Some guys couldn’t find the necessary votes needed in large part due to injuries (…or healthy scratches... *cough cough*
) like Embiid, Drummond, and Exum. I don’t think anyone would argue that they all have the talent and per-game stats to be all-stars, but many GMs left them off the ballots simply because they just weren’t on the court long enough. But then there are others that played well and still didn’t get the attention they deserve, so here are my biggest ASG snubs (in no particular order):
Kris Dunn, Charlotte Hornets – PG
Dunn is stuck on a team struggling through the season, which is probably the biggest culprit for his exclusion from the All-Star game. They have a rookie GM that was put in a tough spot thanks to years of neglect from the previous GM, and while I’m sure he’s done a good job avoiding the many trade-bait deals that have come his way for Dunn or his 1sts, the Hornets are still stuck in a year full of growing pains (which is to be expected). Dunn, however, has been a shining bright spot on the team. The 3rd year guard is easily the team’s leading force on offense, scoring 19 points and 4 assists on 45% shooting. Even more impressive is his accuracy from beyond the arc, where he’s shooting 44% on 4 attempts per game. Throw in his 1.7 steals and 0.5 blocks and it’s a little disappointing he couldn’t manage to get more than 7 total votes.
Kenneth Faried, Dallas Mavericks – C
The Mavericks were expected by many to take a small step back this season after losing LeBron James to free agency, having to trade away Steph Curry, and seeing a few core players experience a gradual decline in Paul George, Derrick Rose and Serge Ibaka. Instead, the Mavericks have looked as good as ever, and Kenneth Faried is one of the biggest reasons. He’s not the player that will drop 25 on teams very often, but it’s everything else that he does so well to make this list. He averages 13 points on 56% shooting, and he was one of the only players in the league to average a double-double at the time All-Star voting was going on. Add in his elite defensive play, and it’s clear that Faried was snubbed. He only received 4 total votes too, which I know Brett didn’t take too kindly.
Steph Curry, Utah Jazz – PG
The next player on this list is a former Maverick that was traded for Faried before the season started. After several seasons of disappointment despite an uber-talented starting roster, the Jazz are finally playing like they belong among the elites. Porzingis (another former Maverick) deserves a lot of the credit thanks to his development, but Curry deserves an equal share of the credit. Curry is averaging 18 points on 46% shooting overall, and of course he’s killing it from downtown (45% on 7 attempts per game). He’s also averaging 4.5 assists despite playing mostly SG, and he’s playing good defense with 1.2 steals per game.
Marcus Smart, Portland Trailblazers – SG
Smart is one of the best 2-way guards in the entire CSL, and while the Blazers are currently sitting just outside the playoffs, they’ve come ROARING back into the playoff picture in recent weeks and currently sit just a half game back of 8th. Smart is the ultimate slasher, averaging 20 points on 49% shooting to go along with 5.5 FTAs per game. And on the other end, he’s averaging nearly 2 steals per game. It’s a real shame that Smart isn’t in the ASG, but I feel like both he and Curry are both victims of playing in the West. The West is stacked with backcourt stars: George, Westbrook, Harden, Bledsoe, Taylor… I almost feel like there should be more positionless spots in the ASG because 4 guard spots (plus 2 potential wild cards) is just guaranteeing deserving guards get left out.
Joshua Smith, Miami Heat – C
(Insert obligatory mention about Miami’s breakneck pace that leads to stat inflation). That being said, the ASG is largely a generally a stat-driven thing and it’s a little surprising Smith didn’t make the team given his stats. He averages 18 points (on an excellent 61% shooting), 9 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks. I’m most impressed by the shooting percentage, which isn’t influenced by the high pace. Scoring that many points on that high efficiency is invaluable to a team. I wonder if his being overweight helps bully defenders down low or not?
Honorable Mention:
Serge Ibaka – I know Brett made a big stink about Faried, but you could easily put Ibaka on this list. His numbers are very similar with Faried’s, minus a few rebounds and plus some blocks.
Derrick Rose – Another victim of being a guard in the guard-stacked West. His offensive numbers have him up there, and he’s solid defensively too (just doesn’t get the turnovers).
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist – Admittedly, I’m a little partial to MKG with him being a former Sun and all, but the only thing he’s not doing well this year is volume scoring, and that has a lot to do with him being on the same team as SJJ, Klay, Bledsoe and Rozier (for much of the season).
