Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors is fouled by LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Every week, Mark Medina shares his thoughts and insights on the latest NBA topics for RG. In this installment, he gives his take on the NBA All-Star selections.
Every year, voters have to wrestle with tough questions that often determine who will become an NBA All-Star starter and reserve.
Should a players’ individual play outweigh the team’s strong or poor record? Should established stars receive favoritism for their past body of work? Or should young players receive consideration for their potential?
Below are a few takeaways from this year’s All-Star teams.
Several Teams Deserved to Have Multiple All-Stars
The Cleveland Cavaliers have three All-Stars, including two dynamic guards (Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland) and a versatile big (Evan Mobley). It makes sense. The Cavaliers have the Eastern Conference’s best record partly because those three stars have co-existed well. Mitchell and Garland have excelled with splitting scoring and ball-handling duties. Mobley has developed more into a stretch five that can score and defend in multiple areas.
What About the Other Teams?
The Knicks have two starters (Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns) because they have both become perfect pick-and-roll partners. Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have still maintained their championship-level play. The Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard have become the NBA”s most offensively productive duo. Oklahoma City boasts an MVP candidate (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) and one of the league’s best two-way players (Jalen Williams). Despite the Lakers’ inconsistency, LeBron James and Anthony Davis have mostly stayed productive and durable.
Why Victor Wembanyama Deserves All-Star Nod Despite Spurs’ Losing Record
Wembanyama actually had a case to start because of how he has excelled as a consistent scorer, rebounder and rim protector. But I understand that James, Phoenix’s Kevin Durant and Denver’s Nikola Jokić received more consideration among fans, select media members and fans. All of those teams would be awful without them. All three of them have mostly mirrored their career averages.
Nonetheless, Wembanyama wholeheartedly deserves an All-Star nod despite the Spurs currently ranked 12th in the Western Conference. One, the standings race remains wide open that the Spurs could easily make a late-season push. Two, Wembanyama has impacted winning well and has impressed his veteran teammates for making the right basketball play instead of chasing stats. Wembanyama still needs to improve his 3-point shooting and reduce his turnovers, but he has shown he has the necessary skills and work ethic already to be an All-Star.
Why Did James and Davis Both Receive Nods When the Lakers are Inconsistent?
Blame it on star power. Blame it on playing with a glamour franchise in a big market. But that would miss the point.
Remove James and Davis from the Lakers, and they would be a lottery team. James has still thrived as an efficient scorer and willing passer. David has remained a dominant defender as a rim protector and as a switcher, while expanding his offensive range. Sure, they haven’t been perfect. James has felt Father Time’s strain. Davis has appeared overwhelmed with compensating for the Lakers’ poor defensive roster. Despite those caveats, they mostly stayed durable and have often played as the two best players on the floor.
Which Players Were Snubbed?
Lots of them.
Atlanta’s Trae Young has become the NBA’s best playmaker. Chicago’s Zach LaVine has become increasingly durable and reliable as both a first, second or third option. The Clippers’ Norman Powell adapted seamlessly into a starter’s role to account for Paul George’s free-agency departure and Kawhi Leonard’s injury. The Kings’ Domantas Sabonis remains a double-double machine as one of the league’s best rebounders. Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball and Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey are the top two scoring guards in the league. Phoenix’s Devin Booker trails closely behind.
It seems likely that Powell and Booker missed the cut simply because the All-Star game already features their teammates, James Harden and Durant. Coaches likely found it hard to justify having a feature two All-Star players on a team that ranks among the second tier of playoff teams. It doesn’t help Young, Sabonis, Bell and Maxey that they all have played on teams that have struggled through most of the season.
Even if this year boasted a lot of All-Star snubs, it seems understandable why they didn’t make the cut.
Did They Have a Case Over Anyone Else?
No.
The All-Star starters fell into three categories. There are generational stars that still have performed at an elite level (James, Curry, Durant, Jokić). There are players that maintained their consistency (Antetokounmpo, Tatum). There are young phenoms that grew dramatically (Gilgeous-Alexander, Towns, Brunson)
The All-Star reserves then fell into two categories. There are dependable veterans (Davis, Harden, Lillard, Siakam, Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr.). There are promising young players (Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards, Houston’s Alperen Sengün, Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, Williams, Mobley).
All of these players played a significant role with helping their respective team stay in the playoff mix. None of them received an All-Star nod either by past accomplishments or potential alone.
Mark Medina is a longtime NBA reporter that includes stints as a Lakers blogger with The Los Angeles Times (2010-12), Lakers beat writer with the Los Angeles Daily News (2012-17), Warriors beat writer with Bay Area News Group (2017-19) as well as an NBA reporter/columnist for USA Today (2019-21) and NBA.com (2021-23). Medina is also an NBA insider with Fox Sports Radio and frequent contributor to CBSLA's SportsCentralLA with Jim Hill and with Spectrum Sportsnet.
