2014 All-Stars: Who Deserves to Be Here and Who Doesn't

It’s finally all-star weekend in New Orleans and we are hungry for some great action from some of the best players in the world. I always loved Friday night with the Celebrity Game and the Rising Stars Challenge (rookie-sophomore game), and I always desired for All-Star Saturday Night with the Shooting Stars, Skills Challenge, Three-Point Contest, and the Slam Dunk Contest. They both are always a lot of fun to see, but this year, I am most interested in the all-star game because of all the east-west mania in all the events and the dunk contest is a team event. I don’t like that! I liked Saturday night when it was not all about the East-West stuff, I mean come on! This is why I am more interested in the NBA All-Star Game more than anything else in New Orleans. Anyway, I feel that most all-stars certainly deserved to be all-stars but some did not have a great year and they did not deserve it in my opinion. Well, let’s go into these ratings.

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Kyrie Irving in 2013 All-Star Game

Let’s start with the Eastern Conference:
Fully Deserved:
Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers Point Guard) - It’s KYRIE! Yeah, he certainly deserved this appearance. Even though his team is not great right now, he still averages 21.5 points per game and 6.2 assists per game. He also still has that great crossover, well deserved.





Joakim Noah (Chicago Bulls Center) - Great job this year, got into the 4th seed without Derrick Rose again, averaging 11.9 points per game and 11.5 rebounds, fully deserved.

Paul Millsap (Atlanta Hawks Power Forward) - Phenomenal job carrying team into 5th seed without all-star center Al Horford helping out, averaging 17.6 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game at the power forward spot, well deserved.

John Wall (Washington Wizards Point Guard)- Beautiful job carrying Wizards into what could be their first playoff appearance in a while, averaging 19.8 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game and 8.5 assists per game, fully deserved.

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Carmelo Anthony in 2013 All-Star Game

Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks Small Forward) – 62 Points for Carmelo in one game, thank God he is in this team. Even though my Knicks led by Carmelo are not doing great this year he still averages 27.3 points per game and 8.6 rebounds per game, fully deserved.

LeBron James (Miami Heat Small Forward) - Yep, it’s LeBron. His Miami team is in the 2nd seed right now just behind the Indiana Pacers who cannot have a better season, he averages 26.5 points per game, 7 rebounds per game, and 6.6 assists per game, fully deserved.

Paul George (Indiana Pacers Small Forward/Shooting Guard) – If Paul George did not make the team this year, I’d be shocked, he has his Indiana Pacers squad in the 1st seed at 40-12 and he averages 22.2 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game, well deserved.

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Roy Hibbert in 2012 All-Star Game

In the Middle:

Roy Hibbert (Indiana Pacers Center) – Hibbert is a center who can dominate in the low post and occasionally can pull off a hook shot once or twice, but I think Paul George was the only Pacer fully deserving of this all-star game, but he averages 11.8 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game. I don’t know where to put him. Good job this year.

Demar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors Shooting Guard) – DeRozan is having a very good year with his team averaging 22.4 points per game but I would have much rather liked to see Kyle Lowry in this game over DeRozan. Still, good job this year.

Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat Shooting Guard) – Wade, wade, wade. I think we have had enough of him in the all-star game. He is getting older but still averaging 18.7 points per game. I honestly think that he should get on with his all-star years and just forget about it. I don’t know what to think of him. Good job for the Heat so far this year.

Not Deserved:


Chris Bosh (Miami Heat Power Forward/Center) – Chris Bosh is the third best player on the Miami Heat. Come on man! This guy only averages 16.6 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game while mostly playing center for the Heat. He does not even average as many rebounds as Carmelo or LeBron and he is a center/power forward. This guy should not be here. Not deserved.

Joe Johnson (Brooklyn Nets Shooting Guard) –Joe Johnson is having a decent year with Brooklyn averaging 15.2 points per game but seriously??? Brooklyn worked as a team to get to the 7th seed it was not just one player. I don’t feel like he deserved this all-star game. Not deserved.

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Kevin Durant in 2013 All-Star Game

Now the Western Conference:


Fully Deserved:

Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder Small Forward) – KD! Kevin Durant is having a breakout season and is so far, in my opinion, the MVP of the league by far. Durant averages 31.5 points per game, 7.8 rebounds per game, and 5.5 assists per game. Also, Durant carried his Thunder without Russell Westbrook to the 1st seed in the extremely difficult Western Conference. KD! Superstar for sure. Fully deserved.

LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland Trail Blazers Power Forward) – Aldridge has had a phenomenal season with the Trail Blazers and Damian Lillard. Currently tied for the 3rd seed in the West with Houston, I feel they can do well when it comes to the offseason. I mean, when averaging 23.9 points a game and 11.4 rebounds per game at the power forward spot, how could this guy not be an all-star? Fully Deserved.

Dwight Howard (Houston Rockets Center) - D12 or Superman as they say, has done phenomenal work this season for the 3rd seeded Rockets, averaging 18.8 points per game, 12.5 rebounds per game, and 1.8 blocks per game. To most people, Howard is considered the best center in the game today and I can easily agree. Great job Dwight! Well deserved.


Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers Point Guard) – Lillard is having a great season with the Trail Blazers and he has the highest clutch percentage in the game today. While averaging 20.7 points per game and 5.7 assists per game, his Trail Blazer squad is tied for the 3rd seed with Houston. They have improved since last year and they are a very fun team to watch. Good job Damian! Fully Deserved.

Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers Point Guard) – Chris Paul or CP3 has had a great year with Los Angeles. While putting a separated shoulder behind him, CP3 has averaged 19.2 points per game and 11.1 assists per game pushing his Clippers to the 4th seed in the Western Conference. He has done well as always and is definitely deserving of his 7th appearance to the All-Star Game. Well deserved.

James Harden (Houston Rockets Shooting Guard) – James Harden has had a phenomenal season pushing his Rocket team to tie with the Blazers in the 3rd seed and averaging 23.9 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game, and 5.3 assists per game. In his second season as a Rocket, I feel they can do some work in the playoffs. That’s Harden for you! Fully deserved.

Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks Power Forward) – Dirk Nowitzki at 35 years of age averaged 21.7 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game as a 7 foot jump shooting power forward. He is certainly deserving of being named to his 12th all-star game and putting up great numbers at his age. He also put the Mavericks into the 6th seed of the Western Conference. Well deserved.

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Blake Griffin in 2013 All-Star Game

In the Middle:

Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers Power Forward) – Blake Griffin is pretty much the same as Kevin Love, he is doing great averaging 24.2 points per game and 9.8 rebounds per game but he is not really a starter for an all-star team. He made it the last two years when averaging nothing like his numbers today and he still started. Good job though for BG.

Tony Parker (San Antonio Spurs Point Guard) – Parker is questionable to me. He averaged 17.7 points per game and 6.2 assists per game so far this year and at his age I don’t think he would bring too much excitement to the all-star game anyway, but his Spurs are in the 2nd seed so I just don’t know what to do.

Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves Power Forward) – K-Love is not really questionable as an all-star, but I just don’t know if he should be a starter or not for this game. His team is not doing too great in the West but he still averages 25.8 points per game and 13.2 rebounds per game but I just don’t think he should start. Definite all-star though.

Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors Point Guard) – I feel that Curry is a bit overrated and everyone should check the game winners that he missed when chucking it with his left hand to try to win but it did not hit the rim. He is doing well averaging 24.6 points per game and 9 assists per game but he shoots nearly 20 times each game and his team is barely in the playoffs at the 8th seed. He is deserving of the position of being an all-star off the bench but not as a starter to me.

Not Deserved:


Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans Power Forward) – Anthony Davis has been putting up pretty good numbers this year  with 20.5 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per game and he leads the league in blocks per game but I don’t think he should be here over people like DeMarcus Cousins or even Serge Ibaka. DeMarcus Cousins averages 22.5 points per game, 11.7 rebounds per game, 1.6 steals per game, and 1.2 blocks per game. Which is better? You tell me. Just because the event is in New Orleans does not mean that someone has to represent the town. Not deserved.

These deservings were my opinions but I also would like to hear other people’s thoughts and ideas. Please comment below and tell me if you agree or disagree and who you would have liked to see in the All-Star game. Thanks for reading and please comment!

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