Other All-Star Snubs
The Chicago Bulls definitely weren’t the only team in either conference in the NBA that had a good case for why their star player deserved to be selected for the All-Star Game. Passing up LaVine was a bad move largely because All-Star Weekend is hosted at the home of the Bulls at the United Center in Chicago.
Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns), Guard
The Suns looked like playoff contenders for much of the first half of the 2019-20 regular season. Boosts in production from Booker and veteran point guard Ricky Rubio got them off to a good start. That has died down since, but Booker is still averaging 27.1 points per game and 6.4 assists while shooting 51 percent from the field and around 37 percent from beyond the arc.
Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves), Forward
The argument for the Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns to get an All-Star nod is similar to that of PG with the Clippers. The numbers are solid, but he’s missed a good amount of games this season. KAT is still averaging around 28 points per game, 11 rebounds, and four assists. Those are All-Star caliber numbers in every sense.
Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards), Shooting Guard
A case of the NBA All-Star selections this season completely revolving around records was put on display with Beal. He’s averaging around 28-29 points per game and is a bona fide star, but the Wizards aren’t very good this year.