The NBA All-Star teams have been announced. There were a few players, who fans believed were nearly guaranteed to be selected. Trae Young was one of them. However, when the reserves list was announced on Thursday, Young’s name was missing from the lineup. The snub didn’t sit well with Lou Williams, who is now questioning the selection criteria for the All-Star game.
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On a recent episode of Run It Back, Williams said that the All-Star teams prove that the NBA values winning games over individual stats as the criteria for All-Star selection. If that is the case, then they should apply the same criteria for other major awards as well.
Williams said, “We are valuing winning now. So, winning is part of the criteria, so we should take that with our MVP cases as well.”
“We gotta just find consistency in how we’re gonna rate these things. On one hand, it’s about numbers, and it’s about name, it’s about likeness, it’s about celebrity. And then on the other side, it’s about impact and winning,” he added.
Young’s individual stats are undeniable. He is leading the league in assists with 11.4 per game and is averaging 22.5 points per game as well. So his omission proves that a winning record is essential for an All-Star nod in the current NBA.
Numbers and star power matter a lot when the MVP selection is done, however, which is quite evident in Nikola Jokic winning the award over Jayson Tatum and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander last year.
Williams wants the league to have some consistency so that the same outrage doesn’t happen year after year.
The NBA has made it clear! Winning > Stats when it comes to NBA All-Star.@TeamLou23 just wants it to be consistent no matter what you choose to value!
Who was the biggest Snub from NBA All-Star this year?
Lamelo? Kyrie? Trae Young? 👀@MichelleDBeadle | @TeamLou23 |… pic.twitter.com/Py0Xc2nbUW
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 31, 2025
The Hawks are 22-26 in the league, which might have played a role in Young’s snub. The Hawks star, however, isn’t the only deserving candidate who didn’t get an All-Star nod this year. Several others are missing from the reserves list and their snub is just as confusing.
Devin Booker, LaMelo Ball, and others also didn’t get an All-Star nod
Fans can’t wrap their heads around why Devin Booker, LaMelo Ball, Kyrie Irving, Domantas Sabonis, De’Aaron Fox, and others didn’t get selected.
On Friday, Booker said that he was looking forward to being an All-Star, but he isn’t going to take this snub to heart. He said, “Obviously, something that I wanted to be a part of. But definitely not going to complain about taking a week to regroup with the family.”
While he is taking the snub in good spirits, Young has come up with a term to associate with it. He is calling it, being “Traed.” The Hawks star posted on X, “& it’s no longer getting “snubbed” it’s getting “Traed” at this point. Sorry to my fans.. it’ll change eventually! All right, talk soon!”
& it’s no longer getting “snubbed” it’s getting “Traed” at this point😂
Sorry to my fans.. it’ll change eventually!
All right, talk soon!— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) January 31, 2025
Young has been an All-Star three times, he could have had his fourth this year. But that was not to be.