Biggest Snubs from 2013 NBA All-Star Game Starting Lineup

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When the NBA on TNT crew revealed the 2013 NBA All-Star Game starting lineups, outrage instantly followed.

Many fans cried foul that their hometown favorite was left out of the starting five. Others objectively opposed the selection of certain veterans who only made it based off of their popularity.

Take a look at the starters, and formulate your own opinion:

 

2013 NBA All-Star Game starters: EAST -- Wade, Rondo, LeBron, Melo, KG. WEST -- Kobe, CP3, Durant, Howard, Griffin twitter.com/BleacherReport…

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 18, 2013

The name value is certainly there. The question is: Did all who were voted in deserve to make it?

While we can't change what has happened, we can acknowledge one undeniable truth: Certain players were snubbed. Fortunately, they will receive respect here.

Tyson Chandler, New York Knicks

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Position: Center

Experience: 12th season

Career All-Star Selections: N/A

2012-13 Season Averages

21.54 PER, 12.4 PPG, 11 RPG, 1.1 BPG, 67.3% FG

 

There will be three Eastern Conference centers on this list. Each should have started over Kevin Garnett.

First and foremost, we have the reigning Defensive Player of the Year: Tyson Chandler.

Chandler is leading the New York Knicks to a record of 25-13, which is merely a half-game off of the first-place Miami Heat. Chandler also leads the league in field-goal percentage and ranks sixth in rebounding.

The issue for Chandler is that he is a defensive specialist on the 13th-ranked scoring defense. Even still, this man should have been a starter before KG.

With Garnett being named the starter, however, Chandler may not make it at all.

Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs

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Position: Forward/Center

Experience: 16th season

Career All-Star Selections: 13 (1998, 2000-2011)

2012-13 Season Averages

24.48 PER, 17.2 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 2.7 APG, 2.8 BPG, 0.8 SPG

 

Much like the Eastern Conference, numerous Western bigs will be on this list.

Dwight Howard and Blake Griffin may be unbelievable players, but there is no question about who should be starting for the Western Conference All-Stars.

Tim Duncan leads all power forwards in player efficiency rating. If you classify Duncan as a center, he ranks second in the NBA in PER.

Griffin ranks third. D-12 ranks 26th.

Duncan is the only player in the NBA to average at least 17.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 blocks. He's also the only player to average at least 15.0 points, 9.0 boards, 2.0 dimes and 2.0 blocks.

Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia 76ers

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Position: Point Guard

Experience: Fourth season

Career All-Star Selections: N/A

2012-13 Season Averages

19.14 PER, 19 PPG, 8.8 APG, 4.2 RPG, 1.4 SPG

 

Thus far in 2012-13, Jrue Holiday is the only player in the NBA to average at least 17.0 points and 8.5 assists per game.

Although Dwyane Wade has the greater reputation, Holiday deserves to be an All-Star starter.

Paired with 1.4 steals and 37.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc, Holiday is a clear-cut All-Star. More specifically, he's a starter.

Much like another name on this list, however, Holiday is the best player on a non-playoff team. When you're not a superstar, that matters.

Holiday deserves to be a starter, but who didn't expect this?

Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers

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Position: Point guard

Experience: Second season

Career All-Star Selections: N/A

2012-13 Season Averages

21.94 PER, 23.3 PPG, 5.6 APG, 3.6 RPG, 1.8 SPG

 

Kyrie Irving is a fan favorite. Oftentimes, that skews the validity of an argument on a player's behalf. This time around, there is a reason to believe Irving should be starting.

Irving ranks sixth in the NBA in scoring and 17th in PER. He leads guards in value added and estimated wins added.

A jaw-dropping slash line of .463/.405/.823 certainly doesn't hurt, either.

There is an argument to be made that Irving should make it over one of the two Eastern Conference guards.

David Lee, Golden State Warriors

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Position: Power forward

Experience: Eighth season

Career All-Star Selections: One (2010)

2012-13 Season Averages

20.18 PER, 19.7 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 3.6 APG, 0.9 SPG

 

David Lee has been the MVP of the 23-14 Golden State Warriors.

Lee ranks second in the NBA with 24 double-doubles. He places second among power forwards in scoring, first in assists and fifth in PER. He ranks sixth in the NBA in rebounding.

With a third-placed ranking in value added and estimated wins added, Lee's case strengthens.

One can see why Griffin and Howard made it, but Lee certainly deserves more respect than he received.

Brook Lopez, Brooklyn Nets

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Position: Center

Experience: Fifth season

Career All-Star Selections: N/A

2012-13 Season Averages

25.68 PER, 18.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 2.1 BPG

 

Brook Lopez has been the best center in the NBA.

Lopez ranks fifth overall and first among centers in PER. Second among 5's is the injured Anderson Varejao at 22.05.

Lopez leads centers in value added at 210.1. Tyson Chandler is second at 198.4. He also leads centers in estimated wins added at 7.0, which is above Chandler's 6.6.

In addition to leading centers in scoring, he's also seventh in the NBA in blocks per game.

Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls

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Position: Center

Experience: Sixth season

Career All-Star Selections: N/A

2012-13 Season Averages

17.13 PER, 12.4 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 4.1 APG, 2 BPG, 1.3 SPG

 

From a non-statistical standpoint, Joakim Noah does everything Kevin Garnett does. From a statistical standpoint, Noah blows KG out of the water.

Even still, the Chicago Bulls big man was unable to secure a starting spot.

Noah is the only player in the NBA to average at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal. He's also the anchor of the NBA's third-ranked scoring defense.

If not Brook Lopez, Noah should be the first name thought of to start for the Eastern Conference. The numbers don't lie.

Zach Randolph, Memphis Grizzlies

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Position: Power forward

Experience: 12th season

Career All-Star Selections: One (2010)

2012-13 Season Averages

19.73 PER, 16.4 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.8 SPG

 

Blake Griffin has put on a spectacular show as one of the leaders of the 30-9 Los Angeles Clippers, but no power forward has been as dominant as Zach Randolph.

Z-Bo has posted a league-high 25 double-doubles.

Griffin and Howard are both, arguably, the second best on their respective teams. D-12's statistics are great, but his team is redefining the term "underwhelming."

Randolph is posting the numbers and providing the wins. In turn, he should be a starter in the All-Star Game.