"Kevin Durant was in already.

Russell Westbrook is in now.

But James Harden?

He won't be joining his Thunder teammates in the All-Star Game this year. When the reserves were announced Thursday evening, the shooting guard was not among the Western Conference backups.

That's as it should have been.

Listen, you won't find a bigger fan of The Beard than yours truly. This guy's game is outstanding. He can shoot from outside. He can get to the hole. He can create for his teammates. He can defend you a little bit, too.

But he's not an All-Star yet.

Not when you see the other players who were left off the Western Conference squad.

Joining the previously named starters — Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Blake Griffin, Andrew Bynum and KD — are Minnesota's Kevin Love, Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge, Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, San Antonio's Tony Parker, Phoenix's Steve Nash, Memphis' Marc Gasol and Russ.

No way Nowitzki is playing at an All-Star level this season. Problems with his right knee forced him to sit out more than a week, but even though he's returned, his game hasn't. He's had three games of 10 or less points, including a 2-of-15 shooting performance against Oklahoma City."