NBA season preview: 5 players most likely to be first-time All-Stars

5. Christian Wood – Frontcourt – Houston Rockets

Christian Wood was really, really good last season. He was doing things for the Houston Rockets after they traded away James Harden and made it clear the goal of this season was to tank. He was averaging a double-double every night (22.3 points and 10.4 rebounds) at the beginning of February, just two weeks before the All-Star Game voting ended.

Wood was clearly All-Star caliber. There is literally no denying his impact on the court. When Wood was playing, the Rockets were one of the most efficient teams in the NBA. The Rockets! However, Wood can only play so many minutes, and the Rockets won only 11 games by the time All-Star Weekend came around. In fact, at the time of the All-Star Game on March 7th, the Rockets were smack dab in the middle of a 20-game losing streak.

It doesn’t matter. This game isn’t about picking only the best players on the best teams. This is about picking the best players, period. Christian Wood is one of the best players in the NBA, and it’s criminal he hasn’t made an All-Star Game yet. That is pretty clear inside league circles, so it’s likely going to be rectified this season. Wood has grown into an NBA star, and that should lead to his crowning as an NBA All-Star.