Fact or Fiction: Domantas Sabonis is The Biggest Snub of the 2025 NBA All-Star Game
What is a snub? A snub is a guy that can't get no love from ... the voting panel for the NBA All-Star Game.
Maybe a handful of you understood that joke. But it is true. I did not envy the voters this season. The league is as rich with talent as it has ever been. Someone was bound to get snubbed. Multiple players.
The NBA on Thursday announced its All-Star reserves (selected by the coaches), completing the 24-player field for this year's All-Star Game in San Francisco, so long as (fingers crossed) nobody gets injured between now and Feb. 16.
(starters in bold) , Milwaukee Bucks; Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics; , New York Knicks; Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons; Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers; Tyler Herro, Miami Heat; Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks; , Cleveland Cavaliers; Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers; Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers; , Boston Celtics; , New York Knicks
, Golden State Warriors; Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers; , Phoenix Suns; Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves; , Oklahoma City Thunder; James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers; Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies; , Los Angeles Lakers; , Denver Nuggets; Alperen Şengün, Houston Rockets; Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs; Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder
And sure enough: There are some snubs. But remember:
Again, we know the rule: If you're telling me who got snubbed, who shouldn't be an All-Star?
— Vincent Goodwill (@VinceGoodwill) January 30, 2025
When we are determining The Biggest Snub, we have to kick someone out. Sorry, James Harden.
Hear me out. (But a disclaimer first: Games played matter, so apologies to Paolo Banchero, Luka Dončić, Joel Embiid, Ja Morant and Franz Wagner, among others who did not play enough to earn consideration.)
The Biggest Snub has to come from the West. There are too many good players in the conference. Herro would not have sniffed a selection on a .500 team from the West. He should not have even made it over Trae Young in the Eastern Conference, but if we are looking for the most talented non-All-Star this season — The Biggest Snub — he is in the West. He did not fail to make an All-Star team over Tyler Herro.
He failed to make one over Harden, who is having a great season for a Los Angeles Clippers team that has exceeded expectations. He also may not be the most valuable member of his own team. Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac are, at the very least, as impactful, as is a healthy Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers are in sixth place because of a defense that is ranked second in the NBA despite the presence of Harden; not because of a bottom-10 offense.
Harden's raw numbers — 21.7 points, 8.4 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game — are impressive, though he is shooting 40% from the field and below league average from 3 (35.2%). His 203 turnovers lead the NBA.
I do not like making a case against anyone, but these are the rules, and it is a good one against Harden.
Now for the reveal: This year's The Biggest Snub is not LaMelo Ball or Devin Booker or Tyrese Maxey. It is Domantas Sabonis, spawn of Arvydas, King of The Nail.
It was between him and Kyrie Irving.
Sabonis: 20.9 PTS (61/48/77), 14.5 REB, 6.6 AST (3.1 TO), 0.6 STL, 0.4 BLK; 68.0 TS%, 24.1 PER
Irving: 24.2 PTS (48/42/90), 4.9 AST (2.3 TO), 4.6 REB, 1.2 STL, 0.3 BLK; 60.0 TS%, 19.8 PER
Harden: 21.7 PTS (40/35/89), 8.4 AST (4.6 TO), 5.8 REB, 1.5 STL, 0.6 BLK; 57.3 TS%, 19.1 PER
Would you look at that? Sabonis is the most efficient scorer of the three, leads the NBA in rebounding and averages more assists per game than Irving (with a higher assist-to-turnover ratio than Harden).
Here is who has averaged a 21-14-6 in NBA history: Wilt Chamberlain. That is it.
What else do you really have to say? Sabonis has also played more than both of them this season. And when he is on the court, the Kings are 14.9 points per 100 meaningful possessions better, according to Cleaning the Glass — the league's fourth-best on/off rating among players who have logged at least 1,000 minutes, trailing only Jokić, Wembanyama and Chris Paul (who has played more than three-quarters of his minutes with Wemby).
Sacramento has the equivalent of a top-five offense when Sabonis is on the floor and a bottom-two offense when he is on the bench, and the team's offensive rating has settled into seventh in the league.
By contrast the Mavericks are 3.8 points per 100 possessions better when Irving is on the floor, and the Clippers are 4.8 points per 100 possessions better when Harden is on the court. Add those on/off ratings together, and you are still searching for as much impact as Sabonis.
I am not here to say Sabonis' game is the most compelling for an All-Star audience, but who wants to see another Harden step-back 3 when Sabonis is converting his triples at the league's second-best clip? Plus he will pass and rebound better than anyone. He won't steal the show, but he belongs in it. What we are doing here. The answer is obvious.
Fact. Domantas Sabonis is The Biggest Snub of the 2025 NBA All-Star Game.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Nets' Drake Powell honored for being taken in 2025 NBA Draft
The Brooklyn Nets made one of the more surprising decisions amongst teams in the 2025 NBA Draft as they took a record-breaking five players in the event. Brooklyn made sure to address the lack of ball-handlers on the team, but one of the players they took, forward Drake Powell, not only has a different skillset, but he's also being honored from the place he grew up in. "The Chatham County Board of Commissioners adopted a special resolution Monday evening honoring Pittsboro native Drake Powell on his first-round selection in the 2025 NBA Draft," Michael Koh of wrote regarding Powell. After being inquired from the Atlanta Hawks by the Nets, Brooklyn used the 22nd overall pick on bring in Powell, a player who could be the Nets' latest attempt at finding a wing who can contribute on both ends. "Drake's journey… has been marked by excellence, discipline and an unwavering commitment to growth," Chatham County's resolution read in part, per Koch. Powell, 19, was born in Durham, North Carolina, but he spent most of his time growing up in Pittsboro, North Carolina, a town about 30 miles away from Durham. Powell played for Northwood high school in Pittsboro, where he showed his potential to be a great basketball player. "He's just stayed humble and very much committed to not just being a good player but being a good young man,' Chatham County commissioner Karen Howard told 97.9 The Hill, per Koch.. 'It was quite an honor to be able to recognize him and wish him well in his future endeavors… this is what Chatham County and Chatham County Schools is capable of doing." Powell comes to the Nets after spending his freshman season at the University of North Carolina, where he averaged 7.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game while shooting 48.3% from the field and 37.9% from three-point land. Powell wasn't able to play for the Nets during the team's trip to Las Vegas to play in the summer league due to left knee tendinopathy, but he still means something to where his basketball journey began. This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets' Drake Powell honored for being taken in 2025 NBA Draft
Fox Sports
19 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Angels star Mike Trout joins the 1,000-RBI club with a 'big-time blast'
Associated Press ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — One swing of the bat was more than enough for Mike Trout to deliver a reminder about his impact on baseball. The Angels star hit a massive homer to center field on Sunday to move past 1,000 RBIs in his career, a two-run shot that helped Los Angeles beat the Seattle Mariners 4-1. 'It takes your teammates to get on base, and after the game, that was one of the things I pointed out,' Trout said of a clubhouse toast that included whiskey and words of appreciation. 'None of this is possible without my teammates. It's been fun.' Now with 1,001 RBIs, another Trout milestone is around the corner as the three-time American League MVP reached 397 home runs with his fifth-inning drive that traveled an estimated 443 feet. 'He couldn't have drawn it up any better, putting a big-time blast like that to center field,' said Jo Adell, Trout's successor in center. 'I'm honored to be able to start my career here and play with him and just see the evolution of him.' Trout has struggled to stay on the field in recent years, with a bone bruise in his left knee forcing him to miss a month this year. He has played designated hitter since his return after starting the season in right field. He was batting just .200 with one home run in nine games since the All-Star break, but he showed Sunday he can still deliver after 1,598 games over 15 seasons. 'Every time we talk about Mike, even 75 percent of Mike is better than most people who have ever played the game,' Angels interim manager Ray Montgomery said. 'He's going to through ups and downs just like everybody else and his are more magnified because of who he is.' It was a day of exploits for the Angels' veterans as Kyle Hendricks picked up win No. 103 by allowing two hits over six-plus innings and Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his 465th save. Trout has 19 homers, his most since hitting 40 in 2022. He also joined Garrett Anderson and Tim Salmon as the only players to record their first 1,000 RBIs exclusively with the Angels. 'When guys are here that long and what they mean to the club, it's pretty special to be in that group,' Trout said of Anderson and Salmon, who now work with the Angels' broadcast team. 'They had unbelievable careers in an Angels uniform and when you're in the same conversation with them, it's pretty special.' ___ AP MLB: recommended Item 1 of 3
Hamilton Spectator
19 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Angels star Mike Trout joins the 1,000-RBI club with a ‘big-time blast'
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — One swing of the bat was more than enough for Mike Trout to deliver a reminder about his impact on baseball. The Angels star hit a massive homer to center field on Sunday to move past 1,000 RBIs in his career, a two-run shot that helped Los Angeles beat the Seattle Mariners 4-1 . 'It takes your teammates to get on base, and after the game, that was one of the things I pointed out,' Trout said of a clubhouse toast that included whiskey and words of appreciation. 'None of this is possible without my teammates. It's been fun.' Now with 1,001 RBIs, another Trout milestone is around the corner as the three-time American League MVP reached 397 home runs with his fifth-inning drive that traveled an estimated 443 feet. 'He couldn't have drawn it up any better, putting a big-time blast like that to center field,' said Jo Adell, Trout's successor in center. 'I'm honored to be able to start my career here and play with him and just see the evolution of him.' Trout has struggled to stay on the field in recent years, with a bone bruise in his left knee forcing him to miss a month this year. He has played designated hitter since his return after starting the season in right field. He was batting just .200 with one home run in nine games since the All-Star break, but he showed Sunday he can still deliver after 1,598 games over 15 seasons. 'Every time we talk about Mike, even 75 percent of Mike is better than most people who have ever played the game,' Angels interim manager Ray Montgomery said. 'He's going to through ups and downs just like everybody else and his are more magnified because of who he is.' It was a day of exploits for the Angels' veterans as Kyle Hendricks picked up win No. 103 by allowing two hits over six-plus innings and Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his 465th save. Trout has 19 homers, his most since hitting 40 in 2022. He also joined Garrett Anderson and Tim Salmon as the only players to record their first 1,000 RBIs exclusively with the Angels. 'When guys are here that long and what they mean to the club, it's pretty special to be in that group,' Trout said of Anderson and Salmon, who now work with the Angels' broadcast team. 'They had unbelievable careers in an Angels uniform and when you're in the same conversation with them, it's pretty special.' ___ AP MLB:
