Halftime Heroes: Picking All-NBA Teams At The Season’s Halfway Point

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Jan 3, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) reacts after being fouled against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Honorable Mentions

The NBA is a league of stars, and every team is full of players who were dominant in college, or hold the state record books for their high school exploits. There is room in the league for more than a handful of stars, and the explosive scoring or athletic marvels of the 100th best player in the league is amazing on its own.

But the All-NBA teams seek to reward the very best of the best, and only 15 players are recognized of the league’s hundreds. That will always mean players with stellar numbers and performances will be left out.

Guards

In the backcourt the cuts are painful, as only six of perhaps a dozen deserving players will make the All-NBA rosters. One half of the Toronto Raptors’ offensive attack is left out, as DeMar DeRozan is the first player out. While he is putting up the point totals, his lack of playmaking and middling defense put him a small step below.

Kyrie Irving was voted an Eastern Conference All-Star starter at guard, as was DeRozan, but his season to this point has been inconsistent. He pairs offensive explosions with games of passivity, and yet again he is helpless without LeBron James suiting up alongside him.

John Wall and Kemba Walker are both the centerpieces of teams in the playoff hunt, but neither have the team success nor individual numbers to crack the list. Wall has been the primary engine for Washington clawing its way back into the playoffs and thus deserves mention; similarly, Walker has been the only consistent offensive weapon for a Charlotte team struggling mightily in 2017.

The Western Conference has a few deserving players on the outside looking in. Klay Thompson should be an All-Star, and is the best shooting guard in the league outside of Houston. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum are talented scorers but cannot stem the flow of Portland’s disappointing season.

In Utah, George Hill has been incredible when on the court, a two-way force providing the Jazz with the upside to play with the Western juggernauts. Finally, Mike Conley has played at an elite level on either side of his back injury, and the Memphis Grizzlies have refused to go away in a competitive playoff race.

Forwards

While Western Conference players continue to dominate the All-NBA teams, in this year as in the years since Jordan’s retirement, the forward positions are where the East shows best. Not only will half of the six represent the East, but the honorable mentions are weighted towards the Atlantic Ocean as well.

Kevin Love has settled firmly into his niche as the third banana on the defending champions, and he is thriving in it. Paul Millsap is the best player on the current Eastern Conference 4-seed, rising above trade rumors to put up solid two-way numbers.

Jabari Parker has continued to grow as a player, dragging himself to mediocrity on defense while adding multiple angles to his offensive game. Paul George is an All-Star talent who has his team in the playoffs as of this week, although his personal numbers have slipped off of their normal highs.

In the West, LaMarcus Aldridge is the second-best player on the league’s second-best team, as the San Antonio Spurs have avoided both the spotlight and losses. Gordon Hayward missed time early in the season but has been the best offensive piece on Utah.

Center

Here the Eastern Conference falls behind, as all three selections for the team come from the West. For their credit, Hassan Whiteside has been a rebounding force for the Miami Heat, albeit with little positive impact in Miami’s win column.

Joel Embiid has been a per-minute superstar this season, putting up 28.2 points and 11 rebounds per 36, numbers in line with the players who made the All-NBA teams. If Philadelphia continues its upward trajectory late in the season Embiid could rise closer to the list. Dwight Howard has been the linchpin for Atlanta’s defense, and for all of their difficulties in the middle of the year the Hawks are now fourth in the East.

On the other side of the country, DeAndre Jordan has been an even more concentrated form of himself this season, putting up 12.6 points and 13.9 rebounds for the Los Angeles Clippers. While the Thunder have struggled on offense, their strong defense comes on the back of Steven Adams and his solid campaign.