With the NBA All-Star starters set for the Feb. 16 showdown in San Francisco, the spotlight now shifts to the reserves.
While fans, players and media collaboratively determine the starters, the responsibility of selecting the bench lies solely with the league’s 30 head coaches.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau understands the weight of the decision — and the inevitable heartbreak that comes with it.
Someone who deserves to be an All-Star will instead spend the weekend as a spectator.
“It’s an impossible job because of the number of players having All-Star seasons and the limited amount of spots,” Thibodeau said after practice at the team’s Tarrytown training facility on Friday. “Usually, the last three or four spots, you can make a case for any of those guys, and they’re deserving.”
Thibodeau shed light on his decision-making process, hinting that team success often outweighs individual numbers when finalizing his ballot.
“Unfortunately, somebody’s gonna be left out,” he said. “Usually, when you’re trying to decide, it comes down to which team is winning more. It’s unfortunate, but that’s our reality, and you feel badly for the guys that are deserving. There are a number of great players in the league.”
This approach could spell trouble for Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball.
Despite averaging 29 points per game — fourth-best in the league — and being a fan favorite with his electric play style, his Hornets (11-29) languish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.
Ball’s stellar stats haven’t translated to wins.
On the flip side, Detroit’s Cade Cunningham appears to be a lock.
With the Pistons sitting above .500 and primed to end their playoff drought since 2019, Cunningham’s career year — 24.6 points, 9.4 assists and 6.5 rebounds per game — cements his All-Star case.
The Eastern Conference starting five is already stacked with Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell, Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Knicks duo Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. That leaves limited room for reserve selections from a crowded pool of talent.
Reserve candidates in the East include:
- Cleveland: Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley
- Boston: Jaylen Brown, Derrick White
- Milwaukee: Damian Lillard
- Atlanta: Trae Young
- Indiana: Tyrese Haliburton
- Miami: Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo
- Charlotte: Ball
The West presents an even stiffer challenge. With Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Phoenix’s Kevin Durant, Los Angeles’ LeBron James, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Golden State’s Stephen Curry anchoring the starting five, a deep pool of All-Star-caliber talent is left to vie for reserve spots.
Eleven teams in the West boast records of .500 or better, and players like San Antonio rookie Victor Wembanyama also demand consideration.
Likely reserve candidates include:
- Memphis: Ja Morant
- Houston: Jalen Green
- OKC: Jalen Williams
- Los Angeles Clippers: James Harden
- Los Angeles Lakers: Anthony Davis
- Dallas: Kyrie Irving
- Minnesota: Anthony Edwards
- Sacramento: De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan
- Phoenix: Devin Booker
With only 12 roster spots per conference, the All-Star Game cannot accommodate every deserving player. The decisions coaches make will undoubtedly leave some stars on the outside looking in.
Fans, players and media alike will soon find out who makes the cut. NBA All-Star reserves will be announced next Thursday at 7 p.m. ET on TNT. The NBA is unveiling a new All-Star format, breaking the 24 All-Stars into three teams of eight with a fourth team emerging from the younger players competing in the Rising Stars Challenge.