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The 2024 NBA All-Star reserves were announced on Thursday, with many prominent snubs, including James Harden, Trae Young, Domantas Sabonis, De’Aaron Fox and Jimmy Butler.
As is the case every season, fans were outraged to see their favorite players fail to receive the honor. However, only 14 All-Star reserve spots are available annually, and the league is as talented as ever. So, there are always bound to be some big names omitted from coaches’ All-Star ballots.
Players can be snubbed for a variety of reasons, though, ranging from games played to their teams’ records.
However, in Harden’s case, his LA Clippers (31-15) rank third in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, he has played in 41 of LA’s 46 games, more than numerous players who were named All-Stars.
So, his snub instead probably came down to the West’s tough competition and the fact that two of his teammates made the All-Star team. Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George were both named West reserves.
If Harden was also selected, LA would have been the only team with three All-Stars. That likely would have been a tough sell for NBA fans, given the league’s parity and the fact that some playoff teams have zero All-Stars.
Thus, the former MVP ended up being the odd man out.
Also Read: 5 players snubbed from 2024 NBA All-Star nomination in Western Conference ft. James Harden
Is James Harden more deserving than any of the West All-Star reserves?
Aside from his teammates, the other players named West All-Star reserves over James Harden include Steph Curry, Devin Booker, Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns.
All those players are either first or second options on offense for their respective teams. Meanwhile, Curry is the only one on a team below .500 (20-24). However, he is still the Golden State Warriors’ clear-cut best player and is in the middle of another elite season.
Harden, on the other hand, ranks third on the Clippers in scoring. Through 41 games, he is averaging 17.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.9 blocks and 2.7 3-pointers per game on 45.2% shooting.
His playmaking and tertiary scoring have been invaluable to LA’s success. However, most would probably agree that his well-rounded production isn’t quite enough to warrant his 11th All-Star selection.
It doesn’t appear that Harden is too concerned about the All-Star Game, though. According to the 15-year veteran, he instead has his sights set on winning his first NBA title.
“I've got bigger goals,” Harden said. “None of that scoring titles and assists and All-Stars and MVPs. I've done it all. I'm here for one reason. And I think everybody knows what the reason is.”
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