The All-Star starters were announced last week, and while there was one glaring error in each conference, the fans did an okay job. Selection of the All-Star reserves is left up to NBA coaches. The NBA's coaches are paid to know about basketball, so of course we can count on them to select the most deserving players...right?
Of course not; don't be silly. Let's start off the post with this year's Eastern Conference All-Stars.
Eastern Conference All-Star candidates, sorted by wins:
| Player | Wins | Conference Rank | PPG | Conference Rank |
| LeBron James | 11.1 | 1 | 26.2 | 2 |
| Andre Drummond | 9.4 | 2 | 12.6 | 41 |
| Kyle Lowry | 8.8 | 3 | 16.8 | 19 |
| Lance Stephenson | 8.0 | 4 | 14.2 | 30 |
| Joakim Noah | 7.3 | 5 | 11.7 | 51 |
| Paul George | 7.1 | 6 | 23.3 | 3 |
| Trevor Ariza | 6.6 | 7 | 14.0 | 31 |
| Anderson Varejao | 6.6 | 8 | 8.8 | 66 |
| Carmelo Anthony | 6.1 | 9 | 27.1 | 1 |
| Kyle Korver | 6.0 | 10 | 12.0 | 49 |
| John Wall | 4.2 | 15 | 19.8 | 7 |
| Dwyane Wade | 4.1 | 16 | 18.4 | 11 |
| Paul Millsap | 4.0 | 19 | 17.8 | 13 |
| Roy Hibbert | 3.6 | 25 | 11.8 | 50 |
| Arron Afflalo | 3.5 | 29 | 20.0 | 6 |
| DeMar DeRozan | 3.1 | 35 | 21.8 | 4 |
| Kemba Walker | 3.1 | 36 | 18.7 | 9 |
| Luol Deng | 3.0 | 39 | 18.0 | 12 |
| Chris Bosh | 2.9 | 45 | 16.9 | 17 |
| Joe Johnson | 2.9 | 43 | 15.7 | 23 |
| Al Jefferson | 2.6 | 52 | 19.3 | 8 |
| Kyrie Irving | 1.7 | 73 | 21.5 | 5 |
| Evan Turner | 0.8 | 104 | 18.5 | 10 |
Note: players in bold were selected to the All-Star game.
The Eastern Conference coaches somehow picked DeMar DeRozan over his teammate Kyle Lowry and Lance Stephenson! When I said that DeRozan was a better choice than Kyrie Irving, that didn't mean that he was a good choice! Lowry has been the best point guard in the conference, and Stephenson has been better than his teammate, Paul George, and George is getting MVP buzz! The other can't-miss player that the coaches missed is Andre Drummond. He's only produced the second-most wins in the conference – fifth-most in the entire NBA. Not like he's a good player or anything.
Even if the coaches had managed to pick the East's most productive players, the East was going to have a tough time against the West. Now it's pretty obvious that the West will mop the floor with them. But why did the coaches pick so poorly?
The answer is points, of course. Here is that same list, this time sorted by points per game (PPG) instead of wins.
Eastern Conference All-Star candidates, sorted by PPG:
| Player | Wins | Conference Rank | PPG | Conference Rank |
| Carmelo Anthony | 6.1 | 9 | 27.1 | 1 |
| LeBron James | 11.1 | 1 | 26.2 | 2 |
| Paul George | 7.1 | 6 | 23.3 | 3 |
| DeMar DeRozan | 3.1 | 35 | 21.8 | 4 |
| Kyrie Irving | 1.7 | 73 | 21.5 | 5 |
| Arron Afflalo | 3.5 | 29 | 20.0 | 6 |
| John Wall | 4.2 | 15 | 19.8 | 7 |
| Al Jefferson | 2.6 | 52 | 19.3 | 8 |
| Kemba Walker | 3.1 | 36 | 18.7 | 9 |
| Evan Turner | 0.8 | 104 | 18.5 | 10 |
| Dwyane Wade | 4.1 | 16 | 18.4 | 11 |
| Luol Deng | 3.0 | 39 | 18.0 | 12 |
| Paul Millsap | 4.0 | 19 | 17.8 | 13 |
| Chris Bosh | 2.9 | 45 | 16.9 | 17 |
| Kyle Lowry | 8.8 | 3 | 16.8 | 19 |
| Joe Johnson | 2.9 | 43 | 15.7 | 23 |
| Lance Stephenson | 8.0 | 4 | 14.2 | 30 |
| Trevor Ariza | 6.6 | 7 | 14.0 | 31 |
| Andre Drummond | 9.4 | 2 | 12.6 | 41 |
| Kyle Korver | 6.0 | 10 | 12.0 | 49 |
| Roy Hibbert | 3.6 | 25 | 11.8 | 50 |
| Joakim Noah | 7.3 | 5 | 11.7 | 51 |
| Anderson Varejao | 6.6 | 8 | 8.8 | 66 |
Note: players in bold were selected to the All-Star game.
Boy, I wonder how the coaches picked their All-Stars? I'm sure it has nothing to do with scoring a lot of points while playing on a winning team. Coaches also have this strange notion that a team's record determines the number of All-Stars it's allowed to have. Miami and Indiana are a cut above the rest of the East, so they get more than one All-Star. Of course, Miami gets one more All-Star than Indiana, because they have the heart of a champion. Hibbert is highly regarded for his defense and gets the nod over Stephenson, who is very productive, but doesn't score enough for coaches. Teams hovering around 0.500 can only have one All-Star, so Toronto, Atlanta, Washington, Chicago, and Brooklyn get one All-Star apiece. DeRozan, Millsap, Wall, and Johnson score the most points on their respective teams and are easy picks for coaches. Noah doesn't score many points, but even the coaches can't ignore his other skills. Either that, or the fact that, after trading away Luol Deng and losing Derrick Rose to another injury, Chicago doesn't have anyone who scores a lot of points.
Does the West look any better?
Western Conference All-Star candidates, sorted by wins:
| Player | Wins | Conference Rank | PPG | Conference Rank |
| Kevin Durant | 13.0 | 1 | 31.3 | 1 |
| DeAndre Jordan | 11.1 | 2 | 9.6 | 67 |
| Kevin Love | 10.2 | 3 | 25.0 | 2 |
| Chris Paul | 8.7 | 4 | 19.6 | 14 |
| Nicolas Batum | 8.1 | 5 | 12.6 | 45 |
| Andrew Bogut | 7.5 | 6 | 7.9 | 75 |
| Stephen Curry | 7.5 | 7 | 24.1 | 4 |
| Goran Dragic | 7.2 | 8 | 19.7 | 13 |
| Anthony Davis | 7.1 | 9 | 20.4 | 10 |
| Ricky Rubio | 6.7 | 10 | 8.5 | 71 |
| Wesley Matthews | 6.7 | 11 | 16.8 | 30 |
| Andre Iguodala | 6.1 | 12 | 9.9 | 63 |
| Blake Griffin | 6.1 | 13 | 22.9 | 6 |
| Kawhi Leonard | 6.0 | 14 | 11.6 | 51 |
| Dwight Howard | 5.8 | 15 | 18.1 | 21 |
| Chandler Parsons | 5.7 | 17 | 17.3 | 25 |
| Ty Lawson | 5.7 | 18 | 17.9 | 24 |
| James Harden | 5.7 | 19 | 23.7 | 5 |
| Isaiah Thomas | 4.5 | 32 | 19.9 | 12 |
| DeMarcus Cousins | 4.0 | 34 | 22.6 | 7 |
| Damian Lillard | 3.9 | 35 | 20.6 | 9 |
| LaMarcus Aldridge | 3.7 | 38 | 24.3 | 3 |
| Dirk Nowitzki | 3.7 | 39 | 21.6 | 8 |
| Tony Parker | 3.0 | 51 | 18.1 | 22 |
| Rudy Gay | 2.4 | 68 | 19.9 | 11 |
| Kobe Bryant | -0.2 | DNQ | 13.8 | DNQ |
Note: players in bold were selected to the All-Star game.
Not really. There are a lot of players at the top of that list who weren't selected, and the coaches selected four players who are right near the bottom. DeAndre Jordan is the most productive centre in the NBA, and despite Doc Rivers' lobbying, the coaches don't think he deserves to make the All-Star team. Not only that, but he doesn't even make some of the Western Conference snub lists! Nic Batum, Andrew Bogut, Goran Dragic, and Anthony Davis have every right to be peeved as well. So the coaches kinda blew it again.
Anyone want to take a stab at how the coaches picked their Western All-Star reserves? You guessed it: Yay Points!
Western Conference All-Star candidates, sorted by PPG:
| Player | Wins | Conference Rank | PPG | Conference Rank |
| Kevin Durant | 13.0 | 1 | 31.3 | 1 |
| Kevin Love | 10.2 | 3 | 25.0 | 2 |
| LaMarcus Aldridge | 3.7 | 38 | 24.3 | 3 |
| Stephen Curry | 7.5 | 7 | 24.1 | 4 |
| James Harden | 5.7 | 19 | 23.7 | 5 |
| Blake Griffin | 6.1 | 13 | 22.9 | 6 |
| DeMarcus Cousins | 4.0 | 34 | 22.6 | 7 |
| Dirk Nowitzki | 3.7 | 39 | 21.6 | 8 |
| Damian Lillard | 3.9 | 35 | 20.6 | 9 |
| Anthony Davis | 7.1 | 9 | 20.4 | 10 |
| Rudy Gay | 2.4 | 68 | 19.9 | 11 |
| Isaiah Thomas | 4.5 | 32 | 19.9 | 12 |
| Goran Dragic | 7.2 | 8 | 19.7 | 13 |
| Chris Paul | 8.7 | 4 | 19.6 | 14 |
| Dwight Howard | 5.8 | 15 | 18.1 | 21 |
| Tony Parker | 3.0 | 51 | 18.1 | 22 |
| Ty Lawson | 5.7 | 18 | 17.9 | 24 |
| Chandler Parsons | 5.7 | 17 | 17.3 | 25 |
| Wesley Matthews | 6.7 | 11 | 16.8 | 30 |
| Nicolas Batum | 8.1 | 5 | 12.6 | 45 |
| Kawhi Leonard | 6.0 | 14 | 11.6 | 51 |
| Andre Iguodala | 6.1 | 12 | 9.9 | 63 |
| DeAndre Jordan | 11.1 | 2 | 9.6 | 67 |
| Ricky Rubio | 6.7 | 10 | 8.5 | 71 |
| Andrew Bogut | 7.5 | 6 | 7.9 | 75 |
| Kobe Bryant | -0.2 | DNQ | 13.8 | DNQ |
Note: players in bold were selected to the All-Star game.
If you score a lot of points, you get to play in the All-Star game. That is, unless your team isn't very good (say bye-bye to the three Kings). The coaches' failure to pick Anthony Davis and Goran Dragic looks even worse when you consider that they are productive and good at scoring. Tony Parker was a really bad choice here, as he doesn't rank highly in wins or PPG. But the Spurs are a really good team, and according to the Official Coaches Manual, a really good team needs at least one All-Star. As the Spurs' highest scoring player, Parker is the obvious choice. Dragic is clearly having a better year, but his Suns aren't as good as San Antonio.
With Kobe Bryant sitting out, the West will have at least one more All-Star. Who will it be? If scoring is more important to commissioner Silver, then he'll pick Davis; if he cares more about team success, he'll go for Dragic. If a player from Sacramento gets picked, you can bet that it will be DeMarcus Cousins, but I just don't see the commissioner giving the team with the worst record in the conference an All-Star.
What's one more table? Here are this year's Boxscore Geeks All-Stars:
| Player | Position | Wins | WP48 | Conference |
| LeBron James | F | 11.1 | 0.326 | East |
| Andre Drummond | F | 9.4 | 0.309 | East |
| Kyle Lowry | G | 8.8 | 0.259 | East |
| Lance Stephenson | G | 8.0 | 0.249 | East |
| Joakim Noah | F | 7.3 | 0.242 | East |
| Paul George | F | 7.1 | 0.215 | East |
| Trevor Ariza | F | 6.6 | 0.228 | East |
| Anderson Varejao | F | 6.6 | 0.238 | East |
| Carmelo Anthony | F | 6.1 | 0.180 | East |
| Kyle Korver | G | 6.0 | 0.209 | East |
| George Hill | G | 5.3 | 0.199 | East |
| Dwyane Wade | G | 4.1 | 0.189 | East |
| Kevin Durant | F | 13.0 | 0.356 | West |
| DeAndre Jordan | F | 11.1 | 0.311 | West |
| Kevin Love | F | 10.2 | 0.307 | West |
| Chris Paul | G | 8.7 | 0.354 | West |
| Nicholas Batum | F | 8.1 | 0.236 | West |
| Stephen Curry | G | 7.5 | 0.222 | West |
| Andrew Bogut | F | 7.5 | 0.295 | West |
| Anthony Davis | F | 7.2 | 0.240 | West |
| Goran Dragic | G | 7.1 | 0.259 | West |
| Ricky Rubio | G | 6.7 | 0.228 | West |
| Wesley Matthews | G | 6.7 | 0.205 | West |
| Andre Iguodala | F | 6.1 | 0.262 | West |
Note: players in bold were selected to the All-Star game.
No legacy or political picks here -- just the numbers. Although it should be noted that Dwyane Wade does get a little boost because he's missed some time and is more productive on a per-minute basis than the alternatives.