NBA 5v5 – Our experts analyze the 2023 All-Star reserve lineup

All 24 positions have been filled in NBA all-star match 2023 on February 19 in Salt Lake City.

The 10 starters were revealed last week and now we know who will fill the 14 reserves.

Joel Embiid Being dropped from the starting roster was one of the biggest surprises of last week, but it’s no surprise that he was substituted. However, his Philadelphia 76ers teammate James Harden have been completely dropped from the roster despite having gone through a solid offensive season so far. Jimmy the butler, Young Tea, De’Aaron Fox, Darius wreath and Jalen Brunson join Harden as this year’s eliminated backyard stars, while Jrue holiday has been successful with a mostly defensive resume.

Several young players have been named for 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 picks of the night.

Our experts break down the biggest surprises and blunders from this year’s All-Star reserves and what they’re most looking forward to seeing at this year’s event.

1. Who was the most surprised?

Tim Bontemps: I don’t expect Jaren Jackson Jr. will make it after missing some early-season games, but he’s the best 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’ll go with Brunson more Julius Randle. When looking at the split of positions, I can see how the East needs another big man on the roster, but Brunson’s addition to free agency is the biggest difference in offensive terms of the season. New York Award.

Nick Friedell: Holiday. I’ll give Brunson a nod there, but Holiday remains his rock solid self and is rewarded for it. The Bucks wouldn’t be near the top in the East without him.

Marc Spears: The biggest surprise was that Holiday managed to do just that. Vacation has respectable but not stellar strike numbers. But on the defensive side, he is one of the most influential players in the league and doesn’t get the praise he deserves there. Milwaukee also has the second-best record in the East and deserves two All-Stars.

Ohm Youngmisuk: Day off. For sure, he’s an All-Star caliber player – especially defensively, where he’s the elite – and a huge part of what the Bucks do. But there was stiff competition for the point guard in the East with the likes of Brunson, Harden, Young and Darius Garland being shunned.

2. Who is the most despised?

Bontemps: Jimmy the butler missed time due to injury, but he is one of the best players in the league and should be in this game. I let him make a team to replace Randle, but there are some players in the East — including Harden, Brunson and Pascal Siakam — everyone deserves to participate and there’s not enough room for all of them.

Hair dresser: Harden is not a player he used to play in Houston, but he is having a stellar season for a team that sits right at the top of the East with Boston, Milwaukee and Brooklyn, who each have two All-Stars. But you can build an All-Star team with snubbed players and get only 12 slots per game.

Friedel: If Butler hadn’t missed too much time through injury, he would have been on the team, so the one I really despise the most is Brunson. He has really played well under Tom Thibodeau and helped the Knicks settle down this season. I will remove Randle and let Brunson represent the Knicks.

teacher: I was surprised Kings guard De’Aaron Fox was unsuccessful. Fox was the engine that drove the Kings to their first post-season appearance since 2006. In the end, Western coaches didn’t believe Sacramento deserved two All-Stars and agreed. Domantas Sabonis. I’m sure Fox was crushed, but getting to the knockouts will heal that pain.

Youngmisuk: Fox. He has led the high-octane Kings to the third best record in the West and is averaging 24.3 points and 6.1 assists. He is shooting 50.6% away, has been holding on for the Kings and has played well defensively. Kings are nowhere without Fox. Surely he will be on the short list to replace the injury if needed.

3. How did being rejected as the main kick affect Embiid’s gameplay?

Bontemps: It does not have. Embiid deserved to be named the East’s Player of the Month on Thursday after a dominant performance throughout January, not for a couple of games after it was discovered he was belittled as a player. was an All-Star starter.

Hair dresser: Embiid has the right to be sad. The place limit on this year’s ballot is silly and leaves voters unable to select one of the four deserving players from the starting line-up. If this little thing makes him even more dominant, good luck to anyone who tries to stop him.

Friedel: Embiid is playing like a player or coach who says they don’t mind any kind of disregard, real or emotional, but will go out of their way to find all kinds of disregard. that is anywhere. It looks like he’s playing at a different level since the announcement – which is good for him – and even better for the Sixers.

teacher: I didn’t know that you actually get extra motivated to play in a comfortable All-Star game. The bigger way to make a statement is to win the NBA championship or make it to the Finals. Two of the strikers picked before him have won NBA titles, and the other played in the Finals last year. Getting to the Finals this year is the biggest way to change that.

Youngmisuk: It’s just another chip to add to a shoulder that already has more chips than a Chips Ahoy cookie. Embiid is ready to prove the MVP voters wrong. Look no further than his 47 points, 18 rebounds, 5 assists performance first Nikola Jokić on January 28. And now he has this to energize him. Let’s hope he remembers all of this in the knockout stages.

4. Who do you think will be selected last in the All-Star Draft before the game?

Bontemps: A great player. However this draft plays out, I suspect that no one will stand alone for a long time in center court when the last player is selected.

Hair dresser: Anyone remember who was selected last year? I will repeat the crowd here. You can still become an All-Star and maybe get more motivation to appear in the game.

Friedel: Who cares. You are still an All-Star. This game, more importantly the prestige that comes with this game, still means a lot to players across the league. They know who is a certified All-Star and what that stands for. That choice is important. It doesn’t matter who can be selected last in some drafts.

teacher: I don’t know who will be chosen in the end, but they have nothing to be ashamed of. I would rather be the last player selected to play in an All-Star game than not be selected at all. That would be the case for about 430 NBA players. I’m sure All-Star snubs would love to be the last player caught.

Youngmisuk: It doesn’t matter who gets chosen in the end. All-Stars are well-deserved, and it is certain that whoever is selected in the end will have the opportunity to showcase their highlights and show their worth.

5. What do you most hope to see in the 2023 All-Star Game?

Bontemps: A competitive game with a tight finish. The 2020 All-Star Game in Chicago is a great theater. Give me another like that.

Hair dresser: Ja Morant constantly trying to throw the basketball, he has no business trying to throw the ball but doing it.

Friedel: All I want is competitiveness. The League has tried a number of different ways to create more competition over the past few years — just keep doing whatever you can to keep players interested. I don’t like watching an All-Star game when it seems like everyone is just watching through the motions. Anything that gets away with that, even for a few properties here and there, is fine with me.

teacher: I’ve always been a sucker in slam dunk competition. I hope that it is great. A great pitching contest sets the tone for a fun weekend, while a bad one always makes you feel like a loser. I also really like how every quarter of the All-Star Game is donated to charity. That did a great job in making the game more competitive. I love seeing the excitement from representatives of the charities winning the quarter.

Youngmisuk: I just want to see it come to terms with the All-Stars interest and play as if the game meant something. I know in the grand scheme of things, it’s best for everyone to stay healthy first. But it’s fun when the best in the world compete against each other when the game comes to an end at the end and players don’t seem ready to hop on a private jet to a remote island.