The NBA announced the reserves for the upcoming All-Star game, which is set to take place on March 7 in Atlanta. There is always a debate as to which players get chosen and the ones that don't, and it leads to controversy both on social media and around the league.
There are a lot of people that think the NBA should just expand the rosters of the All-Star game in order to include more players worthy of a selection. In fact, the West has a lot of questions regarding the exclusions of Devin Booker and DeMar DeRozan.
As for the East, the list of snubs includes players like Khris Middleton, Trae Young, Gordon Hayward, Russell Westbrook and Tobias Harris. With each All-Star selection, there are always a handful of players that are left off and considered “snubbed” from participating in the annual event. While you can make an argument for each of these players that were selected, let's take a look at the biggest snubs from the conference.
Snub #1:Domantas Sabonis
The problem with every NBA All-Star selection is that there is always a player who is deserving that just doesn't make the cut. Sabonis is a prime example of this and was an All-Star from last season. Last year, he had a breakout campaign, averaging 18.5 points, 12.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists. That was good enough to make his first All-Star appearance, and this year, you can make the argument that he's producing at a better rate.
His scoring numbers are up to 21.5, and the 11.6 rebounds per game he averages is a key factor for why the Indiana Pacers are in fourth place in the East. Sabonis has all the criteria to have been selected to the All-Star game, it just seems like that it might have been the case of him being the odd man out–with the coaches giving the nod to Julius Randle who plays the same position.
Snub #2: Fred VanVleet
The fact that Fred VanVleet didn't make the All-Star reserve list should be considered criminal. Not only has he been the best Toronto Raptor for the early part of the season, but he's been one of the best players in the entire league. VanVleet has played in all 31 games and is averaging 20.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists to go along with 1.7 steals per game. He also ranks third in the league in minutes played.
There is no question that VanVleet has been the primary reason for the Raptors' success as of late. With the absence of Kyle Lowry for a few games, VanVleet has asserted himself as the primary scorer of the Raptors squad.
All he's done since entering the NBA is establish himself as a big-time scorer and a premier defender at his position. He leads the association at his position in steals and deflections. Clearly, the coaches felt that Ben Simmons and Zach Lavine were better choices at the guard spot, but VanVleet has certainly shown he is one of the most complete players in the league.
Snub #3: Jerami Grant
Jerami Grant went from a role player with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets into a legitimate starter with the Detroit Pistons. Grant is the frontrunner for the Most Improved Player Award. He's averaging 23.5 points per game, which plants him firmly inside the top 20 scorers in the league.
It shouldn't be held against him that the Pistons are the worst team in the Eastern Conference, but it might have been the reason he wasn't selected. It's tough to look at the players selected and make a case for Grant over one of them. That being said, he does meet the criteria of a worthy All-Star selection, which makes him a snub.
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