Will the Warriors Have an All-Star?
One of the biggest storylineswithin Warriors fans with this hot start is whether or not a Warrior will make the all star game. David Lee and Stephen Curry have been playing out of their minds so I decided to break down whether or not they will make it to Houston.
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Stephen Curry: In a vacuum
The 20 points and six-plus assists per game look pretty great until you realize he has the lowest assist rate of his career (and far below that of an average point guard) and is shooting 42 percent from the field. He isn’t an elite defender, contrary to what Mark Jackson may believe, and the Warriors net rating only improves by 1.8 points when he steps on the court. His APER (Alternative Player Efficiency Rating) is 14th among point guards who play over ten minutes a game and behind players like Jrue Holiday and Goran Dragic. These negatives outweigh the fact that he has lead these Warriors to a great start and is putting up raw numbers similar to those that Tony Parker had last year. In a vacuum, Curry’s numbers aren’t all-star caliber.
The competition
This gets even bleaker when you look at the competition. Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden are locks, Jeremy Lin may get in with fan voting, and we haven’t even talked about Tony Parker and Steve Nash. Those two will most likely be Curry’s biggest competition.
The verdict
Should he get in: no. Does he get in: it’s a close call, but Parker beats him out for the last spot.
David Lee
In a vacuum
It can’t be understated what Lee has been doing this year for the Warriors. He has been a consistent double figures scorer and is doing it very efficiently. He is in the top 50 in five different offensive categories per mySynergySports (Post up, pick and roll roll man, cut, offensive rebound, and transition). He’s putting up a 20 and ten nearly every night, and is making big buckets when the Dubs need it. Lee’s reputation has long been that his defensive deficiencies outweigh his offensive prowess making him a net minus on the floor. This year, his defense has improved from an absolute disaster to barely passable, a huge jump for Lee. That combined with his especially lethal offense has made him one of the top power forwards in the Western Conference.
The competition
The competition here isn’t nearly as brutal as what Curry has to face. Blake Griffin is a lock, then it gets pretty murky. Tim Duncan probably should start, but his brilliance is going overlooked and he has expressed his disinterest in even playing the game. Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Love have been injured and haven’t been playing well after coming back. LaMarcus Aldridge should make the game, but by no means has been better than Lee. Things are looking pretty rosy for Lee at the moment.
The verdict
Should he make the game: yes, his offensive brilliance and defensive improvements along with being a 20-10 player indicate this. Will he make the game: yes.