FANS SHOULD MAKE THE ALL-SMARTS TEAM FOR ALL-STAR PICKS @B BY SCOTT WOLF.

Unlike baseball, NBA fans deserve a little credit when it comes to the All-Star voting process. Of course, maybe it's because pro basketball's average fans aren't over 70 or rotisserie-league geeks.

With that in mind, the fans did a respectable job selecting the starting teams for the Western and Eastern conference teams.

There's been virtually no controversy over the lineups, something that almost never occurs in that other sport.

Let's see how we stack up the fans' selections with our own as we near the Feb. 13 game in Oakland:

WESTERN CONFERENCE

GUARDS

--Fans' picks: Jason Kidd, Phoenix, and Kobe Bryant, Lakers.

--Our picks: Kidd and Gary Payton, Seattle.

There's no way Kidd (16.2 ppg, 10.0 apg, 7.2 rpg) doesn't make the team. He's become the most prolific player to record triple-doubles since Magic Johnson, and has even improved his jump shot. Most importantly, he plays hard every minute, which is something that can't be said for the rest of the Suns.

There's nothing wrong with the fans' choice of Bryant, but he missed the first month of the season, and Payton is having perhaps his finest year (23.3 ppg, 8.5 apg, 6.2 rpg) if you exclude the usual temper flare-ups. Without him, the Sonics would be about as distinguishable as the Warriors.

FORWARDS

--Fans' picks:off! Kevin Garnett, Minnesota, and Tim Duncan, San Antonio.

--Our picks: Garnett and Sacramento's Chris Webber.

There's really no quibble here, since Garnett will become a staple at this spot for the next 10 years, and the Duncan-Webber debate could go either way.

If we were building a team, we'd obviously take Duncan, but Webber's 24.7 points and 10.8 rebounds should be recognized for turning the Kings into a legitimate member of the NBA's upper echelon.

CENTER

--Fans' pick: Shaquille O'Neal, Lakers.

--Our pick: O'Neal.

The no-brainer of the year. It's too obvious to even talk about. Next conference, please.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

GUARDS

--Fans' picks: Allen Iverson, Philadelphia, and Eddie Jones, Charlotte.

--Our picks: Iverson and Jones.

Iverson gives Larry Brown a headache about three times a week, but his talent allows him to get away with it.

There's some sentiment that Milwaukee's Glenn Robinson deserved the other spot, but look at how far Jones has come in just the past 12 months. Yeah, that Lakers trade isn't looking so good today, huh?

Jones has been the glue that holds a shaky Charlotte team together, especially after the death of Bobby Phills. Jones is having a wonderful season, and will be courted by at least 10 teams when he becomes a free agent.

FORWARDS

--Fans' picks: Vince Carter, Toronto, and Grant Hill, Detroit.

--Our picks: Carter and Hill.

We're still trying to figure out how Carter was left off the Olympic team, forced to take a back seat to Milwaukee's Ray Allen. He's possibly the most explosive player in the league in just his second season, which was evidenced by being the No. 1 vote-getter for the All-Star Game.

Hill deserves the starting spot because he has done what few superstars do these days: Improve an aspect of his game.

Hill hired a shooting coach last summer, and is currently hitting 39 percent of his 3-pointers. He's become an even more complete player.

CENTER

--Fans' pick: Alonzo Mourning, Miami.

--Our pick: I've never been a big fan of the 6-foot-9 Mourning, but there's a real shortage of centers in the East, with Atlanta's Dikembe Mutombo the only other viable option. That's not much of a comparison, since Mourning is more than a rebounder/shot blocker, yet he still manages 4.3 blocks per night.

< --The feud continues: The Sixers and Heat are getting downright hostile in Week 2 of their disagreement over who botched the Larry Hughes-for-Jamal Mashburn deal.

Miami coach Pat Riley accused Philadelphia of leaking the trade to the media last week, and became incensed this week when Sixers GM Billy King said Toronto had discussed trading Tracy McGrady to Miami for point guard Tim Hardaway.

``That's (garbage),'' Riley said.

Toronto prefers rookie point guard Anthony Carter to the 33-year-old Hardaway.

< --Deals, deals, deals: Rick Pitino remains under fire in Boston, and has put forward Danny Fortson on the trading block. Fortson has barely been in Boston long enough to learn to mistrust Pitino after being acquired for Ron Mercer. But he becomes a free agent after the season and Boston would like to clear its salary cap. Also available for any willing victims: Pervis Ellison.

Meanwhile, the Hawks are not going to fire Lenny Wilkens, but are open to offers for guard Jim Jackson and forward Alan Henderson.

The Heat, when not talking to Philadelphia, has called Golden State about John Starks, which would reunite the always-shooting guard with his former Knicks mentor Riley.

< --Keeping Eddie: The Hornets are ready to offer Eddie Jones a seven- year, $86 million contract after the season in a sign-at-all-costs move. ``I think that Eddie is essential to the success of our team,'' Charlotte co-owner Ray Wooldridge said.

< --Know your role: According to Mitch Lawrence of ESPN.com, Clippers guard Lamar Odom recently was reprimanded by the organization. Odom was critical of the direction of the franchise several weeks ago, and worried over the potential departures of free agents Maurice Taylor and Derek Anderson.

According to the story, Odom was told by Clippers GM Elgin Baylor that he would be suspended if he made further remarks.

RANKING THE NBA

SCOTT WOLF'S TOP 10 AND NO. 29

1. Lakers (34-9)

Maybe the triangle offense requires more work than everyone thought.

2. Portland (32-10)

Detlef Schrempf says his body may not take another season.

3. Utah (27-14)

Pulled off unlikely double of beating Lakers, losing to Grizzlies in same week.

4. Indiana (27-15)

A 17-2 home record shows L.A. what you can do when new arena has atmosphere.

5. San Antonio (28-15)

Spurs worried about legal liability if Sean Elliott returns.

6. Miami (26-15)

Riley's real target not Larry Hughes, but Charlotte's Eddie Jones.

7. Sacramento (27-14)

Doing fine as long as NBC isn't allowed in the gym.

8. New York (25-16)

Everyone but Allan Houston is available, including Patrick Ewing.

9. Seattle (28-16)

It's just about time for Gary Payton to attack someone in the organization.

10. Minnesota (23-17)

Wolves offer Bobby Jackson to Raptors for Michael Stewart.

29. Golden State (9-32)

Raptors keeping eye on Mookie Blaylock.

BY THE NUMBERS

18,311 -- Average road attendance for the Lakers, tops in the NBA.

89.3Average points allowed by Portland, the NBA's stingiest defense.

12 -- Double-doubles for Chicago rookie forward Elton Brand in his last 14 games.

5 -- Season-low turnovers committed by New York, one shy of the franchise record, in its victory over Seattle.

1.7 -- Seconds it took for Seattle's Chuck Person to inbound the ball, get it back and hit a 3-pointer to give the Sonics a 95-92 victory over New Jersey.

SIGN OF THE TIMES

According to the Dallas Morning News, one of the men to whom the NBA Players Association has entrusted the recovery and well-being of troubled Mavericks rookie Leon Smith during his after-care treatment in Houston is a convicted felon.

Delton Carter, 45, was sentenced to four five-year terms in the Texas Department of Corrections in the early 1990s for forgery. He served less than six months before being paroled.

Carter was helping out with Smith during his workouts at the Rockets' training facility and was serving as Smith's escort to Rockets home games.

Smith, whom the Mavericks drafted last June, is facing a Feb. 3 court date in Chicago after being charged with misdemeanors of aggravated assault, criminal damage to property and violation of a protection order.

The Mavericks suspended him last December following several episodes of defying coaches' orders. Last November, Smith also tried to take his own life with an overdose of aspirin, an episode that led him into the union's after-care program in Houston.

RUMOR MILL

Despite the recent comments of Lakers coach Phil Jackson, the club is still interested in obtaining Washington center Ike Austin and talks will continue with new Wizards GM/Jackson crony Michael Jordan.

CAPTION(S):

4 boxes

Box: (1) Ranking the NBA (see text)

(2) Quote of the week

(3) Stat of the week

(4) Leaders