NBA All-Star Game 2018: Least-Deserving Starters, Top Snubs After Lineups Reveal
The first pieces of the NBA All-Star Game puzzle came together on Thursday, as 10 starters were selected for the event on February 18 at Staples Center.
The reserves for the contest will be announced on Tuesday next week.
On January 25, Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who were named captains after gaining the highest vote total in each conference, will select from the pool of eight remaining starters and reserves to create the All-Star Game rosters.
Of course with any All-Star roster announcement comes criticism of those voted in and the debate over which players were snubbed the most.
Below is a look at some of the least-deserving starters along with players who should've heard their names called on Thursday night.
Least-Deserving Starters
It's hard to say any of the 10 starters chosen for the All-Star Game weren't deserving of the honor, but you could make a case there were better options than New Orleans center DeMarcus Cousins.
Cousins, who was elected as a starter alongside teammate Anthony Davis, was voted in over Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns, Draymond Green of the Warriors and a few other deserving candidates.
The big man out of Kentucky is averaging 25.3 points and 12.7 rebounds a game in a frontcourt that also includes a dominant player like Davis.
One of the only knocks you could have on Cousins' selection to the starting lineup is a want for variety in seeing players from different teams and younger faces like Towns being rewarded for their play down low.
There's also a decent chance he could be selected 10th of the starters because he has less of a profile than others involved.
However, you have to remember the players and select media chimed in on the starting vote, a bloc that helped push Cousins over his other competitors.
Joel Embiid
Before you send pitchforks in the form of tweets under the direction of Joel Embiid himself to us, hear us out on our reasoning.
The phenomenal big man from the Philadelphia 76ers has missed eight games this season, and he could be a potential liability to his team at the All-Star Game if his back acts up.
Statistically, Embiid is fifth of the starters from the East in points per game, and he ranks sixth of all East players in points per game. He also has the fourth-best field-goal percentage of the East starters, with only Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving shooting at a worse number.
Embiid was almost guaranteed of his spot in the starting lineup with a vociferous fanbase behind him and a social media presence that few in the sports world can match at the moment.
The workload of the big man from Kansas has also been accelerated because of his success on the court, which is something that could come back to haunt the Sixers at the end of the season.
The numbers Embiid has put up indicate he is worthy of a spot on the All-Star Team, but you could make the argument that he is the least deserving of the group from the Eastern Conference that includes James, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto's DeMar DeRozan and Irving based off their personal achievements.
Top Snubs
Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook suffered from the voting format in the Western Conference with Curry and Houston's James Harden in front of him.
With only two backcourt players from each conference being selected as starters, one of the superstar trio wasn't going to start, and unfortunately Westbrook was the odd man out.
If Westbrook doesn't hear his name called in the next week to make the trip out to Los Angeles for All-Star weekend, it would come as a shock.
Westbrook is averaging close to a triple-double with 24.8 points, 9.9 assists and 9.7 rebounds per game. Although there are plenty of impressive distributors expected to be on the All-Star rosters, Westbrook is the best of the bunch.
When he does get named as a reserve for the All-Star Game, Westbrook should end up being the first reserve drafted by either James or Curry. To have a weapon like the ninth-year pro coming off the bench would be an incredible asset in a game that will hopefully be decided by tight margins.
Victor Oladipo
One of the newest players to work his way onto the verge of superstardom is Indiana's Victor Oladipo.
Given the impact he's made with the Pacers, you could make a legitimate argument that the Indiana product deserved to be a starter over Irving or DeRozan.
Oladipo came close to challenging the pair of East backcourt starters, as he placed third in the media and player vote, per Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.
The 25-year-old guard, who never averaged over 18 points per game during four seasons with the Orlando Magic, is averaging 24.3 points per game for the sixth-place Pacers.
Although he doesn't carry a more recognizable name than most of the household superstars already selected to participate in the All-Star Game, Oladipo is on the verge of becoming one of the best guards in the league, and he deserves a chance to shine as a reserve at the All-Star Game.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.
