All-Star Game

Earlier in the week, we passed along our Eastern Conference All-Star selections. We’ll examine the Western Conference today…

West Starters

G Rockets James Harden

G Warriors Stephen Curry

FC Warriors Kevin Durant

FC Nuggets Nikola Jokic

FC Pelicans Anthony Davis

Slotting Harden and Curry into the guard spots is easy. Figuring out who should start in the frontcourt is an immensely difficult task.

Davis has done everything for the Pelicans and no player is responsible for a higher percentage of his team’s wins. Durant is averaging 28.0 points per game while shooting 51.1% from the field and dishing out a career-high 6.0 assists per game.

Paul George is proving he belongs among the league’s best, averaging 27.0 points and putting himself in position to win the Defensive Player of the Year award.

Jokic’s team had the best record in the west for a large part of the season. Harden and Russell Westbrook are the only players in the conference averaging more assists per game than Jokic and he’s in the top five in VORP, plus/minus, PER, and NBA Math’s TPA.

LeBron James missing the cut for the starters comes down to him missing a portion of the season to film Space Jam 2 to nurse a groin injury and the ridiculous level of competition alongside him in the Western Conference frontcourt ranks.

LBJ and George would likely be starters in other years and you could argue that either would be starting if the league simply picked the 10 best players this season rather than having the East-West distinction.

West Reserves

A brief backstory: Shortly after the 2016 NBA Finals, I engaged in a debate with a friend over Steven Adams‘ future in the league. Adams had just had a nice series against the Warriors and overall, He had an encouraging playoff run.

My friend envisioned Adams making the leap and become All-Star worthy but I couldn’t see it and two friendly wagers were formed: Will Adams ever make an All-Star game? Who will have more All-Star appearances in their respective careers, Adams or Dragan Bender? (This looks really bad in hindsight, but at the time, Bender was a highly-touted prospect a few weeks away from being a top-5 pick. It’s one of my Sam Hinkie manifesto moments where I’m happy to be wrong for the right reasons.)

Adams is unlikely to make this year’s game, even with a boost in fan voting as a result of his anime connection, but he deserves consideration, which is a sentence I never thought I’d write. He’s hit career highs in a slew of traditional categories and he’s among the top 10 in the West in win shares.

However, if Adams is ever going to make an All-Star game, he’ll likely need things to break right (injuries, talent migration into the east, being a key part of a No. 1 seed that completely exceeds expectations akin to the 2014/15 60-win Atlanta Hawks) or he’ll need to be traded to the East. There’s just too much frontcourt talent in the Western Conference.

As for who should make it, LeBron, George, and Karl-Anthony Towns are no-brainers. Damian Lillard will make his fourth All-Star appearance while Rudy Gobert should expect his first nod, as he’s leading the league in field goal percentage and essentially every advanced defensive statistical category.

LaMarcus Aldridge was in a funk during the first quarter of the season but he’s caught fire since Thanksgiving, scoring 22.7 points and shooting 57.0% from the field since the last week in November. He and DeMar DeRozan deserve credit for their part in keeping the Spurs in the playoff picture.

Can the Pelicans get two All-Stars while residing in the conference’s 12th spot? I can’t support it despite how important Jrue Holiday has been to New Orleans.

Luka Doncic should win the Rookie of the Year but he doesn’t deserve to be an All-Star. Yes, he has exceeded expectations for Dallas, but he’s shooting a ho-hum 35,6% from behind the arc and 42.8% from the field overall for a team that only has the depressing Grizzlies and inexperienced Suns behind them in the conference standings.

The Clippers could send either Danilo Gallinari or Tobias Harris to Charlotte. I’m giving the nod to Harris. His shooting percentage dipped slightly below 50% recently but he has a good chance to make at least half of his shots from the field and 40% from deep while averaging at least 20 points per game. Kyrie Irving is the only player who’s currently accomplishing that feat. Here are the qualified players to achieve those figures over the past four seasons:

• 2017/18: Towns, Durant
• 2016/17: None
• 2015/16: Curry (won MVP), Kawhi Leonard
• 2014/15: Durant, Blake Griffin

Each player made the All-Star game during those seasons and Harris warrants an invitation to this year’s event.

Lastly, Russell Westbrook is leading the league in assists. He’s scoring 21.8 points per game but he’s making just 41.6% of his shots, including 24.2% from 3-point range. He’s coughing up 3.5 turnovers per contest and is making just 65.5% of his six free throw attempts per contest.

Westbrook led the league in total missed shots in each of the past two seasons and somehow, he’s become even less efficient this year. The 30-year-old will likely make his eighth All-Star appearance next month but I wouldn’t bet on him making too many more beyond this season unless he figures out how to increase his efficiency and reduces the turnovers.

Recap of Western Conference Reserves

Thunder Paul George

Lakers LeBron James

Timberwolves Karl-Anthony Towns

Blazers Damian Lillard

Jazz Rudy Gobert

Clippers Tobias Harris

Thunder Russell Westbrook

Do you agree with the selections above? Are there any changes you would make to the list? What 12 players would you vote into this year’s All-Star game? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to hearing what you have to say!

Images courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

All-Star weekend is approaching and it’s time to dish out votes for each of the 24 spots. We’ll examine the Eastern Conference today, but be sure to check back later in the week for the All-Star selections from the Western Conference.

East Starters

G Celtics Kyrie Irving

G Sixers Ben Simmons

FC Raptors Kawhi Leonard

FC Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo

FC Sixers Joel Embiid

Embiid and Antetokounmpo are legit MVP candidates and while Leonard has fallen from that status, the former Spur remains a full notch above any other frontcourt player in the conference.

Irving is an easy selection. Bradley Beal has the biggest case to unseat Simmons in the starting lineup. He’s the sole reason the Wizards are in arm’s reach of a playoff spot. Yet, Simmons is simply having a special season. Simmons carries a higher PER (21.1 to 19.3) than Beal. He is responsible for more victories than Beal, according to win shares (5.4 to 3.3), and he bests the 25-year-old shooting guard in nearly all traditional and advanced stats outside of points and three-point shooting.

Simmons is shooting 57.6% from the field, an absurd figure for a player who spends so much time on the perimeter and has nothing that resembles a jump shot. Much of his success can be attributed to talent, more so than to a scheme. Zach Lowe of ESPN.com recently detailed how the Warriors are utilizing Draymond Green with the ball in his hands when opposing defenders are allowing him to be all alone on the perimeter. When a defender sinks back, Green will toss the ball to a shooter around the arch and then sprint toward the shooter in order to screen that player’s man. The defender responsible for Green is left scrambling toward the shooter from closer to the paint and it’s too late; the look is clean. 

Admittedly, the Warriors are on a different level. They are building beach houses while most of the league is negotiating rent. Still, opposing teams are defending Simmons without anything close to the threat of this kind of wizardry.

Teams know exactly what Simmons is going to do and most can’t stop it, akin to how opponents are struggling to contain the Greek Freek in Milwaukee. If Giannis is the Mona Lisa, then Simmons is the Vitruvian Man and 22-year-old should have his artistry on display with the starters in Charlotte.

East Reserves

Nikola Vucevic is having an outstanding season. He joins Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Embiid as the only players averaging 20 and 12. He’s one of five players making at least 50% of his shots while averaging at least one block and a 3-pointer made per game. He’s propping up the Magic to appear like a real playoff contender.

Vucevic and Beal aren’t the only lead singers who are relying on backup dancers as their squads audition for a playoff spot. The Pistons and Hornets would be bottom-feeders if not for Blake Griffin and Kemba Walker on their respective teams, though both players have had highs and lows this season.

The Nets have been great and both Spencer Dinwiddie and D’Angelo Russell deserve consideration for their part in Brooklyn’s feel-good story but neither player makes the cut. I wanted to find a spot for Josh Richardson. He’s been Miami’s most important player, but he’s cooled off during the second quarter of the season.

In terms of talent, Jimmy Butler is among the best in the East. However, he’s missed time because of the weeks-long tantrum he threw in Minnesota, the resulting trade period, and the three minor ailments that have caused him to sit since joining the Sixers.

Kyle Lowry also missed a chunk of time. Same with Al Horford and Victor Oladipo. Injuries are unfortunate but how many players can be named All-Stars while missing close to 20% of their games? I’m designating one spot to this criteria and Oladipo has been the best of the bunch. (It kills me to leave out Lowry, a Philadelphia-native, but being available to play matters, especially when splitting hairs among quality players).

Eric Bledsoe is second on the conference-leading Bucks in win shares. He’s played well as both an isolation player when Milwaukee needed a bucket and within the flow of the offense. On defense, he’s done everything the team has needed and more. Stephen Curry is the only point guard with a higher net rating than Bledsoe this season.

My last spot goes to Pascal Siakam. Stability can be valuable – especially with Lowry and Leonard consistently shuffling in and out of the lineup – and the power forward has produced regardless of whoever has been on the court alongside him.

Siakam’s improvement since last season is remarkable. He can put on his Draymond Green hat and become a facilitator when needed. With his smooth lateral movement, he can be an impactful defender on the perimeter and the Raptors don’t skip a beat when teams switch him onto an agile guard. He does all of this in addition to providing solid interior defense and efficient scoring (shooting 57.1% on the year) while playing the most minutes for a legitimate title contender (at 1,490 minutes played, Siakam has played roughly 100 more minutes than anyone else on the Raptors).

The advanced metrics match the eye test. He’s in the top 10 in the league in Net Rating among those playing 25 minutes per contest. Only seven players in the Eastern Conference rank higher than Siakam in win shares; Only six rank higher in NBA Math’s Total Points Added metric.

Many voters will leave Siakam off their list, as he doesn’t have the track record of other All-Star candidates. He hasn’t proven he can sustain this level of play; he hasn’t put in the time. Regardless of the lack of experience, he’s showcased his worthiness during the first half of the season. With his hustle and grind, his efficiency, and his ability to deliver night after night for the Raptors, he’s proven he deserves to be called an All-Star this season.

Recap of Eastern Conference Reserves

Magic Nikola Vucevic

Wizards Bradley Beal

Pistons Blake Griffin

Hornets Kemba Walker

Pacers Victor Oladipo

Bucks Eric Bledsoe

Raptors Pascal Siakam

Do you agree with the selections above? Are there any changes you would make to the list? What 12 players would you vote into this year’s All-Star game? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!

Images courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.