As the title suggests, I will recreate the present All-Star rosters for this year's ASG in New Orleans on February 19th from absolute scratch; that is, I shall be the sole judge, jury, and executioner in these decisions, rather than the democracy that had originally made them.
Mwahahahaha.
Mwahahahaha.
Backcourt starter: Isaiah Thomas (PG, BOS)
Backcourt starter: DeMar DeRozan (SG, TOR)
Frontcourt starter: Jimmy Butler (SF/SG, CHI)
Frontcourt starter: LeBron James (SF/PF, CLE)
Frontcourt starter: Giannis Antetokounmpo (SF/SG/PF, MIL)
The only change that I'm making here is that of swapping Kyrie Irving for Isaiah Thomas. The change makes sense too, as IT's 27.39 PER-mark is good for seventh in basketball and over five points higher than Kyrie's 22.29 (ranks 23rd). Furthermore, Thomas has been more efficient than Irving, with a true shooting percentage [tanks into account threes and free throws] mark of 62.0%, four full percentage points higher than Irving's. And perhaps most importantly, IT is tied for ninth in the NBA (with LeBron James, no less) in Estimated Wins Added [which projects the amount of wins that you add to your team over say, the twelfth man on your roster]. All told, Irving should be Thomas' backup in New Orleans, not the other way around.
I have no issue with the rest of the East starters, as Giannis, LeBron, and Butler have undoubtedly been the three best players in the Eastern Conference thus far this season, while DeRozan has also earned his spot with the eleventh and thirteenth-best PER and EWA marks, respectively. Onto the reserves.
Reserve: Kyrie Irving (PG, CLE)
Reserve: John Wall (PG, WAS)
Reserve: Paul George (SF, IND)
Reserve: Joel Embiid (C, PHI)
Reserve: Kevin Love (PF, CLE)
Reserve: Kyle Lowry (PG, TOR)
Reserve: Kemba Walker (PG, CHA)
As you can see, my only change here (other than swapping Kyrie and Isaiah, of course) is that of inserting the young breakout star, Joel Embiid, for the veteran Paul Millsap. Don't get me wrong: Millsap is turning in one of his usual-underrated star-like seasons, averaging 17.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 1.2 threes, and 1.0 blocks per game. But Embiid is doing even more in his 'rookie' season: 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, 1.2 threes, and 0.9 steals. Many Millsap fans would be quick to point to the power forward's oft-efficient shooting percentages, only that this season, the Hawk's True Shooting Percentage is down at 53.4 percent, precisely five percentage points lower than that of Embiid. Furthermore, in the cumulative metric of Player Efficiency Rating, Embiid ranks as high as fifteenth in the NBA, compared to Millsap's paltry (in comparison) 68th. The Philly big man also boasts an Estimated Wins Added of 5.4 (46th in NBA; slightly higher than Millsap's 5.0 -- T-50th) as he's led his 76ers out of the absolute gutter to now five games back of a playoff spot.
[Western Conference post to come soon]
Backcourt starter: DeMar DeRozan (SG, TOR)
Frontcourt starter: Jimmy Butler (SF/SG, CHI)
Frontcourt starter: LeBron James (SF/PF, CLE)
Frontcourt starter: Giannis Antetokounmpo (SF/SG/PF, MIL)
The only change that I'm making here is that of swapping Kyrie Irving for Isaiah Thomas. The change makes sense too, as IT's 27.39 PER-mark is good for seventh in basketball and over five points higher than Kyrie's 22.29 (ranks 23rd). Furthermore, Thomas has been more efficient than Irving, with a true shooting percentage [tanks into account threes and free throws] mark of 62.0%, four full percentage points higher than Irving's. And perhaps most importantly, IT is tied for ninth in the NBA (with LeBron James, no less) in Estimated Wins Added [which projects the amount of wins that you add to your team over say, the twelfth man on your roster]. All told, Irving should be Thomas' backup in New Orleans, not the other way around.
I have no issue with the rest of the East starters, as Giannis, LeBron, and Butler have undoubtedly been the three best players in the Eastern Conference thus far this season, while DeRozan has also earned his spot with the eleventh and thirteenth-best PER and EWA marks, respectively. Onto the reserves.
Reserve: Kyrie Irving (PG, CLE)
Reserve: John Wall (PG, WAS)
Reserve: Paul George (SF, IND)
Reserve: Joel Embiid (C, PHI)
Reserve: Kevin Love (PF, CLE)
Reserve: Kyle Lowry (PG, TOR)
Reserve: Kemba Walker (PG, CHA)
As you can see, my only change here (other than swapping Kyrie and Isaiah, of course) is that of inserting the young breakout star, Joel Embiid, for the veteran Paul Millsap. Don't get me wrong: Millsap is turning in one of his usual-underrated star-like seasons, averaging 17.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 1.2 threes, and 1.0 blocks per game. But Embiid is doing even more in his 'rookie' season: 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, 1.2 threes, and 0.9 steals. Many Millsap fans would be quick to point to the power forward's oft-efficient shooting percentages, only that this season, the Hawk's True Shooting Percentage is down at 53.4 percent, precisely five percentage points lower than that of Embiid. Furthermore, in the cumulative metric of Player Efficiency Rating, Embiid ranks as high as fifteenth in the NBA, compared to Millsap's paltry (in comparison) 68th. The Philly big man also boasts an Estimated Wins Added of 5.4 (46th in NBA; slightly higher than Millsap's 5.0 -- T-50th) as he's led his 76ers out of the absolute gutter to now five games back of a playoff spot.
[Western Conference post to come soon]