The NBA has finally revealed the 10 All-Star starters after counting all the fan votes, player votes, and media votes.
LeBron James, Luka Doncic, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Anthony Davis will represent the Western Conference, while Trae Young, Kemba Walker, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Pascal Siakam will do so for the Eastern Conference.
It’s hard to argue with any of those choices, truth to be told. However, we can’t help to think there is a handful of players that maybe deserved it a little bit more. Let’s break it down:
Bradley Beal
Ok, we get it, the Washington Wizards are bad, but so are the Atlanta Hawks. So if we’re ignoring team records, Bradley Beal definitely deserves more consideration and a lot of praise for the way he’s been playing since the start of the season.
Thus far, Beal has posted averages of 27.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.0 steals, and 2.5 three-pointers per game on 45% shooting with a PER of 21.7. Those are All-Star worthy numbers.
Ben Simmons
Ever since he made his debut, Ben Simmons has been quite a polarizing player. While some of us are amazed by the way he reads opposing defenses and runs the offense, plus his ability to guard multiple spots, others bash him for his lack of a jump shot.
Even so, Simmons is having the best season of his career and the Philadelphia 76ers are a strong contender in the Eastern Conference. Also, he’s averaging 16.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.5 assists, and a league-leading 2.2 steals per game on 57% shooting.
Jimmy Butler
Throughout the last couple of years, Jimmy Butler has been dubbed a self-centered player. However, he’s proving all of his doubters wrong during his first season with the Miami Heat, a team he’s quietly leading to the 2nd seed in the Eastern Conference.
Butler has been an outstanding leader for the Heat so far and has shown that he’s one of the most versatile two-way players in the league. With averages of 20.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.8 steals per game, perhaps he would’ve been a starter if the NBA had labeled him as a guard instead of a forward.
Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic got off to a slow start of the season but he’s definitely picked up the slack lately. Once again, the Denver Nuggets hold the 2nd best record in the Western Conference, yet they don’t get any love, praise or recognition whatsoever.
Jokic has played on outstanding fashion like he’s used to, posting averages of 19.4 points, 10.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.3 three-pointers per game on 50% from the floor, but nobody seems to care about it anymore.
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