The Kings currently hold a top-five seed in the Western Conference, with a pair of former All-Stars leading the way.
Center Domantas Sabonis has averaged 19.9 points, a league-leading 13.0 rebounds, and 8.0 assists in 46 games so far this season while shooting a career-best 61.6% from the floor. Point guard De’Aaron Fox is putting up career-best numbers in points per game (27.2) and three-point percentage (38.0%) while also averaging 5.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per night.
Neither player was part of the group of 2024’s Western All-Star reserves announced by the NBA on Thursday, however, which shocked head coach Mike Brown, according to Marc J. Spears of Andscape.
“It’s clear to anyone who watches the NBA and Kings basketball that De’Aaron and Domantas should have been selected for this year’s All-Star game,” Brown told Spears. “They are playing at an unbelievably elite level, Domantas establishing historic numbers with his double-doubles and De’Aaron setting a new career mark for three-point field goals. Every year, there are deserving players left off the team but, to me, this is truly a glaring wrongdoing.”
Sabonis and Fox were two of the most notable snubs in the Western Conference, but there’s no shortage of worthy candidates who missed the cut. Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, and Rockets center Alperen Sengun are among those who had strong cases for consideration.
Of course, naming the snubs is easier than naming the All-Stars who don’t deserve to be there. It’s a little odd that the .500 Lakers had two players make the game, but LeBron James was voted a starter and Anthony Davis is having a monster year. Karl-Anthony Towns‘ selection was a minor surprise, but the Timberwolves have the best record in the conference, which perhaps warrants more than one All-Star rep. The Warriors are the West’s 12th seed and Stephen Curry‘s shooting percentages are below his career rates, but…he’s still Stephen Curry.
Over in the East, the list of snubs isn’t as long or as egregious. You could make a case for Hawks guard Trae Young, Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen, Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, Heat swingman Jimmy Butler, Magic forward Franz Wagner, and a couple more Celtics (Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White), but none of those omissions look especially glaring.
Of course, it looks like the NBA will need to name a couple injury replacements in the East, since both Joel Embiid and Julius Randle are currently sidelined. Since the East already has six guards on the roster, the league will likely stick to the frontcourt pool, which could open the door for two players from that group of Allen, Barnes, Butler, Wagner, and Porzingis.
With nearly two more weeks of games before the All-Star break, it’s possible an injury replacement or two will be necessary in the West as well, but that doesn’t appear to be the case for now. Sabonis would likely be first on the list of replacements if a frontcourt player misses the game, which would be a major financial boon for the Kings big man — his contract includes a $1.3MM bonus if he makes the All-Star team.
We want to know what you think. Were there any players that absolutely deserved to be All-Stars who didn’t make the cut? If so, who should they replace? And which two players in the East should be chosen as injury replacements for Embiid and Randle (assuming both are unavailable)?
Head to the comment section below to share your two cents!
Sengun
No popularity and no legacy = no all star game
Add more players. Nobody cares, its an exhibition. Its hard to watch now when all they do is jack up 3s and dunk.
Just add 3-5 more players for each side, then everyone is happy.
Just like the Barbie controversy, this is simply solved by adding more movies/players/directors. Then everyone is happy.
They should add more players not enough lakers got in
Agreed. The NBA ASG is one of the most restrictive in sports, up there with the NHL ASG (another one no one watches). No problem being more open with guys who are named All Stars. Maybe eschew a specific number of All Stars and just have voters pick as many guys as they think deserve to be All Stars.
Yes let’s just make everyone an all star problem solved. And make sure that only layups count. And the shorts should be extra, extra short.
The ASG is a joke regardless.
The issue is the fan voting, which picks who they like instead of who deserves to be in the starting lineup. It has a ripple effect to the bench, and inevitably leaves 3-4 more deserving candidates out in the cold.
At the end of the day though, to get more people to tune in, the most popular/recognizable players need to be on the court
Fan voting has little impact when the media, players, and coaching votes are factored in.
Fan votes didn’t matter as Trey Young got iced out. He was 2nd in fan votes for East guard.
SGA also got in as a starter on the West but was 3-4 in the West for fans.
Weighting
Fans 50%
Players 25%
Media 25%
Sounds like the players and media iced Trae out
Nobody was snubbed. Under the current rules, it’s too easy to score to put a lot of emphasis on prodigous top line offensive numbers. There are 12 slots, if someone is undeserving, who is it? – and I’m not talking about the fan vote. Even in the age of the participation trophy, everyone can’t make the All Star team.
Gobert is probably the biggest snub, but that’s for pretty obvious reasons because defense is rarely rewarded. The Twolves have easily the best defensive rating, he’s their anchor, and so many times players don’t even bother shooting in his presence. He’s never going to get in as a replacement either though because Towns got unreservedly named as a second Twolf. Towns is a good individual scorer, but the Twolves offense many times flows better when he’s out and he occasionally even gets benched in late-game situations because of his poor defense. The fact that they lost to the lowly Hornets when he scored 62 is telling. Fox also should be in over Curry for his greater impact on winning this season, but I won’t belabor that point since it clearly touched a nerve with a Curry fan in the previous ASG article.
Neither gobert or KAT should get in over Sabonis. Dudes leading the league in rebounding, 7th in the league in assists, and is basically scoring 20 a game.
Depends what you prioritize. Sabonis is obviously putting up great raw numbers, but Gobert has been the best defensive player in the league this season and it’s clearly translating to wins for his team. Sabonis is the second option on his team and opposing defenses treat him as such (making it easier to get his numbers) while he’s also not a great defender who struggles in pick and roll defense (although that hasn’t seemed to get exposed as much in the regular season). The rebounding is for sure impressive and if the Kings record was closer to that of the Twolves, I would agree with you.
“won’t belabor that point since it clearly touched a nerve with a Curry fan in the previous ASG article.”
You don’t have to. Curry is an all star, Fox isn’t.
It seems like people who choose all stars agree with me.
You can keep whining about it. It won’t change anything.
How is Trae not “especially glaring” with his eye popping numbers? He plays better D than Dame or Haliburton so that argument doesn’t work. His team is bad but so are Steph and Lebron’s squads. The personal vendettas have to go. How does it make sense that a 27/11 guy on 57% TS finishing second in fan voting among guards not make the ASG?
Better defense is a major stretch as he is still a terrible defender.
Bad team in the East.
Curry is on a losing team facing better competition more West teams.
Terrible? Have you watched hawks games? Looked at his numbers? He’s been average at worst which is a huge upgrade. He’s top 10 in steals. Top 3 in clutch charges drawn. Educate yourself.
Clutch charges…who keeps track of that haha
He isn’t top 10 in steals and even so what kind of steals. Is he just playing the passing lane or actually ripping a defender?
I got some stats, he s top 5 in allowing points off his turnovers so he is giving up the ball. He is 110 among guards in defensive win shares, Westbrook who comes off the bench is higher in that than him. Curry has a better defensive rating.
If you move off of defense all the numbers and he isn’t even top 10 for player impact, offensive rating, Assist to turnover ratio, and he has a negative net rating.
He produces empty stats.
Steph and lebron are in top 3 jersey sales this season. They are no brainers for the ASG. The NBA is entertainment.
No snubs, Minn has been #1 for like the entire way they deserve 2 ASs. Sabonis or Fox will be a replacement.
Monte should pay out Domas’s bonus regardless
Get the NBA, NFL and MLB to cooperate. Have the NBA all-stars play flag football, have the NFL all pros compete in a home run derby and have the baseball all-stars try their hand at three pointers and dunks.
EC should be in Trae Young, Scottie Barnes & Jarrett Allen… out with Lillard, Brown & Banchero.
WC should be in Lauri, Domantas & Alperen… out with Edwards, PG13 & KAT.
Subs for the EC should be Lillard & Siakam… but as the selections are already messed up… of the missing players must be Trae & Scottie, that’s for sure.
The omission of Sabonis is probably the worst ever, SMH!!!
Snubs happen every year. Expand the rosters to 20 per team or possibly tell the teams and players you can’t make the team in consecutive years. This gives players who never go a chance to go. MLB has one player per team. Do that expand rosters. If you don’t play who cares you’re an All Star
15 should be the max since that is on a regular team.
Baseball has it like that because they need a pitcher in each inning. No one wants to blow arm out in meaningless game.
As for OP you really not giving the top team in the West Minn any All Stars…ridiculous. Not giving Boston the 2 they deserve for also being a top team.
Young has empty stats.
Barnes is on a loser while Banchero is on a playoff level team.