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The 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend is just about 3 weekends away from today. 14 teams in the Western Conference are fighting spiritedly for only eight playoff berths, while the Eastern Conference basement is itself in a state of flux due to the competitiveness of the Nets, Hornets and the Orlando Magic.
All of this means that there are a number of deserving players with the talent and ability to match the actual All-Star selections toe for toe on any given day, but won't be playing at that stage. That much has been obvious given how many breakout seasons we're having from emerging players in a variety of roster situations in 2018-19.
Let's take a look at some of the spectacular forwards whose chances of making it to the 18th February festivities in Charlotte are slim only because of external factors, not their own play:
#1 Tobias Harris
Traded by the Pistons in exchange for Blake Griffin, the acquisition of Harris allowed the Clippers to retain a natural scorer on their roster while adding depth to their guard positions. The 2018-19 season has seen Harris take a jump in scoring and offensive responsibility - a departure from his role in the past. While the de facto scorer during clutch moments for the team usually is Lou Williams, the bulk of its volume scoring this season has been done by Harris.
Tobi is averaging the best numbers of his career this season - averages of 21 points and 8 rebounds on 50.2% shooting from the field and 44.3% on 3-pointers make him one of the most efficient scoring forwards throughout the league. It also helps his cause that Gallinari's presence on the roster allows him to guard slower power forwards rather than having to guard small forwards, who can typically take him off the dribble.
#2 Danilo Gallinari
The Italian sharpshooter has been the spark plug for several of the Clippers' victories this year. 46 games into the season, Gallinari is averaging a career-high 44.6% 3-pointer accuracy on a career-high 5.5 attempts per game. Health issues have done a disservice to the combo forward for most of his career, but this season, he's showing people how good he's had the potential to be if he weren't injured most of the time.
Gallinari's presence allows the Clippers to field all-wing lineups, as the Italian can guard up to 3 positions on the court due to his foot speed, strength, ability to box out and instincts for the game. While Gallo may never be recognized as an All Star ever, he will have a similar place in my heart, and with amply good reason - especially if the Clippers qualify for the postseason this year.
#3 John Collins
Losing the runaway Rookie of the Year favourite must hurt a ton for the Atlanta Hawks, but they may have found the franchise player for the future that they're looking for without really drafting him as a great prospect. John Collins has slowly and steadily risen to become the Hawks' best player - which isn't saying much when the next-best player on the team is Jeremy Lin - but it speaks more to their scouting and player development than anything else.
After an encouraging rookie season, Collins has really stepped up big-time this season. Averaging 18.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game while making 57.8% of his field goal attempts and averaging 33.8% from downtown on 2.3 attempts per game, Collins has begun to flash his All-NBA potential on both ends of the court already. His All Star blooding may come later in his career, but he's already showing the talent and quality of a player at that level.
#4 Pascal Siakam
A lot of Toronto fans saw OG Anunoby as the superior talent heading into the season, but with Siakam moving into the starting power forward role and Anunoby replacing him on the bench rotation, things have immediately become clear as to who the more valuable player is at the moment.
Siakam was a late first-round pick with tons of untapped potential, for he'd only started playing organized basketball at the age of 18. Nick Nurse has been able to channel much of that already, resulting in Siakam becoming one of the worst player to guard for any 4 or 5 in this league. He has a spin move that nobody on this planet can stop, and he moves like a gazelle given his incredible height and wingspan.
With time, the untamed lion that Siakam often resembles on court will turn into a wily predator, breaking defenses down with his drive-and-kick moves or shooting them to victory from the perimeter. He's the frontrunner for Most Improved Player honours this season, and with good reason.
#5 Julius Randle
Leaving the Lakers to bet on himself was a bold move on Randle's part, but by all accounts, he has passed the test with flying colours. Coming off the bench or starting as and when required by the team, Randle is averaging 20.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.
Capable of lining up at all 3 frontcourt positions (although he's most comfortable at the 4 position), Randle has improved by leaps and bounds as a team defender this season. While he was always a pretty good defender to use in switch-heavy schemes, he was often guilty of getting overpowered and outmaneuvered by centers bigger than himself.
If only the Lakers had him this season, chances are that they wouldn't be out of the playoff picture (as they are at this point in time). As things stand, the Pelicans look set to sign him to lineup alongside AD for the long term.
Guess the Lakers players!
