A few thoughts and notes after the announcement of the 2017 NBA East and West All-Star reserves
With the announcement of the 2017 NBA All-Star reserves last night, we discuss some of the takeaways from the selections.
Snubs
Every year there are always All-Star snubs. Twelve spots for each conference will always lead to names being left off of the rosters. Most of the big name snubs seemed to be on the Western Conference side.
Rudy Gobert: He should have absolutely been an All-Star reserve. He delivered six blocks last night against the Lakers, perhaps taking out his frustration of not being named an All-Star. Gobert is averaging 12.8 points per game, 12.6 rebounds per game and 2.6 blocks per game.
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Gobert is a legitimate candidate for Defensive Player of the Year and leads the entire NBA in DRPM (Defensive Real Plus Minus) and blocks per game. The Jazz are sitting at the 5th seed right now, and Gobert has been a huge reason for this young team’s success. DeAndre Jordan is the real head scratcher, and didn’t deserve a spot over Gobert. Perhaps coaches gave it to Jordan because he didn’t get the nod last year.
Chris Paul: Before CP3 got injured, he was having a sensational season on both sides of the ball. He is ranked 5th for DRPM in the NBA, he is the league leader in steals per game, top 10 in PER, No. 1 in RPM, and is top five in assists per game. He continues to be the best two-way point guard in the game.
He doesn’t blow you away with his scoring because he is always pass-first. Due to his thumb injury, and his inability to play in this year’s game, he was not named an All-Star by the coaches. Although he is not able to play, there is no doubt that he should have been named an All-Star.
Karl-Anthony Towns: He is averaging 22.7 points per game, 11.9 rebounds per game and 1.5 blocks per game. Towns is one of the young rising stars in the NBA and is averaging a double-double this season. Along with his offensive game (which will only get better and better), he is a solid rim-protector and shot-blocker. One day, Towns has a chance to be the best player in the NBA. It is amazing how good he already is at just 21 years of age.
Due to the Timberwolves’ poor record, Towns was not named a reserve, which is understandable, even though he has had a terrific season.
Damian Lillard/C.J. McCollum: It is extremely surprising that both pieces to the Blazers’ terrific backcourt did not make the All-Star game. One of the two deserved it over Klay Thompson, especially C.J. McCollum, who has career highs in field goal percentage, three-point percentage, points per game, free throw percentage and rebounds per game.
He has been more efficient offensively than Lillard, but both deserved it over Thompson. Chris Paul deserved a spot the most, but due to his injury, McCollum or Lillard should have been his replacement. Lillard has now been snubbed two straight seasons.
Eastern Conference
When it comes to the East, there weren’t any snubs that stood out as much as the West. It is harder to argue against the players that did make it in the East. Coaches didn’t buy into the Embiid hype, perhaps due to his lack of games played and lack of minutes (even though his efficiency while on the court is ridiculous).
He is probably considered the biggest snub, especially by 76ers fans. Coaches also didn’t give into selecting the veterans, Dwyane Wade (All-Star since 2005) and Carmelo Anthony (All-Star since 2010). Kemba Walker got a well-deserved first time All-Star spot.
Jabari Parker and Bradley Beal may be seen as snubs, but it comes down to the fact that there was just not enough room for them. One day, they should both be All-Stars, along with Embiid.
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The NBA All-Star teams should go from 12 players to 15 players for each conference. This not only eliminates snubs, but also brings more talent to the table which is what the fans want. DeAndre Jordan is an All-Star this year, but his selection takes away a spot from players who deserved it more than him.
This problem could be relatively fixed with expanded rosters. It is very exciting to see Gordon Hayward and Kemba Walker receive first time selections. It is great to see that the coaches recognized the tremendous seasons that they have been having so far. Overall, the coaches did a solid job.