Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond went from snub to sub in the 2018 NBA All-Star Game after John Wall bowed out due to injury.
Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond has been named to his second NBA All-Star team as a reserve, replacing an injured John Wall on Team LeBron.
He will be the Pistons’ lone representative at the 2018 NBA All-Star Game.
Drummond is the second injury replacement on LeBron James‘ team, as Paul George replaced the injured DeMarcus Cousins. News of Kevin Love‘s broken hand means LeBron’s team will have a third replacement player named to the team.
Drummond’s initial snub made Shaquille O’Neal question and Chris Webber question whether the game celebrated individual talent and accomplishments or team standings and accomplishments.
Rod Beard of The Detroit News broke down why Drummond deserved the spot on the team.
"“It’s the second All-Star selection in the last three years for Drummond, who is having the best season of his career, with All-Star-worthy numbers: 14.3 points, an NBA-best 15 rebounds and a career-high 3.9 assists. He’s improved his biggest weakness, hitting 63 percent on free throws — an increase of more than 23 percentage points over last season.”"
Drummond’s improved play from the free throw line opened up his game on both ends of the court. When NBA coaches failed to name him as a reserve in the game, the Utah Jazz felt the pain.
Drummond replaces Wall as a reserve on Team LeBron. Ahead of the Cavs vs. Pistons game last night, King James couldn’t hide his reaction to the news.
#LeBronJames welcomes #AndreDrummond to Team LeBron! pic.twitter.com/cAqTQL3OM3
— NBA (@NBA) January 31, 2018
Twitter “experts” made a case against Drummond’s inclusion, then pivoted to a case for Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers) or even Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics) as Love’s replacement.
Fans of Brown and Simmons feel their teams’ standings in the East warranted their favorite a spot on the team over Drummond.
No decision will make everyone happy. NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s placement of Drummond on the team over Ben Simmons over Jaylen Brown wasn’t well received by everyone.
The official statement from the NBA laid out the process for naming replacement players.
"According to NBA rules, when an All-Star is unable to participate, the commissioner shall choose a replacement from the same conference as the player who is being replaced. Wall and Drummond both play for Eastern Conference teams. Drummond received the most voting points from NBA head coaches among Eastern Conference players who were not selected as reserves."
With Love going down, one would imagine Ben Simmons would be the next man up given the NBA’s criteria for naming replacements.
Do you think the NBA made the right decision replacing Wall with Drummond? Beyond the All-Star game, how will the addition of Blake Griffin, along with the injuries of John Wall and Kevin Love affect the playoff picture in the East?
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The 2018 NBA All-Star Game, will be played on Sunday, Feb. 18 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.