When the NBA All-Star reserves were announced Thursday night it just reinforced what we already knew.

There were plenty of players that could have been named to the Western Conference that didn't make the cut, but you'd be hard-pressed to say anybody in the Eastern Conference got robbed. Oh, there are some players who could have been added, but the difference in quality players only reiterated that there are far more quality players in the West than in the East, which made the decisions more difficult.

When the West and East meet in New Orleans for the All-Star game on Feb. 17, added to the Eastern Conference starters Dwight Howard, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Jason Kidd were Chris Bosh, Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison, Chauncey Billups, Paul Pierce, Richard Hamilton and Joe Johnson. All of them are deserving of the honor and will likely be competing in many more in the future.

The West starters of Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Yao Ming, Tim Duncan and Carmelo Anthony were joined by Steve Nash, Chris Paul, Dirk Nowitzki, Carlos Boozer, Amare Stoudemire, Brandon Roy and David West. The latter two are making their first appearance and are youngsters improving rapidly.

The 30 NBA coaches voted for the reserves in their respective conferences, and could not vote for players on their own team.

In the East, there are those who believed Celtics Garnett and Pierce should have been joined by Ray Allen. There could have been a case made for Hedo Turkoglu from Orlando as well. And from a losing team, take a look at the numbers of Charlotte's Gerald Wallace, averaging 21.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.24 steals and sticky defense on every small forward in the league. And there's always the Bucks' Michael Redd, certainly one of the best shooters in the game today averaging 23.0 points a game.

But again, it's tough to justify good numbers from players on bad teams, which is why there are no real travesties in the East. Keep in mind, the West has a .561 winning percentage against the East, although it's not as dominant as it has been in recent seasons. Nonetheless, there are more players that should have been on the roster.

It's impossible not to start with the Nuggets' Marcus Camby. Sure, with Iverson and Anthony starting it's tough to add a third player from any team, but the Nuggets have been battling for the Northwest Division lead all season and Camby, the 2007 defensive player of the year, leads the league in blocks at 3.86 and is second in rebounding at 14.3. And if you want an example of an All-Star performance, consider his numbers in Wednesday's win at Memphis: 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting, 19 rebounds, 5 blocks and 2 steals. Excuse me, that's an All-Star.

In a lot of ways, Tyson Chandler suffered the same fate, with Paul and West already being named from the Hornets, who have been at or near the top of the Western Conference all season (not to mention that the game is in New Orleans). Chandler is averaging 12.4 rebounds (fourth in the league), 12.3 points and a block. He's another big reason why the Hornets have been so tough.

Then again, if you look at a bad team with a center with even better numbers, you have to take a good, long look at what Chris Kaman has done for the Clippers, posting 17.2 points, 13.9 rebounds and 3.0 blocks. And if you haven't seen him play, his ball skills and touch are as good as any of the 7-foot centers in the league and he's getting better.

And that's not to mention Minnesota's Al Jefferson, the reason why Kevin McHale pulled the trigger on the Garnett deal. The Timberwolves are in their best run of the season, however modest 4-5 may be. But there's nothing modest about his numbers during this stretch - 25.1 points, 14.1 rebounds and 1.56 blocks - including 26-point, 20-rebound and 40-point, 19-rebound games. For the season, he's averaging 21.2 points, 12.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks.

Even more of a question would have to be Josh Howard from the Mavericks. Not only was he an All-Star last season, but he's averaging 20.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists, numbers that are significantly better than a year ago.

Another small forward who fits into a similar category as Howard is Stephen Jackson from the Warriors, who is averaging 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals. The Warriors took off after he returned from his seven-game suspension to start the season. But it's that suspension for off-court problems and his mercurial temperament on the floor that may always prevent him from gaining respect equivalent to his game.

And lastly, if only because they play point guard with no way of making the team with Nash and Paul locks to be named, would have to be Deron Williams from the Jazz and the Warriors' Baron Davis. The Jazz are in first place in the Northwest Division, with Williams averaging 19.5 points and 9.5 assists, with a superb .515 field-goal percentage and a shade less than .400 from 3-point range. And Davis' numbers of 22.3 points, 8.1 assists and 2.5 steals are All-Star caliber as well ... if only he would play in the East.

But that's the fate of playing in the West, where you have 10 teams at well above .500 compared to the East where teams seven and eight games below .500 are vying for the playoffs.

On the other hand, there also is this contention that the All-Star rosters be expanded from 12 to 15, with each set of five players playing a quarter, with the starters returning for the fourth quarter  ... but that's a different story for a different day.

Instead, we just have all these guys in the West staying home, which at this point of the season may not be such a bad idea for the bodies anyway.

Sometimes it only requires a little tweak to figure out what throws everything out of whack. In the case of the Utah Jazz, it's almost as if coach Jerry Sloan marched them en masse to a chiropractor for a visit.

Moments later, general manager Kevin O'Connor paid the bill ... problem solved.

You see, nobody could have thought the back-page trade of Gordan Giricek and a No. 1 draft pick to Philadelphia for Kyle Korver could be so significant to turning the Jazz around. In fact, tossing in the draft choice seemed a bit much for a pretty one-dimensional shooter like Korver.

But sometimes we forget when assessing deals that occasionally it is every bit as much about the subtraction as it is the addition, and sometimes more. The result has been a 12-2 run since the deal, a six-game winning streak overall and 10 in a row at home after Wednesday's win over the Knicks. Consequently, they're now alone atop the Northwest Division.

That wouldn't have surprised anybody coming into the season, but nobody could have anticipated the circuitous route it would require.

With a young team coming off a trip to the Western Conference finals, a Northwest Division title and a 51-win season, expectations were high for the Jazz coming into this season. With an All-Star-caliber duo of point guard Deron Williams and power forward Carlos Boozer - eminently capable of double-doubles on a nightly basis - they constantly drew comparisons to John Stockton and Karl Malone, plus they had all the pieces around them to be a serious contender in the stout West.

And they were seemingly fine, beginning the season at 7-2, with second-year guard Ronnie Brewer inserted into the starting lineup and All-Star-caliber stat-filler Andrei Kirilenko apparently over the psychological issues that weighed him down a good portion of last season. Oh, sweet-shooting center Mehmet Okur was nicked up a bit, but that seemed to be only a temporary hurdle. He'd be back, grabbing rebounds and draining treys. That's not to mention the rugged duo of Matt Harpring and Paul Millsap giving opponents whiplash off the bench.

They certainly missed guard Derek Fisher, who was sympathetically let out of his contract by owner Larry Miller so he could move to Los Angeles where his infant daughter's cancer could be treated. Not only as a terrific player, but as a leader, Fisher left a hole. But Sloan figured moving Brewer into the starting lineup and bringing Giricek off the bench would help their depth - plus relatively young journeymen Jason Hart and Ronnie Price could be developed in the backcourt as well.

But none of it struck Giricek very well. He viewed himself as a starter, or at least deserving of major minutes. Sloan, in his inimitable way, viewed him as someone who needed to earn his minutes and contribute or he wouldn't play at all. And anyone who has been around the NBA understands it's easier to fool with Mother Nature than Jerry Sloan.

The problem began to rip away at the team internally, affecting the chemistry on the floor and the general attitude in the locker room. After a solid start, they lost 14 of their next 23 games, falling to 16-16 - including a stunning 3-11 decline. With the Nuggets inconsistent with injuries but solid enough to win with explosive scoring, and the Trail Blazers one of the great stories of the season with a sensational run, the Jazz had fallen off the map into third place.

So they shipped out Giricek, presumably with Sloan heaving his bag at him out the door. On came Korver. Suddenly, the air was cleared. Giricek had been averaging less than 4.0 points a game and twice as many headaches. Korver's hustle and superior shooting eased the pain. He's averaged 9.9 points, dives after loose balls and at least tries to defend with the intensity demanded by Sloan. Meanwhile, Giricek is producing even less for the Sixers and is mulling over offers to play in Europe.

Okur is now back and healthy, Williams has had five consecutive double-double games - averaging 19.1 points and 9.5 assists while improving his shooting to .515 from field. Boozer is in All-Star form at 22.4 points and 10.6 rebounds, Kirilenko remains a fantasy player's dream boxscore-stuffer in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, while Brewer continues to raise his level of play just as they imagined when drafted him in the first round out of Arkansas in 2006.

The result is they've won 12 of 14 overall and posted the longest home winning streak in nine years, showing the kind of confidence that pushed them into the 2007 conference finals in the first place. It would take hours to decipher whether it's because of what Korver brings to the table as opposed to Giricek, or just a matter of addition by subtraction.

But from the Jazz point of view, who cares? It worked.

As if things weren't bad enough for the New Jersey Nets and their deteriorating relationship with point guard Jason Kidd, he came out full throttle this week with what everybody seemed to know:

"I want out!"

A lot of good that does Nets president Rod Thorn now, when it comes to moving a soon-to-be 35-year-old point guard scheduled to make more than $41 million over this season and next, with the genesis of his unhappiness coming from the inability to get an extension. As early as the middle of last season, the buzz had begun about Kidd on the move. He is, after all, guaranteed to land in the Hall of Fame, is about to secure his 100th triple-double and is still the best player in the league when it comes to grabbing the ball off the board and running a fast break.

All of that is well and good ... but who can afford the asking price from the Nets and the salary that comes along with it?

His desire to play with Kobe Bryant and Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak's refusal to include young center Andrew Bynum in the deal is what set off Bryant's offseason tirade that drew so many headlines. Bynum's present knee injury notwithstanding, it is clear Kupchak did the right thing. Depleting the Lakers' already shallow front line for Kidd was not the right thing to do.

That translates into the Lakers now being out of the equation. And with both Damon Stoudamire (evidently headed to San Antonio after a buyout in Memphis this week) and Sam Cassell (available from the Clippers for the right price) available, it lowers the market value for Kidd. The Spurs and the Celtics obviously don't have the players to deal for Kidd - and not even the inclination at this point, so to speak.

At the start of this season, the text message vogue had transferred from Kidd and Kobe to Kidd's desire to play with LeBron James in Cleveland for the point guard-challenged Cavs. That made for cute copy, too. But Thorn isn't going to take ludicrously overpaid combo-guard Larry Hughes, nor is he interested in Drew Gooden and a slew of expiring contracts. Thorn just isn't prone to such acts of desperation.

That takes us back to the Western Conference and two places left - Denver and Dallas. Sure, the Nuggets would love to have him. They could finally have someone to trust with the ball in their hands other than Allen Iverson, who isn't constantly looking at the rim, and is a great on-the-ball defender. It might even smooth out the process of ball movement between Iverson and Carmelo Anthony, neither of whom functions well without the ball.

The problem is, how are the Nuggets going to get him? Overpaid young center Nene was of questionable value before his latest medical issue - a malignant tumor on his testicle. Now what's he worth on the market? Are the Nets inclined to take back Kenyon Martin - coming off back-to-back surgery on each knee - flotsam, jetsam and draft picks? Saying that's highly doubtful would be an understatement.

That leaves us with the Mavs and owner Mark Cuban, who is always game for the sensational. Sure, Jason Terry, Devean George and Erick Dampier get this deal done on paper. But would the Nets want to take on all that money for Terry and Dampier over the next few years? No way. If they're going to pay all that money to Dampier, then they want either Josh Howard or Devin Harris instead of Terry.

Essentially, that leaves the ball in the court of Cuban, who as we all know is prone to some fancy dancing when necessary. Of course, there is always the possibility of multiple teams getting involved because of Kidd's $19 million-plus contract this season. But that rarely occurs during the season; and with the trade deadline Feb. 21, it is even less likely to happen now.

So what happens? Well, it sounds like Stoudamire is headed to the Spurs, while the Nuggets and Celtics stew over how much they want to deal for Cassell.

As for Kidd, my guess is the Nets will hem and haw, just barely make the playoffs in the East, and get knocked out in the first round with Kidd as their point guard. There will be an unhappy tolerance, and after the Mavs make another premature playoff exit, then they'll trade for Kidd ... months too late.

You've got to hand it to Chris Mullin ... he's ready and willing to try anything to keep the Warriors competitive in the Western Conference after more than a decade of near obsolescence.

So far, it's worked.

That's why before everybody goes bonkers ripping him as general manager and Warriors coach Don Nelson as crazy for signing aging, gimpy-legged forward Chris Webber Monday, consider how this unorthodox duo has managed to pull the W's out of the rubble and into the hottest ticket in the Bay Area.

To be sure, the Warriors play so fast that it will often seem as if the 34-year-old Webber is just playing Iowa girls basketball on one end of the floor. And just the memory of how he and Nellie couldn't handle each other's big personalities to the point that he lasted only one year as a rookie in 1993-94 before the Warriors got rid of Webber is still vivid.

Don't forget that the wily Mullin was an All-Star forward on the Warriors back then. And while everyone told Mullin he was nuts for hiring Mike Montgomery away from Stanford to coach Baron Davis and the crew a few years back, it was a mistake he learned from to the point he had to go with what he knew.

So against conventional wisdom, he lured the re-retired Nellie out of the Tiki bars on Maui to coach the Warriors last season. As if that wasn't outrageous enough, he made a blockbuster trade in dealing hard-working Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Troy Murphy to Indiana to bring the mercurial Stephen Jackson and the erratic Al Harrington to play with the unpredictable Davis and talented youngsters Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins. That set up Nellie to play his vintage "smallball," with Biedrins the only real interior player.

Nonetheless, they made the playoffs for the first time since 1994 and even shocked the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in what many believed was the biggest upset in NBA playoff history. They lost in the second round to Utah, but not without a fight, leading to all sorts of possibilities before Nellie finally got his contract guaranteed for this year and next at the kind of money he wanted.

Still, with Jackson suspended for the first seven games for some off-court shenanigans, they began the season 0-6 and were in trouble. Undaunted, they are 27-12 since then, but that woeful start could get them in the end in the impossibly competitive Western Conference. They are tied for seventh, a half game ahead of Denver and Portland, with Houston lingering just a couple games further back in this furious race among the top 10.

And that's why Mullie and Nellie huddled, and settled on Webber. While Biedrins will block shots, rebound and knock people around inside, he's virtually it inside for the W's in a conference laden with big bodies. Not that Webber will ever be accused of being a banger inside and he faded badly enough down the stretch in Detroit last season that the Pistons really had no desire to bring him back - even though he was living right there.

And yet, he is one of the most naturally gifted power forwards in the history of the game when it comes to the nuances of the position. His passing from the high and low post from a power position is without peer in the game today. He'll still hit that shot from the elbow and the circle, and that flat hook in the post will gain some traction as well. He may not be able to move defensively, but his hands and instincts will compensate in the limited minutes he will be needed as the rest of this whirling dervish of a team will be running and trapping all over the place.

Inevitably, his ego won't allow him to be happy in the limited time and space he'll get on the Warriors. That isn't the point. In the broad scope, there is humor in this move, as there has been in this entire reconstruction by Mullin.

Nothing has been particularly sensible since he was handed the keys to the car by Warriors owner Chris Cohan in 2004. He gambled maximum money on the creaky body and personality of Davis to be the leader. He went with his gut that Nellie still had enough in the tank for one more run with a team, and he figured Jackson and Harrington could be special if they bought into Davis as their leader. All the while he just sits back quietly and doesn't say much about anything.

But he's always thinking, and this time he's thinking Webber and Nelson want to make peace in the manner of a playoff run. Maybe it will happen. Maybe it won't. But it's guaranteed great entertainment the entire second half of the season for growing Warriors nation.

 And before Mullin was hired, they weren't even entertaining.

In this odd NBA season where the New Orleans Hornets stare down the forthcoming All-Star break with the best record in the Western Conference, is the next step awaiting "The Birdman" to cometh?

As the clock ticks loudly and the Feb. 21 NBA trade deadline approaches, the biggest player transaction may not be a trade at all. It may be the Hornets re-signing forward Chris Andersen, a.k.a. The Birdman, if all the i's are dotted properly and the t's are crossed just right.

And it very may well be the final piece that makes the Hornets absolutely legitimate contenders to win the West -- as if they aren't already.

You see, the jury is still out on the future of Andersen, both figuratively and literally. Andersen was banned and disqualified from the NBA on Jan. 26, 2006 after testing positive for "drugs of abuse," which include amphetamines, opiates (codeine, heroin, morphine and PCP), cocaine, LSD and methamphetamine. Since he hadn't tested positive for any other drugs, it is likely the positive test came from one of the aforementioned drugs of abuse.

Nicknamed "The Birdman" because of his wild, aggressive style attacking the ball and the boards, the 6-10, 230-pound Andersen has apparently followed all the rules and is going through all the steps necessary with both the commissioner's office and the players association to gain a speedy reinstatement. Although his four-year contract was revoked by virtue of the banishment, the Hornets, who have the best record in the Western Conference at 31-12, would have a 30-day window to sign Andersen if and when he is reinstated. However, it could be weeks before a conclusion has been reached by the two offices.

If he is restored to eligibility and re-signed by the Hornets, it would be huge despite what's on paper. His numbers have never been sensational and he is not a refined athlete by any means. His last full season in the NBA he averaged 7.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.49 blocks -- providing the kind of energy off the bench that Anderson Varejao provides the Cleveland Cavaliers. And the Hornets need it.

They have an exceptional starting five that has carried them to this point, but that was never the question. They have a terrific young coach in Byron Scott, who twice coached the New Jersey Nets to the Finals, and was the starting shooting guard for Pat Riley with the Lakers on three championship teams. So the fiber is there.

With Chris Paul and Morris Peterson in the backcourt, along with a versatile and talented frontcourt of Tyson Chandler, David West and Peja Stojakovic, Scott has a nice balance of shooting, defense and quickness. Whereas perimeter players Bobby Jackson, Jannero Pargo and Rasual Butler blow hot and cold individually coming off the bench, collectively they contribute. It's much more of a struggle to get significant help up front from Melvin Ely, Hilton Armstrong, Ryan Bowen and rookie Julian Wright.

That has been patently obvious whenever one of the frontcourt starters gets hurt. It killed them last year when both Stojakovic and West were out for significant stretches. Then Paul's ankle sprain virtually wiped them out of the playoff picture for good. Nonetheless, that's where Andersen comes in.

Instead of a downgrade up front as soon as West or Chandler need a blow, Andersen brings a different kind of energy for the Hornets. It may include silly fouls for climbing over someone's back or diving into a pile late. But it is the infusion he brings that kicks everybody into another gear.

Of course, that's presuming the Hornets want to gamble on him being clean for good.

Should they?

If he doesn't have the requisite tests and other proof that he has remained clean, then this is a waste of time and space. But if he has, should the commissioner's office and players association rubber stamp his return?

Andersen is the first banned player to apply for reinstatement since Roy Tarpley did it in 2003 -- a full eight years after he was given the boot for violating the substance abuse policy. Tarpley, who was 37 years old and hadn't played since 1995, was summarily rejected.

This is different. Andersen reportedly has been working out under supervision and adhering to every nuance of the NBA policy because of his age and the realization of how quickly his career his career is slipping away.

Provided he has answered all the questions the right way and can provide proof he has remained clean, why wouldn't the Hornets want him back? His pro-rated $3.5 million contract would still keep them below the luxury tax limit, and the depth he brings would be significant.

Even more to the point is why wouldn't the NBA bring him back? Considering the issues of spousal abuse, guns, fights and any number of other issues that have produced extended suspensions followed by the return of those players to the court, this is hardly a more significant matter to the league.

That's not to minimize drug usage. Andersen was damaging himself, nobody else and the two-year ban that cost him millions of dollars severely spoiled and possibly ended his NBA career. If he proves that this was a period of awakening and maturity as opposed to convenient contrition because the two-year period allowed him to apply for reinstatement, then bring him back.

Everybody deserves a second chance and Andersen's story in New Orleans could be a special one. The league already has the All-Star Game coming in attempt to help this horribly blighted city. Allowing The Birdman to swoop in would just be one more.