Former NBA coach Sam Mitchell recently stated on his radio show that one of the criteria for an NBA player to make the All-Star game should be that they are on a winning team. I completely disagree with this perspective. The reality is that winning teams often consist of a combination of star players and role players. Currently, 16 out of 30 NBA teams are playing over .500 basketball, which raises concerns about declining ratings. This means that players from 14 teams could be ineligible for the All-Star game based solely on their team’s performance.
For example, if we consider the Eastern Conference, players like Trae Young, LaMelo Ball, and Tyrese Maxey could easily be selected as reserves. In the Western Conference, not only would Steph Curry, who is slated to be a starter, but also Victor Wembanyama would be ineligible for this year’s All-Star game at the time of this publication.
Now, regarding the distinction between stars and role players: Wembanyama and Steph Curry are undoubtedly stars. While the Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers have had the best records in the NBA this season, apart from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, there’s hardly another player on those teams that fans would prefer to see at the All-Star game over Curry, who received more All-Star votes than anyone else.
Furthermore, the All-Star game is meant to showcase excitement and entertainment. Donovan Mitchell is probably the closest thing to excitement on the Cleveland Cavaliers, yet I can’t think of another player on that roster who fans would rather see than LaMelo Ball.
Even though I understand that Sam Mitchell is trying to find ways to improve the NBA All-Star game, adding blue-collar, less exciting players is not the solution.
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