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Why Was Tobias Harris Not Selected for the All-Star Game?

By Ethan Smith

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 27: Tobias Harris #34 of the LA Clippers smiles during the game against the LA Clippers on January 27, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Chris Elise/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 27: Tobias Harris #34 of the LA Clippers smiles during the game against the LA Clippers on January 27, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Chris Elise/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Tobias Harris has had a breakout season for the LA Clippers, but he was denied an All-Star spot despite his consistent efficiency. Why?

The buzz, (see what I did there), around the LA Clippers’ Tobias Harris not being selected as a Western Conference All-Star reserve for the game in Charlotte hit Twitter pretty quickly after the announcement of the reserves on TNT Thursday night.

The Western Conference All-Star reserves include the likes of Anthony Davis, LaMarcus Aldridge, Karl-Anthony Towns and Nikola Jokic to name the front-court players selected above Harris, but many believe Harris’ play and efficiency this season should have earned him a right to play in Charlotte on February 17.

Harris is having the best season of his career to date, averaging 21.2 PPG, a career best, and 7.9 RPG, his second-best tally of his career. Harris is also shooting over 50%, a career high as well, along with 7.8 FGM per contest, another career high. He also currently posts career highs in scoring and shooting efficiency, a major stretch for a player who is only 26 years of age.

Harris has proved a lot since coming to LA via trade, but the young PF continues to improve his game each night he touches the floor. Doc Rivers has this to say about Harris after the news of him missing out on the initial All-Star Game voting.

https://twitter.com/LAClippers/status/1091168145862062080

So, this poses the question at hand: Why was Harris not selected to the All-Star Game over others? Here is why he should have been.

The Case

Harris has been consistently efficient all season, one thing that has led to the Clippers keeping pace in the ever-changing Western Conference. Harris currently has a PER of 19.35, which ranks 7th in the West among PFs. Among the frontcourt reserves, Harris ranks higher than Jokic and Aldridge in PPG, while he falls short in RPG, but all of the frontcourt reserves are known rebounders.

To continue, Harris ranks fourth is USG% among Western Conference PFs, so the fact that he is the number one scorer for his squad and has such efficient statistical back-up for himself is baffling.

Many have speculated that Harris should have been put in over Klay Thompson, as Harris has leverage on Thompson in almost every generally known statistical category. Thompson currently has a day-to-day injury, so the this now brings us to the known possibility that Harris could fill in for a few players in this year’s All-Star Game.

Anthony Davis has been battling injuries all season, and with it being openly known that he wants to be traded from New Orleans, the idea that he would represent the Pelicans in the All-Star Game seems kind of outlandish. He is currently being held out of the lineup in New Orleans ahead of the trade deadline, so eliminating any kind of injury, especially with his recent and career injury history, is not out of the realm of possibility for the star PF. Harris could easily fill in for Davis as his recent future could change at the snap of a finger, so this is a likely possibility for Harris to sneak into Charlotte.

With the West being so stacked with talent, Harris being snubbed comes as a surprise, but his snubbing is not validated either. Harris has done nothing but compete hard night-in and night-out throughout the season while keeping his team in the playoff hunt and performing at a high-quality as well.

Next. The Danilo Gallinari Conundrum. dark

If Harris played like this in Detroit this season, he would easily be in the All-Star Game for the Eastern Conference, especially with Victor Oladipo‘s gruesome injury that ended his season. Harris again still has a shot at getting to Charlotte, but he shouldn’t have to think about that option. The young PF should be planning arrangements for Charlotte, but he will have to wait and see if he can get into his first All-Star Game.

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