On Thursday night, the reserves for the 2015 NBA all-star team were revealed and, as usual, there were some pretty puzzling omissions and additions.
While the all-star starters are determined completely by popularity, the reserves should be more representative of who has played best so far this season. Having the Miami Heat’s Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade on the team does not properly represent that.
Only one Miami player should’ve gotten the nod and it probably should’ve been Bosh as he’s played more games and logged more minutes than Wade this season.
By this same logic, as crazy as it may seem, Kevin Durant also probably shouldn’t have been selected, having played in less than half of OKC’s games so far.
That said, as a result of injuries to players like Wade, Kobe Bryant and possibly even LaMarcus Aldridge and LeBron James, the door could open up for some guys who were initially snubbed.
Here are five that deserve a spot.
Kyle Korver, Atlanta Hawks
Yes, there are already three Hawks on the team, but let’s be real, there should be four. The omission of Korver is by far the most egregious snub this year and it likely has to do with perception rather than reality.
All-stars are typically players capable of creating their own shots. This season, only 4.8 percent of Korver’s total made buckets have been unassisted—a staggering figure, sure, but not one that should work against him.
Korver is in the midst of the greatest shooting season ever, boasting a line of 51.8/53.4/92.3. That’s right, he’s on pace for a 50-50-90 season and shooting better from deep than from the floor overall. This has never been seen before and it’s only made more impressive by the fact that Korver continues to find open space for himself despite absolutely everyone in the league knowing that whenever he gets the ball, he’s putting it up and it’s going in.
DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings
While there’s an argument to be made against Cousins based on how lousy his team is, when you’re the fifth-leading scorer (23.8 points per game) and third-leading rebounder (12.3 boards per game) in the NBA and boasting a PER of 25.24, you’re an all-star. End of discussion.
So what happened? Was the decision to leave Cousins out really based on the Kings’ 16-28 record? Maybe, but it feels more like the Kyle Lowry situation from last season, when it was rumoured that Lowry was snubbed because of a perceived attitude problem that rubbed the coaches the wrong way.
Cousins struggles with a similar reputation, but that shouldn’t matter. He’s a truly dominant centre and should’ve been rewarded.
Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard is one of just five players this season averaging at least 20 points and six assists per game. The other four? Steph Curry, LeBron James, James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Hey now, aren’t all those guys all-stars? Yes. Yes they are.
Lillard is the best crunch-time player in the league right now and he has the dynamic burst and fearless shooting stroke that many associate with an all-star. And no offence to Chris Paul, but wouldn’t you rather see a point guard that can throw it down with the best of them in a game that’s all about the dunks?
Monta Ellis, Dallas Mavericks
More of a fringe candidate than anything, but Monta Ellis deserves recognition for being the best player on a good Mavericks team that for most of the season boasted the best offence in the league.
Ellis’s numbers aren’t mind-blowing but they’re impressive. Given all the turnover Dallas has seen, it’s pretty impressive that he’s seen no dip in production from the very beginning of the season.
Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic
Similar to Cousins, Nikola Vucevic is putting up big numbers on a crummy team. But unlike the Kings centre, Vucevic’s all-star candidacy is more fringe-level because his numbers aren’t quite as stunning.
Still, 19.5 points and 11.3 rebounds per game on 53.3 percent shooting is worthy of recognition. Even more impressive: the Swiss seven-footer is second in the league with 28 double-doubles so far, a figure that trumps all-star selections Anthony Davis, Tim Duncan and LaMarcus Aldridge.