DeMar DeRozan gets snubbed from All-Star reserves — and some snub lists

After making the NBA All-Star Game the his during last three seasons with the Toronto Raptors, DeMar DeRozan has been snubbed from the All-Star game once again, failing to make it in each of his three seasons with the San Antonio Spurs. Instead, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul, and Donovan Mitchell got the nod among guards in the Western Conference player pool.

While DeRozan may not be posting the highest numbers of his career in terms of scoring, (19.8 points on 48.8 percent shooting), his contributions to the club this season cannot be overstated. Not only is he the Spurs’ leading scorer and distributer on a young, rebuilding team that is headed towards a possible playoff appearance that seamed improbable before the season began, but he has found a near perfect balance between when to defer and when to take over. Perhaps most importantly, he has been one of the league leaders in clutch scoring and a big reason why the Spurs have the 8th best record in the league despite having a slightly uncomfortable amount of games come down to the wire.

Overall, it’s not too surprising that DeRozan was snubbed from the All-Star game in the deep West, but not seeing him even make some All-Star snub lists is right on par with the disrespect ESPN showed when it ranked him the 82nd best player in the league prior to the start of the season. Neither Bleacher Report, SB Nation, or CBS Sports have him listed as a snub, while UPROXX has him listed as “Honorable Mention”. At least he gets a little credit from a couple of sites.

From The Undefeated:

The Spurs are certainly deserving of an All-Star with one of the most surprising records in the Western Conference at 16-11. DeRozan would be the likely choice with averages of 19.8 points, 6.9 assists and 5.0 rebounds. But the All-Star Game is a popularity contest, and the Spurs continue to fly under the radar.

And Draft Kings:

DeRozan is a four-time NBA All-Star but hasn’t made the cut since 2018. The former Toronto Raptor has been the San Antonio Spurs’ best player since he relocated to Texas, but the next generation of talent is putting up stats he can’t match. The do-it-all swingman is averaging less than 20 points per game for the first time since 2012 alongside a career-high 6.9 assists per game.

All that being said, I imagine the All-Star game is the last thing on DeRozan’s mind right now as he mourns the passing of his father last week. He will miss tomorrow’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder as a result — the Spurs’ first in 11 days after a COVID-19 hiatus — and sometimes there are more important things than basketball to worry about, especially something as relatively meaningless as the All-Star game.

The All-Star Draft will be held on March 4 at 7:00 PM CT on TNT, where team captains LeBron James and Kevin Durant will draft their teams from the pool of All-Stars. The entire “All-Star Weekend” will take place on Sunday, March 7, beginning at 5:30 PM CT with the Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest. The game itself will begin 7:00 PM, and the Dunk Contest will take place at halftime. The participants for the extra events have yet to be announced.