5. Joe Dumars, 1995
How Chosen: Reserve
The Detroit Pistons were a last-place team at 17-29 when they rolled into the All-Star break in 1994-95, but Eastern Conference coaches decided the team needed a second representative besides rookie Grant Hill, who was voted in as a starter.
Dumars was having a solid first half at age 31, averaging 19.8 points and 5.1 assists on .431/.308/.806 shooting.
But there were other guards in the East who would have been more valid choices, including Kenny Anderson of the New Jersey Nets or the overlooked Mookie Blaylock of the Atlanta Hawks.
Blaylock had made his lone All-Star appearance in 1994 and responded with an even better campaign for the Hawks, who were 22-26 at the break.
He was averaging 16.2 points, 7.6 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game over the season’s unofficial first half.
Dumars scored 11 points with six assists and a steal, shooting 5-of-8 in his 21 minutes of the East’s 139-112 blowout loss at America West Arena in Phoenix.
It was the fifth of Dumars’ six All-Star nods over his 14-year Hall of Fame career.
Next: Another 1995 Question Mark