NBA All-Star Game 2017 Reserves: Predictions For East, West Coaches Picks That Will, Should Happen

The fans, players and media have had their say, so now it’s up to the NBA’s 30 head coaches to fill out the rest of the Eastern and Western Conference’s 2017 All-Star Game rosters. Coaches are expected to hand in their ballots Tuesday and, inevitably, they will have to leave some deserving players off the roster.

Coaches are required to select two guards, three frontcourt players and then two wild cards at any position. They are also to rank each player in each category, but coaches are also told that they don’t have to stick to a player’s listed position on the ballot.

The starters, picked by fans and for the first time players and the media, were announced last week and there were some understandable discrepancies. The East will roll out a backcourt of Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers) and DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors), with LeBron James (Cavaliers), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)and Jimmy Butler (Chicago Bulls) making up the front court.

The West backcourt features point guard Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors) and combo-guard James Harden (Houston Rockets), with Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs), Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans) and Kevin Durant (Warriors) up front.

The coaches will be able to make up for some of the more glaring omissions in the starting lineup but not all of them. Some are more obvious than others, but others could be under the radar and coaches may reward players on winning teams than those who have piled up stats on squads near the bottom of the NBA.

Here's a look at who likely will and who likely won’t be named a reserve for Feb. 19’s All-Star matchup in New Orleans.

Predicted East Bench

G Kyle Lowry, Raptors

G Isaiah Thomas, Celtics

F Kevin Love, Cavs

F Joel Embiid, Sixers

F Paul George, Pacers

WC Kemba Walker, Hornets

WC John Wall, Wizards

Left Off: Hassan Whiteside, C, Heat; Paul Millsap, F, Hawks; Dwight Howard, C, Hawks

Why: With the exception of Embiid, the East’s bench is loaded with players on winning teams. Lowry and Thomas have been sensational and each is putting up new career-highs with each victory. Love continues to be overshadowed and perhaps penalized because he calls James and Irving teammates, but he’s averaging 20.5 points and 10.9 rebounds, stats that only other All-Stars or All-Star contenders are generating. Walker and Wall have also reached new levels and should be rewarded. Embiid is racking up numbers Sixers fans haven’t seen since Wilt Chamberlain and he’s on a minutes’ restriction. Howard and Millsap suffer from the major glut of deserving guards. While George’s Pacers have been too inconsistent, he’s still one of the best scorers in the league and an incredible defender. The Heat and Whiteside have the second-worst record in the East, so he’s just on the outside looking in.

Predicted West Bench

G Russell Westbrook, Thunder

G Klay Thompson, Warriors

F Draymond Green, Warriors

F DeAndre Jordan, Clippers

F Gordon Hayward, Jazz

WC DeMarcus Cousins, Kings

WC Rudy Gobert, Jazz

Left Off: Chris Paul, G, Clippers; Blake Griffin, F, Clippers; Damian Lillard, G, Trail Blazers; Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Timberwolves; Eric Gordon, G, Rockets; Mike Conley, G, Grizzlies; Marc Gasol, C, Grizzlies

Why: The West will see more than its fair share of snubs this year. But Westbrook, Thompson and Green are guaranteed to make it because of their numbers and winning records. Jordan stands as the only Clipper to make it, with Paul and Griffin each injured. Cousins is listed as a wild card because he’s just that. Coaches may not want to reward him for top numbers coupled with a poor attitude, but the Kings are currently 1.5 games removed from the West’s final playoff spot. Gobert, who may be the premier shot-blocker in the league, and Hayward should make it for leading Utah’s resurgence. Lillard’s Blazers have climbed back into the playoff race, but it happened a little too late in the first-half of the season. Out of everyone predicted to be left off, Gasol has the biggest reason to complain. He’s averaging a career-best 20.1 points and 4.2 assists and kept Memphis in the playoff race despite numerous injuries up and down its roster.

The reserves will be announced Thursday night on TNT at 7 p.m. EDT.