2016 NBA All-Star Game: Selecting The Reserves

4 of 9

February 4, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) shoots the basketball against Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

West Wildcard Spots

Klay Thompson: 20.9 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.3 APG, .466/.427/.840 shooting, 17.4 PER

I know no one will believe me on this, but I swear I had Klay Thompson in this spot before he dropped a season high 45 points on the Mavericks last night. The fact that he did so certainly didn’t hurt his case, however, and with the Dubs on course to break the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls’ sterling regular season record of 72-10, if any team deserves three All-Stars, it’s Golden State.

Like LaMarcus Aldridge, Thompson has willingly embraced a lesser role for the good of the team. But unlike Aldridge, the mere threat of Thompson on the perimeter opens up unbelievably wide lanes for the Warriors to exploit in attacking the basket, and as his 42.7 percent three-point shooting can attest, he makes defenses pay when they make the fatal mistake of giving him too much space.

You could make an argument for Aldridge or Damian Lillard in this spot, but Aldridge’s numbers have dipped a bit too far and Dame is nowhere near the two-way player that Thompson is. Factor in his team’s unprecedented success and Thompson’s ability to heat up in a hurry and All-Star Weekend would feel incomplete without Draymond Green and both of the Splash Brothers.

Dirk Nowitzki: 17.6 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.8 APG, .448/.398/.905 shooting, 19.5 PER

Dirk Nowitzki’s numbers are probably the least impressive of anyone on this list, but I’ll be damned if Kobe Bryant gets in as a kind of “lifetime achievement award” recipient and Dirk doesn’t. At 37 years old, Dirk has also aged much more gracefully than the Black Mamba (though Kobe certainly has far more miles on his NBA odometer).

For one thing, Dirk’s Dallas Mavericks sit at sixth in the Western Conference standings, a full 16.5 games ahead of where Kobe’s Lakers are at the bottom of the barrel. For another, Dirk is actually a good player still, leading a team of rag tag role players to a winning record while also spending the first two months of the season flirting with another 50-40-90 season.

The Mavs probably deserve an All-Star, and with Dirk’s ability to STILL take and make ballsy shots with the game on the line, he absolutely deserves a spot as a reserve — even if Kobe hadn’t gotten voted in.

Next: West Snubs