The 2022 NBA All-Star Game will take place on February 20 from Cleveland. This exhibition game is an opportunity for the Association to provide fans with the most-talented players in the world in a game that is for entertainment purposes more than anything else.
On Thursday, NBA All-Star starters were announced for both the Western and Eastern Conferences.
Out West, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James earned his whopping 18th appearance in the mid-season game. He was joined by Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, who will be making his eighth appearance in the game.
Rounding out the Western Conference, there was one rather huge surprise. In his second full season as a member of the Warriors, Andrew Wiggins has earned a starting nod. While the former No. 1 pick has certainly looked like an NBA All-Star this season, earning a starting five spot was rather shocking.
MVP candidate Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies and reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic also round out the starting five for the Western Conference.
Back east, reigning NBA Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks headlines the group. He’s joined by a dominating Joel Embiid in the frontcourt and an injured Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets. The Eastern Conference backcourt consists of Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young and DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls.
Andrew Wiggins NBA All-Star selection shocks the masses
Andrew Wiggins pops out as the biggest surprise of the 10 announced. Acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves midway through the 2019-20 season, Wiggins has meshed in extremely well with the Warriors. He enters Thursday’s game against his former Timberwolves squad having put up some stellar numbers this season.
- Andrew Wiggins stats: 18.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.0 APG, 48% shooting, 40% three-point
Some will conclude that there were more other deserving starters out west. And that’s justified. The reactions were somewhat mixed to Wiggins earning the starting nod.
Obviously, it’s all about the fan vote. Wiggins drew a ton of votes through social media pushes. Logically, he’s not an NBA All-Star starter over Devin Booker or Luka Doncic. In no way does this mean Wiggins shouldn’t have earned a spot on the team. Despite his reputation, he’s played like an All-Star this season.
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