NBA All-Star Reserves 2015: Predicting Snubs Before Reserves Reveal
If every worthwhile NBA player got a chance to play, it truly wouldn't be an All-Star Game.
As always the case, some guys will inevitably get left in the cold. With only 24 spots to dole out, no sport possesses a higher barrier for inclusion than the NBA, where several stars will have to settle for a weekend vacation instead.
Trimming down the Western Conference candidates especially proves brutal, even with Kobe Bryant's season-ending injury giving the side one more selection. Arguably the generation's greatest player could miss the cut, and it'd be perfectly justified.
Before the reserves get unveiled Thursday night on TNT's broadcast, let's give some love to some probable snubs.
| Jeff Teague | Atlanta Hawks | Backcourt |
| Jimmy Butler | Chicago Bulls | Backcourt |
| Kevin Love | Cleveland Cavaliers | Frontcourt |
| Paul Millsap | Atlanta Hawks | Frontcourt |
| Al Horford | Atlanta Hawks | Frontcourt |
| Kyrie Irving | Cleveland Cavaliers | Wild Card |
| Kyle Korver | Atlanta Hawks | Wild Card |
| James Harden | Houston Rockets | Backcourt |
| Chris Paul | Los Angeles Clippers | Backcourt |
| Kevin Durant | Oklahoma City Thunder | Frontcourt |
| LaMarcus Aldridge | Portland Trail Blazers | Frontcourt |
| DeMarcus Cousins | Sacramento Kings | Frontcourt |
| Klay Thompson | Golden State Warriors | Wild Card |
| Damian Lillard | Portland Trail Blazers | Wild Card |
| Russell Westbrook | Oklahoma City Thunder | Injury Replacement (Bryant) |
Tim Duncan, PF, San Antonio Spurs
Even at 38 years old, Tim Duncan remains a superbly efficient contributor for the San Antonio Spurs. Gregg Popovich monitors his minutes at 30.3 per game, but the future Hall of Famer still averages a double-double (14.7 points, 10.1 rebounds) while shooting 48.6 percent from the floor.
Unfortunately, that's not enough to lift him to his 15th All-Star appearance. His stats would make him an easy choice in the Eastern Conference, but there are simply too many Western Conference alternatives to warrant Duncan's inclusion as anything short of a lifetime achievement nod.
Despite making a late debut, Kevin Durant figures to solidify one of three backcourt spots. Had LaMarcus Aldridge proceeded with his planned thumb surgery, Duncan would have potentially slid into his vacated spot. But now that the 29-year-old is playing through the ailment, he's an easy choice over The Big Fundamental.
| Duncan | 14.7 | 48.6 | 10.1 | 2.0 | 22.1 |
| Aldridge | 23.6 | 46.4 | 10.2 | 1.2 | 22.4 |
Duncan vs. DeMarcus Cousins is a more interesting dilemma. Averaging 23.8 points, 12.3 boards, 1.6 blocks and a 25.24 player efficiency rating (PER), per Basketball-Reference.com, should make Boogie even more of a no-brainer. Coaches, however, may bypass him simply because he plays for the 16-28 Sacramento Kings.
Let's hope not. The league's most underrated star deserves more praise, and Duncan probably wouldn't mind the extra rest anyway.
Nikola Vucevic, C, Orlando Magic
Few casual fans would put Nikola Vucevic on their short list of All-Star nominees, but the 24-year-old center is quietly posting 19.5 points and 11.2 rebounds per game for the Orlando Magic.
He is bolstering his case this month, tallying 22.7 points on a 55.5 field-goal percentage with 11 rebounds per game during January. Only Pau Gasol, voted into the starting lineup, has exceeded Vucevic's 27 double-doubles.
Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers endorsed Vucevic to NBA.com's John Denton: "Vucevic is an all-star and a terrific player. He’s probably the best player in the league that nobody knows. I don’t think you hear anybody talking about him, but when you look at his raw numbers they are superstar and all-star worthy, but nobody knows it."
The 24-year-old, however, wouldn't make the same declaration to Grantland's Zach Lowe.
"I don’t like talking about myself in these situations. I’ve played well this whole year. I’ve been consistent. I’ve made huge improvements since last year. I wish my play helped the team get some more wins, and hopefully that will come with time.
The most important thing is to be consistent. There are so many games, it’s hard to play at a high level consistently.
"
That lack of wins he referenced will likely prove his undoing. While he has the numbers to earn a trip to New York, they're not overwhelmingly better than those touted by Paul Millsap and Al Horford. As the Magic sit comfortably in the lottery at 15-33, the Atlanta Hawks hold an ironclad grip over the East at 38-8.
Atlanta doesn't have any superstars, but the well-rounded lineup boasts four credible All-Star choices in Millsap, Horford, Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver. They all wield the efficiency to please some and the winning underdog narrative to delight most others.
Then there are also brand names—Kevin Love, Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, Kyrie Irving—who can coast on reputation and past success. Rivers knows Vucevic, but he's on the wrong side. The young center needs more coaches to notice his breakout campaign for him to overcome the winners and established household commodities.
DeAndre Jordan, C, Los Angeles Clippers
So many great players reside in the West that everyone can identify snubs deserving of snub recognition. Mike Conley, Zach Randolph, Draymond Green, Monta Ellis and Tyson Chandler are all in the middle of magnificent seasons, and none of them stand much of a chance of inclusion.
But come on, Duncan couldn't even make the cut. Given the West's army of guards, two of them will likely occupy the roster's final wild-card spots. That means DeAndre Jordan, the Clippers' third wheel behind Blake Griffin and virtual reserve lock Chris Paul, gets shunned as well.
The burgoning center has morphed every bit into the team's third star. Benefiting from Paul's passing, his 73.1 field-goal percentage leads the league by a wide margin. He also tops the Association in rebounding while only trailing Anthony Davis in blocks.
Basketball-Reference.com offers several meaty stats to support his candidacy. He places seventh with 6.8 win shares due to a 129.7 offensive rating and 99.1 defensive rating.
Turning over to 82games.com, he makes his presence felt for the Clippers. When on the court, they have outscored opponents by 339 points with plus-12.5 net points per possessions. With him sidelined, they're outscored by 37 points with a minus-3.8 efficiency rating.
All-Star-worthy? Certainly. Better than everybody else who will complete the squad? Not quite.
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