Kaman Makes All Star Case Over Bynum

This much we know: When the NBA All Star Game tips off in Dallas on Feb. 14, the Suns Amare Stoudemire will be the starting center for the Western Conference. Forget that he is really a power forward masquerading as a center, it’s a popularity contest. And Amare has David Spade helping out his campaign.

But the backup center will come from Los Angeles: Either Andrew Bynum of the Lakers or Chris Kaman of the Clippers. But who has earned it?

They played each other fairly evenly head-to-head Wednesday night, but in the clutch Kaman outplayed Bynum, and it was a key reason the Clippers snapped their nine-game losing streak to their roommates at Staples Center.

Both men finished with similar stats — both made seven shots on the night, both had 14 rebounds. Neither man shot particularly well against the other — Bynum’s touch was gone with a big body pushing him, and Kaman’s newfound midrange shots left him with a long arm in his face. In some ways, the two big men cancelled each other out.

But there were two little ways that Kaman was key. First, he attacked the basket more than his counterpart, and that is why the Clipper center got seven free throws on the night, to Bynum’s two (that is why Kaman had 21 points, six more than Bynum). The reasons he could attack was Baron Davis — playing maybe his best game as a Clipper — was dominating on the pick and roll, hitting him with good passes when the Lakers centers stepped out to deal with the hot Davis.

More importantly, Kaman was the anchor of a Clippers defense that had the Lakers missing shots — they shot just 38.4% on the night. In the end, it was this simple fundamental of basketball that was the difference in the game: The Clippers shot better than the Lakers on the night. You win games when that happens.

The Clippers have been winning more lately — that is five in a row at Staples Center, and the team is hanging around near .500 with star rookie Blake Griffin set to return in a couple weeks. The reason for the improved play is they started using Kaman as the fulcrum of their offense. In the last 10 games Kaman has averaged 23 points, 10 rebounds and a blocked shot a game.

Bynum has been good this season, but when Pau Gasol returned to the Lakers lineup he went into a December swoon. Bynum admitted he is more focused with Pau Gasol out (as he has been the last couple games with a mild hamstring strain). That doesn’t sound like an All Star. An All Star finds a way to fit in, to lead his team, to make key plays when his team needs it.

It sounds like Chris Kaman.