The NBA World has been buzzing since the 2024 All-Star Starters were announced last Thursday. While most names on the list were expected, some came as a legitimate shock to the fans. One of those names was Damian Lillard from the Milwaukee Bucks. Dame was given the nod over New York Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson as the starting guard of the Eastern Conference. Many believed Brunson got snubbed, and that he was arguably having a better season than Lillard.
NBA veteran Draymond Green addressed Jalen Brunson’s All-Star snub for Dame and exposed the harsh reality of the All-Star team selection.
Jalen Brunson had no chance over Damian Lillard
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Draymond Green revealed why Damian Lillard got the nod over Jalen Brunson for the All-Star starting position on The Draymond Green Show. “When you are voting, you see the name Damian Lillard or Jalen Brunson, you are probably gonna lean more towards Damian Lillard just because of the history,” the Warriors Center said.
According to Draymond, when two players are having a similarly dominant season like Dame and Brunson, the player who has repeated the feat time and again and made the All-Star team multiple times will be the clear fan favorite.
Lillard is an 8-time All-Star, including this season’s selection, whereas Brunson has never made the All-Star team. “To think you are gonna get that nod the first time, that’s not how it works,” Draymond added.
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The Warriors Center was correct about the fans picking Dame over Brunson because that was the eventual deciding factor of the final selection. After the fan, player, and media votes were tallied, Brunson and Dame had the same average score of 3.75. So, it came down to the superstar with more fan votes. Dame got the nod over Brunson because he was 3rd among Eastern guards in fan voting, while Brunson was 5th.
Jalen Brunson has nothing to worry about
Although Jalen Brunson did not become an All-Star starter, he is most likely to make his first All-Star team as a reserve this year. Brunson was 2nd among all Eastern guards in media votes and 3rd in player votes. He is having an incredible season, averaging 26.8 points and 6.5 assists. Brunson has become a superstar for the Knicks and made them relevant again. He has led the Knicks to the 3rd spot in the Eastern Conference standings with a 31-17 record.
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Brunson had an All-Star caliber season last year but got snubbed in the final selection. Hopefully, he will not have to suffer the same misery again, as he is a clear All-Star this season. The 2024 All-Star reserves will be announced tomorrow on Inside The NBA.
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