NBA All Star Game 2014: Predicting the rosters

Eastern Conference Reserves

Note: Each team has seven bench players to go along with their 5 starters, and for roster purposes, there must be at least 5 guards and 6 frontcourt players, with the 12th spot up for grabs for the most deserving candidate. These selections are in no particular order.

Guard – Kyrie Irving, Cleveland – Let’s be clear about one thing. This has not been an ideal season for Kyrie Irving. The Cavs are more than 10 games under .500 and on the outside looking in for the playoffs, and Irving has taken a step back in his individual production. Still, he easily sports a resume that is worthy of an All-Star berth in the East, and his numbers (21.7 points, 6.1 assists, 20.25 PER) are very solid. Irving has a lot of work to do to get his shooting numbers (career-lows across the board) back to the level where he could be in starting consideration, but he’s here.

Guard – Arron Afflalo, Orlando – You may be surprised to see Afflalo, but you shouldn’t be. The 28-year-old shooting guard has been incredibly good this season, even for a 10-28 Magic team. Other than Dwyane Wade, it’s tough to make a case for any shooting guard in the East being better than Afflalo, and his 20.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game averages illustrate that. It never hurts to be able to shoot in this league, and Afflalo has finally emerged as a borderline star.

Guard – Kyle Lowry, Toronto – Toronto has won 3 in a row and 8 of 10 (as of this post), and Kyle Lowry is the biggest reason why. He’s long had a reputation for being an active and hounding defender, but his offense has notoriously been spotty to the point of detriment. This season, though, he’s been very, very good, averaging 15.9 points and 7.3 assists per game, lending credence to his awesome “advanced” stats (19.96 PER, 6th in the league in total win shares). The Raps could very well have home-court in the first round, and Lowry is right in the middle of it.

Forward – Carmelo Anthony, New York – The recipe for Carmelo as an All-Star is very simple. He’s 2nd in the league in scoring at 26 points per game, and while the Knicks have struggled to a dismal 15-23 record, that is more than enough to get you a nod. Many people think that Anthony is better than he is (as illustrated by the comments that I’m sure to receive when he’s not a starter on my list), but he’s an offense-first (or only) player who does that very well, but doesn’t contribute defensively or in offensive distribution. Still, he’s a slam dunk All-Star.

Forward – Paul Millsap, Atlanta – This offseason, the Atlanta Hawks stole Paul Millsap on a 2-year, $19 million deal, and he’s been tremendous for them this year. In all fairness, this spot probably belonged to his teammate, Al Horford, prior to his season-long injury, but Millsap is very deserving. He is the best player on a top-4 team in the East while averaging more than 17 points and 8 rebounds per game, and he’s incredibly efficient, shooting over 39% from 3 as a power forward and posting a near-20 PER. Done and done.

Forward – Chris Bosh, Miami – Bosh was nearly a starter for me (you’ll see who replaced him), and he’s the best player on the reserve list. The big man has been largely forgotten in the shadow of Lebron James and Dwyane Wade, but he’s the centerpiece of Miami’s rim protection for the most part, and he’s still managed to average 15.4 points and 6.7 rebounds despite being the 3rd option and playing only 30.6 minutes per game. Bosh is one of the more under-appreciated assets in the entire league, and he’s a mainstay on the All-Star team.

Center – Joakim Noah, Chicago – You win, Joakim. For the longest time, I thought this would be the hire that the former Florida Gators star would fall off the radar, but he simply won’t let the Bulls die. First, Chicago lost Derrick Rose for the season, and then they moved Noah’s “guy”, Luol Deng, to Cleveland for no immediate return. Noah has pressed on, though, and while his 11.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per game won’t blow you away, his defense is always top-notch and the Bulls are still in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff hunt.

“The Snub” – Jeff Teague, Atlanta – The Hawks are just percentage points behind Toronto for the 3rd spot in the East, and while their best player is out for the year (Al Horford), they came within a hair of still placing two on the All-Star team. Teague’s numbers (16.6 points, 7.8 assists per game) are comparable to guys like Kyle Lowry, but his defense isn’t quite as good, as Lowry gets the nod based on carrying the red-hot Raptors.