It's fair to chalk 2008 up as the year of the Celtics.

Nevermind that nasty losing spell there at the end of December. The bottom line is that Boston commanded the spotlight from start to finish, living up to the hype, claiming a championship, then starting off this season like a team hungry for more.

All the breaks went their way, from adding P.J. Brown to getting unexpected contributions from the likes of Leon Powe and Glen Davis, to keeping Tom Thibodeau at least a year longer than they probably otherwise would've.

Now 2009 is in full swing, and the Celtics seem likely to add... Stephon Marbury?

Maybe this year isn't going to be as prosperous.

Thought the same thing when filling out these All-Star teams, because when I envisioned my Eastern Conference squad roughly a month ago, I couldn't imagine not placing the Celtics' Rajon Rondo on it. As the engine powering the defending champs, there was no way he wasn't deserving, topping even New Jersey's Devin Harris, who was taking the league by storm.

In this past month, developments have conspired to put the squeeze on Rondo's spot, and by a nose, I've got Orlando's Jameer Nelson squeezing past him in my closest call.

The following are my NBA All-Star reserves:

Eastern Conference

F-Paul Pierce, Boston; F-Danny Granger, Indiana; C-Chris Bosh, Toronto; G-Joe Johnson, Atlanta; G-Ray Allen, Boston; F-Rashard Lewis, Orlando; G-Nelson, Orlando.

Rightfully should feel snubbed: F-Josh Smith, Atlanta; G-Rondo, Boston; G-Mo Williams, Cleveland; Gs-Devin Harris and Vince Carter, New Jersey.

Western Conference

F-Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas; F-Pau Gasol, L.A. Lakers; C-Shaquille O'Neal, Phoenix; G-Chauncey Billups, Denver; G-Brandon Roy, Portland; G-Tony Parker, San Antonio; F/C- Al Jefferson, Minnesota.

Rightfully should feel snubbed: F-Carmelo Anthony, Denver; F-David West, New Orleans; F/G-Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City; G- Deron Williams, Utah.

East's beasts

To be blunt, this team doesn't have your typical Eastern All-Star feel.

The demise of the Wizards has opened up a handful of spots, as Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison can't rightfully be considered for Phoenix as members of a nine-win team. Gilbert Arenas, obviously, is off-limits, though he's popular enough to have made a run at Iverson had he even gotten 60 seconds in an NBA game this season. Detroit's first-half struggles took Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace out of this mix, forcing coaches to look for new blood to fill out the squad.

Let's get the no-brainers out of the way.

Pierce, reigning captain and truth-bearer from the defending champs, merits his seventh appearance in eight years. Teammate and fellow future Hall of Famer Allen has been massive all season. Atlanta's Johnson, averaging 21.5 points for the fourth-place team in the conference, is now a perennial All-Star who has done nothing to cost himself a spot. Ditto with Toronto's Bosh, who I'm sliding to center, as most coaches will.

With three spots left, I'm resisting putting New Jersey's 20-point scorers in the game just for the sake of being 20-point scorers. Sorry, maybe if they had stayed among the top eight. Granger takes the sole spot I have for a high volume scorer on a sub-.500 team, and does so deservedly.

The Pacers small forward has scored in double-digits in 39 of the last 40 games, scoring 30 or more 14 times. Behind All-Star starters Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, there's Granger.

"Honestly, I think it's harder to put up numbers when they're focusing on you," Granger said when I asked him how being on a non-playoff team affects his bid. "You look at teams like the Lakers and Celtics. They have weapons all over the place, so you can't really focus on anybody. In my opinion, it's harder. 

"Everybody is telling me I'm a lock, that I'll definitely be in it, but we won't know until the votes come in. I'd be very happy, especially when the votes come from the coaches in the league and they're the ones that acknowledge that. I really wouldn't have expected to make it this year. It's just that I've been playing so well."

Granger, reminded that he could've wound up with Orlando had they drafted him when they had the chance, chuckled and said he at one point used that as fuel to his fire.

"I forget who they picked over me," Granger asked. When reminded it was Fran Vasquez, who famously remained in Spain, the soon-to-be All-Star couldn't resist a dig.

"Did he ever come over here?"

Ouch.

Granger might have an opportunity to have three Magic teammates for at least one game in mid-February, as my two wild card spots are going to Lewis and Nelson.

Lewis has a sizeable lead over a pack that includes Allen and Granger and sits pretty as the league's most prolific sniper with nearly 130 3-pointers made. He's emerged as the Magic's second-leading scorer (19.2, 24th in the NBA) while pitching in on the boards and playing pretty good defense. He's done enough to hold off Atlanta's Smith, who will be there sooner than later. New Jersey's Carter has a chance to sneak in here because he is someone coaches identify as a superstar, but Orlando's success and the undeniable part Lewis has played in it holds him off here.

"There's been a lot of good feelings about the team going so well, so hopefully it will be rewarded," said Lewis, who reached his only All-Star game with Seattle in 2006. "It means a lot to be there, representing the Orlando Magic, going to the game. We'd like to get Jameer Nelson in, too."

That may be the toughest call. There's no question that Nelson is deserving, shooting over 50 percent and a career-high 17.1 points, but it's hard to tell whether that will be enough to hold off Harris and the point guards from the East's elite, Rondo and Williams. He gets my nod by a nose over Rondo's delectable combination of defense and distribution.

In full disclosure, the final straw was finding out that Nelson came up with a lot of the ideas for the hilarious TNT commercial making the rounds touting the dunk contest. In the spot, Nelson and Howard brainstorm ways to top last year's Superman angle. Won't spoil it completely for you, but it ends with Nelson suggesting "body paint," informing Howard he won't be wearing any clothes.

The deadpan delivery sold it. Howard said it was Nelson's idea. I'm easily amused, Jameer. Here's your All-Star spot.

West's best

The Western Conference seems to be far more clear-cut than the East, with a couple of gray areas.

Again, we'll start with the obvious. Nowitzki, averaging 25.8 points as the Mavericks main man, will get to the All-Star Game for the eighth time. Gasol is certain to reach his second game, his first as a member of the Lakers. He's made the team significantly better since his arrival, becoming the missing ingredient that has pushed them back to progress. Coaches can put him at forward or center, creating a little wiggle room.

The top two reserve guards are indisputable, too. Since coming over to Denver, Billups has turned the Nuggets into the Northwest Division favorite, a team everyone fully expects will be a factor come playoffs. Prior to his arrival, that wasn't the case. Roy is averaging 22.6 points for the second-place Blazers, continuing his emergence as one of the game's bright young players with his second consecutive berth.

With three spots left and the flexibility Gasol affords in my hip pocket, I can go any number of ways among five finalists: San Antonio's Parker, Utah's Williams, Denver's Anthony, Minnesota's Jefferson and Phoenix's O'Neal.

Since I respect my elders, the legends of this game and the fact that cities usually get only one shot at this every 15 or so years, I'm throwing a well-deserved nod to Shaq, who has proven the critics wrong and risen again like a 380-pound phoenix.

After watching him plodding around in his last season in Miami and in his brief stint with the Suns, it looked like the only way O'Neal was getting in another one of these was with some special exception. Instead, he's found something of a renaissance, particularly at the free throw line, where hitting 63 percent of his shots has painted him in a whole new light.

It's not just that, though. Big Shaq is flying around with that heavier beard looking like the mean old man who will take a stick to the top of your head. The Diesel been a graceful tyrant, showing off his exemplary passing skills that Stoudemire and Jason Richardson have begun to take advantage of.

Already slated to team up with recording artist Chris Brown to announce the All-Star lineups, O'Neal might as well join the party and introduce himself. By staying healthy, shooting 60 percent from the field and getting 18-and-9 at the center spot, Shaq has earned it.

My final frontcourt spot, contested between 'Melo and Jefferson, goes to Minnesota's young standout. Anthony has only played in 31 games, missing nearly one-third of the season. He's shooting just 43.7 percent from the field and averaging just over 21 points per game, his lowest numbers since 2004-05.

That wasn't good enough to get him into the showcase then, and shouldn't be enough to get him in now, especially given the broken hand. Jefferson, averaging 22.6 points and 10.6 rebounds, has emerged as one of the premier big men in the NBA, but since few people ever see him play with the Timberwolves, his dominance often goes unnoticed. Fully expecting Jefferson to get snubbed in favor of Anthony, I'll still go on record as having his back.

Dallas' Jason Kidd and Phoenix's Steve Nash haven't put up their usual numbers, which disqualifies them from the conversation for the final spot, which comes down to San Antonio's Parker and Utah's Williams. Some may just flip a coin on this one, because it's as easy to be swayed by Williams' assists (10.2-2nd in NBA) as it is by Parker's offensive efficiency (20.3 ppg, 49 pct. shooting). Due to injuries, both have had to do heavier lifting than usual and are equally deserving.

Given the Spurs' success and Utah's current status as the ninth-place team in the West, Parker goes.

Tony Mejia is senior writer of Pro Basketball News. He can be reached at mejia@probasketballnews.com.