NBA All-Star Game 2015: Projecting Likeliest Snubs from Final Roster

The NBA will announce the reserves for the All-Star Game Thursday night, which means we aren't far removed from a bunch of enraged fans complaining about how the NBA obviously hates their favorite player. 

Yay. 

With the starters already selected, it's now up to the coaches to choose two guards, three frontcourt players and two wild cards for each conference. The unfortunate truth is that at most of those positions, there is tremendous depth and more than enough stars who have an argument to play in the annual showcase. 

It happens every year. Someone will get left out, and lots of someones will be angry about it. Let's take a look at this year's most likely candidates. 

Kyle Korver, F/G, Atlanta Hawks

Among players in NBA history who have shot at least 50 percent from beyond the three-point line for an entire season, Tim Legler entered the year holding the record for the most makes with 128, per Basketball-Reference.com.  

Kyle Korver could stop playing today and break that record. Through 44 games, the 11-year veteran has already knocked down 135 threes at a ridiculous 53.1 percent clip. For perspective, he is shooting just .005 percentage points below his record-breaking 2009-10 mark, but he has done it on nearly three times as many attempts per game. 

But it's not just the efficiency. CBS Sports' Matt Moore pointed out the effect Korver has on the rest of his teammates:

According to NBA.com, when Korver is on the court, the Hawks are averaging 13.2 more points per 100 possessions than their opponents. When he goes to the bench, they are outscored by 3.5 per 100 trips. He is "worth" 16.7 points, best on the team. 

But efficiency and advanced numbers aren't the kind of sexy things that you get you voted into an All-Star game. Korver doesn't score a ton of points or rack up doubles-doubles. He just serves as an irreplaceable part for a team that is 37-8 and has reeled off 16 straight victories. 

With teammates Al Horford, Paul Millsap and Jeff Teague all likely getting the call, it's easy to see Korver wrongly being left off the squad. 

Nikola Vucevic, F/C, Orlando Magic

Of CBS Sports' four experts, three predicted that the East forwards would be Horford, Millsap and Chris Bosh. ESPN's Marc Stein did the same, noting that the last spot came down to Bosh and Orlando Magic big man Nikola Vucevic. 

But should Bosh really get the nod if that's the case? Take a look at their side-by-side numbers, courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com:

Chris Bosh		Nikola Vucevic
35.4	MPG	34.5
21.3	PPG	19.5
7.5	RPG	11.2
2.1	APG	2.0
1.0	SPG	0.7
0.6	BPG	0.8
47.1	FG%	53.6
56.2	TS%	56.6
21.0	PER	22.1

Bosh scores at a slightly higher clip (thanks to higher usage), but Vucevic rebounds much better, blocks more shots, has a slightly higher true-shooting percentage despite not being a three-point shooter and comes out on top in most of the advanced numbers. 

It's ultimately going to hurt Vooch—don't you dare call him Vucci Mane—that the Magic are 15-33, but it would be ludicrous to suggest he is the reason for that. Individually, he has been one of the best centers in the league this year. 

DeMarcus Cousins, F/C, Sacramento Kings

The coaches, in all likelihood, will get the West team right. But if we're looking at the player who is likeliest to get snubbed, it's probably DeMarcus Cousins.

The Sacramento Kings big man missed 12 games this season—10 due to a bout with viral meningitis. His volatile personality doesn't always rub everyone the right way, and his team is only 16-27. 

It seems ridiculous that he wouldn't make it, but he was snubbed last year, and some pundits have claimed it may happen again. Stein drew up a situation in which James Harden is voted in as a small forward, which would make Harden, LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Durant the frontcourt picks and Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook the wild-card selections. 

''There is no doubt that he is an All-Star-caliber player, but it's musical chairs in the West,'' Steve Kerr told The Associated Press' Antonio Gonzalez. ''There are only so many spots. I don't know how it will play out.''

True, but we know how it should play out. 

On the year, Cousins is averaging 25.7 points, 13.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.7 blocks. The only player filling out box scores at a similar level—at least 18 points, eight rebounds, one steal and one block per game—is Anthony Davis.

Cousins has been a top-10 player on the season, and as head coach Tyrone Corbin argued, via Gonzalez, the Kings' overall struggles shouldn't hurt his All-Star candidacy:

"

It's the All-Star game. It's about individual performances. You look at (team records) sometimes, but I think most cases on the All-Star performance they look at the guy and his numbers and what he's doing for this year. He's certainly having a great year where we haven't won the number of games that we would like to win.

"

Even if you want to use the team record argument against Cousins, it's worth noting the Kings are 14-17 (.452) with him in the lineup and 2-10 (.167) with him on the bench. 

If Boogie doesn't make it, it will be a travesty. 

Note: All stats and records are for games played before Jan. 28, 2015.