In the case of Indiana Pacers guard, Lance Stephenson, the NBA All-Star Game is more about popularity than players who deserve recognition.
The former Cincinnati Bearcat ranks sixth in the Eastern Conference in win shares, and leads the league in triple-doubles(4) Players such as DeMar DeRozan and Joe Johnson—currently ahead of Stephenson—made the All-Star team, but not him?
Pardon the pun, but the NBA really dropped the ball here.
While Stephenson has helped the Pacers stay atop of the Eastern Conference, Derozan and Johnson made the cut and their teams are far behind in the hunt for a playoff spot. No disrespect to each of those players, but did they help lead their teams to wins? Both Johnson and Derozan have done well, but not as well as Stephenson.
For the season, Stephenson is averaging 14.2 points per game, 7.3 rebounds a game, and 5.3 assists a game, that’s almost double of what he averaged last year. It’s a true disappointment for a player such as Stephenson, who goes out every night, plays at the best to his ability and doesn’t even get a reserve spot.
Look for Stephenson to come out strong—and a big chip on his shoulder—after the break to prove that he should have been an All-Star down the stretch.
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