On Thursday, the Western Conference All-Star starters were announced. Back in December, I published my All-Star starter predictions. The announced starters were Stephen Curry and James Harden in the backcourt spots, and LeBron James, Kevin Durant. and Paul George in the frontcourt spots. It’s safe to say that every player on the list unquestionably deserved their spot…with the exception of Thunder F Paul George.
Up and down the list of the five starters, you see MVP candidates, former MVPs, and All-Star regulars. However, with this list of starters, it’s caught the eye of myself and many others as to why Pelicans F Anthony Davis was not voted into the third frontcourt starter spot. Why? The numbers, and “the eye-test” show that Anthony Davis was supposed to be an obvious starter, especially over Paul George. Let’s dive in.
Anthony Davis vs. Paul George
Paul George: 27.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.3 steals, 0.5 blocks
George, as everyone can see, has been having a career year. The ball has been taken out of the hands of PG Russell Westbrook and put into his hands, and it’s worked out mightily. It’s safe to say that George has been in his prime this season. He’s eighth in the league in scoring and second in the league in steals. He has career-highs in points, rebounds, and steals.
The eye test shows us that George has been efficient when scoring as well as a lock-down defender. One can argue that he’s led his team to be within the top four in the West, while Anthony Davis isn’t even in playoff contention. However, as I alluded to before, the All-Star nod is something that should be based on individual performance.
Anthony Davis: 29.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.7 steals, 2.6 blocks
Davis is currently second in the league in scoring, fourth in rebounding, and second in blocks. His points, rebounds, and assists per game are all career-highs. As the only star on his team, he’s been carrying the Pelicans on his back for most of their wins. If it weren’t for the record of the Pelicans, some may even consider Davis an MVP favorite.
He is, however, undoubtedly one the NBA’s leading candidates for the Defensive Player of the Year award. The all-star nod is an individual award. Team performance should have nothing to do with who’s an All-Star. Head-to-head, yes, Paul George is having a career year. However, Anthony Davis quietly is too. All factors besides winning, show that Anthony Davis is the better player for that spot. But, let’s take a look at the voting counts for each of these players.
2019 Western Conference Frontcourt All-Star Starter Voting Results
As seen above, Anthony Davis and Paul George were virtually in the mix for the last frontcourt starter spot. The players (25%), the media (25%) and fans (50%) are among the voters for the starters. Anthony Davis finished (#3) above Paul George in both the media vote and player vote. With the fans voting George in over Davis, it led to a tie between the two players. In that case, the tiebreaker then went to the fans who voted in George.
With these numbers, it’s safe to say that the fans got it wrong. Paul George is having a career year, and maybe that swayed fans away from Anthony Davis. However, Davis’ play and numbers are undeniably better than George’s. The media (25%) and the players (25%) got it right. The fans were a little off with their voting, yet again.
Other Possible Reasons
Fans are always looking for the top match-ups from the best teams. Unless you’re a die-hard fan, it’s unlikely that you’re watching the Phoenix Suns vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers on a random Tuesday night. The Thunder have 36 national television appearances this season while the Pelicans have 20. With Paul George being on television more than Anthony Davis, fans may be more prone to vote for the All-Star they’ve seen making strides on their television.
With that, social media also plays a huge factor. Paul George definitely receives more social media attention than Anthony Davis. Davis usually snags attention when it comes to whether or not he’s going to play for the Lakers. George attracts attention on the court with Russell Westbrook. Also known as popularity, this can also be a huge reason for George getting the fan vote over Anthony Davis.
Both players are exceptional, and obviously, both players will be in the All-Star game. However, although it’s not a major issue, Anthony Davis not being an All-Star starter does turn some heads. Without a doubt, there’s no question that Paul George earned his spot due to his play. However, there’s doubt as to whether or not he deserved that spot. At the end of the day, he’ll be the starter.
Anthony Davis was snubbed.