NBA All-Star Game 2018-19: All-Star caliber forwards
The 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend is just about 3 weekends away from today. 14 teams in the Western Conference are fighting spiritedly for only eight playoff berths, while the Eastern Conference basement is itself in a state of flux due to the competitiveness of the Nets, Hornets and the Orlando Magic.
All of this means that there are a number of deserving players with the talent and ability to match the actual All-Star selections toe for toe on any given day, but won't be playing at that stage. That much has been obvious given how many breakout seasons we're having from emerging players in a variety of roster situations in 2018-19.
Let's take a look at some of the spectacular forwards whose chances of making it to the 18th February festivities in Charlotte are slim only because of external factors, not their own play:
#1 Tobias Harris
Traded by the Pistons in exchange for Blake Griffin, the acquisition of Harris allowed the Clippers to retain a natural scorer on their roster while adding depth to their guard positions. The 2018-19 season has seen Harris take a jump in scoring and offensive responsibility - a departure from his role in the past. While the de facto scorer during clutch moments for the team usually is Lou Williams, the bulk of its volume scoring this season has been done by Harris.
Tobi is averaging the best numbers of his career this season - averages of 21 points and 8 rebounds on 50.2% shooting from the field and 44.3% on 3-pointers make him one of the most efficient scoring forwards throughout the league. It also helps his cause that Gallinari's presence on the roster allows him to guard slower power forwards rather than having to guard small forwards, who can typically take him off the dribble.