On Thursday evening, the NBA revealed the reserves for the 2019 All-Star Game. As always, there were a few mild surprises and, in the case of the Eastern Conference, there is more drama on the way as the decision will be made on who should replace injured Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo when all is said and done.
Still, we now have the full, 12-man rosters for the event, which means some players were “snubbed” in falling short of inclusion. In this space, we’ll roll through eight players who just missed the cut despite having seasons that are worthy of praise.
Eastern Conference
Eric Bledsoe
Statistically, it would’ve been fairly easy to make a case for Bledsoe over teammate Khris Middleton as the second member of the Bucks in the All-Star Game. His defense has been stout this season and Bledsoe’s efficiency and overall impact are at impressive levels in his contract year. It wouldn’t have felt out of place if he made the cut.
Jimmy Butler
Butler is probably the best overall player on this list, even in something of a down year from a production standpoint, but he’s had a weird season. It is possible that he replaces the injured Victor Oladipo in Charlotte but, if he doesn’t, Butler can probably point to his exit from Minnesota and the time he’s needed to get incorporated into the Sixers system as the reason why he’s not in the game.
D’Angelo Russell
Brooklyn not have a representative seems cruel with their 28-24 record and solid standing among East playoff teams. Russell made quite a charge late in the process and has the numbers (19.5 points, 6.4 assists per game) to be a real candidate. His overall profile falls just short, though, and there is a debate as to whether the Nets hypothetical representative should have been himself or Spencer Dinwiddie.
Pascal Siakam
The Raptors are very good, and that led to some real buzz for Siakam. He’s probably a year away from having a more obvious All-Star profile but the 24-year-old forward makes a huge impact on both ends of the floor. The inclusion of Kyle Lowry kept things from getting weird with Toronto only having one All-Star and, in the end, that was the correct result.
Western Conference
Luka Doncic
If we’re being honest, Doncic probably hasn’t been one of the best 12 players in the Western Conference, but wouldn’t it have been fun if the ROY favorite was included? His numbers (20.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists per game) are All-Star caliber and Doncic has been the centerpiece for the Mavericks. If Dallas had a better record, he would’ve had more of a chance but, at the very least, a rookie being in the conversation is awfully impressive.
Rudy Gobert
If there is a poster child for this list, it is Gobert. He is arguably the frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year and Gobert is the best player on a playoff-bound team in the rugged West. His per-game numbers (15 points, 13 rebounds, 2.2 blocks) are stellar and Gobert sports a 67 percent true shooting for good measure. Quite honestly, he should be in Charlotte by any objective measure, and his exclusion will cost him financially to boot.
Rudy Gobert will miss out on a $1M bonus for not being selected to the All-Star game. He will not receive the bonus if selected as a replacement player.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) February 1, 2019
Tobias Harris
Harris received a groundswell of support in the wake of the announcement of the All-Star reserves and with good reason. The 26-year-old is averaging 21 points with lights-out efficiency and eight rebounds per game this season, and Harris had the best case of anyone on the overachieving Clippers. It probably isn’t egregious to leave him off but he certainly had a case for inclusion.
Jrue Holiday
The Pelicans’ struggles likely cost Holiday more recognition and that is a shame because, well, he’s been fantastic. The 28-year-old is averaging 21.2 points, 8.0 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game and, on the defensive end, Holiday is an elite player. In some ways, it would’ve felt weird to have two representatives from New Orleans given the way that team has played, but Holiday has a deserving profile.
