The 2017-18 All-Star reserves have been announced, and like any year there are plenty left scratching their heads. From Kevin Love to four Golden State Warriors to Kyle Lowry, there are several selections that may be deemed questionable. Here are some players that got the worst snubs and should have been considered for the showcase in Los Angeles:
Lou Williams, Los Angeles Clippers (23.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 5.1 apg)
Almost solely responsible for keeping the Clippers relevant in the playoff race, Lou Williams is putting forward one of the best seasons for a bench player ever. Even in an NBA where shooting is commonplace, chucking up seven threes and making them at a high rate like Williams is doing is still unheard of. He’s also scoring the basket in every other way possible. A shooting clip of 45.1 from the field, 40.5 from behind the arc, and 90.4 from the free throw line is something that most NBA players can only dream about. Ultimately, Williams’ all-star bid was most likely held back by his deficiencies on defense and the fact that he’s coming off the bench.
Tyreke Evans, Memphis Grizzlies (19.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 5.0 apg)
Finally! Everyone is getting to see the Tyreke Evans that looked so promising during his rookie campaign with the Sacramento Kings. He’s still one of the best drivers in the league, but injuries haven’t been an issue this season, and he’s actually hitting threes (38 percent) at a high clip. On top of that, he’s having his best season rebounding the ball and setting up teammates offensively. In a season where Mike Conley has been sidelined with an injury and Marc Gasol has regressed, Evans has truly become the Grizzlies’ best player. That does, however, ring empty for some, since Memphis, like when he was with Sacramento, is still a bottom tier team.
Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons (14.3 ppg, 15.0 rpg, 3.9 apg)
Andre Drummond, rightfully so, was quite irate on Twitter after finding out that he was selected to the All-Star game this year. The only way to validate him not being picked this year is that people just weren’t paying attention. Despite his impressive stats on the season overall, he’s been even more stellar since the start of 2018. In the month of January, he’s averaging 14.8 points, 14.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.3 blocks while shooting 57.6 percent from the field and 64.5 percent from the charity stripe. His free throw shooting is the arguably the most important stat because his struggles there in the past have limited what he’s been able to do on offense. This season he’s hitting them at a respectable rate, and Detroit has been able to put more offensive pressure on the interior because of it. Drummond should be in the All-Star game this year, and his exclusion is just as bad as Damian Lillard being left off in years past.
Chris Paul, Houston Rockets (19.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 8.9 apg)
Two straight seasons without an all-star bid for Chris Paul? Maybe even as recently as a week, ago that’s something that many assumed would never happen. The future hall of famer has been nothing short of magnificent throughout his career and this season is another great chapter in that legacy. While playing second fiddle to James Harden, he’s been a terror to defend and one of the most efficient players in the league. His effective field goal percentage (58.8) is a career high, and he’s dishing nearly nine assists per game with just two turnovers. His snub, like last year, is mainly due to missed games early in the season due to injury.
Below are some of the player reactions to the All-Star reserves announcements:
