Is making all-star in east all of a sudden.... tough

[celticsclay]

I don't really think it is much different.

Last year the East all stars were

Giannis, Embiid, Irving, Walker, Leonard, Griffin, Oladipo, Lowry, Beal, Simmons, Middleton, Russell, and Vucevic

Russell was Oladipo's injury replacement or otherwise wouldn't have made the team.

Of that list, barring injury, it would be pretty surprising if Giannis, Embiid, Irving, Walker, Griffin, and Beal weren't again on the team.  So that leaves 6 openings.  Vucevic is clearly falling out but the other 3 guys still in the East all have decent shots at making the team again i.e. Lowry, Simmons, and Middleton.  Say all 3 do, there are still 3 open spots.  Siakam looks like a lock, but you still have 2 other spots open (and again that assumes that all 3 of Lowry, Simmons, and Middleton make the squad).  I wouldn't say that is really much different than last year as Leonard/Russell went West, Olapido is hurt, and no surefire all star came East.

I would be really surprised if both Simmons and Middleton made it. There are people putting up incredible numbers this year, lots of them. Some may drop off, but the numbers guys like brodgon, young and Drummond, sabonis and siakam are all putting up are crazy.

Also, you realize griffin has not played yet this season 9 games in, but you would be very surprised if he didn’t make the all star team? Curious take.

Honestly, this feels like one of those times you are just being aimlessly contrarian instead of having a nice discussion about some pleasant surprises in the eastern conference. Want to share whether you think guys like Young, Sabonis, Brodgon can make it? That seems like a much more fun conversation than putting guys that haven't played this season into the game.

Griffin is due back this week.  Missing 8 games doesn't eliminate someone from the all star discussion.  Now maybe his hammy is a problem all season and he doesn't look right, but I don't think it will and he will still be in a position to be a 25 ppg scorer with solid rebounding and passing numbers. 

I don't think Middleton makes the team either and Simmons, isn't a given.  That is why I didn't put them as locks.  I think Lowry tails off as well, why he was with those 2. 

Young is having a fabulous start to the season, but he is in his 2nd year and playing in no mans land.  That generally means you won't get the fan support, player support, or coaching support you need to make the all star team.  I think he needs another year to really be considered in that category.  Now if Atlanta is still playing around .500 near the break, he might have enough pub to make the team, but I suspect at some point Atlanta drops back and he looks like a guy just putting up big numbers on a bad team.  I know that isn't fair to him, but that is what it will look like.  That is also what I think happens with Brogdon and Sabonis.  They are on a mid-tier at best team (without Oladipo) and putting up big numbers.  I think they are both great players, but they don't have the name recognition of someone like Beal (who is putting up big numbers on a bad team).  And I really like Sabonis.  I was firmly in the trade him for Brown camp in any number of posts on this board about that subject.  He at least has a last name people know, but I just don't think he will have enough juice to make the all star team.

If I was projecting what I think the east all star team will end up, I'd go with

Front Court - Giannis, Embiid, Siakam, Griffin, Butler, Drummond, Hayward
Back Court - Irving, Walker, Beal, Lowry, Simmons

I do think Hayward will get the love.  I think he has a nice story that will get a ton of press and I think the coaches, especially, would rather reward him than a young player like Sabonis or Young who presumably has a lot of time left to get that nod.

Obviously things can change, injuries happen, etc., but I think I feel pretty good about those 12 making the team.

I don't know a way to easily look this up, but would be curious how frequently a guy can average 21 and 11 and not make the all star game. Perhaps Towns has? Vucevic was putting that up on a pretty crappy Orlando team and he made it (with probably a lot worse defense than Sabonis.)

[bdm860]

I don't know a way to easily look this up, but would be curious how frequently a guy can average 21 and 11 and not make the all star game. Perhaps Towns has? Vucevic was putting that up on a pretty crappy Orlando team and he made it (with probably a lot worse defense than Sabonis.)

Going back to 2000, 12 times (though went with the more round 20/10, and at least 2 of them might not have had enough games):

KAT, Zach Randolph (4x), Cousins, Elton Brand (2x), Abdur-Rahim, and the man responsible for banner 17 (kind of):




While 70 players, put up at least 20/10 and did make the All-Star game during the same time frame.

[PhoSita]

Let's wait until we're 20-25 games in.  A lot of these guys will fall off their current pace.

Is Trae Young really a 30 ppg scorer?  Is Brogdon a 20-10 guy now? 

[Moranis]

I don't know a way to easily look this up, but would be curious how frequently a guy can average 21 and 11 and not make the all star game. Perhaps Towns has? Vucevic was putting that up on a pretty crappy Orlando team and he made it (with probably a lot worse defense than Sabonis.)

Going back to 2000, 12 times (though went with the more round 20/10, and at least 2 of them might not have had enough games):

KAT, Zach Randolph (4x), Cousins, Elton Brand (2x), Abdur-Rahim, and the man responsible for banner 17 (kind of):




While 70 players, put up at least 20/10 and did make the All-Star game during the same time frame.

That is of course full season average, not average at the time of all star selection either.  But that Towns year is sort of why I don't think Sabonis will make it (if he even keeps his stats up).  That was Towns 2nd year and 1st year he put up stats worthy of consideration.  He had to do the next year to make the all star team though.  Coaches really love to have players prove it multiple years before they reward them with things like all star votes. 

[celticsclay]

Let's wait until we're 20-25 games in.  A lot of these guys will fall off their current pace.

Is Trae Young really a 30 ppg scorer?  Is Brogdon a 20-10 guy now?

I do think that Young is going to be around 28ppg still 20-25 games in. He he is really talented and is just continuing what he was building towards at the end of last year. Brogdon is tougher, but he has had incredible shooting numbers in the bucks, just less attempts when competing for shots with middleton, bledsoe and giannis.

[nickagneta]

It's really early in the season. We have only a very small sample size of games to go by. Most players haven't had that long road stretch, or played 5 straight games versus much better teams, or have had an extended home stand or been beat up and hurting and played through it yet.

I don't think they select all the All-Stars from the East for over 45 games. Maybe, it's best to wait another 20-25 games, after which most players will have gotten to see most other teams and experienced a good 25% of the season and players numbers are less of a statistical anomaly.

That said in the East I think the All-Stars are:

Embiid
Kyrie
Walker
Giannis
Beal
Butler
Siakam
Simmons
A Piston(one of Griffin, Drummond or Rose)
A Celtic(one of Hayward, Brown or Tatum)
A vet(one of Lowry, Middleton,Love)
A young guy(one of Trae Young, Brown or Tatum if Hayward or the other guy was chosen above, Zach LaVine, LaVert, etc.)

[tazzmaniac]

Early for this topic but interesting nevertheless.  Below are the links for the East all-star voting.  Some observations. 

Giannis, Kawhi, Embiid and Kyrie were clear cut starters from Fan, Media and Player voting.  Kemba was behind Wade in the Fan vote but only 200k ahead of Simmons. 
So Giannis, Embiid and Kyrie should be sure lock starters with Kemba very probable starter. 

Kawhi slot needs to be filled.  Tatum, Butler and Griffin were 4th through 6th and reasonably close in the Fan vote.  Siakim was a distant 7th and Vince Carter was 8th (WTH, over 500k fan votes and 11 player votes (assume loyal teammates)).  Butler and Griffin were well ahead of Tatum in the player vote.  The media vote is very interesting.  Giannis, Kawhi and Embiid all received 99 votes.  Tatum, Siakim and Vucevic each received 1 vote. This gave them a media rank of 4.  Without that vote Tatum would have been 6th overall behind Butler and Griffin. 

I don't think stats matter that much to the fan vote or player vote.  Probably a bit more for the media vote.  I don't think it even matters that much on the coaches' choice of backups either as long as the players are at playing at an "all-star level". 

With that all said, I'd go with Butler as the 3rd starter assuming health.

East Front Court
https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/46/2019/01/2019-Eastern-Conference-Frontcourt-NBA-All-Star-Starter-Voting-Results.pdf

East Back Court
https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/46/2019/01/2019-Eastern-Conference-Guard-NBA-All-Star-Starter-Voting-Results.pdf

[tazzmaniac]

Anybody know the process for the coaches selecting the backups? 

[rondofan1255]

I expect Trae Young to make it if he stays healthy. Continuing his improvement since the latter stages of last season.

Flashy shooting + outstanding passing + exciting team. doesn't matter if his defense sucks. Usage is going to increase with Collins suspended as well.

teams sometimes sending double teams his way whenever he gets the ball, even in the backcourt.

[tazzmaniac]

It's really early in the season. We have only a very small sample size of games to go by. Most players haven't had that long road stretch, or played 5 straight games versus much better teams, or have had an extended home stand or been beat up and hurting and played through it yet.

I don't think they select all the All-Stars from the East for over 45 games. Maybe, it's best to wait another 20-25 games, after which most players will have gotten to see most other teams and experienced a good 25% of the season and players numbers are less of a statistical anomaly.

That said in the East I think the All-Stars are:

Embiid
Kyrie
Walker
Giannis
Beal
Butler
Siakam
Simmons
A Piston(one of Griffin, Drummond or Rose)
A Celtic(one of Hayward, Brown or Tatum)
A vet(one of Lowry, Middleton,Love)
A young guy(one of Trae Young, Brown or Tatum if Hayward or the other guy was chosen above, Zach LaVine, LaVert, etc.)

I doubt the Celtics get 3 all-stars.  Maybe if #1 in the East.  I think the coaches will select a proven vet over a young guy just putting up all-star numbers for the 1st time. 

[GreenFaith1819]

Here's hoping that Zach LaVine makes it somehow....gives AD another reason to leave LA.

[BMark]

It's really early in the season. We have only a very small sample size of games to go by. Most players haven't had that long road stretch, or played 5 straight games versus much better teams, or have had an extended home stand or been beat up and hurting and played through it yet.

I don't think they select all the All-Stars from the East for over 45 games. Maybe, it's best to wait another 20-25 games, after which most players will have gotten to see most other teams and experienced a good 25% of the season and players numbers are less of a statistical anomaly.

That said in the East I think the All-Stars are:

Embiid
Kyrie
Walker
Giannis
Beal
Butler
Siakam
Simmons
A Piston(one of Griffin, Drummond or Rose)
A Celtic(one of Hayward, Brown or Tatum)
A vet(one of Lowry, Middleton,Love)
A young guy(one of Trae Young, Brown or Tatum if Hayward or the other guy was chosen above, Zach LaVine, LaVert, etc.)

I doubt the Celtics get 3 all-stars.  Maybe if #1 in the East.  I think the coaches will select a proven vet over a young guy just putting up all-star numbers for the 1st time.

I hope Smart gets consideration...he is a true game changer

[Fierce1]

Here's hoping that Zach LaVine makes it somehow....gives AD another reason to leave LA.

I think for us Celtic fans that don't like the Lakers, AD's better off staying in LA.

Lebron's on the decline.
It's just a 2-year window.
After next season, Lakers will be back to mediocrity.

AD can rot in LA.

[Fierce1]

If Celts are #1 in the east, Celts might have 4 All-Star candidates, Kemba, Tatum, Hayward, and Smart.

[ETNCeltics]

Numbers are pretty meaningless at this point. There are some crazy #s out there, but they won't last.