Ha! I was thinking about making a post like this yesterday, but with a different take. How the All-Star game feels wide open to me this year (from a league wide perspective).
Not including Dirk and Wade, 30 players have made the All-Star game the last 2 years.
Durant, Curry, and Klay are all out. Griffin, George, and Oladipo have yet to play and who knows how they'll look or when they'll actually suit up or how many games they'll get in.
Draymond, Russell, Vučević, Dragic, Aldridge are all playing either not to their prior All-Star form, or on bad (or at least under-performing) teams, or both.
Neither Drummond or DeRozen made it last year, and I would kind of be surprised if they made it this year. (Drummond might make it if Blake is out, but he started at same pace last year and like last year I don't think it'll continue, and I think the Pistons will suck in the East which won't help, though he has more of a shot if Blake doesn't make the team).
Will be very surprised if Lowry keeps up this current pace. Same with Horford, but if Philly has the best record he might be in over Harris.
These are all guys who are out or at least far from sure things.
Then you have a few vets who have been absent the last couple of years: Butler, Hayward, Porzingis, McCollum.
Then a whole bunch of newer faces: Siakam, Young, Tatum, Dončić, Mitchell, Brown, Murray, Booker, Lavert, Sabonis, Brogdon.
Will be interesting to see how things shake out when all is said and done. I think there could be a lot of new faces this year.