The East All-Star reserves will be announced Thursday and Deron Williams, one of two players averaging better than 20 points and eight assists, has to be on the short list.

Then again, his team is 8-17 and he leads the league in turnovers. None of that should be an issues, says Avery Johnson.

"I think under the circumstances, what he's had to deal with on the court, in terms of all of the adversity, the injuries, the way he's played this year, it's definitely an All-Star year," said Johnson. Coaches in each conference vote for the reserves. If a player selected either as a starter or reserve is injured, the commissioner names a replacement.

Williams, if selected, would be the first Net All-Star since 2009 when coaches selected Devin Harris. He was twice a Western Conference All-Star with the Jazz.

• Nets' Deron Williams deserves to be an All-Star, Avery Johnson says - Colin Stephenson - Star-Ledger
• Deron and Derrick, Round 2 - Ben Couch - New Jersey Nets