Every year, we patiently wait to see which players from our favorite teams are announced for the All-Star team. And every year, we complain about those who weren't selected.
The game generally consists of the guys that put up the best statistics. While there's no denying Russell Westbrook or LeBron James are All-Stars, even fringe players - such as Damian Lillard and John Wall - are still great enough to deserve the honor.
What we usually forget, however, are the guys who carry the most value for their respective teams. Players that may not have the sexy box score numbers, but make everyone better when they step on the floor. Which one of those guys should be talked about more?
Spencer Dinwiddie
It hasn't been a good year for the Brooklyn Nets. Nobody expected it to be, so it's OK. After Jeremy Lin ruptured his patellar tendon in the first game of the year, they were supposed to get worse. And then D'Angelo Russell missed two months of play. Again, they were supposed to get even worse.
Enter Spencer Dinwiddie.
Dinwiddie has taken advantage of his opportunity with the Nets in his second season with the team. Through Brooklyn's injury struggles, he's been a star, as the Nets are an entirely different team whenever he's on the floor.
Though his offensive statistics don't wow you - averaging 13.4 points, 6.4 assists, and only shooting 39.8 percent from the field for the year - it's his on/off-court ratings that have been impressive. The Nets are eight points better when Dinwiddie is on the floor - a team best - and the offense collapses when he sits. In fact, with Dinwidde on the bench, the Nets go from an offensive rating of 105.6 to 99.1.
He's proven that he deserves more than the minimum contract he's currently signed for. The up-and-down career is something not every player can recover from. The Nets, however, found themselves a diamond in the rough. One of the best contracts in the league has kept the Nets competitive, despite the low expectations.
Otto Porter Jr.
The Washington Wizards were blessed with two All-Stars in John Wall and Bradley Beal. Did they deserve it? Sure ... to an extent. What should be remembered, however, is the other guy on the team - Otto Porter Jr.
Porter is terrific in a lot of areas, and even though his numbers haven't exactly skyrocketed as many expected thanks to a new big contract, he's responded with steady play on par with what he accomplished last season.
Porter is still an ace from three, connecting on 42.6 percent from behind the arc on 3.9 attempts per game. But with depleted depth on a miserable Wizards roster, Porter's true effect is shown when he's on the floor. The team is 6.2 points better on the defensive end when Porter is playing, and his overall net rating is a team leading 3.5.
It's a wonder how much better the Wizards would be if they could put together a roster that made sense from a competitive perspective, and how much better Porter would be in a positive situation.
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute
James Harden. Chris Paul. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute? We often overlook the players that don't average double figures in points. And when someone's never done it in their career? Well, they must not really matter.
Mbah a Moute is different. Much different. He has the fourth-best net rating in the NBA (13.2) and the fifth best defensive rating (96.5). Remember that six-game losing skid the Rockets experienced in December? Well, Mbah a Moute wasn't playing in any of those losses. In fact, the Rockets are 23-5 when he's active, tied for the best on the team with Paul.
The Rockets' defense really fell apart in his absence. The Rockets are currently 12th in the league in defensive rating. Prior to Mbah a Moute missing a month of play, they had a rating of 102.1 - sixth in the NBA.
His 7.1 points per game won't wow you. Neither will his 3.5 rebounds. But he shoots a useful 39.2 from three, but these aren't the numbers that matter. Paul, Harden, Clint Capela, and Eric Gordon will get the Rockets numbers in every category, but what Mbah a Moute gives the team is everything else.
Oh, and he also had himself a historic performance earlier this season.
Andre Roberson
Keep laughing at Andre Roberson. Yeah, he can't shoot. At all. Not even from the free-throw line. But so what? Without Roberson, that top three Oklahoma City defense is below average.
He's shooting 22.2 percent from three and a humiliating 29 percent from the charity stripe. He's only giving the Thunder 5.1 points per game in 26.8 minutes per game. He's horrible, right? If basketball was only judged by offense, he might be the league's worst player. If it was only judged by defense, he'd be the league's best player.
The Thunder are 12.7 points better when he's on the floor and 11.2 points better on the defensive end. His defensive rating of 96.3 is fourth in the league, and despite his shortcomings on one end of the floor, he's still top 15 in net rating.
Fans get a little out of hand when judging a player, viewing stats as the only reasonable method of differentiating between what's good and bad. Street-ball logic doesn't qualify in professional basketball. Roberson won't get you buckets, but he'll still win you games, as he's the only member of the Thunder with a positive net rating in clutch time. Think about that before you laugh at his free throws.
