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It's nearly impossible for me to walk away from the All-Star reserve announcements feeling anything but torn.

Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph makes the Western Conference team as a reserve, beautiful. Justice is served ... but Clippers center Chris Kaman gets snubbed, unbelievable. Whose neck do I wrap my hands around to get make me feel better?

A mercurial talent like Bulls point guard Derrick Rose gets a spot on the Eastern Conference team, wonderful. Youth is served ... only to have an equally mercurial talent in Hawks forward Josh Smith snubbed, ridiculous.

For every player that gets rewarded like Hawks center Al Horford, there seems to be another that is passed over like Knicks center David Lee.

Universal satisfaction is impossible. I realize that. And congrats to the seven first-time All-Stars that made list.

So while we can't sit here and knock any of the 14 players named as reserves tonight, we can show a little love to the Hang Time's Fab Five All-Snubbed Team; the five guys that deserved spots on the team but will instead spend All-Star Weekend doing something else:

F Josh Smith, Hawks

Pertinent numbers: 15.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.2 blocks and .512 FG%

The skinny: Smith is easily the Hawks most indispensible player, as former colleague Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution did earlier today. They simply don't have another player that can fill as many categories on a stat sheeet as he can. You knew there would have to be a choice made between he and Horford and the coaches went with Horford while almost everyone else guessed Smith would be the pick. You couldn't go wrong either way. But after five seasons of work his game has never been better. It's too bad, his game is tailor-made for an All-Star setting.

 

F David Lee, Knicks

Pertinent numbers: 19.4 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.0 steals and .554 FG%

The skinny: Lee was considered a shoo-in by many, only to lose out to his former college teammate Horford. Lee's numbers are fantasic for any player, let alone an undersized center that rarely sees the ball in halfcourt sets, as highlighted here by the good folks at Ball Don't Lie. His production is a product of hard work and skill honed throughout one of the darkest stretches for franchise trying to rebuild itself into a playoff contender. The fact that the Knicks were winning more often than usual this season seemed like it would sway things in his favor but it didn't happen.

C Chris Kaman, Clippers

Pertinent numbers: 20.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 blocks and .501 FG%

The skinny: This one hits Hang Time in the heart, what with Kaman hailing from the same hometown (Grand Rapids, Mich.) as our leader. It's not clear what else he's supposed to do to earn a bid. The coaches had a difficult choice to make, and one made tougher when Amar're Stoudemire made the Western Conference teams as a starter. Kaman is the best big man in Los Angeles and sooner or later he'll be recognized as such. It just didn't happen in time for him to make his first trip to the All-Star Game, which is a shame, because the party back home would have been bonkers.

G Chauncey Billups, Nuggets

Pertinent numbers: 19.2 points, 5.9 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 1.2 steals and .424 FG% and .414 3pt FG%

The skinny: In order for Deron Williams to finally take his rightful spot on the Western Conference All-Star team, someone had to be left off the list. Billups is easy to overlook in a conference loaded with point guards. And none of the point guards on the team have a record of success that matches what Billups brings to the table. A seasoned veteran, Billups probably won't lose much sleep over not making this team since he's been to so many All-Star Games before now. But he makes Hang Time's list because the Nuggets weren't anywhere close to being the elite team they are now before his arrival.

G Jamal Crawford, Hawks

Pertinent numbers: 17.5 points, 2.8 assists, 2.4 rebounds and .459 FG% and .367 3pt FG%

The skinny: Crawford's numbers don't begin to tell the story of the impact he's had on the Hawks this season, as Jeff Schultz of the AJC pointed out. The league's leading scorer off the bench and the unquestioned best offseason acquisition (non-draft pick) by any team, Crawford's case for a spot was spoiled by the Hawks' four-way stretching of attention between he, Smith, Horford and four-time All-Star Joe Johnson. Crawford will have to sit this All-Star party out but should more than make up for it come awards time at the end of the season. He's the runaway leader for the Sixth Man award and if he helps the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals he could get his own stretch of Peachtree Street named in his honor.