I know it is such a shameless steal of a much-beloved line attributed to a legend of local Pinoy show business, but what the heck.

In a few weeks the 2008 NBA All Star extravaganza will be upon us, coming live from the historic and gorgeous Big Easy, New Orleans. Katrina may have sunk them for a while but the city, the people and yes, the big events are all back.

Although the rejuvenated Boston Celtics and the timeless Detroit Pistons are the two best teams in the NBA now, do not take that to mean that the balance of basketball power has shifted back to the Eastern Conference. Far from it, while the Celtics and Pistons are enjoying a reprise of their late-1980’s rivalry as the two best teams in the East, the best players and the best records overall are still out on the Pacific side of these United States.

In the West the leading vote-getters so far have been Tracy McGrady of the Houston Rockets and Kobe Bryant of the LA Lakers at the guard spots, Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets and Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs at the forward positions, and Chinese superstar Yao Ming, also of Houston, in the middle. Chinese fans once again were the biggest reason for Yao and T-Mac making the team.

McGrady, hobbled by injuries and the dreaded age of the 30’s, can thank the Chinese online fans and their votes for making him a starter ahead of more deserving players. Were it simply up to me I would have left him off the team altogether, not because he isn’t a superstar-level talent anymore, but simply because other superstar guards in the West have proved how much more they deserve to be on this roster.

Bryant is the best player on the planet and clearly deserves the honor. I would have preferred Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns starting instead of McGrady though. It’s hard to argue with recent back-to-back MVP awards wouldn’t you say? Nash will be there of course – hard to ignore his numbers and overall savvy – but his not starting is a capital crime in my basketball book.

Other deserving guards include the host team’s Chris Paul, who will be a shoe-in not just because of being on the Hornets, but because he is also among the league’s leaders in assists, steals and is emerging as a top guard in a conference loaded with great guards. Baron Davis of the Golden State Warriors is having another banner year with over 21 points and nearly nine assists per game in a surging Warriors team. That leaves off Allen Iverson of the Denver Nuggets, the league’s second-best scorer thus far, and the international duo of the San Antonio Spurs, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Don’t even get me started on the surprising Portland Trailblazers’ Brandon Roy and the Utah Jazz’ Deron Williams.

Up front Anthony, the league’s third best scorer, and Duncan, the steadiest and most consistent perennial All Star in NBA history, are no-brainer choices. Behind them I would also include Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks who has a ludicrous skill set for a 7-footer. Carlos Boozer of Utah, one of only five NBA players averaging a consistent 20-10, would also get my nod, as would veteran Stephen Jackson, who has teamed with Davis in turning the Warriors into winners.

Backing up Yao in the middle would be Amare Stoudemire of Phoenix. As infuriating as his lack of focus has become, he is still the second-best starting center in the West, making him no worse than the third best starting center in the whole league. I would not be surprised, and neither would I mind, if New Orleans’ Tyson Chandler somehow gets a nod. The 7’1” Chandler remains one of the NBA’s best rebounders and shotblockers.

Out in the East the starters are Jason Kidd of the New Jersey Nets and Dwayne Wade of the Miami Heat at guard, Lebron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Kevin Garnett of Boston at forward, and man-child Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic at center. Now all of these guys deserve to start, no questions asked. Wade ought to be given a special medal even, just for not griping constantly and publicly unlike Bryant, for the sorry mess Pat Riley has made in South Beach.

After the starters though, things tend to turn a little murky for the Eastern conference, and this is where the talent disparity becomes all too obvious.

At the guard positions, Chauncy Billups and Richard Hamilton of Detroit should get roster spots, being the most dynamic cogs on the second-best team in the league. Ray Allen of Boston seems a sentimental favorite and should get a lot of votes even over the more productive types such as Joe Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks and Michael Redd of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Among Eastern conference forwards no one comes remotely close to James and Garnett, both of whom could easily play any other position. To bolster their post game, the East should look to the Toronto Raptors’ Chris Bosch, whose YouTube advocacy campaign for the All Star Game will become a cult classic. It also helps that Bosch gets over 21 points and nearly 10 boards a game. Further firepower will be provided by completing Boston’s new Big 3 with Paul Pierce also getting a roster spot. Caron Butler of the Washington Wizards with his over 21 points, seven rebounds and nearly five assists per game averages will round out the frontline.

Backing up Howard in the pivot is where things get a little sticky. The only name of note on the East ballot if Detroit’s Rasheed Wallace and his less-than-stellar 13 points and six rebounds per game averages. Still, Wallace can play the 5, has put up some good numbers over the last couple of weeks against top competition, and is a high-talent veteran. It’s either him or the Shaquille O’Neal, who has not even played the last two weeks or so with an injury.

We see a very interesting game that will be more intense than the usual All Star shoot-out. The East is looking to prove that it can go toe-to-toe with the West, in spite of the talent and depth disparity. On paper the two teams looked pretty evenly matched. We are calling it a 129-115 victory for the West. Either Bryant or Paul will get the MVP trophy.