Per usual, the NBA all-star game will be missing some key players
The NBA All-Star reserves were announced last week and, like always, I’m disappointed. All of the players selected are elite, there is no arguing that. It’s the players that got left out that really grinds my gears. The reserves are selected by the coaches of the NBA, which really makes me wonder how intensely they pay attention to the other teams in the league. In my opinion, NBA All-Stars should be selected based on this season’s playing on an individual level. Team success shouldn’t be a major factor in deciding All-Stars, and previous seasons shouldn’t be considered at all.
The Western All-Star starters are James Harden, Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard. They’re joined by reserves Brandon Ingram, Chris Paul, Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, Nikola Jokic, Russell Westbrook and Damian Lillard.
The Eastern All-Star starters are Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Kemba Walker, Pascal Siakam and Trae Young. They’re accompanied by reserves Ben Simmons, Kyle Lowry, Jimmy Butler, Jayson Tatum, Khris Middleton, Domantas Sabonis and Bam Adebayo.
If I was the supreme ruler of the NBA, like Adam Silver but with all six Infinity Stones, these are the changes I would make.
Bradley Beal
At 29.2 points per game, Bradley Beal trails only Giannis in the East in scoring. That’s the highest any NBA player has averaged without making the All-Star roster in NBA history. What’s especially impressive is that Beal plays for the Washington Wizards, meaning that he’s basically by himself on the court. He has scored more than twice as many points as Davis Bertans, Washington’s next highest scorer. Beal gets double-teamed night after night and still manages to produce 29 points at a 45.5 percent clip.
Beal certainly deserves to be on the All-Star team over Kyle Lowry. Lowry plays for the Raptors and is having a fine season, it’s just not anywhere close to what Bradley Beal does every night. Averaging 19 points and seven assists on a winning team evidently mean more than 29 points and six assists on a losing team to NBA coaches.
Devin Booker
Averaging 27 points and six assists on 60 percent true shooting is no small feat. It has only been done by a small group of people: Michael Jordan, LeBron James, James Harden, Damian Lillard, Stephen Curry and Larry Bird. Oh, and Devin Booker, who didn’t make the All-Star roster. Why didn’t he make the roster? Because the Suns aren’t in the playoff picture. His 50.6 percent from the field is higher than any member of the West’s backcourt roster.
Chris Paul is a probable NBA Hall of Famer, but his numbers don’t compare to Booker’s this season. The Thunder are in the playoff picture, and Chris Paul has been an All-Star nine other times, so naturally, he got the nod over Booker. If Chris Paul increased his scoring efficiency and upped his volume by 10 points per game, his production might start to look like Bookers.
Zach Lavine
Zach Lavine is fifth in total points scored this season. The Bulls are four games out of a playoff spot, but Lavine isn’t to blame for that. Chicago has a young roster and a coach whom the players despise. I will be surprised if Jim Boylen is still coaching the team at the end of the season. Despite all that, Lavine is averaging a career-high 25 points per game this season. He’s a fan favorite due to his high-flying acrobatics and limitless range. Some might even say he’s meant for the All-Star game.
Does Jayson Tatum really deserve to be an All-Star? If you ask me, the answer is no. I believe he will make the roster several times before his career ends, but he doesn’t deserve the spot this season. 21.5 points and seven rebounds on subpar efficiency doesn’t impress me. Tatum plays alongside Kemba Walker and Jaylen Brown, his efficiency should be higher than 43.6 percent from the field, which is a career-low for him. Lavine won’t take his place, no matter how many times I snap my fingers.
Andre Drummond
Towns missed the All-Star game for one reason: he was injured for a month. I can’t find a reason for Drummond, however. He’s currently averaging 15.8 rebounds, nearing the 15.9 mark he set a few years ago. No player has averaged that many rebounds in a season since Dennis Rodman in 1996. He is also setting a career-high in scoring at 17.5 points per game. Drummond is having a stellar year on defense as well (almost four blocks plus steals per game). I love Bam Adebayo, but Drummond is more deserving of that roster spot. 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists are excellent for a center, but Drummond does a lot more than that. Once again, if Drummond played for the Heat and Adebayo played for the Pistons, there wouldn’t be a discussion.