Warriors: All-Star starter streak ends, but Dubs hoping for a reserve

The Golden State Warriors historic All-Star starter streak has officially come to an end, but the team is hopeful that it could at least land a reserve.

The Golden State Warriors will unfortunately be without a starting representative in this year’s All-Star game for the first time since 2013. While they are hoping for a reserve to be announced in the near future, their six-year run was truly triumphant.

Six-time All-Star starter Stephen Curry led the way for the Warriors with starting honors from 2014-2019. Winning back-to-back league MVP honors and three championships along the way, the point guard has been more than deserving of his All-Star accolades.

Kevin Durant contributed with three starting appearances as a member of the Warriors as well, genuinely solidifying the duo as one of the decade’s best. The former MVP would win two consecutive Finals MVP awards for his sheer dominance against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Curry and Durant were famously chosen first and second overall in last year’s All-Star draft, with Steph joining forces with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Durant teaming up with LeBron James.

Durant would go on to win the All-Star game Most Valuable Player award, his second one, but only time as a member of the Warriors.

However, with Curry suffering a broken hand causing him to miss most of the season along with Durant departing this past offseason, the Warriors have gone downhill in a nose-diving fashion.

Residing at the bottom of the Western Conference, this has been an unfamiliar season for the team after five straight NBA Finals appearances.

The injuries plaguing this team have been the most significant factor in this lackluster season, as Klay Thompson has also missed the entire year with a torn ACL.

With unfortunate injuries piling up and a couple of key departures in free agency, this season has begun as one everyone would like to forget about for the most part.

Regardless, a vital member of the Warriors still has the possibility to participate in this year’s All-Star game, but as a reserve rather than a starter.

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This player would be D’Angelo Russell, who is having a phenomenal first season with Golden State after being acquired this offseason in a sign-and-trade involving Kevin Durant.

The guard is having a career year on the offensive end, averaging a team-high 23.9 points per game on 43.2 percent shooting from the field through 47 games.

Russell was a first-time All-Star as a member of the Brooklyn Nets last season and has only improved most of his stellar statistics since then.

Although the Warriors currently stand with an abysmal 10-38 record, Russell’s play has been All-Star worthy on all levels. As rough as this season has been thus far, the fantastic performance of the 23-year-old on a nightly basis has undoubtedly been a bright spot.

The 2020 All-Star game reserves will be announced this coming Thursday and Warriors fans should have their fingers crossed to hear Russell’s name called.

Playing in a loaded Western Conference stacked with tremendous guard talent wherever you look, only time will tell if the fifth-year guard makes the cut.