Hornets guard LaMelo Ball will replace injured Nets forward Kevin Durant in the All-Star Game, while Spurs guard Dejounte Murray will take the place of injured Warriors forward Draymond Green, the NBA announced today in a press release. Commissioner Adam Silver named Ball and Murray as replacement players.
Previous reported had indicated that Durant (MCL sprain) and Green (back/disc) would miss the All-Star Game in Cleveland on February 20 due to their respective injuries, so it comes as no surprise that a pair of replacements have been added to the 12-man rosters for the event. There’s no indication at this point that any other All-Stars will have to miss the game, though that could change in the next couple weeks.
Ball has averaged 19.6 PPG, 7.5 APG, and 7.1 RPG in 47 games (32.1 MPG) this season for the Hornets. He beat out a handful of worthy candidates – including teammate Miles Bridges, Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen, Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, Pacers center Domantas Sabonis, and Raptors forward Pascal Siakam – to be named Durant’s replacement.
Like Ball, Murray has filled up the box score this season in a breakout season in San Antonio. He has put up 19.6 PPG, 9.2 APG, and 8.4 RPG with a league-leading 2.1 SPG in 47 games (34.4 MPG). Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Lakers big man Anthony Davis, and Suns forward Mikal Bridges were among the other candidates to be named Green’s replacement.
Since Durant was a starter, Celtics forward Jayson Tatum has been moved into the starting lineup, per the league. Tatum was the next-highest vote-getter among Eastern Conference frontcourt players.
Durant is still one of the two All-Star captains, along with LeBron James, and will be responsible for drafting his All-Star roster.
Anyone else think Jarrett Allen or Pascal should have made it over Lamelo?
Silver chose the flash and name.
Murray was objectively the next in line as a replacement
Well it’s a sports entertainment league so objective doesn’t really matter. The goal is viewers. If good basketball happens in the process that’s just a bonus.
I agree with that Lil D!
Melo didn’t get in off flash and name. He is outright balling and top 2 reason his team is winning.
Aren’t they on a losing streak like right now?
Asking for a friend though, I don’t go around pointing out when people are wrong. That’s just mean girl ish
You’re not wrong he’s definitely been balling. But his team hasn’t been winning and traditionally All-Stars are selected from winning teams.
Flash and name had a big part of this selection, but as it was mentioned before it’s all about entertainment! c’est la vie
Nope. Siakam should have made it over Murray cause his team is doing better, but Murray also deserves credit as well. He has really taken the leap this season.
Lamelo, however, is the future of the league. This seems like the perfect time to start his All-Star career. He’s good for the All-Star game, too: he is so electric and makes such high-flying plays that he’s really high on the entertainment side, which is a big part of what the ASG is about.
Speaking of, anyone know who’s in the Slam Dunk Contest? I really want to see Miles Bridges go against Morant.
Siakam is in the Eastern conference, so unfortunately he can’t make it over Murray. But I’d say Siakam or Allen over Lamelo, strictly because they’ve been playing at a high level on a better team.
Not to say Lamelo hasn’t been having a great season.. or that he won’t be an all-star.. just maybe not as deserving yet, but he’s definitely more entertaining!
Yeah I see what you’re saying. Murray has worked so hard to get here.
Dunk contest is reportedly Jalen Green, Cole Anthony, Juan Toscano-Anderson, and Obi Toppin.
Okay, okay. Pretty good candidates. Sounds like a pretty good dunk show.
Still I will never ever forget Derrick Jones Jr. vs. Aaron Gordon.
If replacement players can replace any position, than why not just make the whole all star game where there is no set amount of positions or just a set amount for the starting lineup
Because that would require common sense and Adam Silver on knows billions. He was probably too busy apologizing to China for something honest a player or exec said aboit China.
The game should be positionless and be based entirely on all the analytics. The twenty best players in the league full stop.
It should be a reward for the best players but has turned into business/entertainment. I’m sure the selections would end up very similar but there’s no universe in which Ball is more deserving than Allen.
Having said that, I’m sure watching Jarrett play will not be as entertaining as Ball, but it’s unfair that Jarrett’s hard work and contribution to winning see him snubbed because of the position/style he plays.
It didn’t “turn into” business, it always has been. If there wasn’t money to be made there wouldn’t be a league. This is a for-profit organization.
Lots of great players didn’t make it. I feel especially bad for Jarrett Allen as this was his 2nd overlook. First he we was dumped by the Nets & that on-the-come team for big names.
You feel bad for a grown man making millions of dollars to play basketball? I think he’s gonna be just fine.
Also being traded for a superstar is not “getting overlooked.” Jarrett Allen is having a great season, but at the time very few people pegged him as an All Star.
He’s a solid young player with plenty more All Star opportunities ahead of him. Let’s not get all worked up.
Allen is having a better yr than Harden.
Another brilliant response ……
Hey it works for the WWE why not the NBA
More bad news for you @animated…Santa is not real either
To be fair
Suns deserve to have 3 all stars
I am biased but Ernie and Barkley both thought Herro should be in
For contract reward purposes, does making the ASG as an alternate due to injury still count as making an all star team? Like if lamelo makes the HOF will this year count as an ASG appearance?
Of course it counts, picked by the commissioner if anything is better than the fans, which make horrible choices all the time like Wigs this year!
Yeah, it counts. The Celtics still aren’t 100% sure exactly how much salary they’ll have to trim to get under the tax, since Jaylen Brown would earn a bonus if he’s named as a replacement (which is probably a long shot, but not impossible).
It’s an exhibition game. Pick the players who will put on the best show.
Uhh . . . Wiggins will put on the best show? Not following here . . .
The top 2 players left out of the All-Star in the EC were clearly Sabonis & LaMelo… so that is a good choice (there is no world were Allen deserves it ahead of LaMelo, now ahead of Garland that is a fair choice)
The top 2 players left out of the All-Star in the WC were AD & Murray… so again is a good choice.
Now we have to get Sabonis & AD in there somehow!
SGA and Dame are both better than Murray but neither would be available.
True. Dame always puts on a show in the ASG but he hasn’t played much this season so that wouldn’t work out. Too bad.
*Also I do think Murray deserves it more than Shai but he has been real good.
This year Dame has been horrible & is injured, no way he deserves an All-Star call up!
SGA has been good but light years behind Murray & is injured as well… so, no way!
You may or may not agree but for me this year the only guard in the WC better than Murray so far is Luka & that’s all folks!
Lol yeah! But AD was injury-marred all season, and playing for the terrible Lakers. Sabonis is on the Pacers, who have been nothing but mediocre this season, and though we did see Vucevic make it in a similar situation last year, I guess guys like Draymond made it over him cause they were on better teams.
Both are very legit candidates though, and it is somewhat of a surprise that Sabonis didn’t get in. I would have him just after Siakam on the list of snubs.
I think this was the right call. These guys seemed to me like the top 2 snubs. Glad they both made it.
Same though I like Siakam a tiny but better cause his team has been better.
His team is better, I agree. But that’s because he has a better team. I like Toronto a lot. They are well coached, have good chemistry and have a lot of long athletic wings that play good D and gel together. They remind me of a poor man’s Suns. If only they could have brought back DeRozen, they might be a serious contender in the East. I wouldn’t have been outraged if Siakam made the all star team. But I think Ball and Murray are better players. It’s not their fault they don’t have the same cast around then that Siakam does. But if they weren’t on their teams … then the sours and Hornets would both be competing for worst record in the NBA. But Toronto without Siakam would still be a playoff team.
Durant shouldn’t be the captain didn’t deserve especially since derozan is top candidate for MVP. thats one problem another is derozan is a forward hasn’t played guard once this yr and played pf in San Antonio. The NBA knew the ball brothers would probably win guard votes next to Zach so they rigged it n put derozan as a guard therefore no one could vote for lonzo and definitely no one would pick lemelo over derozan therefore Durant is captain and Tatum is a allstar smh NBA you cant fool me!!!! Zach got screwed NBA should be ashamed
Allen and Murray deserve to be there. It’s about balling. Only people who don’t care are ok with this. Stats don’t lie. Fake fans do