NBA commissioner David Stern has selected Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez to replace Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo in the 2013 NBA All-Star Game, which means Milwaukee Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings has been passed over twice in 2013.
Rondo was originally named a starter for the Eastern Conference (based on fan voting), but he suffered a torn ACL sometime before the team's matchup against the Miami Heat on Sunday. Lopez was widely considered the biggest snub when the votes from head coaches were tallied and reserves were announced, although Jennings was among the top options at guard to fill in for Rondo.
The case for Lopez is strong. Here is a bit of context on how well the Nets' big man has played this season. He ranks fourth in the NBA in PER (25.1) and second in the Eastern Conference (behind NBA-leader LeBron James). In terms of box score stats, he leads the Nets in scoring (18.6) and ranks second on the team in rebounds per game (7.3). He has posted nine double-doubles and he ranks seventh in the NBA in blocks per game (2.2).
Jennings is 14th in the NBA in scoring average (18.9), 17th in assists per game (6.0) and fourth in steals per game (1.9). He played particularly well against the Pistons on Tuesday night, as he scored 16 points in the span of 149 seconds -- 5/5 fg, 4/4 threes, 2/2 ft -- on his way to a 30-point, six-assist performance in a blowout win.
Here's a look at the current All-Star rosters:
Eastern Conference
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Western Conference
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Starters
Dwyane Wade, Heat*
Rajon Rondo, Celtics* (injured, will not play)
LeBron James, Heat*
Carmelo Anthony, Knicks*
Kevin Garnett, Celtics*
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Starters
Chris Paul, Clippers*
Kobe Bryant, Lakers*
Kevin Durant, Thunder*
Blake Griffin, Clippers*
Dwight Howard, Lakers*
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Reserves
Jrue Holiday, 76ers
Chris Bosh, Heat
Paul George, Pacers
Tyson Chandler, Knicks
Joakim Noah, Bulls
Luol Deng, Bulls
Kyrie Irving, Cavs
Brook Lopez, Nets (replaces Rondo)
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Reserves
Tim Duncan, Spurs
Tony Parker, Spurs
LaMarcus Aldridge, Blazers
David Lee, Warriors
Russell Westbrook, Thunder
James Harden, Rockets
Zach Randolph, Grizzlies
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