The NBA All-Star Weekend is one that all basketball lovers look forward to. Jam-packed with events, the 73rd All-Star Game will be played on February 18 in Indianapolis. Going back to its traditional roots, the league has brought back the classic Eastern vs Western Conference format.
With the All-Star starters already announced (the shock was real at the names on the list!), it was time for the All-Star reserves. Again, there were a few surprising names. Before we look at the full list, let’s go through the process of the selection criteria.
The NBA All-Star reserves selection process
Unlike the starters, the process for selecting the reserves is fairly simple. The 30 NBA coaches are tasked with selecting 14 reserves. They can each cast a vote for three frontcourt players, two guards, and two players at any position from their respective conferences. And yeah, that’s about it.
Of course, there is always the risk of injuries. Which is why NBA Commissioner Adam Silver chooses replacement players for anyone on the list who cannot play. As of now, the Eastern Conference’s reserve Julius Randle, and East’s starter, Joel Embiid, will not be joining the festivities.
The Knicks’ forward, Randle, is out with a dislocated shoulder sustained in Saturday’s win over the Heat. Philly’s behemoth superstar, Embiid suffered a meniscus injury and has no timeline for return currently. As we wait for potential replacements, let’s take a look at the full list of NBA All-Star candidates.
The All-Star players
The East is captained by Giannis Antetokounmpo. Joining him are Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, and Damian Lillard. Similarly, the skipper of the West is none other than LeBron James. His support cast includes Kevin Durant (the man stayed true to his word! Or rather, the voters ensured he kept it), Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Now, let’s go to the reserves. The Eastern Conference and Western Conference each get seven players. The East’s list has,
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- Bam Adebayo
Paolo Banchero
Jaylen Brown
Jalen Brunson
Tyrese Maxey
Donovan Mitchell, and
Julius Randle
The Western group consists of,
- Devin Booker
Stephen Curry
Anthony Davis
Anthony Edwards
Paul George
Kawhi Leonard, and
Karl-Anthony Towns
Now, do you see why many players and their fans feel snubbed? While this season might have been lacking in terms of team expectations, Silver and the league have certainly ensured there wouldn’t be any shortage of surprises.
