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By James Pettitt

On what is not a rare occasion, I am going to disagree with Bill Walton; NBA fans should no longer be allowed to pick the starters for the NBA All-Star game. Some of the results of this season's All-Star balloting, announced over the weekend, were illogical and even brought back memories of 1993-94 when BJ Armstrong was voted to start. As many as five of the starters in the mid-season classic would not be in that position if the NBA coaches were voting. Particularly disappointing is that this year's selections simply confirm the notion that fans elect the all-star starters on the basis of highlight dunks and past achievements, rather than on the basis of what has occurred this season.

Vince Carter: Vince has again enjoyed the honor of being the recipient of the most fan votes, an incredible achievement considering Vince's season. The Raptors are not winning, Vince is struggling and perhaps his best is behind him. Alternatively Ron Artest (17.5ppg and 3rd in the league in steals), playing for one of the best teams in the league, is shutting everyone down and is as valuable as any player in the Eastern Conference.

Allen Iverson/Tracy McGrady: The fans have determined that the East will not have a point-guard in their starting line-up. That is a shame, because the best guard in the East this season has been Baron Davis. Davis, 5th in points, 2nd in steals, has the Hornets in 4th place in the East, all without Jamal Mashburn. Baron should be starting ahead of both Tracy and Allen, whose teams are winning at a combined 34% clip. Still, perhaps Baron should not be too angry; he will be lot busier than Allen and Tracy in May.

Steve Francis: There is little doubt that this is the most questionable selection of the balloting. While Steve Francis is an extremely talented and likeable player, he should not be starting. Stevie Franchise, who has never played a playoff game, is having his least impressive season statistically (worse than his rookie season). Whether or not this can be blamed on Jeff Van Gundy's offense does not matter. Meanwhile, Sam Cassell, the point guard of the second winningest team in the league, outscores Steve by over 5 points, dishes an additional assist and commits one less turnover per game. Honestly, who should be starting?

While many observers and even some players don't care who selects the All Star team, I believe it is time for coaches to select the starters. Also worth considering is whether or not it makes sense to restrict voting to two guards, two forwards and one center. The categories players are put in are not always balanced, and actual teams don't always play guys per exact position. Regardless, the current voting system no longer results in the most deserving players having the honor of starting for their conferences. By the way, in the final voting results, Scottie Pippen beat Ron Artest, Carmelo Anthony beat Peja Stojakovic and Malik Rose got 194,661 votes.