The Eastern Conference 2024 All-Star reserves have finally been announced, and there has been plenty of discussion surrounding the selections.
2024 NBA East All-Star reserves: Jaylen Brown, Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Brunson, Bam Adebayo, Julius Randle, Tyrese Maxey, Paolo Banchero.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 2, 2024
These are the three biggest snubs from the 2023 Eastern Conference All-Star team.
Biggest Eastern Conference 2024 All-Star Snubs
All-Star Snub #1: Trae Young
Guard|Atlanta Hawks|2 All-Star appearances(2020, 2022)
A point guard who is averaging a 25+ point, 10 assist double-double for the second season in a row will fail to make the All-Star team for a second season in a row.
Trae Young last season:
26.2 PPG & 10.2 APG (No All-Star)Trae Young this season:
27.0 PPG & 10.9 APG (No All-Star) pic.twitter.com/Bz9Vd1tPfg— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 2, 2024
Young is 10th in scoring among all NBA players, not to mention second in assists per game. “Ice Trae” is ninth in three-pointers made per game.
Tyrese Maxey has had a fantastic year, and the Philadelphia 76ers superior record is what ultimately gave him the edge over Young. The Hawks are 20-27, currently sitting in 10th place in the East.
A winning record is not a prerequisite for everybody however, as the Western Conference All-Stars will have three players from teams with a losing record.
All-Star Snub #2: Derrick White,
Guard|Boston Celtics|0 All-Star appearances
Now in his seventh season, White has cemented himself as one of the league’s premier two-way guards.
The 29 year-old is playing the best basketball of his career, and is a crucial player for the Boston Celtics. They have proven that they are the scariest threat at the moment, owning the best record in the NBA at 37-11.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both rightfully received the All-Star nod, but that doesn’t mean White shouldn’t get chosen. The NBA has previously shown that it isn’t afraid to reward dominant regular season teams. There have been nine teams throughout NBA history that have had four All-Stars selected in the same year.
White’s 15.8 points, 4.7 assists, and four rebounds may not seem like All-Star worthy numbers, but his importance to the Celtics’ success cannot be understated.
All-Star Snub #3: Kristaps Porziņģis
Forward|Boston Celtics|1 All-Star appearance(2018)
Just like White, Porziņģis’ contributions to the current top dog in the NBA have gone unrewarded.
The 28 year-old big man is averaging 19.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2 assists. He is shooting a remarkable 52.1% from the field(a career-high) and 35.8% from deep.
Porzingis’ lone All-Star selection came in 2018. In that season, he averaged 22.7 points with lesser all-around stats on a far weaker team.
The Celtics merited at least three All-Stars, but only ended up with two.
Honorable Mentions:
Scottie Barnes(Toronto Raptors)
Pascal Siakam(Indiana Pacers)
Coby White(Chicago Bulls)
Changes Needed for the All-Star Game
There is an abundance of talent in today’s NBA. It would make sense for Adam Silver to look at expanding the rosters for future All-Star games, as JJ Redick suggested on the Old Man and the Three podcast. For now, however, it looks like deserving players will continue to be excluded from the prestigious honors of an All-Star selection.
Make sure to check out the Biggest Western Conference 2024 All-Star Snubs.
