All-star weekend is almost upon us and with the East and West starters revealed, we now turn our heads to who will make up the benches. As many of you know, last year the NBA changed the all-star set-up by making it a draft by two captains rather than the traditional East vs West matchup. Personally, I'm an old school guy who desires to see the conference superiority battles that used too happen in the 80s, 90s, and early-2000s, but I was open to the idea of an all-star draft. The issue have with it; however, is that instead of there being no limit on how many players from a conference can be selected, we still get half and half from the East and West. If you're going to eliminate the East vs West teams that's fine but eliminate the concept in its entirety and just have the 8 starters and 14 reserves be made up of the best players in the league, not the best in each conference. This would solve the issue of "all-star snubs" and the one-time all-star appearances by one-hit wonders who make the team just because their conference stinks. Regardless of my opinion, however, we have what we have, so here are who I think should be the reserves from each conference:
Eastern Conference
1. Blake Griffin (Frontcourt)
This is an easy choice; Blake is averaging 26.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg, and 5.2 apg while shooting an impressive 48% from the field. The Pistons are currently out of the playoff picture with a 21-27 record, but Blake's performance is not to blame for it.
2. Nikola Vucevic (Frontcourt)
This center from the Magic is having the best season of his career averaging 20.6 ppg and 11.9 rpg. Vucevic has always been a solid player on both ends but this year, at age 28, he seems to be hitting his stride. The Magic are out of the playoff picture for now, but they are within range, so anything is possible especially with the play of Vucevic.
3. Ben Simmons (Backcourt)
Regardless of my Boston bias, Ben Simmons is an impressive young player who has the potential to be a serious threat in the future. This season, Simmons is averaging an impressive, near triple-double with 16.6 ppg, 9.5 rpg, and 8.3 apg, while his field goal percentage is an incredibly efficient 57.8%. The Sixers are in the upper echelon of the East right now and Simmons is a major reason why.
4. Bradley Beal (Backcourt)
The future-Celtic, Bradley Beal has come into form with the absence of John Wall. A player plagued with injuries since his entry into the league, Beal has shown his natural ability to score and be a weapon on both sides of the floor. Despite a disappointing season for the Wiz, Beal has stepped up his game and finds his team only a few games out of the playoffs.
5. Jimmy Butler (Frontcourt)
Do I think the Sixers deserve to have three all-stars? No. Do I think Jimmy Butler should be an all-star? Not really, but this is a predictions list and he most likely will end up on the roster. Butler has had wild season of ups and downs from the mess with Timberwolves to transition process with the Sixers. Despite it all; however, Jimmy is putting in 19 a game and has hit some big shots for both his teams.
6. D'angelo Russell (Backcourt)
D-loading is exploding! After a slow start to the season, D'angelo Russell is balling out
while leading a band of misfits into the playoff picture with a 27-23 record. Averaging 19.2 ppg along with 6.4 apg, Russell appears to finally be living up to hype he had coming out of Ohio State and is on a mission to prove the doubters wrong.
7. Kyle Lowry (Backcourt)
After a career start to the season, Kyle Lowry has cooled down a bit but continues to produce for the 36-15 Raptors. There are defiantly players who are having better seasons statistically in the East but Lowry is running the offense on a winning club and setting the tone on defense. All that aside, let's see how he shapes up in the playoffs.
Honorable Mentions: Zach Lavine (Bulls), Andre Drummond (Pistons), Khris Middleton (Bucks)
(We all know Victor Oladipo should be here but injuries suck. Speedy recovery, Dipo!)
Western Conference
1. Russell Westbrook (Backcourt)
The Brodie is at it again averaging yet another triple-double and with the help of Paul George, the Thunder are sitting third in the Western Conference. For all the Westbrook haters out there, he has his flaws but at the end of the day he's a competitor with a chip on his shoulder and should be appreciated in this soft league. That's all I have to say.
2. Damain Lillard (Backcourt)
Damian Lillard is the man. Averaging 26.2 ppg with a 44.7% field-goal percentage, Lillard continues to fly under the radar as one of the most consistent elite scorers in the league and is yet again leading a shallow Trailblazers team into the playoffs. Dame is a loyal competitor and one hell of a talent. He belongs here.
3. Anthony Davis (Frontcourt)
What else can be said about AD other than the fact that he is simply a generational talent with a set of skills rarely seen. Team success aside, Davis is averaging a monster 29.3 ppg and 13.3 rpg while shooting 50% from the field. It's a shame he doesn't have the team around him, but whether he's in New Orleans, LA or Boston, Davis will continue to be an all-star for years to come.
4. Nikola Jokic (Frontcourt)
The Joker! Nikola Jokic is a magician at the center position and his holding down the paint for the 2nd-seeded Nuggets. Averaging 19.8 ppg, 10.3 rpg, and 7.7 apg, Jokic is one of the most versatile talents in the league and is the main reason for the Nuggets' unexpected success this season.
5. Klay Thompson (Backcourt)
Hey, at least Draymond won't be an all-star this year! The third all-star Warrior, Thompson continues to be the most overlooked of the big-5, putting in 21.8 ppg on 46.1% shooting. Klay is a sharpshooter who can light the court up like no other and deserves to be here. (I mean the guy went 10-10 from three a few nights ago).
6. DeMar Derozan (Backcourt)
Go, Spurs, Go! Once DeMar was traded to the Spurs, I knew he was a perfect fit under Popovich. Averaging 21.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg, and 6.3 apg, DeMar is making the most of his new opportunity, expanding his game and showing that he can be a more than capable facilitator. The Spurs are sitting at the 6th-seed right now with a 28-22 record and are poised to cause whoever they play in the playoffs some problems.
7. Rudy Gobert (Frontcourt)
This final spot was a toss-up but I decided upon winning and importance over stats. The reigning DPOY, Rudy Gobert is once again holding down the paint for the Jazz, averaging 15 ppg, 13.1 rpg, and 2.1 bpg. Without Gobert, the Jazz would most likely be out of the playoff picture but his defensive presence is keeping them afloat with a 28-22 record.
Honorable Mentions: Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves), CJ McCollum (Trailblazers), Luka Doncic (Mavericks)
That's it. Let me know what you think of the list and let's hope for a fun all-star weekend.