Victor Wembanyama, Damian Lillard headline NBA All-Star Game reserves; no LaMelo Ball

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The coaches surprised us this year.

The NBA All-Star Game reserves are selected by a vote of the coaches and the results are usually fairly predictable — they name a few big stars who just missed out on starting, but they also reward some newcomers and some guys having unexpected standout seasons.

This season, the coaches varied from that formula at points, so fans who wanted to see LaMelo Ball will be disappointed. However, they are in luck if they want a throwback game with James Harden.

Let’s look at the selections. As a quick reminder, here are the starters (as voted in by the fans, players and media):

Eastern Conference: Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Karl-Anthony Towns
Western Conference: Stephen Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic

The reserves for each conference are:

EASTERN CONFERENCE All-STAR RESERVES

Jaylen Brown (Celtics)
Pascal Siakam (Pacers)
Evan Mobley (Cavaliers)
Darius Garland (Cavaliers)
Damian Lillard (Bucks)
Cade Cunningham (Pistons)
Tyler Herro (Heat)

Biggest snubs: LaMelo Ball (Hornets), Tyrese Maxey (76ers), Trae Young (Hawks), Bam Adebayo (Heat), Paolo Banchero (Magic), Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers).

WESTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STAR RESERVES

Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
Anthony Davis (Lakers)
Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves)
James Harden (Clippers)
Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies)
Alperen Sengun (Rockets)
Jalen Williams (Thunder)

Biggest snubs: Kyrie Irving (Mavericks), Domantas Sabonis (Kings), Devin Booker (Suns), Ja Morant (Grizzlies), Norman Powell (Clippers), De’Aaron Fox (Kings), Ivica Zubac (Clippers), Luka Doncic (Mavericks)

Thoughts on the coaches’ selections:

• No LaMelo Ball. Ball led the fan vote for Eastern Conference guards but didn’t get a starting spot because the players voted him third, and the media had him seventh. The coaches picked five East backcourt players (if we’re counting the Celtics’ Brown as a guard) without picking Ball. That’s a harsh indictment of his game, but not a huge surprise. Coaches prize efficiency and that has not been Ball, although he is wildly entertaining.

If there is a substitution in the East — and…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/victor-wembanyama-damian-lillard-headline-010608353.html

Author : NBC Sports

Publish date : 2025-01-31 01:06:00

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