Lowry, Thomas, Love among East All-Star reserves
The reserves for the 2017 Eastern Conference All-Stars were revealed Thursday night, with the following players cracking the roster:
- Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
- Isaiah Thomas, Boston Celtics
- Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers
- Paul George, Indiana Pacers
- Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks
- John Wall, Washington Wizards
- Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets
The seven reserves will join starters LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving, and DeMar DeRozan at the midseason exhibition on Feb. 19 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
Lowry makes the team for the third year in a row, and his first coming off the bench. The 28-18 Raptors sit second in the East, with the 30-year-old floor general putting up 22.4 points on 46.9 percent shooting from the field and 42.2 percent from 3-point range.
Thomas is back in the mix for a second straight season, putting up MVP-caliber numbers of 29.1 points and 6.2 assists over in Beantown. His 10.1 points in the fourth quarter also leads the Association.
The inclusion of Love gives the reigning NBA champions three All-Stars for the first time since 1993, when Larry Nance, Mark Price, and Brad Daugherty were on the team. It's his first All-Star nod since being dealt to Cleveland, and the fourth of his career.
George's play has mostly gone under the radar due to the Pacers' lack of success as a .500 club. Nonetheless, his production of 22.2 points, six boards, 3.2 dimes, and 1.7 steals in 35.4 minutes per game made him more than worthy of a fourth All-Star nod.
Millsap is just as efficient as he's ever been (18 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.8 steals, 1.8 steals, and one block) with the Hawks, playing through trade rumors for the better part of the campaign to keep Atlanta right in the thick of things at the top of the conference.
Wall is the engine that keeps the Wizards running over in the nation's capital. He's also the league's only player averaging over 20 points, 10 assists, and two steals.
Walker is the lone newbie of the seven reserves, with his sensational play for the Hornets landing him his first All-Star spot. Sure, Charlotte has fallen off as of late, but that shouldn't discount how well he's performed with his career-best offensive numbers of 23 points on 45.6 percent shooting. Walker is also connecting on over 40 percent of his attempts from behind the arc.