Full story (paywall): [NBA All-Star Game picks for 2023: From Antetokounmpo to Zion, who makes our cut?](https://theathletic.com/4080234/2023/01/11/nba-all-star-game-roster-picks-2023/)
They include Lauri in the top five reserves for the west team. They separately show the last two in for each conference and the first & second three out.
For West their picks are
Starters: Doncic, Curry, Jokic, Davis, LeBron
Top 5 reserves: SGA, Lauri, Ja, Sabonis, Zion
Last two in: Booker (11th), Gordon (12th).
First 3 out: George, Fox, Lillard
Next 3 out: Jaren Jackson Jr., Christian Wood, Jerami Grant
On Lauri: *“The Finnisher” has been one of the league’s most surprising players this year, for one of the league’s most surprising teams, and has emerged as a clear favorite for Most Improved Player. After averaging just 14.8 points per game in Cleveland last season, he’s exploded with 24.5 a night in Utah, while hitting 41.5 percent of his 3s, nearly doubling his free throw rate, and throwing down an impressive 75 dunks in 40 games. While he may not be a household name, his case is pretty ironclad: Markkanen has played in 40 of Utah’s 43 games, and among West players with at least 1,000 minutes, Markkanen is seventh in PER and sixth in BPM.*
This actually seems like a decent selection to me if only really looking at this season. The worry is that George and Lillard will get pushed in anyway which might put Lauri at risk.
Edit: To be clear I don’t agree with the split between starters and the top five reserves (don’t think LeBron and Davis belong there), but for the top 10 as a whole it seems about right to me.
by GravPi
2 Comments
Reader mode for the win.
How do you let Davis in when he’s only played a little over half of the games??? Every time I watch him he looks very weak and injured. I know he has 27ppg but half of the games shouldn’t cut it.
PG and Lillard have also missed more than 1/4 of the season
And no to Jaren Jackson – 6 rebounds and 16 pts over 1/4 or the season for a big guy. Come on.
Christian wood is just okay.
Of those left out; Fox and Clarkson are most deserving.