All-Star Snubs (and Imaginary All-Star Draft)
Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2019 2:49 pm
Every season, the All-Star Game rolls through town... and every season there are deserving guys who get left off the team. Sometimes it's through numbers-crunch at a particular position (too many guys, not enough slots), sometimes it's due to injury, and sometimes it's because the voters just plain screwed up. And of course, sometimes a player really WASN'T deserving and just wants to get himself motivated. So let's take a look around the league and find out who has a beef that they got snubbed.
We'll start by list who actually made the teams, because one of these guys is going to have to get bumped if your favorite snub is to get on, and it's always good to have someone to compare him to so we can see if it actually was a snub or not.
Western Conference Starters:
C Nikola Jokic (Pelicans)
PF Damion McNary (Pelicans)
SF Van Grimaldi (Warriors)
SG Harland Ellinger (Warriors)
PG Jeffery Duren (Nuggets)
Western Conference Bench:
C Erik Haynes (Kings)
PF Cheick Diallo (Timberwolves)
SF Gustave Lecroix (Lakers)
SG Jerry West (Nuggets)
PG Ronald Small (Trailblazers)
C Alvin Briseno (Lakers)
SG DAngelo Russell (Suns)
Eastern Conference Starters:
C Long Anderson (Heat)
PF Anthony Davis (Pistons)
SF Joseph Kight (Nets)
SG #Bjorn Ironside (Raptors)
PG Tyler Ulis (Celtics)
Eastern Conference Bench:
C Dirk Hardpeck (Cavaliers)
PF Ben Simmons (76ers)
SF Phil Milburn (Celtics)
SG Jayson Tatum (Hawks)
PG Joffrey Baratheon (Raptors)
PG Markelle Fultz (76ers)
SG Andrew Wiggins (Magic)
Having thrown the list out there, here are the guys I think got snubbed, and the guys who might think they got snubbed but didn't.
SNUBS:
Devin Booker, SG, Miami Heat
Booker is averaging 27.1 ppg on 59.4% shooting (including 38.7% from three). While I have both the starting SG in the East (Bjorn Ironside) and the backup SG in the East (Jayson Tatum) rated higher than he was, I have him rated as having a slightly better season than East wildcards Markelle Fultz (24.6 ppg on 51.5% shooting but does average over 6 assists per night) and especially Andrew Wiggins (27.4 ppg on 50.7% shooting and doesn't bring much else to the table, statistically). Booker is much more efficient than either of these guys and getting basically the same stats as Wiggins. Wiggins has more name recognition in the league at the moment, which is probably why he got in over Booker, but Booker has a legitimate beef here. Of course, the Heat DID get a nice surprise with Long Anderson named as the starting center for the East, so maybe that offsets people overlooking Booker.
Aaron Donald, PF, Chicago Bulls
Donald continues to put up big numbers this season, posting 24.0 ppg, 8.7 rpg, and 2.8 bpg, while shooting at a 54.1% clip. Of course, part of the problem here is a number game - Anthony Davis is going to be ahead of him at PF and Ben Simmons is getting 26.1 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 4.0 apg, and 1.2 bpg on 58.1% shooting so it's hard to argue he deserves to bump either of these two from their slots. But again, we cast our attention to the wildcards - he's putting up comparable numbers to Markelle Fultz and while Wiggins scores slightly more than Donald does, he doesn't bring the rebounding, shot-blocking capability, or anything else - which I think means Donald's case should be strengthened here. If you let me pick the teams, I'd take Donald over Wiggins - but I'd also probably take Booker over Donald, so he still wouldn't get in. And for those of you asking, no, I'm not biased just because Aaron Donald happens to be a former Hawk. He's having another quality season, it's just not quite good enough for an all-star appearance - though if the Bulls wanted to rectify this they could probably do it by moving him to Center so he doesn't have to compete with the likes of AD and Simmons.
Bryce DeJean-Jones, PG, San Antonio Spurs
Since James Gebhardt was injured, we can't really call him a "snub" - but Bryce DeJean-Jones of the Spurs has a gripe that no Spurs made the all-star team despite having the second-best record in the West. BDJ is doing a great job keeping the Spurs above water while Gebhardt is out, averaging 14.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, and 9.8 as a "classic point guard." He's obviously not going to be able to displace Jeffrey Duren or Ronald Small, but you could make the argument that he's been more instrumental than West Wildcard Alvin Briseno (21.7 ppg and 8.5 rpg on a losing Lakers squad that saw Gustave LeCroix also make the team - big-market bias, perhaps, driving two Lakers selections and no Suns selections). This is among the weaker cases for snubbage but I think it's snubbage nonetheless.
Vernon DeSantis, C, San Antonio Spurs
Given the previous entry, maybe it's just that voters don't like players with last names starting with "De" - Vernon isn't scoring like Briseno but his defense of 9.9 rpg, 3.8 bpg, and still managing 14.3 ppg should be good for something, right? Wait, all-star games aren't about defense. Never mind, I guess. But consider that Erick Haynes managed to make the team at backup C despite missing almost half the season - look, Haynes is good and all that, but the most important ability is Availability and Haynes hasn't shown that this season and shouldn't have gotten in front of DeSantis in line. Seriously, the Spurs team should have plenty of bulletin-board fodder come playoff time. The other thing this tells me is that the competition among big men in the West isn't nearly as good as the big men in the East - of course, that is largely due to the fact that Anthony Davis has never left Detroit.
Judd Williams, PF, Indiana Pacers
Do I think Williams is as deserving as Donald? Probably not; he's averaging 24.9 ppg, 9.2 rpg, and 1.3 bpg and while the points and rebounds are slightly better than Donald, the rim protection is a lot worse. Many of the same arguments made for Donald apply to Williams - has the misfortune of playing behind the arguable GOAT Anthony Davis and a strong Ben Simmons season so he has to be relegated to fighting for a wildcard spot. And with Booker and Donald also getting snubbed for those spots, it's hard to argue he should be on the team. Still, the Pacers have surprised this season and it would be nice to see them rewarded for it with an all-star berth.
GUYS WHO DIDN'T GET SNUBBED
Dennis Smith Jr., PG, Cleveland Cavaliers
DSJ is averaging 18.2 ppg, 8.4 apg and 2.8 spg but look who he's behind... Tyler Ulis and (29.6 ppg, 6.9 apg, 1.5 spg) and Joffrey Baratheon (22.9 ppg, 11.9 apg, 2.1 spg) - the defense Dennis brings doesn't outweigh the monster scoring of Ulis or the incredible passing of Joffrey. And when you look at the wildcards - plus the guys I've already noted got snubbed, you just can't bring a good case to get DSJ in.
Funky Cole Medina, PG, Brooklyn Nets
Even if the Nets have the best record in the Atlantic at the moment, they have an all-star in Kight and Funky isn't doing enough this season to pass the guys ahead of him. It might be a year when he settles for the team award (possible title) instead of individual honors. This may have been his last shot at an all-star game as he's starting to age, and it is a little sad that a guy with four Assist titles may finish his career with zero all-star game appearances.
Donovan Mitchell, PG, Sacramento Kings
Donovan is doing it all this year, averaging 18.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg, and 7.4 apg but he's not going to bump Jeffrey Duren or Ronald Small from the squad either (see comments for Bryce DeJean-Jones). I'd probably take either of the Spurs snubs before I'd take him, and, honestly, the Kings got a gift in getting Erik Haynes on the squad ahead of Vernon DeSantis. I can't justify snubbing DeSantis twice with players from the Kings squad, even if the Kings are having a great season. At least, unlike Funky, Mitchell has appeared in an all-star game before.
Kristaps Porzingas, PF, Toronto Raptors
The unicorn is having a nice season but if Aaron Donald and Judd Williams aren't making the squad, I'm not going to lose sleep over Toronto not getting a third player into the game, particularly when that player is only giving you 17.9 ppg and 9.5 rpg - not near as much scoring as Donald and Williams and not enough extra rebounding or rim protection to justify jumping their place in line. Of course, you could argue that his 60% shooting percentage means he's super-efficient and should make it... just as long as you don't turn to his 100% shooting on threes this season (no, he's not otherworldly, he's 1 for 1) to justify it.
Billy Kingston, PF, Washington Wizards
He's having a nice year with 19.3 ppg but just 5.8 rpg in a conference stacked with power forwards tells you why Billy didn't get the call this season. Go work on your defensive rebounding, buddy. The Wizards may have some talent on their roster that will get them all-star nods in the future, but Kingston kind of sticks out as a guy having a great season on a team with a lot of young pieces that isn't ready yet and is probably putting up numbers that aren't on par with his ability because "every team has a 20 point scorer."
IF THE ALL-STAR WEEKEND HAD A DRAFT
If the PBSL had an "all-star draft" the way the NBA has the past few seasons, I have to suspect it would go down something like this:
CAPTAINS: Jeffrey Duren, Anthony Davis - AD is probably the GOAT and still putting up huge numbers, while Jeffrey Duren is the best player on the reigning champs. We'll flip a coin here and assume Duren gets the first pick.
STARTING PICKS: Duren is going to know he has to have someone who has an outside chance of keeping pace with AD. He'll probably grab Nikola Jokic of the Pelicans who was an MVP candidate last season and is getting a little older but is still the best option among bigs in the starting 5. Davis, I suspect, will want to play with one of the best assist-men in the game who can straight up drill shots from outside and will select Harland Ellinger (who is playing as a SG but is really a PG). Duren will probably then go for Joseph Kight for additional rim protection and scoring (Kight has long been a PF in a SF's body). I would guess AD decides to pick up Van Grimaldi of the Warriors based on playing against him all those times while he was with Philly, and as one of the few players with the length at SF to make Kight work. I would think the next pick for Duren woudl be Tyler Ulis of the Celtics, a guy who has always known how to get his own shot but can still set up others. Davis would probably pick up Bjorn Ironside for his perimeter defense (something the Davis squad lacks a bit at this point and with two bigs left beside Ironside, not something he can afford to give up). Duren would pick Damion McNary, a known all-star quantity, leaving Long Anderson for Davis. So our starting lineups would look like this:
TEAM DUREN:
PG Jeffrey Duren (Nuggets)
C Nikola Jokic (Pelicans)
SF Joseph Kight (Nets)
PG Tyler Ulis (Celtics)
PF Damion McNary (Pelicans)
TEAM DAVIS:
PF Anthony Davis (Pistons)
SG Harland Ellinger (Warriors)
SF Van Grimaldi (Warriors)
SG #Bjorn Ironside (Raptors)
C Long Anderson (Heat)
BENCH PICKS: Now we get into benches. I'm not sure what the NBA does, but it seems reasonable that since Duren got first pick on starters, Davis should get first pick on Benches. And if I'm AD, I grab Erik Haynes out of the chute to offset the weakest part of my starting lineup - center. I may have griped above that Haynes might not deserve a spot based on production, but based on talent, I can't argue the selection. Duren, of course, should immediately respond by selecting his championship backcourt mate in Denver, Jerry West. At this point, I think AD has to make the decision to grab Ben Simmons off the board as I find the rest of the bigs kind of underwhelming and there are still a lot of good wings and point guards. Whether or not I think it's the best talent fit, it's the best strategic pick. When things come back to Duren, I expect he'll grab Joffrey Baratheon of the Raptors - this gives him yet another backcourt scorer on a team already ripe with them and starts to heighten the "bully ball" versus "small ball" theme. I would imagine AD next picks Ronald Small, who is at the height of his powers right now and gives another great-shooting, great-passing option to go with if Ellinger needs a rest. Duren at this point probably grabs Phil Milburn who can play PF and is slightly out of position as the SF selection. I would then expect AD to go with a pure scorer with some length in the person of Andrew Wiggins.
On the back half of the bench draft, I think Duren tries to counter the Wiggins selection by selecting a pure scorer with not-quite-as-much-length in Jayson Tatum. There are three bigs left, and I'm sure Duren figures Davis is already loaded up on bigs and won't be taking any more so he can pick up a big next round. Unfortunately, Davis won't oblige as he taps Alvin Briseno of the Lakers, taking a gamble that even though Markelle Fultz is the guy he really wants, Duren already has enough smaller guys that Fultz would just get caught in a logjam anyway. He's right as Duren selects C Dirk Hardpeck, who has been a league fixture for some time and will help enhance the Team Duren post presence. AD then grabs the guy he really wanted, Markelle Fultz, as another score-first but still pass when needed guard. Duren, of course, has no use for Cheick Diallo at this point, so he grabs the more well-rounded DAngelo Russell over one-dimensional scorer Gustave LeCroix. To spite Duren, AD takes Diallo in order to deny him size and give him a shoot-first player without a lot of size instead. So your bench rosters shake out thus.
BENCH DUREN:
SG Jerry West (Nuggets)
PG Joffrey Baratheon (Raptors)
SF Phil Milburn (Celtics)
SG Jayson Tatum (Hawks)
C Dirk Hardpeck (Cavaliers)
SG DAngelo Russell (Suns)
SF Gustave Lecroix (Lakers)
BENCH DAVIS:
C Erik Haynes (Kings)
PF Ben Simmons (76ers)
PG Ronald Small (Trailblazers)
SG Andrew Wiggins (Magic)
C Alvin Briseno (Lakers)
PG Markelle Fultz (76ers)
PF Cheick Diallo (Timberwolves)
I'll put up a poll to see which team y'all think would win, Team Duren or Team Davis (I'll let you change your vote until the poll closes in 7 days in case someone makes an argument that sways your opinion). Thanks for reading!
We'll start by list who actually made the teams, because one of these guys is going to have to get bumped if your favorite snub is to get on, and it's always good to have someone to compare him to so we can see if it actually was a snub or not.
Western Conference Starters:
C Nikola Jokic (Pelicans)
PF Damion McNary (Pelicans)
SF Van Grimaldi (Warriors)
SG Harland Ellinger (Warriors)
PG Jeffery Duren (Nuggets)
Western Conference Bench:
C Erik Haynes (Kings)
PF Cheick Diallo (Timberwolves)
SF Gustave Lecroix (Lakers)
SG Jerry West (Nuggets)
PG Ronald Small (Trailblazers)
C Alvin Briseno (Lakers)
SG DAngelo Russell (Suns)
Eastern Conference Starters:
C Long Anderson (Heat)
PF Anthony Davis (Pistons)
SF Joseph Kight (Nets)
SG #Bjorn Ironside (Raptors)
PG Tyler Ulis (Celtics)
Eastern Conference Bench:
C Dirk Hardpeck (Cavaliers)
PF Ben Simmons (76ers)
SF Phil Milburn (Celtics)
SG Jayson Tatum (Hawks)
PG Joffrey Baratheon (Raptors)
PG Markelle Fultz (76ers)
SG Andrew Wiggins (Magic)
Having thrown the list out there, here are the guys I think got snubbed, and the guys who might think they got snubbed but didn't.
SNUBS:
Devin Booker, SG, Miami Heat
Booker is averaging 27.1 ppg on 59.4% shooting (including 38.7% from three). While I have both the starting SG in the East (Bjorn Ironside) and the backup SG in the East (Jayson Tatum) rated higher than he was, I have him rated as having a slightly better season than East wildcards Markelle Fultz (24.6 ppg on 51.5% shooting but does average over 6 assists per night) and especially Andrew Wiggins (27.4 ppg on 50.7% shooting and doesn't bring much else to the table, statistically). Booker is much more efficient than either of these guys and getting basically the same stats as Wiggins. Wiggins has more name recognition in the league at the moment, which is probably why he got in over Booker, but Booker has a legitimate beef here. Of course, the Heat DID get a nice surprise with Long Anderson named as the starting center for the East, so maybe that offsets people overlooking Booker.
Aaron Donald, PF, Chicago Bulls
Donald continues to put up big numbers this season, posting 24.0 ppg, 8.7 rpg, and 2.8 bpg, while shooting at a 54.1% clip. Of course, part of the problem here is a number game - Anthony Davis is going to be ahead of him at PF and Ben Simmons is getting 26.1 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 4.0 apg, and 1.2 bpg on 58.1% shooting so it's hard to argue he deserves to bump either of these two from their slots. But again, we cast our attention to the wildcards - he's putting up comparable numbers to Markelle Fultz and while Wiggins scores slightly more than Donald does, he doesn't bring the rebounding, shot-blocking capability, or anything else - which I think means Donald's case should be strengthened here. If you let me pick the teams, I'd take Donald over Wiggins - but I'd also probably take Booker over Donald, so he still wouldn't get in. And for those of you asking, no, I'm not biased just because Aaron Donald happens to be a former Hawk. He's having another quality season, it's just not quite good enough for an all-star appearance - though if the Bulls wanted to rectify this they could probably do it by moving him to Center so he doesn't have to compete with the likes of AD and Simmons.
Bryce DeJean-Jones, PG, San Antonio Spurs
Since James Gebhardt was injured, we can't really call him a "snub" - but Bryce DeJean-Jones of the Spurs has a gripe that no Spurs made the all-star team despite having the second-best record in the West. BDJ is doing a great job keeping the Spurs above water while Gebhardt is out, averaging 14.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, and 9.8 as a "classic point guard." He's obviously not going to be able to displace Jeffrey Duren or Ronald Small, but you could make the argument that he's been more instrumental than West Wildcard Alvin Briseno (21.7 ppg and 8.5 rpg on a losing Lakers squad that saw Gustave LeCroix also make the team - big-market bias, perhaps, driving two Lakers selections and no Suns selections). This is among the weaker cases for snubbage but I think it's snubbage nonetheless.
Vernon DeSantis, C, San Antonio Spurs
Given the previous entry, maybe it's just that voters don't like players with last names starting with "De" - Vernon isn't scoring like Briseno but his defense of 9.9 rpg, 3.8 bpg, and still managing 14.3 ppg should be good for something, right? Wait, all-star games aren't about defense. Never mind, I guess. But consider that Erick Haynes managed to make the team at backup C despite missing almost half the season - look, Haynes is good and all that, but the most important ability is Availability and Haynes hasn't shown that this season and shouldn't have gotten in front of DeSantis in line. Seriously, the Spurs team should have plenty of bulletin-board fodder come playoff time. The other thing this tells me is that the competition among big men in the West isn't nearly as good as the big men in the East - of course, that is largely due to the fact that Anthony Davis has never left Detroit.
Judd Williams, PF, Indiana Pacers
Do I think Williams is as deserving as Donald? Probably not; he's averaging 24.9 ppg, 9.2 rpg, and 1.3 bpg and while the points and rebounds are slightly better than Donald, the rim protection is a lot worse. Many of the same arguments made for Donald apply to Williams - has the misfortune of playing behind the arguable GOAT Anthony Davis and a strong Ben Simmons season so he has to be relegated to fighting for a wildcard spot. And with Booker and Donald also getting snubbed for those spots, it's hard to argue he should be on the team. Still, the Pacers have surprised this season and it would be nice to see them rewarded for it with an all-star berth.
GUYS WHO DIDN'T GET SNUBBED
Dennis Smith Jr., PG, Cleveland Cavaliers
DSJ is averaging 18.2 ppg, 8.4 apg and 2.8 spg but look who he's behind... Tyler Ulis and (29.6 ppg, 6.9 apg, 1.5 spg) and Joffrey Baratheon (22.9 ppg, 11.9 apg, 2.1 spg) - the defense Dennis brings doesn't outweigh the monster scoring of Ulis or the incredible passing of Joffrey. And when you look at the wildcards - plus the guys I've already noted got snubbed, you just can't bring a good case to get DSJ in.
Funky Cole Medina, PG, Brooklyn Nets
Even if the Nets have the best record in the Atlantic at the moment, they have an all-star in Kight and Funky isn't doing enough this season to pass the guys ahead of him. It might be a year when he settles for the team award (possible title) instead of individual honors. This may have been his last shot at an all-star game as he's starting to age, and it is a little sad that a guy with four Assist titles may finish his career with zero all-star game appearances.
Donovan Mitchell, PG, Sacramento Kings
Donovan is doing it all this year, averaging 18.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg, and 7.4 apg but he's not going to bump Jeffrey Duren or Ronald Small from the squad either (see comments for Bryce DeJean-Jones). I'd probably take either of the Spurs snubs before I'd take him, and, honestly, the Kings got a gift in getting Erik Haynes on the squad ahead of Vernon DeSantis. I can't justify snubbing DeSantis twice with players from the Kings squad, even if the Kings are having a great season. At least, unlike Funky, Mitchell has appeared in an all-star game before.
Kristaps Porzingas, PF, Toronto Raptors
The unicorn is having a nice season but if Aaron Donald and Judd Williams aren't making the squad, I'm not going to lose sleep over Toronto not getting a third player into the game, particularly when that player is only giving you 17.9 ppg and 9.5 rpg - not near as much scoring as Donald and Williams and not enough extra rebounding or rim protection to justify jumping their place in line. Of course, you could argue that his 60% shooting percentage means he's super-efficient and should make it... just as long as you don't turn to his 100% shooting on threes this season (no, he's not otherworldly, he's 1 for 1) to justify it.
Billy Kingston, PF, Washington Wizards
He's having a nice year with 19.3 ppg but just 5.8 rpg in a conference stacked with power forwards tells you why Billy didn't get the call this season. Go work on your defensive rebounding, buddy. The Wizards may have some talent on their roster that will get them all-star nods in the future, but Kingston kind of sticks out as a guy having a great season on a team with a lot of young pieces that isn't ready yet and is probably putting up numbers that aren't on par with his ability because "every team has a 20 point scorer."
IF THE ALL-STAR WEEKEND HAD A DRAFT
If the PBSL had an "all-star draft" the way the NBA has the past few seasons, I have to suspect it would go down something like this:
CAPTAINS: Jeffrey Duren, Anthony Davis - AD is probably the GOAT and still putting up huge numbers, while Jeffrey Duren is the best player on the reigning champs. We'll flip a coin here and assume Duren gets the first pick.
STARTING PICKS: Duren is going to know he has to have someone who has an outside chance of keeping pace with AD. He'll probably grab Nikola Jokic of the Pelicans who was an MVP candidate last season and is getting a little older but is still the best option among bigs in the starting 5. Davis, I suspect, will want to play with one of the best assist-men in the game who can straight up drill shots from outside and will select Harland Ellinger (who is playing as a SG but is really a PG). Duren will probably then go for Joseph Kight for additional rim protection and scoring (Kight has long been a PF in a SF's body). I would guess AD decides to pick up Van Grimaldi of the Warriors based on playing against him all those times while he was with Philly, and as one of the few players with the length at SF to make Kight work. I would think the next pick for Duren woudl be Tyler Ulis of the Celtics, a guy who has always known how to get his own shot but can still set up others. Davis would probably pick up Bjorn Ironside for his perimeter defense (something the Davis squad lacks a bit at this point and with two bigs left beside Ironside, not something he can afford to give up). Duren would pick Damion McNary, a known all-star quantity, leaving Long Anderson for Davis. So our starting lineups would look like this:
TEAM DUREN:
PG Jeffrey Duren (Nuggets)
C Nikola Jokic (Pelicans)
SF Joseph Kight (Nets)
PG Tyler Ulis (Celtics)
PF Damion McNary (Pelicans)
TEAM DAVIS:
PF Anthony Davis (Pistons)
SG Harland Ellinger (Warriors)
SF Van Grimaldi (Warriors)
SG #Bjorn Ironside (Raptors)
C Long Anderson (Heat)
BENCH PICKS: Now we get into benches. I'm not sure what the NBA does, but it seems reasonable that since Duren got first pick on starters, Davis should get first pick on Benches. And if I'm AD, I grab Erik Haynes out of the chute to offset the weakest part of my starting lineup - center. I may have griped above that Haynes might not deserve a spot based on production, but based on talent, I can't argue the selection. Duren, of course, should immediately respond by selecting his championship backcourt mate in Denver, Jerry West. At this point, I think AD has to make the decision to grab Ben Simmons off the board as I find the rest of the bigs kind of underwhelming and there are still a lot of good wings and point guards. Whether or not I think it's the best talent fit, it's the best strategic pick. When things come back to Duren, I expect he'll grab Joffrey Baratheon of the Raptors - this gives him yet another backcourt scorer on a team already ripe with them and starts to heighten the "bully ball" versus "small ball" theme. I would imagine AD next picks Ronald Small, who is at the height of his powers right now and gives another great-shooting, great-passing option to go with if Ellinger needs a rest. Duren at this point probably grabs Phil Milburn who can play PF and is slightly out of position as the SF selection. I would then expect AD to go with a pure scorer with some length in the person of Andrew Wiggins.
On the back half of the bench draft, I think Duren tries to counter the Wiggins selection by selecting a pure scorer with not-quite-as-much-length in Jayson Tatum. There are three bigs left, and I'm sure Duren figures Davis is already loaded up on bigs and won't be taking any more so he can pick up a big next round. Unfortunately, Davis won't oblige as he taps Alvin Briseno of the Lakers, taking a gamble that even though Markelle Fultz is the guy he really wants, Duren already has enough smaller guys that Fultz would just get caught in a logjam anyway. He's right as Duren selects C Dirk Hardpeck, who has been a league fixture for some time and will help enhance the Team Duren post presence. AD then grabs the guy he really wanted, Markelle Fultz, as another score-first but still pass when needed guard. Duren, of course, has no use for Cheick Diallo at this point, so he grabs the more well-rounded DAngelo Russell over one-dimensional scorer Gustave LeCroix. To spite Duren, AD takes Diallo in order to deny him size and give him a shoot-first player without a lot of size instead. So your bench rosters shake out thus.
BENCH DUREN:
SG Jerry West (Nuggets)
PG Joffrey Baratheon (Raptors)
SF Phil Milburn (Celtics)
SG Jayson Tatum (Hawks)
C Dirk Hardpeck (Cavaliers)
SG DAngelo Russell (Suns)
SF Gustave Lecroix (Lakers)
BENCH DAVIS:
C Erik Haynes (Kings)
PF Ben Simmons (76ers)
PG Ronald Small (Trailblazers)
SG Andrew Wiggins (Magic)
C Alvin Briseno (Lakers)
PG Markelle Fultz (76ers)
PF Cheick Diallo (Timberwolves)
I'll put up a poll to see which team y'all think would win, Team Duren or Team Davis (I'll let you change your vote until the poll closes in 7 days in case someone makes an argument that sways your opinion). Thanks for reading!