The 2016 NBA All-Star rosters were officially announced Thursday night. Our experts debate the biggest snubs (DeAndre Jordan?), pleasant surprises (Andre Drummond?) and which up-and-coming players are likely to make their first appearance in the new couple years (Ben Simmons?).
1. Who's the biggest snub in the Eastern Conference?
Amin Elhassan, ESPN Insider: Honestly? I have no issues with the East reserves. Sure, you could make arguments for Kevin Love (Cavs sending only one player despite having the best record in the conference), or Charlotte's Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum, who have the Hornets in the playoff picture. But the coaches did a good job with their selections.
Chris Broussard, ESPN.com: Pau Gasol should have been an All-Star, period. I like Chris Bosh a lot, but Pau is better, and the Chicago Bulls have a better record than the Miami Heat. It's hard to justify two Heat All-Stars when they're underachieving as much as they are.
Jorge Sedano, ESPN.com: I didn't have a huge problem with the East reserves. You can make a case for Reggie Jackson, who is having a really good season. He is averaging 19 PPG and 6.5 APG. Among guards on the East squad, he's behind only Kyle Lowry, Jimmy Butler and John Wall in real plus-minus (RPM).
Israel Gutierrez, ESPN.com: Kemba Walker. Let me preface this by saying, as has been mentioned several times over the past several seasons, they should add another roster spot. Perhaps we can call it the "Finally, A Breakout Season!" roster spot. Or the "If You Score 50, You're In" exception.
Bradford Doolittle, ESPN Insider: By the metrics, the lowest-ranked players who made the roster were fan selections, so there weren't any jaw-dropping omissions among the reserves. That said, I would have put Kemba Walker in place of DeMar DeRozan. Walker has carried an injury-riddled Charlotte Hornets team while DeRozan's Real Plus-Minus for the Toronto Raptors is basically break-even.
2. Who's the biggest snub in the Western Conference?
Elhassan: Damian Lillard. Not many of us had the Blazers challenging for a playoff berth after their offseason reimagining, and although they probably won't punch a ticket to the postseason, Lillard is a big reason why they are still in the conversation at this stage. Ironically, the departure of LaMarcus Aldridge set Portland's fate in motion, and I can't understand how he made the team after a decent but hardly noteworthy half season.
Broussard: The coaches' West reserves were identical to mine, so I'm fine with the squad. Sadly for a deserving Lillard, Kobe Bryant's being voted in as a starter meant that there was no room for Lillard on the list of reserves.
Sedano: Lillard, and it's not close. He's the Rodney Dangerfield (there's a modern reference for you) of the NBA. Lillard was snubbed last season and luckily got named as an injury replacement. The Blazers are in contention for the playoffs because of him. Most of us thought they'd be awful. Individually, he's having his highest scoring season and his efficiency is relatively similar with a worse supporting cast.
Gutierrez: Dame Lillard. Check that. The extra roster spot should clearly be called the "Dame Lillard Snub Spot." I mean, who's better at getting snubbed than this guy? Also we need a "Why Just One Living Legend?" spot. Clearly, Dirk Nowitzki has a case here. He dunked last year, guys. He dunked last year.
Doolittle: Just as the TNT guys were saying, it's tough to leave DeAndre Jordan off the West roster. I get why you want to have two Spurs, but Jordan has had more impact for the Los Angeles Clippers than LaMarcus Aldridge has had for San Antonio.
3. Which East All-Star are you most pleased to see make the team?
Elhassan: Bosh. Sure he's a bona-fide All-Star regular, but it's easy sometimes to overlook his excellence. Bosh has long been left out of the conversation for best power forward in the game because he willingly made the sacrifice to help team success, and it's nice to see the coaches notice and reward one of the smartest and most skilled big men in the league.
Broussard: Andre Drummond. Why? Because it means the old-school big man is still alive and well. Somewhat, at least.
Sedano: Bosh. He always seems to be overlooked as a great player. He's putting up 19 PPG and 8 RPG and is one of the better two-way players at his position. Not to mention, he has become a reliable threat from beyond the arc.
Gutierrez: Paul Millsap. So maybe last year's four Atlanta All-Stars gave us some Hawks fatigue. But somehow, Millsap, already one of the more underrated players in the league, keeps getting better, currently averaging career highs in scoring, rebounding and assists -- in his 10th season.
Doolittle: It's great to see Andre Drummond of the Pistons recognized, especially given all the negative publicity his free throw shooting gets. Drummond ranks 10th in the league by Wins Above Replacement and has a positive RPM on both ends of the floor.
4. Which West All-Star are you most pleased to see make the team?
Elhassan: The heart and soul of the Warriors, Draymond Green. When scouting him at Michigan State, I knew he could help a good team with his versatility as a role player, but I don't think anyone -- not even his mother, Mary Babers-Green -- could have imagined him being this sort of dominant force. Yes, Curry is the MVP of the NBA but much of Golden State's success (particularly on the defensive end) can be traced to Green's presence.
Broussard: I was certainly glad to see Draymond Green and DeMarcus Cousins selected, but I was most pleased to see LaMarcus Aldridge on the squad. Most of the lists I saw left him out, but in my view he should not be punished for sacrificing individual numbers because he chose to go to a better team and play for a title.
Sedano: I'm happy to see a few guys. Like Bosh previously, Aldridge has sacrificed individual stats in the name of winning. Green is one of the most versatile big men in the league and is the emotional leader of that team. DeMarcus Cousins' game has hit the dominant stage and I think he has another gear.
Gutierrez: Aldridge. I know a lot of people believe he doesn't deserve this spot ahead of guys like Lillard, but the Spurs have been great. Not good, great. It just so happens the Warriors are casting a giant shadow. Aldridge has helped turn that defense into a dominant force, while keeping the Spurs from relying on 3-pointers as often. He has had a few no-show games, but he's still in the middle of a major transition.
Doolittle: To me, it's a triumph for the NBA that a small-market, team-oriented player like Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs was voted in as a starter. Metrics love him: He ranks third in the league in WARP on a balanced team, but his scoring average is just 22nd in the league. Our fans are smart.
5. Which up-and-coming player do you expect to see in the All-Star Game in the next couple of years?
Elhassan: Two words: Kristaps. Porzingiiiiiiiiis! Honestly, is there any other name? Sure, Karl-Anthony Towns is the best player in his draft class. Sure, Andrew Wiggins has the potential for superstardom. But for my money, there's no candidate who can bring the electricity like the Prince of Putbacks. Such a shame the All-Star Game in NYC was last year.
Broussard: Ben Simmons! Yeah, I said it. Shaquille O'Neal, who left LSU as a 20-year-old after his junior season, needed just one year to leap straight from college to the NBA All-Star Game. I think Simmons, who is still just a 19-year-old freshman at LSU, will need two seasons to get there.
Sedano: This one is easy. Karl-Anthony Towns has come into the NBA as a rookie with the ability to post up, finish at the rim and pick-and-pop for a 3. He's a dominant force on both ends of the ball. Kevin Durant said Towns is going to be a Hall of Famer. Enough said.
Gutierrez: Gordon Hayward. The West is a tough roster to crack, even as the East is catching up in the talent department. Hayward, though, is on a path to average 20 or more PPG over the next few seasons. And if his team makes the playoffs this season, which I'm currently predicting (sorry, Kings), Hayward should be able to gather some needed momentum going into next season.
Doolittle: Kristaps Porzingis will be voted in as a starter next season. Book it. Not only is he good, but his popularity is exploding and, of course, he's doing it in New York.