Who Are The Biggest NBA All-Star Snubs This Year?
Two weeks ago, the NBA announced the two captains and this year’s starters for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game on February 19, which is taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah this season.
Just this past Thursday night, the remaining 14 All-Star reserves were announced live on TNT’s broadcast of the NBA.
A total of 12 players are representing the Eastern Conference and a total of 12 players are representing the Western Conference in this year’s All-Star Game.
There are a lot more than just 24 players that have been having All-Star seasons, which means some players will unfortunately be left off the list.
In the East, Giannis Antetokounmpo will be a captain with the other four starters being Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell. The list of reserves includes Bam Adebayo, Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, Julius Randle, DeMar DeRozan, Tyrese Haliburton and Joel Embiid.
In the West, LeBron James will be a captain during All-Star Weekend for the sixth consecutive year and the other four starters are Nikola Jokic, Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic and Zion Williamson. The list of reserves includes Ja Morant, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lauri Markkanen, Domantas Sabonis, Damian Lillard, Paul George and Jaren Jackson Jr.
So many big names were left off the All-Star Game rosters in both the Eastern and Western Conference and many have been criticizing the selections that the coaches made for this year’s reserves.
From James Harden to Anthony Davis to Anthony Edwards to Pascal Siakam to Devin Booker to Trae Young, so many of the league’s greatest starts were not named All-Stars this season, so who was the biggest snub from the 24-man list?
Here are this year’s biggest All-Star snubs:
#5 Jimmy Butler - Miami Heat
2022-23 Stats: 38 games, 21.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 2.1 steals
The Miami Heat have underperformed this season, which is likely why Bam Adebayo was the only member of the Heat to get selected to this year’s All-Star Game.
However, Jimmy Butler still leads this team in scoring, he is still one of the best two-way players in the entire league and Butler leads the league in steals per game with 2.1 steals.
Missing 15 games this year likely cost Butler an All-Star spot, but that should not take away from the fact that he has played like an All-Star when healthy. I mean, in the Western Conference, Zion Williamson was voted in as a starter for the All-Star Game and he has only played in a total of 29 games!
This is not to say that Williamson is not an All-Star talent, but if a guy who has played 29 games can start in the All-Star Game, there is no reason why a guy who leads the league in steals and has played in 38 games should be left off the roster.
The only reason I can come up with as to why Jimmy Butler was left off the Eastern Conference All-Star list is because the Heat struggled early on in the season and only most recently have begun to climb back up the rankings in the East.
However, one of the key reasons why they have been so good as of late is because Butler is back and healthy. Between Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler, I probably would have put Butler in the All-Star Game.
#4 Jalen Brunson - New York Knicks
2022-23 Stats: 49 games, 22.8 points, 6.2 assists, 46.9 FG%, 39.4 3P%, 85.3 FT%
Without Jalen Brunson, the New York Knicks would be outside of the Play-In Tournament picture and Julius Randle would not be an All-Star this season.
What Brunson has done for Randle and this Knicks organization is remarkable and he has been the most impactful offseason addition in the NBA this year. Not to mention, he has played in almost every game for the Knicks.
Seeing his scoring production increase by +6.5 points per game this season, as well as increasing his three-point shooting numbers by 2.1 percent has really made a difference for New York’s offense.
He is their main ball-handler alongside Randle and Jalen Brunson has just simply played at an All-Star-level all season long.
Since the start of January, Brunson has averaged 28.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game and he has shot 44.7 percent from three-point range.
What more does he have to do in order to be an All-Star this year?
Obviously Brunson is a perfect example of why the NBA needs to expand the All-Star Game rosters, but compare him and his numbers to those that did make the roster as a guard.
Jalen Brunson deserves to be an All-Star this season and there really is no other way to say it.
#3 Anthony Davis - Los Angeles Lakers
2022-23 Stats: 29 games, 26.9 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, 1.3 steals, 57.8 FG%
Let’s circle back to the whole Zion Williamson thing for a second. Williamson played in a total of 29 games this year and is starting in the All-Star Game.
Davis has played in the same amount of games and from the middle of November to the middle of December, there was no better player in this league than Anthony Davis.
From Nov. 13 to Dec. 13, Davis averaged 32.4 points (2nd in the NBA), 14.0 rebounds (1st in the NBA) and 2.3 blocks per game (3rd in the NBA) while shooting 64.1 percent from the floor. Oh, and he also recorded 12 double-doubles (1st in the NBA) and recorded a 55-point, 17-rebound night against the Washington Wizards at the start of December.
The Los Angeles Lakers are not good, hence why Davis was left off the All-Star roster, but to say that Anthony Davis is not one of the best 24 players in the NBA this season is truly mind-boggling.
When he is healthy, and that is a big “when,” Davis is easily a Top-15 player in this league and quite frankly, he may be a Top-5 big man alongside the likes of Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Jaren Jackson Jr. has had a terrific season to this point and is on a great team in the Memphis Grizzlies, but him getting an All-Star nod over Anthony Davis does not seem right, especially since Jackson missed time early on in the season and has only played in 35 games himself.
#2 De’Aaron Fox - Sacramento Kings
2022-23 Stats: 47 games, 24.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.0 steals, 50.6 FG%
Another year has gone by and another year of De’Aaron Fox not being selected as an All-Star.
I mean, what else does Fox need to do in order to make the All-Star Game and don't say leave the Sacramento Kings because this team is actually good for once.
The Kings are third in the Western Conference right now and Fox ranks 21st in the league in scoring. That is all you need to know in order to confidently say that De’Aaron Fox is an All-Star, but I guess the coaches in this league seem to think differently.
He is one of the most explosive guards in the league when running in transition and as much of an impact as Domantas Sabonis has had in Sacramento, Fox’s contributions are also major.
Three guard spots were given to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Damian Lillard and Ja Morant, which means that one of these players received a “utility spot” for this year’s All-Star Game.
Assuming Paul George, Lauri Markkanen and Domantas Sabonis were the three frontcourt selections, this means Jaren Jackson Jr. was the other “utility” player and the only two things Jackson has over Fox is that the Memphis Grizzlies are a better team and that he leads the league in blocks.
#1 James Harden - Philadelphia 76ers
2022-23 Stats: 34 games, 21.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 11.0 assists, 1.2 steals, 39.4 3P%
This one I truly do not understand because to me, James Harden was a “lock” to be an All-Star this season despite missing some games.
Harden ranks first in the league in assists per game even though he does not technically qualify for the league-lead and he ranks tied for 14th in double-doubles, tied for fifth in triple-doubles.
The Philadelphia 76ers have taken that next step as a franchise in large part because of Joel Embiid, but also because of James Harden’s contributions and his willingness to alter his role.
As Bleacher Report laid out recently, This is Harden's second season averaging at least 21 points, 11 assists and 6 rebounds per game and the only other players in league history to pull off such a feat are Magic Johnson (three times), Oscar Robertson (four times) and Russell Westbrook (in 2020-21).
The 76ers are 33-17 on the season and within striking distance of the 1-seed in the Eastern Conference. They are on pace for yet another 50-win season and one of the key reasons why they are a championship contender is because of James Harden.
Breaking his streak of 10 consecutive All-Star appearances this season is truly criminal.
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