It is never too early to start thinking about the All-Star game and who might make it.
There are going to be the guys you expect like Stephen Curry, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Kevin Love and . . . you get the idea. Well, what about the guys who are playing well, but get no love? That is why I am here!
Here is a list of five guys from each conference that could make the All-Star games that you might not be thinking about.
Eastern Conference:
Tobias Harris (Orlando Magic) – Harris is averaging about 19 points per game to go along with almost eight rebounds per game. He is also shooting an astounding 48.2% as a small forward with a 43.8 3-point shooting percentage. He has been a leader and a real bright spot for this young team that seems to have found a bit of a groove. They are 6-8, but are looking to be on the up and up. Oh, did I mention he has this sick buzzer beater?
Al Jefferson (Charlotte Hornets) – Big Al never gets enough love and he should now that he’s playing on a team with some “buzz” about it. He’s averaging almost 21 points per game, seven boards and two assists per game. All this despite the fact he is basically been putting those numbers up (and better) all but his first years in the league. He has never been named an All-Star and it is about time he gets the recognition he deserves.
Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors) – Another guy who has never made an All-Star team and he really does deserve it with his 18 points per game, six assists per game, and he is shooting 48 percent from the field as a point guard. The Raptors are also the best team in the East (record-wise) at 10-2 so he should get some more love from the voters — or at least you hope.
Pau Gasol (Chicago Bulls) – The man is averaging a double-double and really helping out the Bulls this year. He’s finally in a conference that doesn’t have as many good big men so he should get a lot of votes for All-Star in my opinion. His 18.6 and 10.6 a game on 49 percent shooting and crazy 2.5 blocks per game.
Jeff Teague (Atlanta Hawks) – He is playing in a Teague of his own right now (could not help it) and has looked better than big name guys like Kemba Walker and John Wall. He is averaging almost 16 points per game as well as seven assists with a 45.4 shooting percentage. He will need to improve his three point shooting — only 30 percent — but if he can recover from that low number, he will be just fine.
Western Conference:
Eric Bledsoe (Phoenix Suns) – Bledsoe was finally given a starting role last season by coming to Phoenix and this year he is really jelling with fellow back court mate Goran Dragic. He is averaging about 14 points, five assists and five rebounds a game as well as 1.3 steals per game. He is doing it on 45 percent shooting and 35.5 percent from downtown. The Suns are expected to be good and they have gotten national attention so the possibility for him to be an All-Star is definitely there.
Mike Conley (Memphis Grizzlies) – The lefty has always been under the radar and deserves some love this year. He is leading one of the best teams in the league and doing it on 17 points, six assists, and 2.5 boards per game. He is also shooting a ridiculous 45 percent from three-land on the season.
Marc Gasol (Memphis Grizzlies) – First of all, who does not want to see the Gasol brothers match up against each other? Secondly, Gasol has been a defensive force and a big reason the Grizzlies are gritting and grinding their way to wins. He was sorely missed last season and now people are understanding why. His 18 points, eight boards, and three assists per game are not too shabby. He has got a defensive rating of 98 and shooting a respectable 46.3 percent from the field.
Ryan Anderson (New Orleans Pelicans) – I have always thought Anderson was an underrated player and did a lot of things that other stretch fours do not. He offensively rebounds the ball well (two per game this season) and scores it well at 16.4 points per game. He also shoots 45 percent from the field overall and 41 percent from beyond the arc.
Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz) – The Jazz have played better than most people thought and a big reason is Gordon Hayward. He is averaging about 19 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. He also has a sweet buzzer beater to topple the Cavs early in the year. That will always help the cool factor, especially playing in Utah.
Serge Ibaka (Oklahoma City Thunder) – He might have fallen off the table as far as getting attention goes because the Thunder are super bad right now. However, he is still having a good year even though he is having to do so much for this team. His 15.5 points, eight boards and he is shooting 39 percent from downtown for the season so far. Those are numbers that will definitely help his case until the dynamic duo come back and help this team out a ton.
