NBA All-Star Game 2017 Rosters: Starters, Snubs and Predictions for Reserves

If it wasn't evident the NBA is loaded with playmakers this season, the names included—and omitted—in the 2017 All-Star Game starting lineups should drive the point home. 

The starting fives that will take the floor Feb. 19 in New Orleans for the Eastern and Western Conferences were announced Thursday on TNT, and many of the usual suspects such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Stephen Curry and Kawhi Leonard made the cut.

But a handful of elite players did not earn starting nods, including Russell Westbrook, who is averaging a triple-double this season.

If fans don't see their favorite players on the list, they have largely themselves to blame. Fan choices counted as 50 percent of the voting, while player and media member voting each made up 25 percent.

Here is a look at the full list of starters, as well as snubs and predictions for the reserves. Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated's The Crossover noted the reserves for each conference are made up of two backcourt players, three frontcourt players and two wild-card players who can play any position.

Starting Lineups

Position	Eastern Conference	Western Conference
Backcourt	Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers	Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Backcourt	DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors	James Harden, Houston Rockets
Frontcourt	LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers	Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors
Frontcourt	Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks	Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
Frontcourt	Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls	Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans

While headline players such as James, Durant, Curry and Harden will draw viewers and were clear-cut choices for the starting lineup, others jump out as well.

The Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo has had a breakthrough season and will give casual fans who don't always see his team play a treat. Golliver called him the "runaway favorite to win Most Improved Player."

He does a little bit of everything, as his ridiculous per-game stats suggest. Antetokounmpo is averaging 23.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.8 steals per game and shooting 53.8 percent from the field.

He checks in at 6'11" but can handle the ball like a guard, burst past defenders in the open floor and battle down low when necessary. His versatile skill set will add excitement to the game, especially for Milwaukee fans who haven't seen such a dynamic player in their team's uniform in some time.

The Chicago Bulls' Jimmy Butler will join him in the East's starting lineup even though his team is just 21-22.

The argument can be made for someone like Kevin Love on the 29-11 Cleveland Cavaliers, but Golliver said "Chicago would be a strong candidate for contraction" without Butler's overall skill set. He is the rare player who can carry an offense and guard the opponent's best player on a nightly basis.

His traditional stats of 24.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game back his selection, as do the advanced stats. According to Basketball-Reference, Butler leads the East in win shares at 7.7 and has held opponents to shoot 6.3 percent worse from three-point range than their normal averages, per NBA.com.

He will also be pleased to be there, since teammate Taj Gibson said "He's lying so much" when he was told Butler said he didn't care about making the All-Star Game, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.

Elsewhere in the East, DeMar DeRozan stands out when the case could be made for John Wall, Isaiah Thomas or Kemba Walker. 

Still, DeRozan is posting career highs with 28.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game and has helped lead the Toronto Raptors to a 28-14 mark. There is not much realistic competition for the Cavaliers in the East, but the combination of DeRozan and Kyle Lowry make the Raptors a threat.

As for the West, Curry's inclusion raises the most eyebrows because Harden and Westbrook are the two favorites for league MVP at this point. According to Basketball-Reference, Harden leads the league in win shares at 9.1, while Westbrook leads it in player efficiency rating at 29.6.

It is somewhat unfair to judge Curry compared to last season's incredible MVP totals, but his points (30.1 to 24.6), assists (6.7 to 6.1), rebounds (5.4 to 4.2), field-goal percentage (50.4 to 46.5) and three-point percentage (45.4 to 39.7) are all down as he shares the load with Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

However, per the All-Star Game's Twitter account, Curry was leading the fan vote for West guards at the last update and can thank them for his inclusion.

In the West frontcourt, Anthony Davis made it over frontcourt candidates such as DeMarcus Cousins, Green, Marc Gasol and Rudy Gobert. That is largely because Davis is tallying career highs at 28.8 points and 12.1 rebounds per night.

He has also been a defensive force with 2.4 blocks per game, while opponents are shooting 7.1 percent worse than their normal averages inside 10 feet against him, per NBA.com.

Snubs

Russell Westbrook, Guard, Oklahoma City Thunder

Westbrook is the most obvious snub based on the sheer force of his numbers. He is averaging a triple-double with 30.6 points, 10.6 rebounds and 10.4 assists per game and has carried the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 25-19 record even after Durant joined the Warriors.

Curry is still one of the best players in the league, but Westbrook has been a dynamic force and is one of the two clear-cut choices for MVP through the first half of the season.

Sam Amick of USA Today called Westbrook not making the starting lineup "absurd" and pointed out "in this day and age of rest and recovery for the NBA's stars, he simply can't take a night off because, well, the Thunder would likely get waxed."

Westbrook is trying to become the first player to average a triple-double since the great Oscar Robertson and is deserving of an All-Star starting spot.

Kyle Lowry, Guard, Toronto Raptors 

Golliver called Lowry the East's most deserving starter outside of James, but the Raptors star didn't make the cut.

He is averaging 22.2 points, 7.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game as a guard who can do almost everything. He has also been efficient at 47.8 percent from the field and 44.2 percent from three-point range.

Matt Moore of CBSSports.com would have included Lowry over his teammate in the starting lineup:

"

Why the Raptors are good:
1. Kyle Lowry
2. Dwane Casey
3. Deep roster
4. Continuity
5. Oh, yeah, and DeMar makes some shots.

— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) January 20, 2017"

Toronto is 28-14 and can thank Lowry's win shares of 7.4, which is first among Eastern Conference guards, per Basketball-Reference. Lowry is the driving force behind a Raptors team that leads the Eastern Conference with an offensive efficiency of 113.3, per ESPN.com.

Lowry should be the Raptor in the starting lineup.

Isaiah Thomas, Guard, Boston Celtics

Speaking of challengers to the Cavaliers in the East, Isaiah Thomas is the major reason the Boston Celtics fit that category.

Boston is third in the East at 26-16 and relies on Thomas to carry the offense at 28.7 points and six assists per game behind 38.5 percent shooting from three-point range. He is also 10th in the league in win shares at 6.4, per Basketball-Reference.

Thomas' raw numbers don't tell the whole story. The Celtics consistently give him the ball at the end of close games and count on him to win. According to NBA.com, he is fourth in the league in clutch scoring at 4.5 points per game.

He should have been given the chance to demonstrate that clutch scoring as an All-Star starter.

Reserve Predictions

Position	Eastern Conference	Western Conference
Backcourt	John Wall, Washington Wizards	Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
Backcourt	Isaiah Thomas, Boston Celtics	Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
Frontcourt	Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks	Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
Frontcourt	Paul George, Indiana Pacers	DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings
Frontcourt	Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers	Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies
Wild Card	Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors	Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
Wild Card	Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets	Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors

NBA head coaches pick the reserves and will announce their choices Thursday, Jan. 26.

There is an extra guard spot open in the West since Chris Paul tore a ligament in his thumb, per Dan Woike of the Orange County Register. What's more, the two wild-card spots provide additional flexibility for the deep positions, such as the Eastern Conference backcourt, and won't pigeonhole all the choices.