There’s no guarantee Luka Doncic or any other rookie will make this season’s NBA All-Star game, but how many will the class rack up in the future?
It’s very possible Luka Doncic will be a member of the Western Conference All-Star reserves when they’re announced, but that’s not the question we’re attempting to answer here. Instead, we’re focused on how many All-Star games the top five rookies in this year’s class will make throughout the course of their respective careers.
That, of course, is a much more difficult question to answer. Trying to chart the course of a player’s entire career after approximately half a season of action is fraught with danger. Injuries, in particular can drastically change a career arc. Nonetheless, we’ve seen enough from these five players to feel like we can handicap their future pretty well.
Without delay, let’s dive into just how many All-Star appearances the top five rookies in this class might make. We start with a big man who’s starting to play much better as of late.
5. Marvin Bagley
Bagley wasn’t a favorite of ours coming into the Association, but Kings fans should be happy with what they’ve seen from him lately. He’s averaged over 12 points and seven boards per game since returning to action after missing time with a bone bruise in his left knee.
He is a player who will suffer from the emergence of analytics into the public consciousness. Bagley will put up plenty of counting stats moving forward, but his game is predicated on some empty calories. The only chance he’ll have to make an All-Star team moving forward is if he manages to round out his game on the defensive end.
It’s fair to say we are skeptical of his ability to really develop into anything more than an average starter. If you’re a betting man, you’d place the over/under on Bagley All-Star appearances at 0.5. We’re inclined to take the under. Bagley might work his way into consideration during the prime of his career, but the odds are stacked against him ever becoming an All-Star.