With the actual All-Star rosters coming out, it seemed right to put my own take on how things should go. That said, it only seems fair to work within the framework of the guys who will get starting spots, so I will make sure that those starting guys are on the teams in some form (yes, that includes Iverson).

Before getting into the players themselves, I?d like to put my proposal out there.

Starters: Three categories (Point Guards, two Swingmen, two Bigs). For the starters, fan vote counts for 1/2, and the other 1/2 goes to some combination of writers, coaches, and players.

Backups: One PG, two swingmen, two bigs, and two Wild Cards. Voting by whoever the NBA wants (among writers, coaches, and players).

Also, I am firmly in support of Shaq?s idea of having a ?stars? dunk contest with half of the proceeds going to charity, though I would add that the Stars winner should face the Rising Stars winner for bragging rights with each getting one dunk. Would be a star-making opportunity (and would provide an incentive for some team to sign James White to a 10-day right before All-Star weekend).

Put your mittens on your kittens and away we go!

Western Conference

Point Guard: Steve Nash

If the league voted for MVP using the word ?valuable? as it is most commonly defined, Nash would warrant serious consideration as the non-LeBron winner. He is irreplaceable on the Suns and has been the best PG in the NBA this season thus far.

Shooting Guard: Kobe Bryant

Having a great season. No real need to go into it beyond the fact that he?s a clear-cut pick for #1 SG.

Small Forward: Carmelo Anthony

It was a tough call to put him over Durant, but what made the difference for me was a series of games early in the year where Melo just put the Nuggets on his back and carried them to a few wins.

Power Forward: Tim Duncan

It makes me uncomfortable to say that The Big Fundamental is flying under the radar this year, but I do think that his season has been seriously underappreciated thus far. Averaging 20 and 10 with two blocks a game is awfully impressive, and he has been even more efficient than recent seasons, which has helped the Spurs keep above water despite lots of injuries.

Center: Amar'e Stoudemire

Would I rather have one of the million power forwards (Timmy, Dirk, Pau, Zach) here? Yes, especially since Amar'e is less of a center than most of that list in terms of how he plays. But that?s not the way it is.

6th Man: Pau Gasol (PF/C)

An All-Star in every sense of the word. Pau has had an excellent, albeit abbreviated, season so far.

7th Man: Chris Paul (PG)

CP3 has had to shoulder a different load this season and deserves a ton of credit for the Hornets being where they are, even if it is worse than expected.

8th Man: Kevin Durant (SF)

The Durantula has picked up his game, especially on the defensive end where he has gone from severe liability to passable (yay!). There are even arguments that could be made that he has been the Western Conference MVP thus far, which is awfully impressive for someone so young.

9th Man: Brandon Roy (SG)

Another guy who does not require a ton of explanation. He is just very, very good at what he does, though I wish he would get more comfortable playing off the ball to open up the PG complements more as the Blazers get their M.A.S.H. unit back.

10th Man: Dirk Nowitzki (PF/C)

Another guy who simply must get a spot on this team. The best player on the #2 team in the West, Dirk?s role on the Mavs has been fascinating considering how much the talent around him has shifted due to injuries and changes in effectiveness.

11th  Man: Deron Williams (PG)

It is a crime that Deron has never made an ASG before, but it simply must be rectified this year. It has not been his best season, but he stands as the #5 guard in the West and deserves it.

12th Man: Zach Randolph (PF/C)

Trust me, I never would have expected this at the beginning of the season. Consider this the first gigantic mea culpa from me to Z-Bo. Simply put, the guy deserves an All-Star spot for how well he has played this far this season.

Honorable Mention (in order): Monta Ellis, Carl Landry, Andrew Bynum, Chauncey Billups, Kevin Love

Eastern Conference

Point Guard: Rajon Rondo

The best PG in the East. Simple as that.

Shooting Guard: Dwyane Wade

Having his Miami team at #5 is a pretty remarkable accomplishment, and Wade is more than deserving of his place as the best guard in the Eastern Conference.

Small Forward: LeBron James

After seeing him in person against the Warriors last week, I considered writing a piece about how awesome he was or just a ton of superlatives in a column like this. Then Bill Simmons wrote what he wrote and hit it out of the park. Read his work- I echo it 100% (except that I don?t put Larry Bird in the LBJ/Jordan/Shaq group like he did).

Power Forward: Chris Bosh

Like so many other East bigs this year, Bosh stepped it up and has had an impressive first half of the season and has turned in a season that would have him as a serious MVP candidate most seasons. While his defense has not been fantastic, it has been better than expected.

Center: Dwight Howard

Being underwhelming thus far does not matter in terms of a starting spot, because being as good as Dwight is gives him an unbelievable edge on every single other C in the Eastern Conference.

6th Man: Gerald Wallace (SF/PF)

It?s just unfortunate he plays the same position as the league?s MVP. Wallace is having one of those seasons that makes people stand up and take notice, and he has really upped his game both statistically and in terms of the stuff you can?t put on the sheet. One of the joys of NBA League Pass has been seeing him operate.

7th Man: Josh Smith (PF)

Gotta give Mr. Athleticism props for putting it together this season.  Josh has matured on both ends and has been genuinely impressive so far.

8th Man: Joe Johnson (SG)

Should be automatic since he is pretty clearly the second-best SG in the Eastern Conference. Having a strong year and is pretty firmly in this spot since he?s not close to D-Wade but has the production on both an individual and team level to warrant inclusion.

9th Man: Kevin Garnett (PF)

Works sort of like Pau Gasol I guess. His impact on the Celtics has been pretty impressive despite not playing a full slate. Plus, he is going to be on the team as a starter, so he must be on my list.

10th Man: Al Horford (C/PF)

Picking the last big spot was just brutal. Brook Lopez, David Lee, and Horford are all extremely close in terms of production an impact on their team thus far this season. What made Horford the pick for me was his defense and he gets a nudge because he is a substantial factor on a team that will be the higher seed in a playoff series.

11th Man: Derrick Rose (PG)

The team needs to have a 2nd Point Guard, and he?s it (amazingly enough). Among PG?s that are currently active, six of the seven top assist guys are in the West.

12th Man: Allen Iverson (SG/PG)

Requires no explanation.

Honorable Mention (in order): David Lee, Paul Pierce, Brook Lopez, Andre Iguodala, and Antawn Jamison