The All-Star rosters were announced on Thursday night and, as always, there were plenty of snubs.
There is still work yet to be done in finalizing the rosters, though.
Two injury replacements will likely need to be named — one for 76ers center Joel Embiid, who is currently out with a meniscus injury, and another for Knicks forward Julius Randle, who has a dislocated right shoulder.
It would be up to commissioner Adam Silver to name those two Eastern Conference players, and he has a long list to choose from. Here are his four best options.
MORE: Jalen Brunson celebrates first All-Star nod with emotional interview at MSG
Ranking All-Star injury replacements for Joel Embiid and Julius Randle
1. Trae Young, Hawks
There have only been two seasons in NBA history where a player has failed to make an All-Star team while averaging 25 points, 10 assists and 55 percent true shooting. The first was Young's season last year. The second is Young's season this year.
Young was widely considered one of last year's biggest snubs. He went out and raised his numbers even more, averaging 27.0 points and 10.9 assists per game. He's one of the best offensive players in the league but still couldn't get recognized when coaches selected the reserves on Thursday.
He's certainly not a defensive stopper, but Young's 6-1 size makes it very difficult for him to be impactful on that end of the floor. Despite those limitations, he has been better lately.
Hawks coach Quin Snyder has lauded Young's defensive effort publicly in the media, urging people to "change the narrative" given the way that he has sacrificed his body, picked up players full-court, and played well both on and off the ball. Young has also had a number of game-saving defensive plays this season.
Trae Young has consistently come up big for the Hawks on defense this season
— joe schmidt (@Joe_Schmidt07) January 12, 2024
Here’s some of his best stops in critical late game situations 👇 pic.twitter.com/4csUJOJxfi
The Hawks haven't been a great team, but Young has done everything that has been asked of him and more. He's been one of the top 12 players in the East.
MORE: The best example of Trae Young's basketball genius
2. Kristaps Porzingis, Celtics
The Celtics have the best record in the league, giving them a solid case for a third All-Star in addition to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Porzingis should be that guy.
Brown got the nod over Porzingis, but Porzingis has arguably been the more important Celtic this season. The big man has averaged 19.4 points on good efficiency, using his 35.0 percent shooting from deep to help spread the floor.
Porzingis has made life much easier for Tatum and Brown by giving them an easy target to hit on pick-and-rolls while also being able to get his own in the post and get fouled a ton when he does try to finish inside the arc.
Porzingis has been stellar defensively, averaging 1.9 blocks per game. He is a huge reason why the Celtics have maintained a top-three defense.
3. Scottie Barnes, Raptors
Barnes has taken over the reins of the Raptors and put up All-Star numbers in the process. He's averaging 20.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game. Only five players have hit those marks this season. The other four — Nikola Jokic, Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic — were selected as no-brainer starters for the team.
Making Barnes' case even stronger is that he is arguably more impactful on the defensive side of the ball than on offense. He's an extremely versatile defender who has stopped guards and centers, sometimes within the same possession. He's turned into a great weakside rim protector, flying in to help teammates who get beat off the dribble. And he's a chaos engine, ranking 10th in the league in total steals.
MORE: Three reasons why Scottie Barnes deserves his first selection in 2024
4. Pascal Siakam, Pacers
Siakam made the All-Star Game last year as an injury placement. He'd be a good story, as this year's game is being played in Indiana. He deserves to get in based on his production as well. He's averaging 22.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists on the year.
There aren't many 6-8 playmaking forwards out there, as coach Rick Carlisle noted when the Pacers acquired him. He's one of the best players in the league at getting to his spots to score, namely the midrange area. He's terrific in transition. And while his defense hasn't been quite at the level of previous seasons, he is still a talented player on that end of the floor.
