2007 Ballot Breakdown: West Guards

Vegas baby! Balloting for NBA All-Star 2007 is under way and to keep you abreast of who you might want to send to Vegas in February, NBA.com will break down all six positions -- West guards, forwards and centers, and East guards, forwards and centers -- over the coming weeks.

Today's Ballot Breakdown covers the Western Conference guards, ranked statistically (by the sum total of their scoring, rebounding and assist averages). Despite the Allen Iverson trade to Denver, Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady still lead the pack after the third round of ballot returns. But A.I. is not far behind and things can certainly change, so vote daily to select the starters for the 2007 All-Star Game on Feb. 18. (Note: All statistics are through games played on Jan. 3.).

Allen Iverson, DenverAverages: 30.5 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 7.7 APGBreakdown: The Answer is averaging 30-plus for the third straight season and he has stepped it up with the move out West. He's shooting .473 from the field and dishing out 8.8 assists in his six games with the Nuggets. Those numbers are both higher than anything he's ever put up in his career.

Kobe Bryant, LA LakersAverages: 28.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 5.2 APGBreakdown: Is the Mamba the best player in the league? Well, he's the only one that can do some of the things that he does. He has already had three 50-plus games and he has kept the Lakers near the top of the West with Lamar Odom out.

Baron Davis, Golden StateAverages: 21.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 8.6 APGBreakdown: Back in October, this author put B-Diddy On the Spot. So far, he has responded by having one of the best seasons of his career, shooting a career high from the field while leading the Warriors to a solid start in the West.

Steve Nash, PhoenixAverages: 20.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 11.3 APGBreakdown: He's making a run at a third straight MVP award, leading the Suns to a 24-8 record while averaging a career-high in points and leading the league in assists once again. And if you want the All-Star game to be as entertaining as it can be, you want Steve Nash in Las Vegas.

Ray Allen, SeattleAverages: 24.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.3 APGBreakdown: Jesus Shuttlesworth missed 10 games with a bruised ankle, but he's back in the Seattle lineup and leading the team in scoring at 24.7 points per game, the second highest average of his career.

Tracy McGrady, HoustonAverages: 20.8 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 5.9 APGBreakdown: Along with Yao Ming, T-Mac has the Rockets back as one of the best teams. With Yao out for several weeks, McGrady is now carrying the load and he's led them to four straight wins.

Chris Paul, NO/Oklahoma CityAverages: 18.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 9.0 APGBreakdown: Paul is out for another few weeks with a sprained ankle, but he should be ready for All-Star Weekend, where he could possibly see action on all three nights.

Tony Parker, San AntonioAverages: 19.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 5.9 APGBreakdown: The Spurs are once again near the top of the standings and Parker is putting up career highs in scoring and three point percentage, while shooting an incredible (for a point guard) .530 from the field. There's no place like Vegas to get married.

Deron Williams, UtahAverages: 16.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 8.7 APGBreakdown: Leading the Jazz to one of the best records in the league has Williams right there with Paul in the discussion of the best second-year players in the league. Not so many people are questioning that No. 3 pick these days.

Kevin Martin, SacramentoAverages: 21.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.0 APGBreakdown: Not on the ballot, Martin may be the most deserving write-in candidate in the league and one of the leaders for the Most Improved Player award.

The Next Five

Mike Bibby, SacramentoAverages: 17.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 6.0 APG
Jason Terry, DallasAverages: 16.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 4.8 APG
Luke Ridnour, SeattleAverages: 14.6 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 6.4 APG
Monta Ellis, Golden State (Write-in)Averages: 17.1 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 4.1 APG
Leandro Barbosa, PhoenixAverages: 16.3 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 4.3 APG