Carmelo Anthony Still Hoping To Make Eastern Conference All-Star Team
Carmelo Anthony hopes to make the Eastern Conference team for the 2017 NBA All-Star Game.
Carmelo Anthony has been a mainstay in the NBA All-Star game for most of the past decade. He has been named to the All-Star team in nine out of the last 10 years, including the last seven consecutively. Anthony has also been named the starter in seven straight years, a streak which was snapped this season.
The 2017 NBA All-Star starters were announced last week and Anthony was not voted in. Fans, players, and coaches all had a say in the starters this year and Anthony did not make the cut. Kyrie Irvin, DeMar DeRozan, LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jimmy Butler will start for the Eastern Conference. Stephen Curry, James Harden, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and Anthony Davis will start for the Western Conference.
If Anthony is to play in the game, he will have to get picked by the coaches. The announcement for the All-Star reserves will be made Thursday, and Anthony is hopeful that he is selected to partake in the event. Anthony would very much like to play, but the seven-day break wouldn’t be bad either.
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"“Whatever happens at this point is going to happen,” Anthony said. “[If] coaches vote me in, I’ll take it with an honor. And if they don’t, I’ll take it with an honor as well. So at this point it don’t matter.“If something happen and the coaches don’t vote me in, I’ll definitely take advantage of a seven-day break.”"
Even if Anthony is not voted into the game, he may still be in New Orleans for the festivities. As a representative of the NBA Players Association Executive Board, Anthony could have some events he needs to be present for even if he is not picked to play in the game.
"“It’s an exciting weekend,” Anthony said. “For me to say it’s not an exciting experience or I don’t have a good time, I would be lying to you. I had great times. All-Star weekends. It’s fun. The fans are there. The players are there. You kind of just get an opportunity to just relax and just have fun for a little bit.”"
If Anthony is not selected to play in the game, it may not be the worst thing. The New York Knicks are struggling thus far this season with a 20-26 record. They need Anthony at full strength if they want to make a push for the postseason, and getting rest during the All-Star break could help make that happen.
Anthony has been dealing with a shoulder injury that flares up from time to time. He said the only way for the injury to heal is if he sits out and rests. He has missed only one game during the regular season for it, so the All-Star break could provide him a chance to get the rest that he needs.
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Anthony is averaging 22.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 33.4 minutes per game. Those are numbers strong enough to make the All-Star team, but it is up to the NBA coaches to decide whether or not he will make the cut.