Sometimes, those all-knowing coaches don't do any better than the supposedly know-nothing fans.

	Webber and Brand were joined together on this play, and now in All-Star selections.

Check the box marked TUESDAY as one of those times.

That's the day Western Conference coaches made a mistake no less egregious than anything the world's populace did in fan balloting. They selected Chris Webber as a Western Conference reserve, over poor Elton Brand.

Wrong answer.

You read right. Chris Webber should not be on Don Nelson's bench, much as we want to see Chris Webber on Don Nelson's bench -- because scribes everywhere generally welcome stories that write themselves. But not this one. At the risk of taking some fun out of what isn't supposed to be a life-or-death game, Webber shouldn't be gorging on cheesesteaks any more than the fans' ill-advised choice at starting guard: Steve Francis.

Injuries, people. Injuries. You have to factor in games missed when making these picks, whether you're a fan or a coach. At least you should factor health in, if you're a responsible voter.

Because the numbers, as they say, don't fib. Sacramento's Webber has missed more than half of his team's games: 23 of 43. Houston's Francis has missed almost that many: 19 of 44. That's why these two, both unquestioned All-Stars if talent was the sole consideration, should have been omitted. Doesn't matter that both can claim a place among the league's top 20 names without debate.

Webber has indeed been a monster lately, powering the Kings on a tidy 13-1 surge after missing the first 20 games with that nasty ankle sprain. Better without Webber? As Rick Adelman says: "Ridiculous. The guy is All-Pro. C'mon." Sacramento was thrilled to start the season 15-5 sans CWebb but knows it has to have him playing this way to have any real chance of unseating the Lakers.

Fact remains, though, that Webber has missed more games than he has played. Brand has missed zero games with the Clippers and has asserted himself as yet another legit power forward in the conference that already had Webber, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, Karl Malone and Rasheed Wallace. At a mere 6-8, Brand leads the league in offensive rebounds per game (4.3) and averages 18 and 11 overall.

The only solace is that Brand is the only clear-cut victim.

Francis, like Webber, can't really be considered an All-Star this term after missing nearly half of Houston's schedule -- much as the wondrous Stevie, one of our faves, deserves a sympathy vote for gutting through these scary migraines. But at least Francis' presence in Philly won't be excluding anyone too worthy.

	Szczerbiak

Minnesota's Wally Szczerbiak got in anyway, giving the deserving T-Wolves two All-Stars. Dallas' Steve Nash and Seattle's Gary Payton were also no-brainer picks unaffected by Francis' starter status. The other leading guards -- Denver's Nick Van Exel and Phoenix's Stephon Marbury -- have caused too many problems to merit a spot, with their trade demands and/or punches at shootaround. While Utah's John Stockton is another sensible backcourt contender, Mailman did make the roster to carry the senior citizens' torch. And since the Kings deserve two All-Stars no less than the Mavs or Wolves, we'll concede that Webber isn't all the way out of order a reserve pick alongside Predrag Stojakovic. Vlade Divac is probably Sacramento's only other viable candidate, but West coaches made a very fine distinction by tabbing Nowitzki as the West's backup center -- since Nowitzki has played more five than four this season.

In the name of equality, we apply the same Webber/Francis injury stance to the Leastern Conference. Milwaukee's Glenn Robinson and Washington's Richard Hamilton were looking like certain All-Stars around Christmas. Yet they have also since missed huge chunks of the schedule because of groin afflictions. So we scratch Dog and Rip, just as we do with another Westie who usually makes it: Dallas' Michael Finley, also felled by hammy issues.

Add up all of the above and, from here, Joe Public didn't do too badly. Jason Kidd should be starting in the East, of course, and Dikembe Mutombo wouldn't beat out Jermaine O'Neal or Alonzo Mourning on our ballot, but there are no blatant Florida election travesties like we had last February. Remember when Miami's Mourning and Orlando's Grant Hill were voted in as starters a year ago, having combined to play four games?

This time, the long-term injury victims who've barely played -- Denver's Antonio McDyess, Charlotte's Jamal Mashburn and Hill -- were wisely bypassed by the fans. Maybe we don't give the voters sufficient credit. Maybe we give the coaches too much.

Or maybe we'll shut up now and thank the coaches for this mistake. Nellie, after all, has already started writing those reunion stories for us. Seems that he's looking forward to CWebb's presence as much as the grubby scribes are.

"It's going to be fun to see my old buddy Chris Webber," the beaming West coach says. "I'll get a chance to coach him under different circumstances."

Doesn't have to be the right circumstances to make for good copy.

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