NBA recap: Pelicans' next move, All-Star reserves and more

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The Eastern Conference reserves were surprisingly more difficult to fill out than the Western Conference. Victor Oladipo is out for the season, but his first half of the season warrants a reserve spot. Ben Simmons can do virtually everything except shoot and is the second-best player on the 4-seed in the East. Blake Griffin is having a career year with the ball in his hands as a playmaker more than ever.

Nikola Vucevic is finally getting recognition for his all-around offensive game as he is the catalyst behind the Orlando Magic pushing for postseason basketball. Bradley Beal has ludicrous numbers with John Wall out and could lead them to snag the 8-seed while leading a pass-friendly system. Kyle Lowry’s scoring numbers are down, but his assists are at a career-high and runs the show with Kawhi Leonard missing games left and right.

The only two spots that were up for debate were the final frontcourt spot and the inevitable replacement for Dipo. Frontcourt options were not deep, but Khris Middleton checks off the all-around boxes that stand out. His scoring, shooting, defensive versatility and being the second-best player on the NBA’s best team give him the nod over others.

Myles Turner is as impressive of a defensive big in the NBA, but lacks the scoring and playmaking needed to warrant an All-Star spot. Al Horford hasn’t been as strong defensively. John Collins has better numbers than any option, but the Atlanta Hawks don’t deserve representation with their record. Pascal Siakam is a frontrunner for Most Improved Player, but Middleton has been solid for years and edges out Siakam.

The replacement for Dipo spot came down to Siakam, Eric Bledsoe and D’Angelo Russell. Bledsoe finally found a home in Milwaukee and has matured into a key cog for the Bucks. Siakam’s case was just laid out and he’s a vital piece to the Toronto Raptors. But D’Angelo Russell edges them out.

DLo is having a career season with the Brooklyn Nets comfortably in the 6-seed thanks to a 19-5 surge since Dec. 7. He’s averaging 20.5 points and 7.3 assists per game while shooting 39.4 percent on 7.4 3-point attempts a night during that stretch. He plays in a great system, but Russell has played exceptional at times, including plenty of clutch moments.

The Eastern Conference field was deeper than expected and several players who have stepped up are omitted. The loss of Oladipo weakens the list, but overall, it’s tough to go wrong with a number of these options (although NBA Twitter will surely have a conniption no matter who makes it).

NBA recap: Pelicans’ next move, All-Star reserves and more

By Michael Dugger | Jan 29, 2019

Eastern Conference All-Star reserve picks