The NBA All-Star reserves were announced on Sunday, rounding out the rosters for the latest edition of the spectacle, set to take place on February 15. As always, the debate around who got snubbed was louder than the celebration of who made it. That was especially true out West.
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Neither Kawhi Leonard nor James Harden will be participating, despite the Clippers hosting the All-Star Game at the Intuit Dome. The snub was surprising, given that both are averaging over 25 points per game. Thanks to them, the Clips have been the NBA’s hottest team, shaking off a 6-21 start to climb all the way back within two games of .500.
Kawhi has missed more games than Harden, but he’s been playing like an MVP lately. So he’s probably the biggest snub in the West. Gilbert Arenas made the case for the two Clippers stars, calling the current All-Star rosters “embarrassing.” However, on a loaded roster, who should he have replaced?
Anthony Edwards and Kevin Durant can’t be touched. Neither can LeBron James, because there’s just no way he wasn’t making the All-Star Game in possibly his final season. That leaves Deni Avdija, Devin Booker, Jamal Murray, and Chet Holmgren.
Avdija has blossomed into a star in Portland, keeping the Blazers in the hunt despite the distraction of the Chauncey Billups arrest to start their season. As the one big-time holdover from last year’s disappointment in Phoenix, Booker has led the Suns to a surprising 30-20 record.
Murray has been awesome, especially in keeping the Nuggets in the hunt for the 2-seed when Nikola Jokic was out injured. That leaves Holmgren as the one possibility. On the latest episode of No Fouls Given, Danny Green and Paul Pierce debated Chet’s merits.
“I’m not hating on Chet,” Green explained. “I don’t think anybody else outside of SGA has been consistent on OKC. I’m not taking away from Chet — I think he’s a good player, and they deserve two, but I think some other guys are more deserving. I thought [Alperen] Sengun was more deserving.”
Sengun might have an even better case than Kawhi. Even more than Durant, he has been the fulcrum of the Rockets’ offense. Sengun’s role has been especially important in the wake of Fred VanVleet’s preseason ACL tear. And he has responded to the increased responsibility by averaging 21.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 6.4 assists.
Green’s case is sound, but Pierce laid out why with Jalen Williams on the shelf for most of the year, Chet had to make it. “The thing is, Danny, you gotta understand how All-Star works. When you’re the best record, you’re getting two or more. That’s always been the thing,” said Pierce.
That was true in the East, where the conference-leading Pistons got Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren. Chet can’t match up statistically to the players he got in over, but he has been the second-most important player on the defending champs’ roster. And the team is on pace to win 64 games and again coast to the 1-seed.
What this conversation really highlights is just how high the talent level is in the NBA at the moment. No matter what, some deserving players were going to get left out. There just aren’t enough spots to allow every great player to make it.
Since the criteria to be selected are vague, the best statistical players can sometimes be left out for those who are on winning teams. Chet has played in 44 games, making him slightly more durable than Sengun, and he’s also a better defender.
At the end of the day, though, Pierce is right. The top team is getting two players, and unfortunately for the star Rocket and the host Clippers, they’re the ones left out.
