The coaches surprised us this year.
The NBA All-Star Game reserves are selected by a vote of the coaches and the results are usually fairly predictable — they name a few big stars who just missed out on starting, but they also reward some newcomers and some guys having unexpected standout seasons.
This season, the coaches varied from that formula at points, so fans who wanted to see LaMelo Ball will be disappointed. However, they are in luck if they want a throwback game with James Harden.
Let’s look at the selections. As a quick reminder, here are the starters (as voted in by the fans, players and media):
Eastern Conference: Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Karl-Anthony Towns
Western Conference: Stephen Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic
The reserves for each conference are:
EASTERN CONFERENCE All-STAR RESERVES
Jaylen Brown (Celtics)
Pascal Siakam (Pacers)
Evan Mobley (Cavaliers)
Darius Garland (Cavaliers)
Damian Lillard (Bucks)
Cade Cunningham (Pistons)
Tyler Herro (Heat)
Biggest snubs: LaMelo Ball (Hornets), Tyrese Maxey (76ers), Trae Young (Hawks), Bam Adebayo (Heat), Paolo Banchero (Magic), Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers).
WESTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STAR RESERVES
Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
Anthony Davis (Lakers)
Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves)
James Harden (Clippers)
Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies)
Alperen Sengun (Rockets)
Jalen Williams (Thunder)
Biggest snubs: Kyrie Irving (Mavericks), Domantas Sabonis (Kings), Devin Booker (Suns), Ja Morant (Grizzlies), Norman Powell (Clippers), De’Aaron Fox (Kings), Ivica Zubac (Clippers), Luka Doncic (Mavericks)
Thoughts on the coaches’ selections:
• No LaMelo Ball. Ball led the fan vote for Eastern Conference guards but didn’t get a starting spot because the players voted him third, and the media had him seventh. The coaches picked five East backcourt players (if we’re counting the Celtics’ Brown as a guard) without picking Ball. That’s a harsh indictment of his game, but not a huge surprise. Coaches prize efficiency and that has not been Ball, although he is wildly entertaining.
If there is a substitution in the East — and there almost always is due to a minor injury — you can be sure NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will make sure Ball gets to San Francisco (Silver gets to decide the replacements). Give the people what they want (they don’t want 10-minute quarters).
• There are six first-time All-Stars: Victor Wembanyama, Alperen Sengun, Jalen Williams, Tyler Herro, Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley.
• The biggest surprise: James Harden over Norman Powell or Ivica Zubac from the Clippers. If a fan made this choice, I’d ask if they watched any Clippers games — Harden is my third choice from this group. Harden is the guy with the ball in his hands and the primary shot creator for the Clippers, but this is a team with the 20th-ranked offense in the NBA and Harden is having one of the least efficient seasons of his career. The Clippers’ success is based around their No. 2 defense that Zubac anchors (plus chips in 15.2 points and 12.8 rebounds a night), and Norman Powell is having a Most Improved Player kind of season, averaging 24 a night.
• No Kings player is another surprise. Sabonis is a solid offensive force every night at the five averaging 20.9 points and 14.5 rebounds a game — the Kings don’t make this turnaround (up to 10th place, but still a turnaround) without him. And De’Aaron Fox is a better player, yet he is not in the mix as well (the West is deep with good guards).
• No Mavericks speaks to the injuries that have hit this team — Doncic is a no-brainer if healthy — but still Irving has a right to feel snubbed, he deserved a spot.
• Two teams with a winning record do not have an All-Star: Sacramento and Dallas.
• No Ja Morant is a disappointment just from the fan entertainment perspective — he is the most fun player to watch in the league.
• While chosen by conference, the players will not be representing East vs. West, instead playing under the NBA’s new All-Star Game mini-tournament format (hoping to inject some energy and defense into what in recent years has been an almost unwatchable, defense-free event).
The 10 starters and 14 reserves will be drafted into three teams of eight, with that NBA All-Star Draft happening on TNT’s Inside the NBA in one week (Feb. 6, 6:30 p.m. Eastern). Inside the NBA’s former players turned analysts — Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny “The Jet” Smith — will become the general managers and select eight players from the pool of 24 players.
Team Chuck, Team Shaq and Team Kenny — coached by Cleveland’s Kenny Atkinson or Oklahoma City’s Mark Daignault, or one of their assistants — will be joined in the mini-tournament by the Rising Stars champion, known as Team Candace in honor of its general manager, WNBA legend and TNT analyst Candace Parker. Those teams will play a first-round of games two 40, with the two winners facing off in a game to 25 to be crowned the All-Star Game winner.
• The All-Star Game is set for Sunday, Feb. 16 in San Francisco at the Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors. It will be broadcast on TNT starting at 8 p.m. Eastern.
