CLEVELAND - I just wrote a column praising David Stern for his brilliance, so I'm sure the NBA commissioner will do the right thing. I'm sure Stern will pick Cleveland point guard Mo Williams as the Eastern Conference All-Star team replacement for the injured Jameer Nelson (shoulder) of Orlando.

As I've written before, I would've picked Williams over Nelson in the first place. The Magic have been great -- but no way do they deserve three All-Stars. But the coaches, who voted Nelson in, begged to differ. Not only did they pick Nelson, they selected Rashard Lewis. Throw in starter Dwight Howard, and the Magic may as well play the West stars by themselves, just like things were done in the old ABA.

Anyway, back to Williams. I won't deny that Stern has a tough choice between Williams and Boston veteran Ray Allen. To me, Allen has been the best player on a very good Celtics team this season. If anyone deserves to have three players on the All-Star team, it's the C's. That said, the Cavs hardly deserve to only have one (LeBron James). It just wouldn't seem right for a team that had the best record in the league for part of the season to be represented by just one guy.

I wouldn't want Stern's job in this instance. He's about to become a true blue enemy in an entire city (Boston or Cleveland). Of course, everyone in the other city will love him -- at least, they will for a day.

Again, the case has already been made for Williams in this space, so I'm not gonna spend much more time on this issue. Besides, I've already written too much about an entirely meaningless game. But as a northeast Ohio native, I can tell you Clevelanders often feel overlooked. This can be the commissioner's way of showing how much the league appreciates what the Cavs (and Williams) have accomplished this season.

And I'm not the only one who thinks Williams should be a shoe-in for the East. Just listen to TNT analyst and five-time All-Star guard Reggie Miller.

"How can Mo Williams not make the team?" Miller asked. "Cleveland had the best record in the league for several weeks, and they have only one representative, LeBron James? That doesn't make sense."

Hear that, Mr. Commissioner? Good. Now make that call to Cleveland.

RAPTOR WRONGS

Jermaine O'Neal had one of his best games of the season Tuesday night in Cleveland. O'Neal seemed to have fresh legs and attacked the basket regularly on his way to 20 points and eight rebounds. Basically, he looked like the O'Neal of old, and I enjoyed watching him play as much as I have at anytime during the past two or three years.

Of course, the Raptors still got drilled (101-83), as starting guards Anthony Parker and Jose Calderon combined to shoot 2 of 16 from the floor. I think you could actually see the rim cringing with fear every time either took a jumper.

A few things the Raptors desperately need: A new starting point guard, a new starting shooting guard, and a new coach. Nothing against Jay Triano, but the Raptors have been considerably worse since he took over for the fired Sam Mitchell.

And Calderon is nothing close to the starter they figured he'd be when trading T.J. Ford to Indiana for O'Neal. Still, I'd make that deal a thousand times over because O'Neal is bigger, and a better player when healthy. But let's be honest, the man has scrambled eggs for knees.

It will be interesting to see who takes the fall for this disaster of a season in Toronto. My guess is general manager Bryan Colangelo, who erred terribly in drafting Andrea Bargnani with the No. 1 overall pick in 2006.

Players selected after Bargnani: Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay, LaMarcus Aldridge and Jordan Farmar. Overall, it was a horrible draft.

Anyway, it's the opinion of a few front office types around the league that Colangelo has about two weeks to save his job -- by pulling off a miracle before the Feb. 19 trading deadline.

QUICK HITS

* What a shot by Boston's Ray Allen to bury the 76ers in Philadelphia, huh? How can you not root for this guy, one of the NBA's most underrated citizens and still the game's most lethal jump shooter? And the Celtics won the game, their 12th straight, without Kevin Garnett (flu). Looks like the champs are feeling fine again, thanks.

* If Kevin McHale keeps it up, he's gonna get my vote for coach of the year. And if the season had started Jan. 1, there's a good chance the Timberwolves would make the playoffs, as they've gone 11-4 since the start of the year.

* The latest surprise was a 116-111 win over the Indiana Pacers -- in Indianapolis, no less. Wonder if McHale is ribbing former Celtics teammate and Pacers president Larry Bird? Either way, the win was impressive because SEVEN T-Wolves scored in double figures, led by Randy Foye's 19 points. This young bunch has really come together nicely under McHale, and now would be a great time for owner Glen Taylor to come out and publicly offer support to his "interim" coach.

* Speaking of youngsters, how about New Jersey rookie center Brook Lopez scoring 22 points (on 10-of-14 shooting) and grabbing 12 rebounds in the Nets' 99-87 win over Milwaukee? Lopez won't win rookie of the year, but he does join Chicago's Derrick Rose and Memphis' O.J. Mayo as a sure bet on the All-Rookie team.

DEATH OF THE CBA

Minor league basketball was once a major part of Pro Basketball News. And we plan to bring you more coverage of the D-League during the season's second half. But right now, the interest in the other minor leagues just isn't there. To be frank, we can't justify covering them as we once did.

Still, it saddens me to hear that the once-mighty (by minor league standards) Continental Basketball Association has shut down for the season.

When I was a kid, long before the D-League, the CBA was THE official developmental league of the NBA. And believe it or not, it is the oldest pro basketball league in the country, having tipped off as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League two months before the NBA was formed.

But now it is likely done for good (although there are temporary plans for a re-launch in 11 months, according to CBA commissioner Dennis Truax).

Also, while the league is cutting its season short, it will still stage a best-of-three championship series between the Albany (N.Y.) Patroons and Lawton-Fort Sill (Okla.) Cavalry, beginning Thursday.

My advice? Pay close attention to the series. Whoever wins may very well be the final CBA champion in league history.

Sam Amico is the editor of Pro Basketball News. He can be reached at amico@probasketballnews.com.