Should The Nets Have Three All-Star Starters?

The Brooklyn Nets are a lock to have three All-Stars, but how many of their Big Three should be starting?

Brooklyn has faced adversity here and there as they are working out the natural kinks of being a super team. However, the likes of Harden, Irving and Durant have been spectacular all season long. The All-Star game is around the corner and the selection process is coming to a halt. Moreover, Brooklyn’s claim to dominate the starting lineup deserves mention.

These days it’s normal for people to discount facts when speaking about athletes. This is especially noteworthy when you are talking about athletes who revel in polarization. Regardless of how ostracized Brooklyn’s Big Three may be by the media, their production on the floor is unquestioned. If the selection process is all about production, there should be no issue, right? 

Criteria For All-Stars

People who follow the NBA have been told often that the best players are represented in the All-Star game. Zach LaVine and Bradley Beal would have a comment or two about that lie. Both players were potent offensively last year, with each notching top 15 in points-per-game averages. However, neither made the All-Star game.

Both LaVine and Beal were recognized as All-Star snubs. Many members of the media pointed to their team’s records as a rationale. As I can best understand it, team record and player performance move the needle for All-Star selection. So what happens when you have three players on a great team who are all widely recognized as top-three players at their position?

Kyrie’s Claim To Be An All-Star Starter

The Brooklyn Nets are currently one game behind the 76ers for the most wins in the conference. As it relates to guards in the Eastern conference, Kyrie is second in scoring, averaging 28 points per game. He is also recording bizarre shooting splits of 53/44/92. The only guard ahead of him in scoring is Beal. Too bad Beal is on a team that is two games out of last in the conference.

Many people are going to use Kyrie’s hiatus as an excuse as to why he shouldn’t be an All-Star. Details of the hiatus can be found here. When you’re as polarizing as Irving, media members pick at straws until something sticks. However, Kyrie has played in 20 games this season, which is three fewer than Beal, six fewer than LaVine, and five fewer than Jaylen Brown.

The only reason Kyrie wouldn’t start in an All-Star game is that the media still has an ax to grind with him.

Harden’s Claim To Be An All-Star Starter

Since James Harden has been in Brooklyn, he has been the best point guard in basketball. Amongst Eastern Conference guards, Harden is 7th in scoring. He is also running away with the league’s assist title, averaging just under 12 assists a game. Harden has been a Net for 16 games and already has five triple-doubles. In a previous article, we touched on how Harden is rewriting his career narrative in Brooklyn. 

He has been fantastic from day one. You can even make the claim that former MVP is deserving of some MVP recognition this season.

Harden’s departure from Houston left a sour taste in a lot of people’s mouths, but that should have nothing to do will All-Star nods. If we are talking about basketball reasons, Harden is unquestionably a starter for this year’s All-Star team. Last night, with KD and Kyrie resting, Harden led a rivetted 24-point comeback, including the game-winner.

https://twitter.com/SNYNets/status/1361915188300177410?s=20

Durant’s Claim To Be An All-Star Starter

Durant is probably the easiest of the three to make a case for. KD is viewed as a top-two player in the world. He is also coming off an Achilles injury, which many predicted would vastly limit his game. Everyone loves a feel-good story, and Durant returning to full strength has been just that.

He appears to be up to his usual tricks as he is the third in the conference in scoring. The only frontcourt player averaging more than Durant is Joel Embiid, who many assume will be the East’s starting center. With some of the early voting stats in, it appears the Durant will not only start, but he will be the leading vote-getter in the East.

Brooklyn’s Big Three deserves starting spots in the All-Star game. That’s obvious. Look for Brooklyn to continue their impressive play. Next up on the schedule are two contenders residing in the City of Angels.

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