NBA All-Star Starters and Reserves: Debating the Selections

By Jason Jones, Eric Koreen and Mike Vorkunov The NBA announced its All-Star “starters” on Monday, and unless you are stuck in 2017, there were no shocks. In the Eastern Conference, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Cade Cunningham, Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Brunson and Jaylen Brown earned starter status. In the Western Conference, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokić, Victor Wembanyama and Stephen Curry got the nods. With this year’s event splitting the 24 All-Stars into three teams — two, made up of at least 16 players, representing the United States, and one, made up of at least eight, representing the rest of the world — there is no guarantee all will start, per se. Still, the league chose to announce the starters in the usual way, with positional specifications scrapped this time around. The Athletic’s Jason Jones, Eric Koreen and Mike Vorkunov did not have media votes, but they wanted to discuss the decisions that were made, what that means heading into the announcement of the reserves and whether there should still be a spot for LeBron James in the game. 1. Did any of the starters surprise you? If not, which of the players not selected as a starter had the best case to be one? Jones: There’s not one starter I see and say, “This is wrong!” That’s not to say there aren’t arguments to be made. Anthony Edwards is averaging nearly 30 points and shooting 50 percent from the field, so I’d have him slotted ahead of Curry. Curry has been outstanding, but Edwards is leading a better team at this point. But this is an exhibition game, so if the people (and coaches and media) want to see Curry start, I’m fine with the legend starting. Koreen: There were six players for five spots in both conferences. So long as the 10 spots didn’t go to anybody outside of those 12 spots, all of the results were fine by me. Saying that, I think Edwards had the strongest case to be named a starter of any player who wasn’t, and I would have taken him over Curry. The Warriors star has been phenomenal and is having one of the best age-37 seasons ever. But Edwards has a Curryesque 63.1 true-shooting percentage, had played 138 more minutes than Curry before Monday’s games and is the more impactful defender (for the better team). He ranked fourth and fifth in the West in the players’ vote and the media vote, respectively. Finishing seventh in fan voting, behind not only Curry but also Victor Wembanyama and Deni Avdija, resulted in him being in an overall tie with Wembanyama and not starting. Donovan Mitchell deserved serious consideration in the Eastern Conference, but I’m OK with the five who got in ahead of him. Vorkunov: The wise selectors did an admirable job this time around. You could make a case for Mitchell or Edwards. But then, who do you take out? For every snub who finds a home, there has to be someone who loses their spot. And the cases were all so close that there doesn’t seem to be a reason to throw a large enough fit this year. 2. This was the 10th All-Star Game that included media and player voting in addition to fan voting for the starters? Has the change made the process better or worse? Jones: It’s better because it will limit the chances of another Zaza Pachulia situation from 2017 from happening again. For the record, I think it’s cool Pachulia had an entire country (Republic of Georgia) pushing for him to start. If player salaries weren’t sometimes tied to All-Star appearances, I wouldn’t care if Pachulia was the people’s choice to play. But if incentives are tied to the game, let’s try to keep it for the most-deserving players. Koreen: I reserve the right to make fun of any and all individual player votes. In a dark world, they are a source of surefire joy. No players should have any incentives tied up to an All-Star spot, and if they do, shame on them and their agents. It’s nice to laugh. Some of the players care less about their votes than high-school students who have already been accepted to the college of their dreams care about the last two months of classes. Congratulations to Kings forward Precious Achiuwa on his 11 votes from the players. But overall, getting more voices in is fine. Given how low-stakes this is, I wouldn’t be yelling and screaming about any disagreements. However, a player’s All-Star appearances are always noted when he retires, and might be a factor in however the committee decides who makes the Hall of Fame. If including the players and media works against any attempts to confuse history, it’s cool with me. Vorkunov: I’m ambivalent. I guess it comes down to how you perceive the All-Star Game. Is it for the fans or for rewarding the most-deserving players? If it’s for the fans, then they should choose, and I won’t have many complaints. If it’s to pick the most-deserving players then gripes, I’d have a few. I think this format is good in that now everyone can complain equally and point to the other as the culpable party when something goes wrong. And being able to blame someone else might be the biggest win for everyone involved. Lately, it’s also hard to get too heated about any All-Star snubs when the game has so little traction itself. The cost of having the so-called wrong player involved is so little that all that matters is who gets the honor on paper, not which player gets to take passive 30-foot 3s and, in the words of Walt Frazier, is coasting and boasting. 3. Aside from the locks, whose All-Star case do you feel most passionately about heading into the coaches selecting seven reserves from each conference? Jones: This probably won’t happen, but Dillon Brooks needs to be an All-Star. Then, I’d also want LeBron in the game, just for entertainment. Back to Brooks. Devin Booker is Phoenix’s best player, but Brooks is a big reason the Suns are better than most projections. He’s averaging 20.7 points and is one of the most-irritating defenders in the league. There’s something to be said for a player excelling at the little things and effort on defense should matter. If middle relievers in baseball can be All-Stars, why can’t players such as Brooks be an All-Star? I don’t see a real path for Brooks to become a first-time All-Star. If it happens, Brooks, a Canadian, is guaranteed to be playing against James. The All-Star Game has been criticized for not being competitive. There’s no way Brooks takes it easy in the All-Star Game. Koreen: Beyond the starters, Mitchell, Jalen Johnson, Scottie Barnes, Edwards, Booker and Kevin Durant are virtual locks to be named reserves in their respective conferences. All those players should get in, so I won’t spend time stumping for them. But staying on Jason’s pro-Canada theme, I think Jamal Murray needs to be an All-Star this season for the first time in his career. Last September, it was popular to declare the Nuggets’ four-year, $208 million extension for Murray a disaster for the team after he looked diminished in the 2024 playoffs and Olympics. Now, he is averaging 27.9 points and 7.3 assists, career bests, having his best shooting season and helping the Nuggets stay afloat without Nikola Jokić. Get this guy to L.A. Vorkunov: I just want the World team to make sense. If there are players who can claim alliance to both the United States and another country, the league has the discretion to send them to the side that makes the numbers work, even if it doesn’t make much sense. That wouldn’t be in the spirit of the rule change. Having eight All-Stars who grew up outside of the U.S. would also help an us-against-them vibe the NBA is hoping for to make a good game. 4. After the coaches make their reserve picks (and before injuries), will we be at the 16/8 split naturally, or will commissioner Adam Silver have to add somebody? If so, who gets in because of the new rule? Jones: This will be interesting. There are already five international players among the starters. I think Murray should be a lock. It’s not Pascal Siakam’s fault that Indiana isn’t a good team, so his addition to the international mix wouldn’t be crazy. Alperen Şengün should be a lock. If Joel Embiid had played in more games, he’d be a lock for an international spot. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some players who have played for the United States in international play find themselves as part of the loose interpretation of international. This is also where my hope for Brooks lives. Freddie Freeman and Bret Hart might be my two favorite Canadian celebrities, but Brooks in the All-Star Game with some tenacity would give him a strong boost in popularity and make the game fun. Koreen: I believe we’ll end up at the 16/8 split legitimately. With Karl-Anthony Towns probably eligible for the world team — he has played for Dominican Republic — or the American teams, I think the league will be able to divide the 24 players in a way that fits the format. I think Towns will be named a reserve in the East. It’s interesting that the Eastern Conference is so heavily dominated by Americans. To me, Antetokounmpo is the only lock, starter or reserve, for the world stars from an East team. If you consider Towns an American, your next-best world bets from the conference are Siakam, who is on one of the worst teams in the league, Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero (of Italian descent, although he has played for the United States internationally), two Magic stars who are having vaguely disappointing years and have missed a chunk of the season, and Josh Giddey, who is injured but putting up nice numbers for a forgettable team. Not including Towns, there are eight or nine world players who are deserving of All-Star status this year. If Jokić cannot play or there are other injuries, Silver might have to make some tough decisions. Vorkunov: I think the league will have to make some decisions here, probably because of an injury issue and someone not being able to play. Towns hasn’t been a no-doubt All-Star this year, but the East class is shallow, so he might get in. Siakam has a case to make the team despite the Pacers’ record. Will Jokić be able to play? I’m sure Celtics fans think Hugo Gonzalez deserves a spot. 5. Before injuries are factored in, who are your last American and international players left out? Jones: Avdija is a good name here on the international side. He has all the makings of someone who just misses the cut. He’s having a breakout season, so there’s the “is this a fluke?” argument. He plays for Portland, not a marquee team nor one expected to contend, and he’s not a name casual fans know. He’s having the kind of season that doesn’t say All-Star, but is perfect for Most Improved Player. On the American side, I’ll go with Houston’s Amen Thompson because I can’t see the Rockets getting three All-Stars. Players who accept the toughest defensive assignments nightly deserve some love, but with Durant and Şengün likely being named All-Stars, I’d be shocked to see Thompson make the team. Koreen: Kawhi Leonard’s knee and ankle injuries made this a lot less painful for me. I thought he deserved the last Western Conference spot by *a hair* over Chet Holmgren, who is merely the most important defensive player on the best defensive team in the league. However, with Leonard missing more games, Holmgren slides in for me, meaning Julius Randle, who is sixth in the league in win shares, is my last American out. Jimmy Butler and James Harden deserve long looks, too. On the international side, Utah’s Lauri Markkanen is my last player out. Remember when agent Mark Bartelstein put out a statement complaining that Bradley Beal, averaging 29.1 points per game heading into the game, was not named an All-Star in 2020? Well, Markkanen is averaging 27.9, and is represented by Michael Lelchitski. Vorkunov: Markkanen is a great call. He has a very good case this year, though playing on the Jazz doesn’t help. Avdija has a very good case too — both to play in the game and to be the first one out. Derrick White has a strong case for the Americans between his counting stats and impact numbers. I assume Michael Porter Jr. and Jalen Duren make the East team, so I don’t need to sing their praises. 6. Will the coaches name LeBron James an All-Star reserve? If not, should Silver add him regardless of the US/international split? Jones: The coaches will pick him because he’s LeBron James. Silver needs to use his commissioner powers and have a conversation with James. Find out what James wants to do. If he’s selected, but at 41 says he would love to have the weekend off, allow that and free up the roster spot for the game. James showing up last-minute in San Francisco only to not play in the game wasn’t a good look, so the NBA needs to avoid a repeat. Koreen: I think the coaches will name him a reserve, even though I don’t think he should be among the seven Western Conference reserves. If he doesn’t make it, though, Silver shouldn’t add him. If you want an automatic spot, announce you’re retiring! You can’t have it both ways. Vorkunov: I don’t know if LeBron will be chosen. It’s too hard to predict the whims of the electorate. I don’t think he should be chosen for the team as an ornamental choice. He hasn’t played well enough this season, and the All-Star Game is a sacred meritocracy, gosh darn it! UNLESS! Unless the NBA knows he is retiring after this season. Then, LeBron should definitely be there and be involved. He deserves his flowers. He deserves another big moment of appreciation. He deserves to have someone sing the national anthem while wearing his jersey. Maybe how the league acts will be a tell.