The NBA All-Star game is a great experience for fans. They get to watch their favorite players compete in a widely celebrated and anticipated event. For the players, making the team is like a reward, a badge of excellence, for the NBA’s best.
Each year, thousands of fans and media members vote on who makes up the East and West teams, but that doesn’t mean it comes out perfect.
In fact, each year, there are guys who feel left out or slighted at their exclusion, and 2022 is no different. This season, just like every other, there are worthy players who did not get All-Star honors.
From Anthony Davis to Jaylen Brown, a lot of guys have just been given some extra motivation to close out this season. Here are some of the big ones:
5. Anthony Davis
Amid trying times, Anthony Davis’ return has sparked new life into the Lakers. What he provides on both ends of the floor is truly irreplaceable and proves once and for all how valuable he is.
It is true that Davis has missed 21 games this season already, and it is true that the Lakers are having an atrocious campaign, but it’s still a bit surprising that one of the NBA’s best bigs (a guy who has played over half the season) didn’t end up on the All-Star team at all. Just for reference, Jimmy Butler, who has only played two more games than AD this season, is a starter in the East.
Ultimately, it seems the West is just too deep, and the Lakers too bad, for the Brow to add another All-Star game to his resume. This is the first time since his rookie season he has not been voted to the team.
4. LaMelo Ball
For many, Ball was an easy vote for this year’s All-Star team. He has shown amazing strides in his second season, with averages of 19.9 points, 7.7 assists, and 7.2 rebounds per game on 35% shooting from downtown.
Most impressively is that he has led the Hornets to a solid standing in the East with a 28-24 record so far this season, which has been largely overshadowed by Cleveland’s surge.
Usually, leaders of overachieving teams are rewarded with a nod on All-Star weekend, but Ball wasn’t able to make the cut this time. The 20-year-old guard has plenty of time to reach that milestone in the future but, for now, it seems like he still has a lot to prove.
3. Domantas Sabonis
Sabonis has made the All-Star team twice over the past two seasons, hinting that there may be more All-Star campaigns to come.
This season, however, he failed to make the list and it is no doubt the result of Indiana’s poor play. As the 13th seed in the East, they’ve barely been a blip on the radar and not even Sabonis’ heroics have been able to turn things around.
Still, the guy is putting up 19.1 points per game on 58% shooting and all the trade rumors prove he’s a guy that GMs want on their team. When the Pacers eventually get better, there is no doubt that Sabonis will return to his All-Star status. Until then, he’ll just have to accept living in obscurity.
2. Jaylen Brown
The eye test says Jaylen Brown is a star. He’s a solid wing player with an impressive offensive arsenal. He dropped 50 points in January and 42 points against the Knicks in October, which stand as some of the best offensive performances of his career.
Despite this, Jayson Tatum will always get tapped first in the eyes of the NBA community and the Celtics haven’t been good enough this season to give them two All-Star representatives. It’s just weird that a guy with the skillset and game of his caliber only has a single All-Star appearance to show for his efforts.
One has to wonder how much longer Brown will be content with living in the shadow of his young star teammate.
1. Bradley Beal
Bradley Beal isn’t just a star-level player, he’s a star-level player that gets star-level attention. He is the face of the Wizards, one of the best offensive guards in the NBA, and is mentioned in trade talks every other week.
Despite his widespread fame, however, Beal was not selected to the All-Star team. In fact, Beal has only received that honor three times over his 9-year career.
With a scoring output of 23.2 per game, his stats seem good enough to earn him a spot, but the Wizards are stuck in the pit of mediocrity and Beal is once again on the outside looking in.
