The 2024 NBA All Star Game will be played on February 18, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers. The game will see the Eastern Conference All Stars playing against the Western Conference All Stars. Each team consists of the top 12 players from the two conferences.
LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Kevin Durant, and Jayson Tatum highlight the list of star players who were voted in. However, not every star player made the cut due to the limited spaces available. Let’s take a look at some of the most notable All Star Game snubs.
Trae Young – Atlanta Hawks
Trae Young is known for his 3-point shooting
A surprising omission from the Eastern Conference roster is Trae Young. The Atlanta Hawks star point guard is averaging a double-double with 27 points per game and 10.9 assists per game. He now becomes the all-time leader in All-Star game snubs when averaging more than 25 points per game.
The voting for the game is done in part by the fans, making Young’s absence even more shocking considering his popularity around the league. Perhaps the tie breaker between him and other players was the fact that the Hawks are performing well below their expectation this season, as they sit at 10th in the Eastern Conference.
Victor Wembanyama – San Antonio Spurs
Victor Wembanyama was the top pick in the NBA Draft
Victor Wembanyama has certainly been living up to his status as the first pick in the draft and the possible generational talent he can become. He’s averaging 17 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per game, as he uses every inch of his 7’4″ height. At times, the Frenchman looks like a cheat code out on the court.
His notability league wide and among fans is huge, making his All-Star game snub very surprising. However, going by just the stats and his team’s success this season, the voters seem to have probably made the right call. The Spurs are a bottom three team in the league, and rarely is there ever an All Star from a team performing that terribly.
De’Aaron Fox/Domantas Sabonis – Sacramento Kings
De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis lead one of the league’s best teams
The most shocking snubs have to be the two stars of the Sacramento Kings, De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. They are the leaders of their team, a squad that currently sits at the 5th seed in the playoffs. Fox is averaging over 27 points per game while Sabonis is averaging 20 points and 13 rebounds per game.
Star players from the best teams typically make the roster, but not in this case. Last season, Sacramento finally broke through into the playoffs behind the play of Fox and Sabonis, who earned All Star nods. This year, they are playing just as well, but unfortunately have been overlooked by the voters.
Jamal Murray – Denver Nuggets
Jamal Murray has never been an All Star
No one is more deserving of being a first time All Star than Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray. However, he will have to wait at least another season, barring another player not being able to play. The prolific floor general is again having a solid season as he is scoring over 21 points per game.
Although he will not be attending the game in Indiana, he can still take pride in bringing a championship to Denver last season. He would be the first to tell you which honor is more important, but it will always be a goal of his to be associated amongst the game’s current best players.
