With the announcements of the starting fives for both the Eastern and Western Conferences for next month’s All-Star Game in the Big Apple, the countdown to the game is officially upon us.
So now that we know the starters in each conference – John Wall, Kyle Lowry, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James and Pau Gasol in the East and Stephen Curry, Kobe Bryant, Anthony Davis, Blake Griffin and Marc Gasol in the West – it’s time to name the seven players from each conference who should join us in New York for the midseason celebration.
Two notes, though, before we begin. First, with Bryant likely done for the season with a torn rotator cuff, we’re going to select an extra player to replace him in the Western Conference and put James Harden – who should have been starting next to Curry – into the starting lineup in his place.
And one player who was scheduled to be an All-Star reserve on this ballot, LaMarcus Aldridge, isn’t going to be listed because he’s now out up to two months with a torn ligament in his left thumb – though it will be a disservice if he isn’t selected to the team by the coaches and then replaced, to ensure he gets the honor.
But, with those notes out of the way, on to The Post’s selections for the reserves from each conference, beginning with the East:
Eastern Conference
Guards
Jimmy Butler, Bulls
Although the 25-year-old has faded a little bit as the season has progressed, he’s an easy choice to make the team, with averages of 20.5 points and 6.0 rebounds while being an excellent defender. Butler has turned himself into an easy candidate for a max contract in restricted free agency this summer, and has given the Bulls yet another reason to be considered a favorite to emerge from the East playoffs.
Dwyane Wade, Heat
Yes, Wade has missed some games, and yes, the Heat isn’t very good. But when Wade has played – and with 32 games this season that’s more than most, including myself, would have guessed – he’s been terrific, averaging 21.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game with a player efficiency rating of over 23.
Forwards
Chris Bosh, Heat
With James moving on to Cleveland, Bosh has stepped into the void and become the number one option for the Heat and has been terrific, averaging 21.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game while hitting over 39 percent of his shots from 3-point range – further proof of the remarkable versatility in his game.
Paul Millsap, Hawks
Everyone was a little confused when Millsap signed a two-year, $19 million deal with the Hawks in the summer of 2013, wondering why he didn’t get more money, and Millsap has proven why he should’ve gotten more ever since with his terrific play. This season he’s averaging 16.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game for the league-leading Hawks, and is a worthy All-Star for a second straight year.
Al Horford, Hawks
After missing significant time each of the past two seasons after tearing each of his pectoral muscles – one each season – Horford is healthy again and pairing with Millsap to give the Hawks a dynamic 1-2 punch in their front court. His numbers might not be eye-popping – 15.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 54 percent shooting – but he’s a terrific all-around player and more than deserving of making the trip.
Wild Cards
Jeff Teague, Hawks
In the very Spurs-like system being run in Atlanta by longtime Gregg Popovich assistant Mike Budenholzer, Teague has stepped right into the role held for so long by Tony Parker in San Antonio and operated it seamlessly. His numbers are strong – 17.2 points and 7.4 assists on 48 percent shooting – and while he’s not a great shooter from 3-point range he’s one of the hardest people to keep from getting to the rim. He’s arguably been the MVP of the best team in the East to date.
Kyle Korver, Hawks
This is likely to be the most controversial selection. People will look at Korver’s basic counting stats – 13.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists – and say that there’s no chance he should be on the team. But that doesn’t factor in Korver’s insane 3-point shooting, a game-changing weapon for Atlanta in their ridiculous start. Korver is shooting 51.8 percent from the field, 53.5 percent (!!!) from 3-point range (on nearly six attempts per game!) while hitting 92.2 percent of his free throws. A Korver fast break 3-pointer is almost as sure a thing as a layup or dunk for most other players, and he’s earned his way into the trip.
Near misses: Kyrie Irving, Cleveland; Nikola Vucevic, Orlando; Bradley Beal, Washington
Western Conference
Guards
Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers
There may not be a more fun player to watch in the league than Lillard when the game shifts into the fourth quarter. He may not be quite the shooter that Curry is, but no one is as fearless as Lillard when the game is on the line, as he’s shown time and time again by making one huge shot after another for the Blazers. His stat line – 22.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists – doesn’t hurt, either.
Chris Paul, Clippers
It’s hard to believe Paul didn’t make the starting lineup, given how long he’s been a fixture in it, but there’s no way he’ll be left off the All-Star team completely. Paul’s numbers are off the charts – 17.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 9.8 assists – and is the floor general for the NBA’s best offense.
Forwards
Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
The Mavericks are second to the Clippers by one tenth of a point per 100 possessions in offensive efficiency, and Nowitzki remains the fulcrum for everything that Dallas does at that end of the floor. He remains the best value for dollar in the league, and the combination of him taking less money to help allow Dallas to launch itself back into contender status and his impressive stats (18.7 points on 46.8 shooting overall and 36.6 percent from 3-point range) make him an easy choice.
Tim Duncan, Spurs
This could be the final opportunity for Duncan to make an All-Star Game, given that there’s some speculation this could be his last season in the NBA. But Duncan has been incredible for San Antonio this season, averaging 14.7 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.9 blocks in 30 minutes per game, and is more than worthy of an All-Star selection this year on merit – not just as a lifetime achievement award.
Dwight Howard, Rockets
This final forward spot, the most difficult on the entire ballot, came down to three choices: Howard, Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins. But unlike Durant, who has played in just 19 games because of injury, and unlike Cousins, who has been part of an utter collapse of the Kings, Howard has largely been healthy and productive for the Rockets, averaging 16.7 points and 11.2 rebounds per game while anchoring a surprising top five defense.
Wild Cards
Klay Thompson, Warriors
The strides Thompson has made since the summer in terms of expanding his overall game have been as staggering as the ones his teammates have done collectively to help lift Golden State to the NBA’s best record thus far. Averaging 21.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists while shooting 44.4 percent from 3-point range, Thompson is quite deserving of making the trip, while the player he spent his summer waiting to see if he’d be traded for (Kevin Love), won’t even make the Eastern Conference All-Stars.
Russell Westbrook, Thunder
While Durant misses out because he hasn’t played in even half his team’s games yet, his longtime teammate deserves to be on the team, for sure. After coming back from the broken bone in his hand, Westbrook has taken the league by storm, averaging 25.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.4 assists in 32 minutes a night in 28 games. Hopefully he’ll be a little more expansive in his interviews in New York, instead of harping on execution.
Near misses: Durant, Thunder; Cousins, Kings; Mike Conley, Grizzlies