Figuring out the Eastern Conference reserves was fairly easy as there is a clear top seven. In the West, it is a different story as the pool of deserving candidates is very deep. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Steph Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Nikola Jokic were unsurprisingly named the starters in the West, but the reserves almost seem certain to feature at least one surprise if not multiple, and with a surprise addition, comes a surprise dismissal.
People did not have high expectations for the Clippers this season after losing Paul George in free agency and losing Kawhi Leonard for all but seven of their first 45 games, but they are currently the 6 seed out West. James Harden has been the catalyst for the Clippers this year with averages of 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists per game. The Clippers filled out their roster with perimeter defenders that fit next to Harden, and it has worked out even better than they could have hoped.
Harden isn’t the same player he once was, but he has been the Clippers leader this year and the biggest reason they are a top 6 seed. They deserve an All-Star due to their success midway through the year and Harden is the best choice. Norman Powell deserves recognition as well as he is having a tremendous year with a larger role, but Harden is what makes the Clippers go.
The Timberwolves have been disappointing this season, but it isn’t because of Anthony Edwards. He is averaging a career-high 26 points per game as well as 5.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists. He is also shooting a career-high 42.5% from three on 10 attempts a game. Before this season he had never shot over 37% from deep. Ant has done everything he can this year to keep the Timberwolves competitive and yet they are currently the 7 seed.
The loss of Karl Anthony-Towns has been felt as Julius Randle is not the same level of offensive player that KAT is, and it has led to a lack of consistent help for Edwards. He isn’t a lock to make to All-Star game given how deep the West is, but Edwards would appear to be a favorite for a backup spot in some capacity.
Two years ago, Jaren Jackson Jr. made the All-Star team with averages of 18.6 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game in 28 minutes. This year he is averaging a career-high 23 points along with 6.3 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, and 1.4 steals a game in 29 minutes. The Grizzlies are tied with the Rockets for the 2 seed in the West, and Jackson Jr. has been the Grizzlies’ best player all year. He has been consistent all year long and very durable as he has missed just two games so far.
Both Ja Morant and Desmond Bane are having good seasons, but Jaren has been more available all year, and he has simply been better than both. The Grizzlies should have an all-star and Jaren is the easy choice. He is even averaging a career-low 3.3 fouls a game, that alone should get him in the game.
Anthony Davis is as consistent as they come as he is averaging at least 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 blocks for the third straight year. The Lakers are surprisingly the 5th seed in the West and Davis is a major reason why. He is an elite defender both on and off the ball, and he has become the focal point of the offense under J.J. Redick as he is averaging 18 shot attempts per game, his most in a Lakers uniform. He feels like one of the few locks in the Western Conference to be an All-Star due to his consistency and proven track record. Not much else to say as Davis is having another elite season.
Jalen Williams had a case to be an All-Star last year, but this year it should be a no-brainer. He is averaging career-highs in every statistical category with 21 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, and 2 steals a night. He doesn’t score at the same level as other players in his conference, but he is the second-best player on the best team in the league and he deserves his first All-Star nod.
It is rare that the best team in the league only gets one all-star, and with the season he is having, OKC should have two between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams. He is elite on both ends of the floor and he has improved in every aspect of his game this season. People may be surprised at this pick, but they shouldn’t be.
The Spurs are in 12th place out West, but Victor Wembanyama has been nothing short of sensational. He is averaging 24.5 points, 11 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 4 blocks, and 1 steal a night. Those are great numbers, especially the defensive stats, but his big-game performances have stood out in a big way this year. He had a 35-point and 18-rebound game against Nikola Jokic, and he followed it up with 20 and 23 against Jokic the next night. On Christmas day against the Knicks, he had 42 points and 18 rebounds.
He has shown up in the biggest games this year and has outplayed some of the league’s best. Despite being in just his second season, he is already one of the league’s premier players, and he should be a part of this event for a very long time.
The Rockets have been the biggest surprise in the league as they were expected to fight for a play-in spot this season, not be the second-place team out West after their first 44 games. Their success this season should grant them an All-Star and Alperen Sengun is the clear choice. He is the engine of the offense as he averages 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists a game. He was deserving of a spot last year, but now with the Rockets success, he should be in no matter what.
His numbers are as good as anyone else who isn’t on the list, and he is on a better team than all of them, and he is the best player on that team. Sengun deserves to be an All-Star for the first time this year due to his play and the team’s stunning success.
The biggest omission from this list is Luka Doncic, but he is injured and has missed too much time to factor into the discussion. Players such as Kyrie Irving, Ja Morant, Devin Booker, and De’Aaron Fox are all notable snubs in the backcourt and any one of them could hear their names called to be a reserve. They all miss out due to the performance of others and outside of Ja, the lack of team success compared to others was a factor as well. In the frontcourt, the biggest snub was Domantas Sabonis, who once again has put up elite numbers, but due to the Kings team success and his limitations on defense, there was no spot for him.
There will always be someone left off the All-Star team, but this year it feels like there will be a massive snub out west no matter who makes the team. Harden has led the Clippers to a top 6 seed halfway through the season. Anthon Edwards has dragged the Timberwolves to a 24-21 record. Wemby has been elite on both ends of the court.
Anthony Davis is elite once again and his team is in the top 6. Jalen Williams is putting up career numbers on the best team in the league. Both Jaren and Sengun have been the best players on their teams, both of which are in the top 3 in the West. It is hard to fight any of those cases and remove these guys from the All-Star team.
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