To paraphrase the Blink-182 song "Dammit": To earn your first NBA All-Star bid, well, I guess this is growing up.
Snagging that initial spot in the Association's annual February showcase is a rite of passage for stars, so this cornily butchered lyric isn't wrong. The All-Star exhibition has become a glorified playground exercise, but we still use selections as a form of validation for both past and present players.
Familiar faces dominate the superstar parade, and this year won't be an exception. First-time participants will be few and far between. But that doesn't mean there aren't a number of worthy newcomers—they exist in excess.
The extent to which every one of these players should be considered will be determined by experience, season-long availability, depth at their respective positions and individual performance. Many of these names won't actually get the call to play in the Feb. 19 soiree.
Any one of them, however, could be picked as a reserve—or, in some cases, a starter—without the population accusing the NBA of an All-Star farce.
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Article written by Dan Favale
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