Picking the entire Eastern Conference All-Star team
Picking the Eastern Conference All-Star team Reserves
The reserves on each All-Star squad will feature seven players: two guards, three frontcourt players, and two wild cards. Let’s start with the positionally-locked spots here, mirroring the starters, and then we’ll delve into the myriad of options at wild card on the next slide.
Zach LaVine, Guard
Zach LaVine lost out to DeMar DeRozan to start for the All-Star Game, but he is a deserving pick and a virtual lock for the reserves. After making his first All-Star team a year ago he has been on an upward trajectory, playing a key role with Team USA in the Summer Olympics and now dropping 25 points per game for a team pushing for first in the Eastern Conference.
Fred VanVleet, Guard
This is our first true surprise on the list, and the first (but not last) player to make his All-Star debut. The Toronto Raptors have recovered from a slow start and VanVleet has been the driving force behind that, playing tough defense at the point of attack but balancing that with some smoking hot shooting on the other end. He is dropping 21.9 points per game, with 40.7 percent shooting on a whopping 9.6 3-point attempts per game. He leads the league in minutes per game and is among the league leaders in most on/off metrics.
Jarrett Allen, Frontcourt
Another first-time All-Star, and our first Cleveland Cavaliers player to make the team. Allen seems like a lock from basically anyone weighing in, bringing elite on/off numbers (10th in EPM) to undergird his hyper-efficient campaign thus far. He is shooting 69.9 percent from the field en route to a 16.6 points-per-game average that destroys his previous career-high of 13.2 points. Add in 10.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks and his resume is stout enough to make him a clear pick as an All-Star frontcourt reserve.
Jimmy Butler, Frontcourt
If Jimmy Butler had played more than 26 games he would be in the mix to start the All-Star Game, because his impact while on the court has been incredible. He’s a do-it-all player on both ends of the court, able to play the point or smallball center and everything in between. He can’t shoot, but otherwise, he lifts the Miami Heat in basically every other way. EPM places him sixth in the entire league, the only Heat player in the Top 30.
Jayson Tatum, Frontcourt
The last frontcourt choice was a difficult one, because no one leapt off the page. Tatum’s teammate Jaylen Brown is listed at guard, which is at least a position he has played occasionally this season. If DeRozan was listed properly in the frontcourt he would have slid everyone down and dropped Tatum off.
As it is Tatum gets the last spot, averaging a solid 25.5 points per game yet on an abysmal 48.2 percent effective field goal percentage. He’s hitting just 32.3 percent of his 3-pointers, his turnovers are at a career-high, and the Celtics are clinging to 10th-place in the Eastern Conference. A strong surge from Miles Bridges, Domantas Sabonis, Khris Middleton or even the rookie Evan Mobley could be enough to knock him off, even if NBA coaches are likely to pick him since he’s been an All-Star before.