Kyle Korver already has plans in New York on Saturday. Now he has reason to stick around for the whole weekend, too. Commissioner Adam Silver named basketball’s preeminent sharp-shooter as the Eastern Conference injury replacement for Dwyane Wade, affording the 43-10 Atlanta Hawks a record-tying fourth All-Star in the process.
Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver has been named by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to replace injured Eastern Conference All-Star reserve Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat in the 2015 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 15, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The addition of Korver, the NBA leader in multiple shooting categories, gives the Hawks a record-tying four All-Stars in a season.
[NBA]
The 33 year-old Korver is enjoying arguably the greatest single-season shooting performance in league history. He’s making 51.6 percent of his field goal attempts, a scorching 52.8 percent of his tries from beyond the arc, and an unsurprisingly sterling 92 percent of his freebies. The Creighton product leads the NBA in three-point accuracy by over six percentage points while hoisting more than six bombs per game and also boasts basketball’s best true shooting percentage – a statistic including the value of treys and free throws – at 73.6. He’s the only perimeter player to rank among the league’s top-10 players in the latter category.
But just as impressive as Korver’s individual statistical profile is his impact on the Hawks. His on- and off- court offensive ratings of 112.0 and 98.2, respectively, are his team’s top marks. The space Korver provides Jeff Teague, Paul Millsap, Al Horford, and company to create offensively is without peer – weak-side defenders stick to him like glue at risk of the game’s most automatic jumper ringing up three more points. He’s an absolute game-changer in every sense of the word.
We advocated for Korver’s selection when All-Star reserves were initially announced two weeks ago. And though the Milwaukee Bucks’ Brandon Knight was surely an understandably tempting replacement candidate, Silver made the right choice here – Atlanta naysayers be damned.
The Hawks could be the league’s best team and Korver might be their most important player. Sounds like an All-Star to us.
Follow Jack on Twitter @armstrongwinter.
Follow Dime on Twitter @DimeMag.
Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook HERE.
