Projecting the 2018 NBA All-Stars
West Reserves – Forwards
Forward: Blake Griffin
Decision: With Chris Paul now in Houston, the LA Clippers is officially Blake Griffin’s team. After making the All-Star game in his first five seasons then missing it over the last two, I thought 2018 was the year that Griffin would finally return to all-star status (and that still might be the case). However, Griffin recently damaged his left knee with a sprained MCL and the recovery process may take up to two months. In a huge blow to the Clippers and his all-star game selection chances, Griffin will be out until possibly late January. It is extra unfortunate because not only is the All-Star game taking place in his team’s city, Los Angeles, but Blake has also been putting up the numbers to back it up as well. The NBA All-Star game has turned into a pickup street game/slam dunk contest so obviously we need Griffin in it to excite the audience with some of his unbelievable finishes. The Clippers might not be that good anymore but that’s certainly not on Griffin’s shoulders.
Forward: Lamarcus Aldridge
Decision: One of the more underreported stories of this NBA season so far is the absence of San Antonio Spurs’ star forward Kawhi Leonard. Maybe it’s because with Leonard out to start the season with a quad injury, Lamarcus Aldridge has done an excellent job of being the face of the San Antonio Spurs in the meantime. The Spurs seem to always find a way to be successful but Aldridge averaging 20+ points and a near double-double per game certainly helps. The second overall pick from 2007 is a 5x All-star in his career (mostly with his days in Portland) but I can definitely see Aldridge being a Western All-Star again for the Spurs this year.
