Rondo, Garnett To Start All-Star Game. Pierce To Join The Party?

 

Well, it doesn't exactly qualify as the proverbial "worst kept secret," but it IS just a teensy bit anticlimactic.

Still, the fact that Kevin Garnett at age 36 (37 in May!) was voted in as a starter for the 15th time is pretty incredible. With all of the young frontcourt players out there, this is a pretty special selection. And, it shows just what a dominant player he continues to be -- at least in the voting public's eyes.

Rajon Rondo getting the starters' vote is something of a different kind of special. He's been in The Big Showcase three times already, but never as a starter. With the glut of starring guards in the NBA and the East in particular, this selection will most assuredly announce to the basketball world outside of Boston that Rajon Rondo has truly arrived.

In the new format for the All-Star starter selection process, voters were allowed to choose three Frontcourt players and two Backcourt players to start. Garnett came in as the third-highest vote-getting Eastern
Frontcourt player:

LeBron James (Mia) 1,583,646
Carmelo Anthony (NYK) 1,460,950
Kevin Garnett (Bos) 553,222

Rondo was voted in behind only Heat Guard Dwyane Wade in the East:

Dwyane Wade (Mia) 1,052,310
Rajon Rondo (Bos) 924,180

The question now is, will Paul Pierce make his 11th NBA All-Star Game with the coaches' selection of reserve players?

According to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports' Pro Basketball Talk, he should.

For the rest of the list rounding out the All-Star Game starters, you can visit NBA.com or click here.