<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Kobe, unsure if knee will be right in time, on All-Star "My advice would be to vote for some of these younger players, the Damian Lillards"</p>— J.A. Adande (@jadande) <a href="https://twitter.com/jadande/statuses/420013693863084032">January 6, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
So Kobe and CP3 probably won't suit up for the game. iirc, the head coach of the team decides who suits up in place of the starters, right? Or does it go off the final fan vote tally? Or are they picked by the same coaches that pick the bench?
No to the final vote tally. If Lin doesn't make it to #2 in votes, he doesn't get an automatic spot as a starter nor as a reserve. He then has to be selected by the commissioner or the coaches. If Kobe and CP3 finish Top 2, but don't play due to injury, then 2 new players will then be selected, but that's not a guarantee for them to start. So yes, the head coach has final pick as to who starts, if one of the voted-in starters can't play due to injury. Again, Brook Lopez replaced Rondo last year after David Stern selected him. He was #14 in overall fan votes for the East front-court. But Spoelstra chose Bosh to start.
Dwight played like an allstar, better than the one in LA while Harden might still be an allstar but he is not on last year's level.
