Well, Russell Westbrook may be the biggest NBA All-Star Game starting lineup snub of all-time.
Despite leading the NBA in scoring (30.6 points per game; nearly two full points better than anyone), leading the NBA in Player Efficiency rating (29.56), and averaging a triple-double (10.6 rebounds, 10.4 assists), the Oklahoma City Thunder guard is reportedly not among the five players starting on the Western Conference All-Star team.
Russell Westbrook leads NBA in scoring, ranks 2nd in assists per game and 11th in rebounds per game.
He's averaging a triple-double https://t.co/Rlj3S3dt8Z
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/jtylerconway/status/822225147214106625
How is Russell Westbrook not an all star starter!? He is playing out of his mind.
— Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) January 19, 2017
Chuck does not agree with Russell Westbrook being left out of starting lineup…
"He deserves to be starting. Plain and simple." pic.twitter.com/39YFquxhIo
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 20, 2017
Here’s more, from ESPN.Com:
Russell Westbrook is not among the Western Conference All-Star starters.
The star Oklahoma City Thunder guard was left out in the loaded West, with sources telling ESPN’s Chris Haynes that Golden State Warriors teammates Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets guard James Harden, San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard and New Orleans Pelicans center Anthony Davis got the nod as the conference’s starting five.
The East starters, sources said, are Cleveland Cavaliers teammates Kyrie Irving and LeBron James, Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks phenom Giannis Antetokounmpo and DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors.
And ESPN.Com’s explanation on how All-Star voting works:
Fans accounted for 50 percent of the vote to determine the starters. Current players and the media accounted for 25 percent each. Ballots consisted of two guards and three frontcourt players per conference.
And…the final numbers for the West starters via Fan, Players & Media votes.#NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/LV0SSG4s0k
— Matt Winer (@MattWinerTV) January 20, 2017
Now, it’s not too shocking at the same time, given that it was Westbrook vs Steph Curry and James Harden for one of the backcourt spots in the voting process.
Curry is of course the back-to-back NBA MVP, and Harden’s production is (incredibly) pretty close to Westbrook’s: 28.9 points per game (2nd in NBA), 11.6 assists per game (1st in NBA), 8.3 rebounds per game. So, while Westbrook should absolutely be starting in this All-Star Game and probably any All-Star Game with the season he’s had, it’s not like the other choices were bad either.
Westbrook will of course still be selected to the game. And I’m guessing he will end up playing about as much as Curry and Harden in the game anyway. But, the idea that a player with this production is not starting in the All-Star Game is still a bit ridiculous.
[ESPN.Com]