The 2022 NBA All-Star game is officially set.
After fans voted in the starters last month, the only thing left to do was fill out the rest of the teams for the East and West. A tweet by The Athletic’s Shams Charania on Thursday evening revealed the final state of each roster.
Out West, Devin Booker, Luka Doncic, Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green, Donovan Mitchell, Chris Paul, and Karl-Anthony Towns got the nod. All have made previous appearances.
2022 NBA West All-Star reserves: Devin Booker, Luka Doncic, Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green, Donovan Mitchell, Chris Paul, Karl-Anthony Towns.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 4, 2022
Shortly after the news was released, Draymond Green made it known that he will not be able to attend, opening up debate among fans as to who should take his place.
Warriors' Draymond Green announces he will not play in the All-Star Game. NBA commissioner Adam Silver will choose replacement.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 4, 2022
— SPURS LATAM (@Spurs_Latam) February 4, 2022
https://twitter.com/CryptoKey98/status/1489391273345576961
In the East is where things get a little more interesting. Darius Garland and Fred VanVleet make the team for the first time ever, joining Jimmy Butler, Zach LaVine, James Harden, Khris Middleton, and Jayson Tatum.
2022 NBA East All-Star reserves: Jimmy Butler, Darius Garland, James Harden, Zach LaVine, Khris Middleton, Jayson Tatum, Fred VanVleet.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 4, 2022
All season long, the Cavaliers have been the story of the East, with a surprising performance that has them with a 31-21 record so far. It’s clear that the voters wanted to reward the franchise for their play, and Garland was the easy choice.
There’s also some history being made with Fred VanVleet, who becomes just the fourth undrafted player ever to be named an All-Star in the modern era.
All-in-all, everyone who made the All-Star team this year deserves to be there. They are among the best performers this season and have proven their worth through 40+ games.
Still, that’s not to say there aren’t some snubs on both sides. LaMelo Ball, Jaylen Brown, Anthony Edwards, and Dejounte Murray are all guys who could have easily made the roster.
Unfortunately, it’s impossible to not miss out on someone. The NBA is full of good players and the All-Star teams aren’t big enough to reward them all with a spot.
They’ll always have another chance next year.
