Trae Young is averaging 27 ppg this season, but was left out as an All-Star reserve.
The votes are in, the teams are set and the uniforms are being stitched. The 2024 NBA All-Star Game rosters have been settled and we have identified the participants.
Here are takeaways from the announced All-Star reserves, the tough choices along with the easy ones, and a salute to the first-timers:
1. Losing record hurts one, excuses two
LeBron James and Anthony Davis are All-Stars. And LeBron is a starter, in his 21st season, at age 39. Remarkable.
This comes as no surprise or debate. Their performances and numbers support their selection. But what about their record? At the precise time the All-Star teams were made official, the Lakers had a losing record. Which was ignored by the fans and media (who voted LeBron) and coaches (who voted Davis).
Well, then, what about this? How much did the Hawks’ losing record hurt a player averaging 27 points (top 10 in the NBA) and 10.9 assists per game (second)? Isn’t that the unspoken slap against Trae Young — that he hasn’t lifted the Hawks?
The hardcore supporters of Young (who finished high in the fan voting) might scream hypocrisy and suggest that any player other than him would be an automatic selection. Perhaps. At this point, Young better hope he has a fan occupying the highest chair inside the NBA office. Because …
2. Julius Randle and Joel Embiid might be injury scratches
Randle is dealing with a dislocated shoulder and Embiid has an injured left meniscus. That’s a tough break for two star big men, as well as a Kia MVP candidate in Embiid (who is perhaps the unofficial leader for the award).
In these situations, commissioner Adam Silver decides who replaces players who cannot suit up. That would leave a pair of open spots in the East. Scottie Barnes, Jimmy Butler and yes, Young are sitting by the phone just in case.
3. First time’s a charm
Congrats to East reserves Tyrese Maxey, Paolo Banchero and Jalen Brunson for making their first All-Star team. Not only were Maxey and Brunson largely projected to make the team, both had a solid case for being a starter over Damian Lillard.
As for Banchero, fortunately for him, his stock among coaches (who selected him as a reserve) didn’t fall along with Orlando’s record as of late (they are 6-10 since New Year’s Day).
There’s another barrier that didn’t trip Banchero, and that’s the trend among former winners of the Kia Rookie of the Year award. He becomes only the second of the last 10 winners of that award to make the All-Star team in his second NBA season, following Luka Doncic.
There are two ROYs in that stretch still waiting to be All-Stars: Barnes and Malcolm Brogdon. However, Barnes has a strong chance as an injury replacement, so there’s hope for him this season.
4. Kings not crowned
In retrospect, 2022-23 was indeed a magical year for the Kings. The franchise created the Beam, crashed the playoff party and took the league by storm.
Oh, and De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis were All-Stars. Yes, the Kings had two. And now there are none.
Those were maybe the most notable absences in the West, where the competition for spots was steep. Fox and Sabonis (who had the stronger case of the two, as the league leader in double-doubles) are having impressive seasons once again. But much like the Kings this season, for various reasons, it hasn’t been the same.
Taking their place are two Clippers, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Curiously, the Kings last season prospered in part because the Clippers dealt with injury issues. But now? The Clippers are an NBA-best 23-5 since Dec. 1, blowing past Sacramento in the standings.
5. Was the right Minnesota big man chosen?
The clear reason for the ascent of the Timberwolves to the attic of the West, aside from Anthony Edwards, is defense. The Wolves play it like nobody else. Without it, they’d be middle of the pack, at best.
But when it came to choosing a rep for the All-Star Game, the West coaches went for offense. Edwards was a no-brainer. But Karl-Anthony Towns over Rudy Gobert? That makes you wonder, if only a bit.
No shade is thrown at Towns, who’s having a solid season (22.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 3.1 apg). But he doesn’t reflect the strength of the club. Gobert broke down in tears while explaining his mother’s disappointment over him being snubbed in 2019 (he made it three years in a row after that).
Chances are good that Gobert is probably good with it this time. Why no tears? At least he no longer deals with folks criticizing the trade from Utah anymore. That’s how much he means to the Wolves, even if it won’t reflect in the All-Star Game.
So, what else? Applause for the fans, media, players and coaches, who for the most part got it right this year. And here are some things to digest:
A step down for Steph. A healthy Stephen Curry won’t be a starter for the first time since 2013. Hey, it’s been a tough year for the Warriors, in so many ways.
All sunny for the Suns. Their surge since Christmas (when they finally got healthy) perhaps swayed the coaches enough to put Devin Booker on the team.
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Warner Bros. Discovery.
