If Jason Kidd is the league's first-half Most Valuable Player, fans haven't completely recognized it.

The New Jersey Nets point guard was fourth in fan votes among Eastern Conference guards, and not even in the top 10 overall.

But many in the game consider Kidd this season's MVP thus far, and he will get his chance to start in the All-Star game after all. Eastern Conference coach Byron Scott, conveniently the Nets' coach as well, said Kidd would get the start in place of the injured Vince Carter.

"I guess that's the reward of having your coach in," Kidd said.

But not many would argue with Scott's decision. Kidd has averaged 14.3 points, 9.9 assists, 7.1 rebounds and 2.15 steals for New Jersey (32-15) that won just 26 games last season without him.

"I think he's had the biggest impact that any one player has had on any team so far," said Scott, who is coaching his first All-Star game. "If you stopped the NBA right now and said the season's over and let's start handing out awards, to me Jason Kidd is the MVP."

Kidd might agree, but he won't say as much.

"I think that's the fans in the Meadowlands," Kidd said when asked about the MVP talk. "They started chanting it."

Kidd admitted that his move from Phoenix, when most of his games started at 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, to New Jersey has helped his gain publicity.

"I have a theory on that," Kidd said. "They all go to sleep. Because I'm one of those guys that go to sleep now. If you go to dinner, you might catch the first quarter (of West Coast games), so I can understand why that is."

Now, even those who play out West have noticed what Kidd means to his team.

"The Nets are very for real," Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett said. "I think when the trade was done, people sort of anticipated a fresh start with Jason Kidd, knowing how he converted Phoenix over and made them a contender. Now he's doing the same thing in Jersey."

Timely news: When Baron Davis found out he was going to replace Carter on the All-Star team, he was in a Charlotte sports bar talking to his grandmother, confirming plans to visit her in Los Angeles this weekend.

So he had to ask his grandmother, who has been ill, for permission to change plans.

"I called my grandmother and told her that if she still wanted me to come I would because she always comes first in my life," Davis said. "When I told her, the way she sounded, I bet she was turning back flips in the house."

Clippers forward Elton Brand, meanwhile, is replacing Shaquille O'Neal, the second-leading vote-getter, who is not playing because of an injured toe.

West coach Don Nelson chose Kings forward Chris Webber to start in O'Neal's place, which is intriguing because Webber and Nelson had issues when the two were together in Golden State.

Oscar potential?: Alonzo Mourning spent part of his Friday filming his small part in the movie Like Mike, a children's movie starring Michael Jordan.

Searching for All-Stars: Those missing from Friday's media session, and thus accepting a fine from the league, included Allen Iverson and Michael Jordan. Iverson skipped out for the second straight year despite the game being in Philadelphia. Jordan still is scheduled to meet with the media today before the teams practice.

Also absent was Karl Malone. But he was busy carrying the Olympic torch in Utah.

Class of '96: Seven players drafted in the 1996 draft -- Jermaine O'Neal, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Ray Allen, Allen Iverson, Antoine Walker, Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash -- were selected to this year's All-Star Game.