exhibition game in history. Few are more familiar with the prowess of the Celtics and the Spurs than Kobe, and he shows his respect for the silver and black by selecting Tim Duncan to anchor the lineup when the team absolutely needs a stop.

With his last pick, LeBron selects LaMarcus Aldridge, mostly because I want to break character for a minute and make a last-ditch plea for why he deserves the nod on the West squad. Kevin Love may have the gaudy rebounding averages, but Aldridge is almost singlehandedly keeping Portland in the playoff hunt with Brandon Roy out.

Kobe is fairly content with his roster of bigs with a few guards scattered in, but he understands that a combo guard could go a long way toward making or breaking his success in this game. With the final selection of the 2011 All Star Game draft, Kobe picks a man who handle the rock, dish assists, and shoot a high percentage from anywhere on the court: Steve Nash. (What? You didn’t expect me to be completely unbiased, did you?)