Picking All-Star Reserves
After giving my thoughts on the starters last week, I feel obligated to pick my reserves for the All-Star Game ahead of tonight's reveal
I gave my picks for the All-Star starters before those were announced last week so it’s only right I do the same on the heels of the reserves being revealed tonight.
Let’s get into it.
Eastern Conference
Zach LaVine (G)
Do I really need to explain this selection? I had him starting, which meant that a bench spot was a lock if he didn’t get it.
James Harden (G)
James Harden doesn’t feel like an All-Star because he’s playing far below the level we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from him.
And yet when you look at the numbers, he’s still averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 assists, and 8.0 rebounds per game. The efficiency has fallen off a cliff, but I can’t just ignore near-triple-double numbers. Especially when the Nets, despite recent struggles, are still a top-6 team that could easily get back into the top half by the All-Star break with two games separating them and 3-seeded Philly.
Jarrett Allen (F)
Remember when some questioned the $100 million deal Cleveland gave Jarrett Allen over the summer? Lol.
With career-highs of 16.0 points and 10.7 rebounds per game along with incredible rim protection and overall defense, Allen has been one of the biggest factors behind Cleveland’s unexpected success that has them 5th in the East and only two games out from the top seed.
Jimmy Butler (F)
The All-Star Game needs a representative from the 2-seeded Heat. Though he’s already missed 19 games, Jimmy Butler is the best option.
21.8 points, 6.4 assists, 6.3 rebounds, and nearly two steals per game. His usual brand of defensive intensity. Miami might be able to get by with the help of unlikely sources, but Butler is still the engine down in South Beach.
Jayson Tatum (F)
The Celtics have been something of a disappointment as they sit 9th in the East. Maybe Tatum can be doing more as a playmaker as many critiques suggest, but it’s hard to invest in that take given all he’s already doing.
25.9 points, a career-high 8.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. I always try to reward winning, but being an All-Star is ultimately about the individual, and Tatum is one hell of an individual.
Fred VanVleet (WC)
The Raptors aren’t supposed to be a top-8 team, but they are, and it’s because Fred VanVleet has stepped into the shoes left by Kyle Lowry and led the way with 21.5 points, 7.0 assists, and 4.5 rebounds a night.
He’s been a steady hand while Toronto has dealt with a plethora of absences and a roster that’s still trying to figure itself out. Let’s reward that.
Darius Garland (WC)
I debated between Garland and LaMelo Ball but ultimately went with the former. For starters, it’s not like he’s underserving with nearly 20 points and 8 assists a night as the floor general for a surprising top-5 team.
Plus, Garland has had to deal with ever-changing circumstances that have seen two backcourt partners go down for the year. He’s kept the Cavs steady through it all, and with the All-Star Game on his home court, why not reward that?
Western Conference
Chris Paul (G)
The Suns are 41-9. He’s leading the league with 10.4 assists per game and doing all the other Chris Paul stuff. C’mon.
Devin Booker (G)
The Suns are 41-9. He’s averaging 25.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. C’mon.
Draymond Green (F)
You know how Draymond makes his All-Star case by now. It’s the playmaking that places him 12th in the NBA, the defense that has him in the mix for Defensive Player of the Year and Golden State atop the league at that end, and how all of it comes together to help power a top-2 team out West.
Karl-Anthony Towns (F)
KAT has always had the numbers, and this season is no exception. 24.4 points 9.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. 50/40/80 shooting splits.
But whereas it was hard to give a nod to someone on one of the worst teams in the league, Minnesota’s standing as the No. 7 team in the West is enough to earn Towns a spot.
Rudy Gobert (F)
I had Gobert as a starter, which makes it easier to put him amongst the reserves with the same case.
He’s posting career-highs in points (16.0), rebounds (15.1), and FG% (70.7), leading the league in the latter two categories while placing 2nd in the league in blocks. The Jazz are struggling in his absence, but his presence was enough to get them a top-4 spot in the conference.
Luka Doncic (WC)
The greatness of Luka Doncic may have become commonplace. That shouldn’t negate absurd averages of 26.0 points, 8.9 assists, and 8.8 rebounds a night for the 5th-place Mavericks.
He deserved criticism for getting off to a slow start (likely due to entering the season out of shape) but has responded to those critiques about as well as you can.
Donovan Mitchell (WC)
Utah has the league’s top offense by a pretty significant margin. A lot of that credit belongs to Donovan Mitchell and his 25.5 points and 5.2 assists per game.
Like Gobert, the Jazz have struggled to win games without their leading scorer, but Mitchell’s individual play coupled with Utah’s success as a team across the 40 games he played (26-14) gets him a spot.