Predicting the NBA All Star Reserves

Last week the NBA announced the Eastern and Western Conference All Star starters with Kevin Durant and LeBron James headlining as the team captains. Some controversy has already ensued with Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins being named as a starter. But the madness is only beginning.

The real fun starts tomorrow when the NBA announces the other 14 players who will make up the reserves for each team. Just to clarify the parameters for picking the reserves, each conference gets two guards, three forwards/frontcourt players and two wildcards to make up their bench. The wildcards can come from any position, and they tend to be the next best players available.

For my reserve selections, I will factor in the All-Star fan voting ballot. But my primary goal of this exercise is to choose the best and most deserving players for such an honor. With that being said, here are my 14 All-Star reserve picks to represent the Eastern and Western Conference in Cleveland for All-Star Weekend.

Eastern Conference Reserves

Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls (Guard)

This season Zach LaVine is averaging 24.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists as one of the driving forces for the No.1 seeded Chicago Bulls. LaVine has been one of the most efficient high-volume scorers this season as he is shooting 48.4% from the field, 39.5% from three and 87.4% from the free throw line.

The achievement of finishing the season shooting 50-40-90 is a celebratory feat even for a role player, but LaVine has the chance to do so while being a lead option. When factoring in impact defensively and team success, LaVine arguably should’ve been named as a starter alongside his teammate Demar DeRozan, but regardless he is more than deserving to be on the All-Star team.

James Harden, Brooklyn Nets (Guard)

James Harden had a bit of a rocky start to the season dealing with that quad injury, but as of late he is really starting to hit his stride. This season, Harden is averaging 22.9 points per game, 8.0 rebounds and 10.1 assists as the only Nets superstar that has been consistently available.

His 10.1 assists ranks 2nd in the league behind only Chris Paul (10.4). Harden may not have the gaudy stats that compare to his MVP level seasons with Houston, but he is still easily a Top-5 guard in this league when healthy.

Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat (Forward)

Jimmy Butler has only played in 33 games this season, but he has been a dominant force every single one of them. Butler is averaging 21.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.4 assists while shooting 48.3% from three. Even with the emergence of guys like Tyler Herro, Max Strus and Caleb Martin, everyone knows Butler is getting the ball crunch time.

This season he has recorded four triple-doubles including a recent performance in a triple-overtime loss to the Toronto Raptors. Butler finished with a season-high 37 points, 13 rebounds and ten assists despite only hitting one of his five three-point attempts. Butler also recently surpassed LeBron James by having the most triple-doubles in Miami Heat history with 11 triple-doubles. When talking about players who are most deserving, it is hard to argue with Butler’s production when he is on the court.

Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics (Forward)

Although the Boston Celtics have underachieved in the eyes of most this season, Jayson Tatum as an individual has played well. This season is 8^th in the league in scoring with 26 points while also averaging a career-high 8.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists a game.

Tatum most notably had a 51-point outburst a few weeks ago in a blowout win over the Sacramento Kings, but he has been piling it up on the scoreboard all season. In 48 games, he has 14 games where he finished with 30 or more points and 25 games where he finished with at least 25 points. Tatum has been an absolute scoring machine this season and you know he does not plan on stopping anytime soon.

Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers (Forward)

We have out first 1st time All-Star on the list with Jarrett Allen who has really grown in the national spotlight as part of the surprising Cleveland Cavaliers. This season Allen is averaging 16.1 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists which are all career-highs for him. His 10.8 rebounds also rank top-10 in the league as continues to be a force on the offensive and defensive glass.

The main thing that stands out about Allen’s season is that he and Evan Mobley have been able to coexist in the frontcourt as they anchor the NBA’s top scoring defense. I know people prefer to reward offensive players especially for the All-Star game, but Allen’s impact as a two-way Center is hard to deny.

Lamelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets (Wildcard)

Lamelo Ball is the second 1st time All-Star on the list, and he just might be the most exciting player to watch in the Eastern Conference. This season, Ball is averaging 19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 7.7 assists while shooting 42.3% from the field. Although he is accompanied by guys like Terry Rozier, Miles Bridges and Gordon Hayward, Ball is the one that makes it all work.

With that, the Charlotte Hornets currently are the top-scoring offense in the NBA with 114.5 points per game, 2nd in pace and 5th in offensive rating. Best player on the best offense sounds like a good recipe for a guy who can really spice things up in the All-Star game.

Fred VanVleet, Toronto Raptors (Wildcard)

Fred VanVleet makes three in a row as the third 1st time All-Star on this list and this accomplishment would also make him the only undrafted player to make this team. VanVleet this season is averaging career-highs in points (21.5), rebounds (4.7) and assists (7.0) per game while shooting 41.6% from the field and 39.1% from three.

Despite standing at 6-foot-1, VanVleet is one of the best defensive guards in the league and so far he is averaging 1.7 steals per game. He has been a model of consistency all season long and right now he has the Raptors as the 8^th seed in a competitive Eastern Conference.

Hardest Player to Leave Off: Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers

Western Conference Reserves

Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks (Guard)

Starting things off in the West, Luka Doncic may not be the leading MVP candidate that everyone expected him to be, but he has still been playing at an elite level.

This season Doncic is averaging 25.6 points per game which is 11th in the league along with 8.9 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game which ranks 5th. Doncic continues to be a below average three-point shooter at 30.9% this season, but when he gets that step back going there is no stopping him.

Many entered the season worried about the impact of hiring head coach and former Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd this offseason. But right now, he’s got them in 5th place in the West at 29-22 and they are currently Top-5 in opponents point per game and defensive rating.

So, it seems like Doncic, and the rest of the team have bought into what Kidd is bringing to the table. The combination of Doncic’s All-Star level talent and the potential of this Top-5 defense being real is why the Mavericks may be the biggest dark horse next to the Memphis Grizzlies to come out of the West.  

Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns (Guard)

Devin Booker is another one of the no-brainer All-Stars on this list and if the All-Star slots were position-less, many believe that he would have been named as a starter over Andrew Wiggins. Nonetheless, Booker is averaging 25.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 44.5% from the field and 38.0% from three.

He is the leading scorer for the top seeded Phoenix Suns who still have not lost ten games through the first 50 games of the season. Not to mention they are riding an 11-game win streak where Booker has dropped a season-high 48 points against the San Antonio Spurs and had 43 against the Utah Jazz.

The guy is a bucket and deserves to be an All-Star outright this season as opposed to being named as an injury replacement like in year’s past.

Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors (Forward)

Draymond Green is currently out indefinitely due to a back injury, but he has re-emerged as the glue for this Golden State Warriors team. So far this season, Green is averaging 7.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game. He is also averaging 1.2 blocks and 1.2 steals per game.

He may not be dropping 20 points a night, but we all know that Green’s all-around game is what makes him an All-Star. His job is to be the best defensive player both individually and as a team defender for the Warriors and that is exactly what he has done.

With his versatility in the frontcourt, he has helped the Warriors ascend to becoming the 2^nd best scoring defense. They also have the best defensive rating in the league despite being on a roster without many “defensive” players around him.

Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves (Forward)

Talk about a bounce back year for Karl-Anthony Towns. Following a season filled with off the court trials and tribulations, Towns is back to his stat sheet stuffing ways. This season he is averaging 24.4 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists while shooting 51.8% from the field and 40.9% from three.

Along with Zach LaVine on this list, Towns has the chance to finish the season shooting 50-40-90 while being one of the best players at his position. And going back to that stat stuffing point, to put that into perspective Towns has recorded 22 double-doubles 44 games played this year. So, every other game you can expect Towns to drop 20 and ten on your favorite team.

It will be interesting to see if he can manifest all of this offensive dominance into leading the Minnesota Timberwolves to their first playoff appearance in three seasons.

Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz (Forward)

Another no-brainer on this list is Rudy Gobert who is the sole reason why the Utah Jazz are even competent defensively. The Utah Jazz are currently 13th in both opponent points per game and defensive rating.

That’s because the plummeted out of the Top-5 when they missed time in early January due to being in the health and safety protocols. He came back for five games and things got back to normal but then he went down with a calf injury that has sidelined him for the last four games.

Nonetheless, his overall production on both ends has been the best of his career. He is averaging career-highs in points (16.0), rebounds (15.1), field goal percentage (70.7%) and free throw percentage (69.0%). That’s all while still being a Top-3 shot blocker with 2.3 a game behind only Jaren Jackson Jr. (2.3) and Myles Turner (2.8).

Honestly when following the NBA All Star selection rules, Gobert is the most deserving reserve to usurp Andrew Wiggins as a Western Conference starter considering he at least plays in the frontcourt unlike Devin Booker.

Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns (Wildcard)

There is no way that Chris Paul can be left off the All-Star team and although this may be a little late in the game, better late than never. According to the NBA.com Kia MVP Ladder, Paul is ranked 5th in the MVP race ahead of guys like Stephen Curry, Demar DeRozan and Ja Morant. All three of those guys were named as All-Star starters. That alone should be enough to get him in the game.

Some may argue that he deserves a spot more than his backcourt mate Devin Booker. The main reason I gave Booker the nod is because his usage rate is significantly higher than Paul’s as he is at 32.4% while Paul is at a career-low 19.8.

In short, Paul has officially reduced himself to being mainly a table setter for all the guys around him. But that isn’t a diss because within this role he still has been balling.

This season he is averaging 14.9 points and 10.4 assists per game which is the highest assists average since his 2014-15 season with the LA Clippers. Phoenix has one of the most complete rosters in the NBA with guys like Booker, Mikal Bridges, DeAndre Ayton, and others. But there is no argument against the point that Paul is the engine that makes this Suns team go.

Dejounte Murray, San Antonio Spurs (Wildcard)

Last up on the list we have our 4th and final 1st time All-Star reserve on this list in Dejounte Murray. Murray has been playing really well this season but hasn’t really gotten the love he deserves because he plays for the not-so-exciting San Antonio Spurs.

This season Murray is averaging 19.6 points, 8.5 rebounds, 9.1 assists and 2.0 steals per game. His 9.1 assists ranks 4th in the NBA behind only Trae Young (9.3) who was named a starter, James Harden (10.1) and Chris Paul (10.4) who are both on this list. Throughout this season, Murray has recorded 19 double-digit assists games along with ten triple-doubles.

He may not be in the most media heavy market, but the stats don’t lie. If we are talking about guys with the overall statistical production to qualify, Murray definitely makes the cut. Plus, he is averaging more points, rebounds and assists than Andrew Wiggins who was named a starter.

I hate to keep harping on this point about Wiggins being under qualified as an All-Star but it’s hard to look at some of the guys he made it over and not be lost for words. Adam Silver and the league definitely need to take a look at the All-Star voting system this offseason, but that is a headache to discuss on a different day.

Hardest Player to Leave Off: Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers

It will be interesting to see you make the cut and who gets snubbed. Nonetheless, this has definitely been a great year for rising stars, breakout seasons and guys flexing their longevity. About 50 games are in the books yet we still have the NBA Trade Deadline, All-Star Weekend, and the Play-In tournament before getting to the 2022 NBA Playoffs. What a time to be an NBA fan.