Victor Wembanyama will lead wave of deserving first-time NBA all-stars

As a result, the all-star reserves, who will be announced Thursday, should have a younger feel. Wembanyama, who headlined a pair of showcase games in Paris last week, seems to be a lock for his first all-star nod. But the 21-year-old French center is not alone: There is a deep crop of fresh faces vying for the spots vacated by 2024 all-stars Joel Embiid, Luka Doncic, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, who have all dealt with persistent health concerns this season. Here are The Washington Post’s choices for the 14 all-star reserves, which take into account individual statistics, availability and contribution to team success. Spoiler alert: Six first-timers made the cut. Each conference’s reserve pool is made up of two backcourt players, three frontcourt players and two wild cards who can play any position. All discrepancies between The Post’s picks for the all-star starters and the official selections have been noted below. Return to menu Garland, the point guard for the NBA’s No. 1 offense and the East’s current top seed, had a strong case for one of the starting spots that went to Donovan Mitchell and Jalen Brunson. The 2019 lottery pick’s development during his six seasons with Cleveland has been steady and remarkable: Garland (21.7 points per game, 6.8 assists per game, 2.5 rebounds per game) has learned to utilize his quickness and pretty in-between game to complement Mitchell and keep defenses off balance. The Cavaliers’ use of a deeper rotation has maximized Garland’s effectiveness, and he is flirting with his first 50/40/90 shooting season while posting career-best marks across the major advanced statistics. Though his lack of size could make him a target in the playoffs, he has become a craftier scorer and savvier decision-maker since earning his only previous all-star selection in 2022. After wallowing in misery for his first three seasons with Detroit, the 23-year-old Cunningham (24.8 ppg, 9.4 apg, 6.4 rpg) has emerged as a franchise-changing force this year. The 2021 No. 1 pick has been on all-star watch lists since summer 2023, but injuries and poor spacing around him hindered his development. The Pistons’ offseason coaching change and veteran free agency additions have opened the court for Cunningham, who drew comparisons to Doncic during the predraft process. Fittingly, Doncic is the only under-25 player during the three-point era to match Cunningham’s stat line. While Cunningham’s combination of size, scoring touch and playmaking feel is exceedingly rare and coveted, his mature handling of Detroit’s historic 28-game losing streak last season is equally worthy of praise. Rather than giving up on a dysfunctional situation, Cunningham stayed the course and has the Pistons pushing for their first winning season since 2015-16. Return to menu While a recent three-game losing streak took some of the shine off the Cavaliers’ sparkling record, they are well positioned to be the only team to land three all-stars. Mobley, 23, was taken two picks after Cunningham in 2021 and is enjoying a fourth-year breakthrough of his own. By adding the corner three-pointer to his arsenal and becoming a more active piece in Coach Kenny Atkinson’s movement-oriented offense, the perennial all-defensive team candidate has become a much more useful offensive weapon. There’s still room for Mobley (18.1 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 2.9 apg) to refine his scoring repertoire, but he has shaken off predraft concerns that he might only make an impact on one side of the ball. Brown, the reigning Finals MVP, was an easy pick even though he has battled nagging injuries and struggled with his scoring efficiency during a somewhat disappointing campaign. There simply aren’t many high-level wings in the East capable of giving him a run for his money, especially with Jimmy Butler embroiled in a trade saga and both Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner missing significant time with injury. The Celtics’ hopes of repeating as champions will rely, in part, on Brown (23.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.8 apg) raising his defensive energy and taking better care of the ball. Still, his size, athleticism and downhill ability set him apart from most of his peers. Siakam (20.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 3.4 apg) lands the last spot by default: Embiid, George, Banchero, Wagner and Kristaps Porzingis have missed too much time, Mikal Bridges has been too inconsistent, and Jarrett Allen hasn’t been dominant enough to sneak in as Cleveland’s fourth representative. In his first full season with the Pacers, Siakam has served as the leading scorer for a top-10 offense and turned in the best outside shooting campaign of his nine-year career. Despite a slow start, Indiana has reclaimed its spot among the East’s second-tier contenders after its surprise trip to last year’s conference finals. Siakam’s reliability has been key: He hasn’t missed a game and ranks among the top 20 leaguewide in minutes played. Return to menu The final two spots in the East belong to guards given the imbalance in talent between the remaining backcourt and frontcourt candidates. Though Lillard’s box score numbers outpace his impact on winning because of his defensive deficiencies, he has built better chemistry in his second season alongside Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. The 34-year-old guard remains a constant threat to pull up off the dribble from deep, and he has managed to defer to Antetokounmpo and generate his own offense without forgetting to involve Milwaukee’s auxiliary shooters. The Bucks’ NBA Cup championship and steady play in January suggest that Lillard (25.5 ppg, 7.3 apg, 4.7 rpg) would still like to deliver on the hype that surrounded his 2023 trade to Milwaukee. Compared with younger score-first guards such as Tyrese Maxey and LaMelo Ball, Lillard remains a more dependable force. The last spot came down to Herro (24.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 5.4 apg) or Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (22.7 ppg, 11.4 apg, 3.3 rpg), who serve as offensive engines in different ways. Herro has capitalized on Butler’s absence with the best season of his career: The natural born bucket-getter is on trend as a high-volume three-point shooter, he has adjusted well to extra attention from opposing defenses, and he has actually improved his efficiency in his expanded role. While Young leads the league in assists, his shooting numbers leave much to be desired, the Hawks have been outscored with him on the court, and Miami boasts a more efficient offense than Atlanta. To earn his first all-star nod, the 25-year-old Herro must also beat out teammate Bam Adebayo. It’s hard to mount a strong case for the Heat center, whose shooting numbers have suffered because he hasn’t been able to extend his range beyond the arc as hoped. Return to menu The Post preferred Edwards (26.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 4.4 apg) as a starter because of his superior availability compared with Curry, but the Golden State Warriors star swept the fan, player and media votes. In truth, Edwards hasn’t had a perfect season: He has struggled to mesh with Julius Randle, he has repeatedly acknowledged Minnesota’s inconsistent effort, and he has drawn countless fines from the league office for using profanity during interviews. Despite a breakout 2024 playoff run, maturity remains an issue for the 23-year-old Edwards. There’s still plenty to like. Edwards is a creative high-volume scorer who has embraced the NBA’s ongoing three-point revolution, and he is a more aggressive on-ball defender than most stars at his position. Despite the predictable lineup fit questions that developed in the wake of the Karl-Anthony Towns trade in September, Edwards has Minnesota comfortably above .500 and pushing for a top-six seed. If the Timberwolves can solve the Randle question at the trade deadline, they could really take off. Harden (21.7 ppg, 8.3 apg, 5.9 rpg) hasn’t been an all-star since 2022, but it’s time for a swan song. At 35 years old, his career-low field goal percentage and sky-high turnover rate are unmistakable signs of aging. Yet Harden has been largely responsible for turning the Los Angeles Clippers into one of this season’s most pleasant surprises. With Paul George off to Philadelphia and Kawhi Leonard out for months with knee issues, Harden has provided just enough scoring and playmaking to complement the Clippers’ elite and disruptive defense. While Norman Powell has led the Clippers in scoring, Harden’s patented hybrid style of scoring and distributing has been more crucial to the team’s success. Harden has struck up a nice partnership with center Ivica Zubac, and he has turned back the clock to his Houston Rockets days with three 40-point games. Instead of tumbling into the lottery in their first season without George, the Clippers are on track for the playoffs and Harden feels far removed from his ugly 2023 standoff with the Philadelphia 76ers. Return to menu The Post preferred Davis and Wembanyama over James and Durant as all-star starters because they have been elite scoring weapons and all-league level defenders. Tight races between the four players in the fan, player and media votes confirm that all are worthy selections, regardless of who received the starting designation. After battling persistent injury issues early in his Lakers tenure, Davis (25.7 ppg, 11.9 rpg, 3.4 apg) is in the midst of his second straight season with excellent availability. As a result, he has churned out 20-point, 10-rebound nights like clockwork while covering tons of ground defensively. James’s defensive energy has been hit or miss, and he is deferring more often to Davis as the Lakers’ No. 1 option. Wembanyama (24.5 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 3.7 apg) spent last week as a basketball ambassador in Paris, where NBA Commissioner Adam Silver hailed him as a “very special player” with “tremendous [global] popularity.” The hype is real: No player since Shaquille O’Neal in 1999-2000 has matched Wembanyama’s current averages in points, rebounds and blocks for a season. The Spurs still have some work to do if they want to join the play-in tournament mix, but they would be in contention for the West’s worst record if not for their franchise center. Unfortunately, Jackson (22.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.1 apg) has been a bit of a forgotten man in the national discourse and the fan vote, where he somehow finished 10th among West frontcourt players. Much like Davis and Wembanyama, he fits the modern prototype of a versatile big man who roams all over the court on both ends. The 2022-23 defensive player of the year has been a skilled shot blocker since he entered the league as a teenager, but he has made strides as a multidimensional scoring threat. Jackson now possesses dependable three-point range, the ability to finish in the basket area and the requisite fluidity to keep up with the Grizzlies’ attack, which leads the league in pace. Jackson, 25, has led the Grizzlies in scoring with Ja Morant battling injury issues, and he has been a stabilizing leader for the West’s third-place team. While Memphis wins with its depth and balanced attack, that formula would fall short without Jackson’s night-to-night impact. The Grizzlies’ playoff hopes probably hinge on Morant’s ability to return to his tantalizing form, but Jackson’s steadiness has made him the team’s most deserving all-star and puts him in position to earn a lucrative contract extension this summer. Return to menu As always, there will be some painful snubs in the West: Kyrie Irving, Devin Booker, Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox didn’t make the cut on this ballot, and Doncic wasn’t considered because of his lingering calf injury. The surprising Rockets are a nightmare for all-star voters to decipher: Aggressive defense is their calling card, eight Houston players average in double figures, and Fred VanVleet, their only previous all-star, doesn’t really have a case this year. Meanwhile, Jalen Green is their leading scorer and Sengun paces them in the major advanced statistics, but Amen Thompson is starting to look like he will be their best player when all is said and done. Who, if anyone, should represent this unexpected and well-balanced juggernaut in the All-Star Game? Snubbing the Rockets entirely would do a disservice to their exceptional start. While Sabonis (21.0 ppg, 14.6 rpg, 6.4 apg) is more productive than Sengun (19.1 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 5.0 apg), the latter has mixed skilled low-post scoring, relentless offensive rebounding, creative passing and improved defense to help land Houston in the top 10 of both offensive and defensive rankings. And after suffering a season-ending ankle injury in 2023-24, the Turkish center hasn’t missed a game this season. Given Houston’s limited depth behind Sengun, the 22-year-old’s availability has helped drive Houston’s leap. Irving is a more thrilling scorer, Booker is a more accomplished star and Sabonis is an absolute workhorse, but Williams (21.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 5.2 apg) claimed the last spot because of his well-roundedness and indispensable role to Oklahoma City’s runaway showing in the West. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes the Thunder go, but Williams is perfectly suited to the sidekick lifestyle. The 2022 first-round pick can score on and off the ball, make the right reads to set up his teammates and capably defend multiple positions in small ball lineups. When center Chet Holmgren was lost early in the season to a hip injury, the 6-foot-6 Williams proved he could step in as a rim-protecting presence. Some players in Williams’s position would envy Gilgeous-Alexander’s role or press to score as much as possible when it was their turn, but the third-year wing is wise beyond his years and fully committed to the team concept. Oklahoma City doesn’t have the league’s best record without Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams, and both deserve to reap the rewards with a trip to San Francisco. Williams, 23, is one of six first-time selections on this ballot, alongside Wembanyama, Cunningham, Mobley, Herro and Sengun.