2010 All-Star Weekend.

Although All-Star weekend may be two months away, voting closes in about twenty-seven days, meaning if I want to sway readers and basketball fans alike to vote for the players I want, my time is running out. Because of this, and the fact that I myself just voted for the hundredth time, I will dedicate this blog post to constructing my perfect All-Star team, for both the East and the West.

West: Carmelo Anthony, Lamar Odom, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Nene.

East: Lebron James, Rashard Lewis, Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade and Dwight Howard.

Starting West...

Carmelo Anthony has started this season in an explosive fashion, so far this year leading the league in points total. His energy and motivation towards not only being the best player he can be, but towards improving his whole team in general is at an all time high, and his drive will only increase from here. He took the summer off to come back stronger, wiser and more talented, and if any one player deserves to go to Dallas, its him.

Lamar Odom may not be starting currently, but he is a solid player who almost always gets the job done. Having been in the league for ten years he brings experience to the table, as well as tricks of the trade he has acquired from playing with Kobe, and at 6'10 he has a size advantage, often crucial against opponents.

Kobe Bryant may not be my favorite player, as his personality sometimes gets under my skin, but lets face it, hes amazing, and not sending him this year would be downright ridiculous. Hes Kobe. Enough said.

Steve Nash, despite nearing thirty-six years of age, is still hot to trot. In fact, though I personally disagree, Jeff Van Gundy spent almost an entire quarter of a recent Suns game, proclaiming his desire for Nash to win MVP this year, something that is quite an honor. His shots are quick and to the point, his leadership is undeniable, and overall he is a joy to watch, so wouldn't you add him to your All-Star team?

Nene, to be honest, is more a personal pick than anything, but aside from liking him as a person, hes proven himself a great center both defensively and offensively. His shots are getting better game after game (so far averaging around 13 points a game) and at 6'11, its hard to mess with him.

Heading East...

Lebron James is king, and although again, like Kobe, his personality sometimes ticks me off, in terms of skill, players like him are what make me love the game of basketball as much as I do. He needs to be there, no ifs ands or buts about it.

Rashard Lewis has had a rocky start to this season due to his suspension, but since coming back, he has once again proved to be a shotmaker. Of course not every game of his is something to call home about but when hes hot, especially in terms of three point shots, hes on fire, and theres no stopping him.

Derrick Rose, last year's Rookie of the Year, may have fallen back a bit since last season, but recently his swag has come back, helping the Bulls, my precious Bulls, come up from their slup and start winning some games. In fact, he had 32 points, a career high for him, against the Atlanta Hawks just a few days ago, something that I'm sure will only motivate him to work harder. Its true that when it comes to him, I hold a personal bias, but its hard to argue with the fact that he is a true talent and is a joy to watch.

Dwyane Wade is one of my favorite players in the league and averaging almost 27 points a game so far this season, I see no reason as to why he shouldn't be voted. Hes a superstar, both off the court and on, and thats just the way it is.

Dwight Howard needs to work on his free-throws, but short of that, he really is superman. Lately hes been getting into some foul trouble, leading him to become frustrated during certain games which on occasion has impaired his game, but for the most part he goes hard and understands what he needs to do to get the win. It is also important to note though, especially when on the topic of All-Star weekend, that hes also a guy who knows how to have fun, and that balance is key.

Many of you may not care who ends up in Dallas, but seeing as I will be fortunate enough to see the events of All-Star weekend live from Texas, I do. Though of course I would prefer my All-Star dream teams to be the ones chosen, the important thing is that you vote in general. To do this go to www.nba.com and click on the "2010 All-Star Game" logo on the left side of the screen. You can vote daily but remember, theres only twenty-seven days left so don't put it off till the last minute! Make my trip a good one please :)