As of Thursday evening, starters and captains for the 2019 NBA All-Star Game are public knowledge. As usual, there was some debate over who got picked and who got left off but, as soon as that ends, another must begin. That means the annual argument centering on which players should round out the roster as reserve choices.
The league’s head coaches make the actual selections and they come to light exactly one week later with an announcement on Jan. 31. In the meantime, we’ll do the work for them in putting together seven-player lists in each conference that should make the cut when the final rosters are selected.
Eastern Conference (Starters: Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, Kawhi Leonard, Giannis Antetokounmpo (captain), Joel Embiid)
Bradley Beal: Can I interest you in a player who is averaging 25-5-5 as clearly the best available player on a team with playoff hopes? Well, that’s Bradley Beal. The Wizards are 9-5 without John Wall this season and Beal is the biggest reason why. He should be a lock.
Jimmy Butler: This isn’t as easy of a decision as you might think. Butler is clearly one of the top-24 players in the NBA and his production, while down slightly from recent years, is All-Star worthy in the East. However, Butler should probably be docked to some degree for what transpired in Minnesota. He simply benefits from a maddeningly weak race for the final two spots.
Blake Griffin: It is wild that, at age 29, Blake Griffin is playing his most efficient basketball, but that’s where we are. He has a career-high 59.7 percent true shooting to go along with 26 points, eight rebounds and five assists per game. Detroit isn’t fun to watch but Griffin has been excellent this season.
Khris Middleton: Middleton may have been in trouble if Dwyane Wade snuck in as a starter but, when Kemba Walker broke through at the top, the seas parted for a second member of the Bucks to make it in. It would be fair to point out that Eric Bledsoe has an impressive case in his own right, and it would be perfectly justifiable to go with him alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo. Middleton gets the slight nod here and, for record-keeping purposes, he’d be guy No. 12 of 12.
Victor Oladipo: Unfortunately, the Pacers star isn’t going to be able to participate, as he suffered a season-ending injury this week. Still, Oladipo deserves to be recognized as the best player on a team that is on track for a top-five seed in the conference. Still, he’s on the sidelines, so his injury replacement should be…
Kyle Lowry (injury replacement): We’re stepping out of alphabetical order to reward Lowry, who edges the aforementioned Bledsoe by a nose. Giving Milwaukee a third representative would be just fine and Bledsoe’s raw numbers have been better than Lowry’s this season. The impact that Lowry has on a top-flight team in Toronto can’t be overstated, however, as the Raptors go from a .500-level team when he leaves the floor to an elite group when he returns.
Ben Simmons: Pointing out Simmons’ flaws is easy and he catches a lot of heat as a result. Then, you step back and realize that he is averaging 17 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists per game with high-end defense and 59 percent true shooting. Let’s not overthink this. He’s an All-Star.
Nikola Vucevic: I won’t claim to have predicted this renaissance and, frankly, virtually no one did. Vucevic absolutely earned this slot, though, averaging 21 points and 12 rebounds per game with career-best efficiency. In similar fashion to Griffin, Vucevic may be overlooked by some because of his team’s lack of success, but he should hopefully benefit from the buzz associated with his breakout performance.
Western Conference (Starters: Stephen Curry, James Harden, Paul George, LeBron James (captain), Kevin Durant)
LaMarcus Aldridge: This list is coming to you in alphabetical order so, make no mistake, Aldridge was not an easy choice. There are other deserving candidates and, unlike in the East, we aren’t struggling in search of 12 players. Still, Aldridge has quality numbers (21 points and nine rebounds per game with solid efficiency) and, with apologies to DeMar DeRozan, he’s been the best player for the resurgent Spurs.
Anthony Davis: Let’s just agree this is an absolute no-brainer. Davis has a starting-caliber profile by any definition, averaging 29 points, 13 rebounds and nearly three blocks per game.
Rudy Gobert: He will never have eye-popping offensive numbers but, quietly, Gobert is enjoying the best offensive performance of his career. The big man’s biggest value comes in being a top-three contender for Defensive Player of the Year, but he’s averaging 15 points and 13 rebounds per game and the Jazz desperately rely on him.
Nikola Jokic: It would be easy to argue on behalf of Jokic as a starter, even with the ridiculously crowded field of candidates in the West this year. He’ll have to “settle” for a reserve spot but, much like Davis, there is no uncertainty here. He’s probably the best passing center of all-time (7.7 assists per game) and Jokic is the best player (with 20-10 numbers) on an excellent team.
Damian Lillard: In a more “normal” environment, Lillard would have a real claim as a starter. He’s been that good. Portland’s centerpiece is averaging 26 points, six assists and five rebounds per game with high-end efficiency, and the Blazers continue to play well under his leadership.
Karl-Anthony Towns: Towns won’t garner universal approval but he’s been tremendous in the recent past. Beyond that, his season-long numbers (22.5 points and 12.3 rebounds per game with 60 percent true shooting) are excellent, and the 23 year old is improving defensively.
Russell Westbrook: This is a photo finish, which is a bit odd. After all, Westbrook is averaging 22 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists per game. In theory, that would make him an easy choice, but a deeper look makes his case shakier. The biggest detraction is the fact that Westbrook is operating in stunningly inefficient fashion. He’s never been the most efficient player, but Westbrook has a 48 percent true shooting, which can be incredibly damning. Westbrook still sneaks in on the strength of his production and overall impact but it wasn’t easy to leave off guys like Jrue Holiday.
