NBA All-Star Game 2015: Least-Deserving Starters, Top Snubs After Lineups Reveal
The final votes are in for the starters in the 2015 NBA All-Star game. Not every selection makes sense, but overall the fans did a solid job.
Wester Conference
The biggest injustice was the snubbing of Houston Rockets star James Harden. Despite leading the league in scoring with a point-per-game average of 27.2, Harden wasn't picked as one of the starting guards in the Western Conference by fans.
Los Angeles Lakers future Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant was. The Black Mamba joins Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, the L.A. Clippers' Blake Griffin, Memphis Grizzlies' Marc Gasol and the New Orleans Pelicans' Anthony Davis.
We could debate forever about whether fans should feel obligated to pick the players having the best season, or if simply stuffing the virtual ballot boxes for the most popular guys is the right thing to do.
As it pertains to Bryant, it would all likely be moot. On Wednesday, Bryant suffered a torn rotator cuff, per Baxter Holmes and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. The injury will probably keep Bryant out for the rest of the season and that includes the All-Star Game.
Harden will likely be elevated to the starting group as he was a virtual lock to make the team as a reserve.
Aside from the Bryant-Harden situation, at least one other player in the Western Conference has a legitimate beef. The Sacramento Kings' DeMarcus Cousins is the only player in the NBA who is in the top five in scoring (24) and rebounding (12.7). He's also the league leader in double-doubles.
I know he isn't playing for a great team, but those stats go beyond team success. Kenny Smith of Inside NBA thinks so too. The Kings' Official Twitter quoted Smith's praise of Cousins.
Boogie could have easily bumped Griffin or Gasol in the starting five, and no one would have batted an eye.
Eastern Conference
It's hard to find fault with any of the starters elected in the Eastern Conference.
The Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James is still the best player in the world, and his statistics support that. James is averaging 26 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists.
The Chicago Bulls' Pau Gasol has given the team a strong low-post presence. The 34-year-old has experienced a revival in Chicago. He's scoring just under 19 points with 11.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots per game.
The backcourt is just as worthy of the honor.
The Washington Wizards' John Wall leads the league in assists and the Toronto Raptors' Kyle Lowry has proven to be worth the huge free-agent deal he signed in the offseason.
If there is a player to take exception with, it's the New York Knicks' Carmelo Anthony. He's missed 10 games and his team has been a grave disappointment. That said, he is averaging 24 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
Because there aren't a ton of deserving frontcourt players in waiting in the conference, Anthony doesn't have a lot of competition.
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