Making the list: Rappler’s NBA East All-Star reserves

MANILA, Philippines – The 2014 NBA All-Star weekend (Feb. 14-16 in New Orleans, La.) promises to be another awesome multi-platform sports media and marketing spectacle, what with many of the world’s best athletes competing in several contests. Undoubtedly, the centerpiece event is the All-Star Game itself, mainly because participation in it is one significant form of star-status validation.

After this year’s All-Star starters were announced, I felt excited simply because fresh up-and-coming talent seems to be the main driving force not only in the All-Star showcase but in the entire season itself. This year’s lineups will feature four first-time starters — Stephen Curry, Kevin Love, Paul George, and Kyrie Irving. 

So many guys have gone down with injuries, yes (D-Rose huhu), but so many have also stepped up to help their individual stock and/or teams rise to new heights. Guys like Andre Drummond, John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and Anthony Davis have really bloomed so far and have relished in the spotlight. 

In light of all these, I’ve decided to give my own unsolicited take on who else should be named to the All-Star squads. Yes, I probably won’t get all fourteen reserves right, but that’s not the point anyway. This is not a prediction, just a statement of opinion on who, I believe, are good enough to fill the seven reserve slots for the East and, likewise, seven for the West. 

As you scroll down, you’ll observe that the general bias is towards young and fast-rising players. Two key omissions are Al Horford (ATL) and Chris Paul (LAC), both of whom are currently injured. Horford certainly won’t be healthy enough for the All-Star Game, but CP3 is still a question mark (in as much as KB24 is). I’m assuming, however, that he’ll choose to rest and save himself for the Clips’ late-season run at a top four seed out West.

Let’s begin by identifying the seven should-be All-Star reserves in the Eastern Conference:

Joakim Noah (CHI) – 11.7ppg, 11.4rpg, 4.1apg, 1.2spg, 1.2bpg

The Bulls are currently holding steady with 22 wins against 21 losses without both Luol Deng (I still haven’t moved on) and Derrick Rose (I will never get over it). They’ve won 7 of their last 10 and still look good enough to finish around .500 by season’s end, which should see them make the Playoffs again (This also means no Jabari Parker anytime soon.). Noah is maybe the biggest reason the Bulls are still playing with a lot of fire, and he deserves to be an All-Star because of this. He’s still a beast on both ends, and it would be really entertaining to see him go after the loose balls and rebounds and continue to play-to-win against the West’s superb frontline athletes. 

Andre Drummond (DET) – 12.6ppg, 12.6rpg, 1.4spg, 1.8bpg, 59.9 FG%

Detroit probably won’t make the cut for the postseason (they’re currently ninth place in the East), but that won’t diminish how Drummond’s game has really grown this season. His numbers might remind your of one Dikembe Mutombo, but I assure you this kid is a lot more athletic and has more upside. Maybe a little polish on his back-to-the-basket game means he could even be a Dwight Howard-ish player in the near future. I’d also like to see him try to block a Blake Griffin dunk in the All-Star Game. I believe he’s the only one who can do it outside of LeBron. 

Roy Hibbert (IND) – 11.9ppg, 7.8rpg, 2.6bpg

Hibbert’s numbers have never been rosy, but his presence on the floor commands a lot of attention. Without him, Indiana won’t even be in the top four of the East — I say that as a fact. It might not be the prettiest sight seeing a 7’2 guy running up and down the court trying to chase lobs and slamma jammas in vain, but, hey, it could also lead to a potentially viral YouTube clip. And, well, since Brook Lopez isn’t around, who else can we place here? (Don’t get me started on Bosh, please.)

Lance Stephenson (IND) – 14.2ppg, 7.0rpg, 5.3apg, 49.6 FG%

This is a 6’5 SG who grabs 7 rebounds per game and dishes out better than 5 assists while shooting nearly 50% from the floor. Born ready? Definitely. Another huge reason the Pacers have the league’s best record (as of this writing), and nobody can ignore the big jump in his game from last season to the current one. Would love to see him try to turn the corner against James Harden/Damian Lillard and then go up for an acrobatic shot over/under Big Dwight. 

Michael Carter-Williams (PHI) – 17.3ppg, 5.7rpg, 6.5apg, 2.5spg

Let’s not talk about the Sixers’ failures, but, instead, talk about how MCW is a potential franchise-player in this league. He reminds me a lot of a young, spry Penny Hardaway, and that’s an amazing thing. The tall PG has the quickness and hops to put up a few highlights for fans to upload on Instagram come All-Star Weekend. MCW is the current gold standard when it comes to rookies, and I believe he should already be an All-Star.

DeMar DeRozan (TOR) – 21.8ppg, 4.7rpg, 3.6apg, 1.2spg

I was a little skeptical about naming DeRozan, but after reevaluating how the Raptors have been playing (4th in the East and 6-4 in their last ten games), I think this high-leaping nouveau-Air-Canada can be a hyper-entertaining addition to the East’s bench. Yes, this means the adage that “All-Star games have no defense” will be even more apparent, but who really cares anyway? I want a DeRozan-over-Aldridge highlight on YouTube soon. 

John Wall (WAS) – 20.0ppg, 4.3rpg, 8.5apg, 1.9spg

In terms of pure numbers, Wall is the best PG outside of CP3 and Steph Curry. Not in Team USA’s initial pool? That’s fine, John, make ‘em think twice by tearing the court to shreds come All-Star Weekend. With his athleticism and innate competitive fire, Wall will be a good combo with the likes of Wade, LBJ, and Melo. Should be fun watching him throw lobs to those guys and then going up for his patented twisting lay-ups, too. 

Agree or disagree? Who else should be named an All-Star reserve? Hit us up in the comments section below! – Rappler.com