3 Biggest 2021 NBA All Star Game Snubs
NBA | February 23, 2021
On Tuesday night, the NBA announced the 2021 All Star Game reserve players, to complete the full roster of Eastern Conference and Western Conference selections that captains Kevin Durant and LeBron James can choose to play with.
The fans and the media(who are responsible for voting in the starters) and the coaches(who round out the team by picking the reserves) do a pretty good job. But there are always players who are left out of the midseason showcase that have had excellent seasons, and strong cases to be on the team.
This season is no different, as there were three players who were omitted from the rosters that should have made the team.
3. Kyle Lowry
Even though it’s taboo to earmark All Star roster spots as lifetime achievement awards, it’s possible that one should have been left available for Kyle Lowry. The veteran guard has a strong case based on his own merits—he’s doing a little bit of everything, averaging over 17 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds and a steal per contest.
But Lowry’s toughness and intangibles should also be factored into his All Star case. The Raptors, playing far away from home in Tampa, Florida—started off the season a very shaky 2-8. Since that time, they’ve come together as a team and have ascended up the standings to find themselves fifth in the Eastern Conference. Fred Van Vleet and Pascal Siakam might be more talented than Lowry, but the team would not have escaped the Eastern Conference cellar without their veteran leader.
2. Domantas Sabonis
With all due respect to Nikola Vucevic, his spot on the Eastern Conference All Star team should have gone to Indiana Pacers star Domantas Sabonis. Vucevic does average 3 more points a game than his big man counterpart, but Sabonis is basically even or better than him in every other category.
The talented southpaw really separates himself in the assist department, where he’s nearly averaging 6 dimes per game. Not only is Sabonis putting the ball in the basket and cleaning the glass, he’s facilitating an offense at 6’11”. It’s comparable to Julius Randle’s role with the Knicks, who was awarded with an All-Star nomination. Indiana is also 4 games ahead of Orlando in the loss column as of this writing.
- Devin Booker
NBA fans knew that when Chris Paul was acquired by the Phoenix Suns in the offseason, the team had a great chance to make its first playoff appearance since the 2009-2010 season. Paul has had a huge impact, and was rewarded with an All-Star nod, but dynamic young star Devin Booker was left off the team.
Paul’s savvy is a main reason why the Suns are 20-10 as of this writing, but Booker is the go to guy down the stretch when Phoenix needs a basket. He’s been one of the league’s best scorers for a few years now, and deserved to be recognized with an appearance in Atlanta. Plus, the Clippers and Lakers, who have identical records, each have two All Star selections, while Phoenix just has one.
Tags: All Star rosters | Devin Booker | Domantas Sabonis | Eastern Conference | Kyle Lowry | nba all star game | Western Conference
