JazzFan 4 Life

A recent ESPN.com story quotes Yao Ming saying he will "definitely not" play in the 2007 NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 18.

Yao has been a shoo-in for the all-star team every year of his career because of fan voting, and the folks in China have been more than willing to make their intentions known. With Yao out of the picture, wouldn't this seem to open up a spot for Jazz "center" Mehmet Okur? No one in the West, of late, has been playing as well as Memo has (20.2 ppg in January) and are there any other centers in the West who should make the team? Denver's Marcus Camby has a shot at it, but it is unlikely the coaches will put Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson and Camby on the team when that group isn't even leading its own division.

Memo has to keep up the scoring streak and the Jazz have a decent enough schedule where he should be able to pull that off.