Could Brandon Jennings be an All-Star after all?
The path that appeared closed last Thursday when the Bucks point guard wasn't named as one of the Eastern Conference reserves could be open again.
Boston point guard Rajon Rondo – elected by fans to start the All-Star Game – suffered a torn ACL in Sunday's overtime win over Miami and will miss the rest of the season.
Though nobody wants a serious injury to be the reason why they make the All-Star team, somebody has to fill the void. Immediately after the news of Rondo's injury broke, multiple questions started flying as to Jennings' odds and who chooses the replacement.
The answer to the latter may dictate the odds of the former. NBA commissioner David Stern will be the one who names the replacement.
There's no rule that says Stern has to pick a guard to replace a guard, meaning Brooklyn center Brook Lopez is probably the favorite to go to Houston. Lopez – averaging 18.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game – was the most glaring omission from the Eastern Conference squad.
But, because Rondo was supposed to start, either Cleveland's Kyrie Irving or Philadelphia's Jrue Holiday will have to move into the starting lineup, leaving just one true guard on the bench.
While not required, Stern naming a guard to replace a guard would make sense. If a guard is picked, Jennings' competition would include Knicks shooting guard J.R. Smith, Brooklyn point guard Deron Williams, and even his own teammate, Bucks shooting guard Monta Ellis.
Smith, Williams and Lopez all come from the New York market, something Stern will most certainly be tempted with. The Nets don't have an All-Star and are one of the league's most marketable teams this season - just something to take into consideration.
We'll see who Stern picks. Even if this door closes for Jennings and Ellis, Chicago's Luol Deng may miss the All-Star Game with a hamstring injury. Deng has missed Chicago's last five games, but has time to be ready for All-Star Weekend.
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