The selections for February 19’s NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans have focused largely on the new voting rules and the snub of Russell Westbrook when starters were set last week. The league announced the 14 reserves who will join those 10 starters on Thursday night on TNT, and the final list of All-Stars looks relatively devoid of controversy and egregious snubs — with one exception.
The biggest news was also the most predictable — Westbrook will join previously named starters James Harden and Stephen Curry in the Western Conference backcourt. The Oklahoma City Thunder superstar triple-double machine had tied Curry under new voting rules but missed out on a starting nod due to the fan vote tiebreaker. He was a no-brainer inclusion and will attempt to win his third All-Star Game MVP.
The Eastern Conference’s most notable story is who didn’t make it. Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, a bona fide sensation and the overwhelming favorite for Rookie of the Year, was not named to the squad. Embiid finished third in fan voting in the East frontcourt and had become a popular All-Star pick not just for his fantastic production, but also his immense watchability and the way he has turned the previously draft-focused Sixers into a genuinely exciting team. Simply put, basketball fans want to see Embiid alongside the league’s best players.
The other big news on the West squad was the inclusion of Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green and guard Klay Thompson, who will join teammates Curry and Kevin Durant. The star-studded Warriors are the eighth team in league history with four All-Stars and first since the Atlanta Hawks in 2015. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr will also be in New Orleans as the West’s head coach.
The West team also includes Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins, Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol, Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, and Utah Jazz wing Gordon Hayward. Jordan and Hayward are the conference’s only first-time All-Stars. Starters Curry, Harden, Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and Anthony Davis will also be in uniform.
The East roster is flush with point guards. Boston Celtics dynamo Isaiah Thomas, Washington Wizards star John Wall, Charlotte Hornets point Kemba Walker (the conference’s only first-time All-Star), and Toronto Raptors mainstay Kyle Lowry join starter Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers. It’s not clear how the East coach will manage that rotation, but All-Star lineups rarely matter anyway.
Those guards will be joined by fellow reserves Kevin Love, Paul George, and Paul Millsap. Love will play alongside Irving and LeBron James to make the Cleveland Cavaliers the only team with three players in the game.
Reserves were chosen by the league’s head coaches, who picked seven reserves apiece (excluding guys from their own teams). That system was not changed from previous years, unlike the starter vote that now includes players and a panel of media members.
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