My "Wish They Were" All-Star Reserves

Whether due to team construction, competition, or otherwise, these guys are due for an All-Star break during the All-Star Break

Welcome to the time of year when we complain about our favorite players not being bestowed with an increasingly arbitrary title in the middle of the regular season — the All-Star rosters are out! Except, they aren’t quite yet, are they?

This past week, the NBA announced the starters for the 2025 All-Star Game, and it didn’t come without some criticism. LeBron’s inclusion as a starter felt like a popularity contest selection to some, while Victor Wembanyama not being a starter could have been a crime in many countries. Today, though, I don’t want to talk about the players who will likely be reserves, which will be confirmed on Thursday. No, I want to take a look at the guys who I wish were All-Stars this year but probably won’t be for varying reasons. We’ll focus on three and I’ll make some more honorable mentions toward the end, but there are quite a few players this year who, in many other seasons, would make the cut.

Let’s get right into it — first up, a player who might make the cut, but probably won’t due to a combination of fan voting, team circumstance, and there being a lot of guards to choose from…