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It's hard to argue with any of the coaches' All-Star selections this year, but every year there are players who have no chance of appearing in the midseason classic who nevertheless have had a big part in their team's first-half success. Welcome to the second annual presentation of the All-Quasar Team, in honor of those celestial objects that emit massive amounts of energy and sometimes appear to be stars from a great distance but are not. (Astrophysicist hoop junkies, just roll with me.)
As scientific as the tag may be, the selection process is not. One player from every team above .500 (after Sunday's games) was picked. Players who have been maligned, unfairly or otherwise, get extra credit for switching from a negative to a positive influence. (Quasars, in the real world, are not that far away from being a black hole.) Efficiency in limited minutes also gets extra weight. In other words, if pressed, I can probably find a justification to counter any protest. Here goes:
|  | | Al Harrington is averaging 12 points and six rebounds a game for the Pacers. |
Al Harrington, Pacers. He's not quite the defender Ron Artest is, but he's a more versatile scorer and his effort and toughness have been just as indispensable -- without Indiana having to worry about him getting suspended or smashing the nearest video equipment.
Aaron Williams, Nets. He makes his living as a rebounder and a defender, but when he can give them a few baskets on putbacks and a couple of post-ups, the difference is dramatic. It's not scoring as much as scoring efficiently -- his shooting percentage in wins (45.6) is 10 percent better than in losses.
Cliff Robinson, Pistons. Nothing in his numbers reflects how valuable he is, but his team considers him a better on-the-ball defender than Ben Wallace, and he's among the top-five power forwards in assist/turnover ratio. Detroit's team-defense, share-the-ball-on-offense ethic starts here.
Tony Battie, Celtics. El Busto is giving Boston more than Vin Baker in the middle, particularly on defense. As effective in limited playing time as any undersized center in the league. He'll never be great, but he's better than the rep hung on him in Denver.
Toni Kukoc, Bucks. Michael Redd is another unsung cog in the Bucks' recent success, but the difference in Milwaukee's play with and without Kukoc is too pronounced to ignore. Maligned for being soft and fragile, his play-making skills free Ray Allen and Sam Cassell to indulge their score-first mentality. There's no question that he's a better fit than Big Dog.
Keith Van Horn, 76ers. Not to over-simplify, but the point differential for the Sixers and their opponents averages out to a half-point. Van Horn more than makes up for that when he's knocking down 3s and rebounding -- a lethal combination. He has scored and rebounded better in his career, but never with as much efficiency, grabbing more rebounds in less time and scoring with fewer shots. The Sixers are two games over .500 because he has given them more than he did the Nets last season. They are only two games over .500 because he hasn't given it often enough. Is that progress? It is for a guy whose rep was as bad as his after being run out of New Jersey.
Shawn Bradley, Mavericks. Despite being dominated by Yao Ming and relentlessly abused by coach/GM Don Nelson -- and to think ol' Nelly tried everything to get Bradley instead of CWebb in the 1993 draft -- he has been an integral part to the Mavs' wondrous start. He leads the league in shots blocked per 48 minutes (5.24), and although it defies his reputation, he is less foul prone than either Tim Duncan or Wallace as a shot-blocker.
|  | | Jim Jackson, left, has given the Kings' talented bench even more depth. |
Jim Jackson, Kings. His reputation as a cancer wherever he played overshadowed his basketball IQ. On a team packed with versatile backcourt talent, he has carved out a niche as a tough, physical defender (ahem, Hedo Turkoglu) who isn't afraid to knock down a tough shot (ahem, Doug Christie).
Stephen Jackson, Spurs. With Manu Ginobili hobbled by a bad ankle and Steve Smith hobbled by age, Jackson has been a welcome combination of slashing athleticism and perimeter shooting. As with Malik Rose, his camaraderie with Tim Duncan only heightens his value.
Zach Randolph, Blazers. His toughness in the post has allowed coach Mo Cheeks to be judicious with Arvydas Sabonis' minutes and flourish even without Rasheed Wallace.
Matt Harpring, Jazz. A repeat selection, mostly because he has brought the same qualities to Utah that he contributed in Philly -- bruising defense, smart off-the-ball play, efficient shooting. He's the most undersized and athletically limited small forward in the league, but he and the Nets' Richard Jefferson are the only perimeter players in the league's top 10 in field-goal percentage, and it's safe to say Jefferson gets a lot more recognition.
Rasho Nesterovic, Timberwolves. Completely overshadowed by KG, but he had a chance to show what he can do as a second/third option while Wally Szczerbiak was injured. Currently carrying career highs in every category.
Anfernee Hardaway, Suns. Yeah, Mr. Brittle is hurt again. But the Suns haven't been the same since he went down, going 6-7 after a 22-14 start with him. I doubt both Shawn Marion and Stephon Marbury would have been selected All-Stars without the fast start and his early contribution.
Kelvin Cato, Rockets. Kevin Willis once said teaching Cato was like trying to light a wet match, but he has learned how to get around older, slower would-be tutors. The Spurs trounced Houston last week while Cato logged 24 minutes for eight points and nine rebounds. One reason Willis lasted only five minutes was that he couldn't keep Kelvin off the glass. In any case, Cato has been the ideal backup for Yao, happily playing short minutes when the rookie is on and playing a bigger role when he struggles. Genuine knuckleheads are rarely this effective: He leads the league in rebounding efficiency per minute played over Ben Wallace.
Ric Bucher covers the NBA for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at ric.bucher@espnmag.com. Also, send a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.
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