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Pelton's 2016 NBA All-Star ballot

Do Klay Thompson and Kevin Love deserve All-Star spots? USA TODAY Sports

When coaches turn in their choices for the All-Star reserves for each conference, to be announced Thursday before TNT's doubleheader, they'll have some tough calls to make.

As I've noted, All-Star rosters have remained at 12 players while the league has expanded from 12 teams to 30 and active rosters have swelled to 13. Add starting spots for fan favorites such as Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade, voted in on the strength of their legacies rather than their current performance, and rosters get tighter still.

Following the same rules coaches will use, here are my choices for both conferences.


East backcourt