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2016 NBA All-Star Game: Selecting The Reserves

By Gerald Bourguet

January 11, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) dribbles the basketball against Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh (1) during the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Heat 111-103. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
January 11, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) dribbles the basketball against Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh (1) during the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Heat 111-103. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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2016 NBA All-Star Game
Feb 3, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat center Chris Bosh (1) shoots over Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) during the second half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

East Frontcourt Spots

Paul Millsap: 18.3 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.9 SPG, 1.4 BPG, .493/.306/.778 shooting, 23.9 PER

It’s a pity the Atlanta Hawks may not get Paul Millsap AND Al Horford back into the All-Star Game this season, but if anyone deserves to represent them this year, it’s Millsap, who is leading the team in scoring, rebounding and steals.

At age 30, Millsap is having the best season of his career, posting career highs in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and blocks. He’s only converting 30.6 percent of this three-point attempts after posting a more respectable 35.6 percent on long range attempts last season, but Millsap’s two-way play is the reason the Hawks sit comfortably at 27-20 — the third best record in the East.

Millsap has been underrated throughout his NBA career, and with Atlanta nowhere near being on pace for another 60-win season, he should be the guy to represent the Hawks if they drop from last year’s four All-Stars to one this year.

Chris Bosh: 19.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.5 APG, .476/.372/.796 shooting, 22.0 PER

If anyone on the Miami Heat were deserving of an All-Star spot, it’d be the perennially underrated Chris Bosh, who, as people have so quickly forgotten, is in the middle of a stunning comeback season after he was literally fighting for his life less than a year ago. But with Wade already voted into the starting lineup, the Heat might have two All-Stars on the roster — fair or not.

Leading the team in scoring at 19.2 points per game, Bosh has been the Heat’s most consistent and versatile offensive threat, since he’s also knocking down 37.2 percent of his 4.3 three-point attempts per game.

Bosh has been Miami’s best all-around player so far this season, he’s a recognizable name and he’s a regular presence at All-Star Weekend who needs some sort of compensation after the NBA cancelled his patented event, the Shooting Stars Competition.

Andre Drummond: 17.3 PPG, 15.2 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 1.4 BPG, .518/—/.355 shooting, 22.1 PER

Andre Drummond is still a severely limited offensive player, he’s not as great a rim protector as he needs to be for the Dwight Howard comparisons to be warranted and his horrendous free throw shooting is still a major problem as long as the NBA allows this Hack-A-Shaq BS to continue.

But Drummond is on pace to join Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bob McAdoo, Moses Malone, Elvin Hayes and Dave Cowens as the only players in NBA history to EVER put up a 17-15-1 stat line in what might be the greatest non-Dennis Rodman rebounding season of the modern era. Drummond may have his limitations, but to suggest they overshadow his All-Star candidacy would be asinine.

His work with Reggie Jackson in the pick-and-roll has made him one of the most dangerous alley-oop threats in the league when diving to the basket, and his post game will develop with time and repetition. Plus, the Detroit Pistons need at least one All-Star.

Next: East Wildcard Spots