Green, Thompson give Warriors trio of All-Stars
Draymond Green and Klay Thompson will be joining reigning MVP Stephen Curry to give the Golden State Warriors a trio of All-Stars for next month’s midseason NBA showcase in Toronto.
The coaches’ choices for the reserves were announced Thursday on TNT, a week after the starters as voted on by fans were revealed, with the Western Conference team anchored by Curry.
The additions of Green and Thompson give the Warriors three All-Stars for the first time in 40 years.
The rest of the reserves for the West, to be coached by Gregg Popovich, for the Feb. 14 game:
The Eastern Conference coaches left Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers out of their choices, opting instead for a frontcourt of reserves anchored by Andre Drummond of the Detroit Pistons.
The rest of the East team, to be coached by new Cavs coach Tyronn Lue:
The reserves were selected by the head coaches in each conference, who had to vote for seven players: two guards, three frontcourt players and two additional players at any position. The coaches weren’t allowed to vote for players from their own team.
Green, who leads the NBA with eight triple-doubles, is a first-time selection, and Thompson was selected for the second year in a row. The Warriors have three All-Stars for the first time since Rick Barry, Phil Smith and Jamaal Wilkes in 1976.
Along with Green, Drummond and Thomas also were selected by coaches for their first All-Star Game. Drummond tops the league in rebounding and double-doubles, and Thomas, the 60th and final pick in the 2011 draft, is among the NBA’s top 12 in scoring and assists.
Bosh will return to his original NBA city after being chosen for his 11th consecutive All-Star Game, trailing only the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant (18 straight) and Cleveland’s LeBron James and Miami’s Dwyane Wade (both with 12 straight) among active players. Paul is an All-Star for the ninth straight year.
West coaches passed on Damian Lillard, who is in the NBA’s top seven in scoring and assists for a Portland team that is surprisingly in playoff position.
The West starters, meanwhile, were highlighted by the landslide selection of Kobe Bryant for an 18th time.
Bryant, playing in his 20th and final season, will be joined by Curry, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, Thunder swingman Kevin Durant and San Antonio Spurs wing Kawhi Leonard.
Previously voted as starters in the East were James, Wade, New York’s Carmelo Anthony, Indiana’s Paul George and Toronto’s Kyle Lowry. DeRozan joins Lowry to comprise the first starting backcourt to play an All-Star Game in their home city since the Los Angeles Lakers‘ Jerry West and Gail Goodrich in 1972.
James was the top fan choice for the East team with 1.1 million votes.
Any player who has to withdraw from the All-Star Game because of injury would be replaced by a player chosen by NBA commissioner Adam Silver. If a starter is injured, Popovich or Lue would select the replacement in the lineup.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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