Crunch 99 wrote:tmorgan wrote:Excuse the random chime-in, but Lauri feels like an absolute lock as a coach’s pick at this point.
17th in scoring, extremely efficient, and low turnovers. Everyone above him on the scoring leaders list turns the ball over more. Only DeRozen is even close.
I could be wrong, but I think the relevant question has changed from whether Markkanen will make the All Star team to whether Markkanen will start in the All Star game. I saw a media guy just two days ago (can't remember which reporter it was) say he is going to give his vote for starter to Markkanen. And one week ago, Dan Devine at Yahoo Sports wrote this:
Judging by most of the various all-in-one advanced statistical metrics, Markkanen has been, at worst, one of the six best frontcourt players in the West this season. (As of one week ago), he has also played about 200 more minutes than James, 420 more than Paul George, 480 more than Williamson, 600 more than Davis and more than twice as many minutes as Jaren Jackson Jr. This is a case where quality meets quantity; as with Gilgeous-Alexander, the question should be whether Markkanen winds up starting at his home arena, not if he winds up staying in Salt Lake City for All-Star weekend at all. He belongs there.
https://sports.yahoo.com/first-time-nba-all-stars-shai-gilgeous-alexander-lauri-markkanen-among-crowded-field-of-deserving-candidates-181637995.html
With fan voting counting for 50% (much better than 100%, but still too much) and placing him 7th, I don't think Lauri will jump into the top 3 with media & player voting. I'm just guessing, but he'd probably have to be the #1 player picked by media/players, in order to make that kind of jump. I could see him ending up 5th, though, jumping Wiggins & George in the final accumulated voting.
I do, however, feel very confident Lauri will get a coaches nod as a reserve.
Clarkson is likely going to have to hope to be added as an injury replacement, if that opportunity comes. I can't imagine him getting picked over Curry, Doncic, Morant, Gilgeous-Alexander, Lillard, Booker, or Fox.