No De’Aaron Fox or Jimmy Butler? Our panel breaks down the final 14 spots of this year’s All-Star Game voting.
All 24 spots have been filled in the 2023 NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 19 in Salt Lake City.
The 10 starters were revealed last week, and we now know who will fill in the 14 reserve spots.
Joel Embiid being left off the starter list was one of the biggest surprises last week, but there’s no surprise he made it as a reserve. However, his Philadelphia 76ers teammate James Harden was left off the roster completely despite putting up a solid offensive season so far. Jimmy Butler, Trae Young, De’Aaron Fox, Darius Garland and Jalen Brunson join Harden as the backcourt stars who were left out this year, while Jrue Holiday made it in with mostly a defensive résumé.
A handful of young players were named to their first All-Star Game, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Haliburton and Lauri Markkanen. Jaren Jackson Jr. will also make his first All-Star appearance in one of the more surprising selections of the night.
Our experts break down the biggest surprises and snubs from this year’s All-Star reserves, and what they’re most looking forward to seeing at this year’s event.
Tim Bontemps: I didn’t expect Jaren Jackson Jr. to make it after missing a chunk of games to begin the season, but he’s been the most dominant defensive player in the league for one of the best teams in the West, so I can see why the coaches rewarded him.
Jamal Collier: If I had to choose one New York Knicks player, I would’ve gone with Brunson over Julius Randle. When looking at the position breakdown, I can see how the East needed another big on the roster, but Brunson’s addition in free agency has been the biggest offensive difference in New York’s season.
Nick Friedell: Holiday. I would have given Brunson the nod here but Holiday has been his same solid self and got rewarded for it. The Bucks aren’t up near the top in the East without him.
Marc Spears: Biggest surprise was the Holiday making it. Holiday has respectable offensive numbers, but not stellar nightly. But defensively, he is one of the most menacing players in the league and doesn’t get the accolades he deserves there. Milwaukee also has the second best record in the East, and was deserving of two All-Stars.
Ohm Youngmisuk: Holiday. Certainly, he is an All-Star caliber player — especially defensively where he is elite — and a huge part of what the Bucks do. But there was serious competition at point guard in the East with the likes of Brunson, Harden, Young and Darius Garland getting snubbed.
Bontemps: Jimmy Butler has missed time with injuries, but he’s one of the best players in the league and should be in this game. I’d have had him make the team over Randle, but the truth of it is there are several players in the East — including Harden, Brunson and Pascal Siakam — who all deserved to make it, but there just weren’t enough spots for them all.
Collier: Harden isn’t the player he once was in Houston, but he’s having an excellent season for a team that’s right there at the top of the East with Boston, Milwaukee and Brooklyn, each of whom got two All-Stars.
