The biggest omission from the NBA All-Star game may not have been the biggest – in terms of height and stature – omission among those not chosen. At 7-foot-4 and with the hype that towers over the field, Victor Wembanyama probably wasn't the most deserving snub.
In averaging 20.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game and leading the league in blocks despite playing less than 29 minutes per contest, Wemby stood a chance of becoming the first rookie to make it since Blake Griffin in 2011. Instead, the top overall pick in this past June's draft joins several other excellent players who won't make the trip to Indianapolis, Indiana.
The case for Victor Wembanyama
Perhaps the best argument one can make for Victor Wembanyama is this: for all the expectations with which he entered the league, he's exceeded any realistic projections thus far. In winning the Western Conference's Rookie of the Month for the first time in his young career, he averaged almost as many points as he did minutes in January, scoring 24.6 in 26.7 minutes per contest. In rounding up, his 9.6 rebounds per game meant he averaged a double-double for the month.
January also saw him become the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double when he recorded 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists – all in just 21 minutes in a January 10 blowout win at Detroit.
“That's his first one. It's crazy to even think that it's only his first one,” Spurs starting point guard Tre Jones said in reference to Wembanyama's latest honor. “He doesn't even pay attention to that type of stuff it seems like. No one's really brought it up around here, said anything. I think he's continuing to improve his game. He had a big month this last month, scoring the ball, defending like he has been, rebounding, doing all the things that he had been doing just at a higher level. We'll keep building on that.”
Jones also shared thoughts on the absence of his superstar teammate from the All-Star game.
“I think just him being in the mix says a lot about what he's done this year. I, personally, think he should have made the All-Star game but I think with our record, that probably goes into it. If we win more games, he's definitely in there,” the former Duke Blue Devil continued. “I don't think he's too worried at all. He doesn't really care about that type of stuff. We'll just keep improving and focusing on what really matters here.”
Other Western Conference All-Star snubs
The biggest snub from the conference in which Wemby plays is probably Sacramento Kings big man Damantas Sabonis. The 6-foot-10 star is averaging 19.9 points and league-leading 13 rebounds as well as 8 assists per game. His Kings are fifth in the West and a hot streak away from the top records in the conference.
Wemby's friend and fellow countryman, Rudy Gobert also had a solid case. Widely regarded as the best defender in the game, the French center is the anchor on that side for the top team in the West. His 12.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per contest are a major reason the Minnesota Timberwolves are 34.14. Offensively, he averages nearly 13 and a half points and shoots at a nearly 65% clip.
Lauri Markkanen wasn't selected for a second straight All-Star game. The Utah Jazz's leading scorer at 23.6 points per game is among the most efficient players in the NBA for a squad that's surprised some folks this year as it continues to compete for a postseason spot.
Western Conference standouts, like Alperen Sengun, De'Aaron Fox and Jamal Murray, among others, also had a case, cementing the notion that while Wembanyama had a chance, so did several others.
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