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There are always more deserving All-Star contenders than there are spots for them, but it has never been truer than this season. The NBA announced the reservations on Tuesday, and there’s a good chance you’ll be outraged by one “snob” or another.
If you missed it, the coaches elected Damian Lillard, Chris Paul, Paul George, Anthony Davis, Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell and Zion Williamson as reservists for the Western Conference. In the East, coaches voted for James Harden, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Julius Randle, Nikola Vucevic, Zach LaVine and Ben Simmons.
On March 4, Kevin Durant and LeBron James will draft their teams. On March 7, the game will be played and, unless they are selected as injury substitutes, the following players will not be on the field:
Most coaches weren’t going to pick two Suns, and it looks like Booker fell victim to Paul’s success. His assist rate has naturally dropped now that Paul is here, but he actually increased his usage rate to 30.3% and continued his extremely efficient score. It might be a tough pill for Booker to swallow, but hey, as long as his team remains healthy, he’ll have his first playoff glimpse in a few months. This is the other side of it.
Update: Booker was named as an injury replacement for Lakers forward Anthony Davis on the Western Conference roster on Wednesday, February 24.
It is truly surprising that the coaches did not select him, given that he is universally respected and his team have the best record in the league. Conley, a 14-year-old vet who barely missed the cut multiple times in Memphis, is the sentimental choice to take Davis’ place. He also has a solid statistic case: Every 36 minutes, he averages 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 6.9 assists on 59.4 percent of actual shooting. Conley throws 3s at a higher volume and more precise than ever before and plays better defense than some of the players selected on him. The Jazz outscored their opponents by 17.1 points per 100 possessions with them on the field, which is the highest score in the entire league.
Middleton made the cut in 2019 and 2020 but missed it this time around because his squad weren’t so dominant (and the East has a million deserving candidates). Individually, however, he’s been significantly better this season, so that seems a little odd. Milwaukee has empowered Middleton as a playmaker, and he averages a career-high 6.2 assists per 36 minutes. Its .505 / .431 / .895 fire divisions are insane.
Another player who took a step forward after an All-Star season, Adebayo added the midrange jumper to his arsenal, increased his use and went on to become one of the greatest players in the NBA. Per 36 minutes, he averages 19.6 points, plus 9.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.0 blocks on 63.6% actual shot. It’s not his fault the Heat are 14-17, but the disappointing record is probably what cost him a second appearance.
From an undrafted benchwarmer to a crucial part of the league’s best bench unit, to the hero of the NBA Finals, the full-time rookie to this, the evolution continued. VanVleet will have to wait to validate his final jump with an All-Star appearance, but he’s clearly playing at the All-Star level. He was a bright spot when the Raptors wrestled, and he was responsible for much of their success as they turned the tide, most notably with his 54-point game against Orlando and his recent wins against the Sixers and the Bucks without Kyle Lowry. In February, he averaged 21.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.6 steals per 36 minutes on 59.8% live fire, but the late push was not enough.
No longer part of a three-headed PG monster, Gilgeous-Alexander became the Thunder’s # 1 option. It was a predictable scenario, but the same can’t be said for the scope of its development. Usually, when a young player’s utilization rate jumps significantly, simply maintaining their effectiveness is considered success. The 22-year-old has done a lot more than that. He averages 24.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6.9 assists out of 62% (!) Live shot. The coaches probably held the OKC 12-19 record against him.
Fox has been one of the best clutch players in the league, and if that vote had taken place before the Kings’ seven-game losing streak, I bet he would have. Over the season, he’s averaged 24.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.4 steals every 36 minutes, but those numbers show just how much he’s improved as an operator. pick-and-roll. Fox confidently takes pull-ups 3 and stepback 3, and his 41.9% rating on the 3 catch-and-shoot suggests that he will be able to do those shots at a reliable rate in the relatively near future. He also achieves 72% of his shots to the rim, which shouldn’t be possible.
Looking strictly at the numbers, it’s hard to rationalize keeping Young off the squad. The guy averages 27.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 9.9 assists per 36 minutes on 60.8% actual shooting, and opponents can’t keep him out of the free throw line. The Hawks have had a patchy season, however, and Young hasn’t significantly improved his defense or his off-the-ball game.
Sabonis and the Pacers started the season strong, but his case lost steam when the team did. Like Middleton and Adebayo, however, he’s unquestionably better now than he was when he played in the All-Star Game last season. He averages 21.3 points, 11.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists per 36 minutes on 59.5% live fire, with a career-high 25.4 use rate. Everything Indiana does revolves around him.
Hayward’s par 36 numbers (22.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.2 steals) are almost identical to what they were in his last season in Utah. His 60% live fire percentage is a few percentage points higher. Hayward was everything the Hornets hoped to be, providing precisely the right amount of scoring and play to take the pressure off their guards without getting in their way. Unfortunately for him, those numbers don’t jump off the page in the same way as, say, LaVine.
Should coaches reward the best players or the players who have the best seasons? If you lean towards the first one or think it should be a mix of the two, you are probably thinking Butler was robbed. He has proven himself to be among the best in the league in the bubble, and his stats in 19 games – 20.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 2.0 steals per 36 minutes on 55% live fire – not that different from its latest stats. season. Butler started out slow, however, and his 12 missed games likely worked against him. The Miami record probably did too.
DeRozan’s drive-and-kick play has been a staple of Spurs’ new offense, and he’s averaging 7.4 assists per 36 minutes. He’s still an incredible mid-range shooter, but he cut the frequency of his Long 2s and made them a career-high 57%, according to Cleaning The Glass. It no longer completely avoids the 3-point line either. San Antonio hasn’t been a big enough story for DeRozan to generate much All-Star buzz, however, and his decline in points per game (19.8) is likely a factor as well. When you consider how he’s been discussed throughout his career, it’s a rich irony.
For the second time, Harris has a career year under Doc Rivers, averaging 21.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.9 blocks per 36 of 60 minutes, 7% real fire. A personification of the Sixers ‘vastly improved offensive ecosystem, Harris’ shooting profile doesn’t look all that different, but he’s a lot more comfortable as a goalscorer than he was last season. As Conley found out, however, it’s hard to get in when you’re a teammate with two Eternal All-Stars.
Honorable mentions: Jerami Grant, Brandon Ingram, Christian Wood, Ja Morant, CJ McCollum
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