Eastern Conference All-Star Power Rankings: Paolo Banchero's late push bodes well for his bid

The NBA All-Star Game is both an individual award and a team award.

An individual player has to be great to get All-Star consideration, of course. But how the team is performing matters, too. Especially when it comes to the coaches voting on reserves. They know who is good and who keeps them up at night before games. But they also tend to reward players contributing to winning teams.

Paolo Banchero undoubtedly has the numbers to be an All-Star -- 22.5 points per game, 7.0 rebounds per game and 4.8 assists per game. Banchero is making waves despite a surprising lack of national conversation or attention.

We have watched Banchero climb the rankings among the fan vote with each successive return. He climbed to eighth in last week's returns. As All-Star voting closed, he rose to sixth in the Eastern Conference frontcourt -- where everyone knew that Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo would start.

That is the starting trio for the Eastern Conference frontcourt, joined by Tyrese Haliburton and Damian Lillard.

The surprising part, though, is Banchero officially finished fifth in All-Star voting. He climbed two more spots to sixth in the fan vote, finishing with 786,426 votes. Banchero was fourth in the player vote, showing how much his peers respect him.

That suggests Banchero holds much more respect around the league than anyone might have known. And with the coaches voting for the reserves, they certainly understand the impact and attention Banchero must receive when they face the Orlando Magic.

After a rough quarter of the season that has seen the Magic slip to eighth in the Eastern Conference, the Magic's record might have been a reason to be fearful Banchero would miss the All-Star Game. These numbers and this attention from his peers suggest Banchero's bid to head to Indianapolis to play in the NBA's showcase game is very intact.

Of course, everything starts at zero. It is up to the coaches now to decide Banchero's fate.

And this is a very tight battle for the Eastern Conference reserves.

As we did when voting opened up, it is time to take a temperature check and see where Banchero stands among the Eastern Conference hopefuls to make the All-Star team.

As a reminder, the reserves will be two guards, three frontcourt players and two wild card players to complete the 12-man All-Star roster.

Eastern Conference All-Star Reserves Power Rankings

The Surefire Guards

Jalen Brunson probably has the biggest complaint of any player to be a starter, at least in the East. Brunson has been dynamic and vital to the New York Knicks' success as they separate themselves from the Play-In hopefuls to ensure they have a solid spot in the playoff picture.

Many people doubted Brunson could match his 2022 Playoff run with the Dallas Mavericks. When he got a big contract to sign with the Knicks, everyone wondered if he could be the lead guard.

He has shown that he can be that and a whole lot more. And this season, he has been a whole lot better. Everyone is puzzled why Knicks fans could not propel him into a starting spot. He missed a starting bid by finishing fifth in fan voting.

It is kind of easy to take Donovan Mitchell for granted. He has been an excellent scorer for so long, and the conversation with him is always less about what he is doing on the court and more about where he might head next off of it.

In the meantime, Mitchell remains one of the most consistent scorers in the league. And with Darius Garland out, he has helped the Cleveland Cavaliers establish themselves as the clear-cut favorite to grab the 4-seed -- or at least ensure they stay in the 4/5 matchup for a potential rematch with the New York Knicks.

To that point, then. Since Garland's injury, Mitchell is averaging 27.7 points per game and 7.8 assists per game. He has stepped his game up as the Cavaliers have surged despite those major injuries.

The Philadelphia 76ers could have easily gotten upended by the trade and drama surrounding James Harden. Joel Embiid has picked up the slack to become the front-runner for MVP -- the only thing that might stop him is the league's new game requirement. But Embiid needed a running mate.

He found one in Tyrese Maxey. And Maxey has been just as dangerous as any player Embiid has played with.

Just look at the Philadelphia 76ers' win over the Orlando Magic last week. Sure, Embiid had 35 points. But it was Maxey's 32 points and his ability to push the pace and score when Embiid was on the bench that left the Magic with no chance to win in the second half.

Maxey has been doing that to everyone. He should get his first All-Star invite this year.

Eastern Conference All-Star Reserves Power Rankings

The Front Court Jumble

The Boston Celtics are the best team in the league. They look like they are set to win the Eastern Conference's top seed with, frankly, very little competition. The Celtics are eager to see if this all works out in the playoffs, which have been a nightmare.

In other words, it is hard to see the Celtics getting only one All-Star. And while Jaylen Brown's scoring average is down this year, he has still been vital to the Celtics' success. His sacrifice offensive has helped everyone be better. And he is still shooting a career-best 49.3 percent from the floor.

Brown does not have the gaudy numbers this year. But he is going to be heading to Indianapolis. He finished fourth in the final weighted tally. Expect him to suit up in Indy.

Julius Randle has faced his share of criticism. And he still has a lot to prove in the Playoffs. But that is a question for April. This is a time to celebrate what Randle has put together. And he has had an incredible individual season that deserves its recognition.

Randle is averaging 24.2 points per game and is a regular triple-double threat from the forward position. His ability to step out and hit 3-pointers only adds to his threat offensively, even if he is shooting a difficult 30.6 percent from three.

The Knicks have put themselves in a good position, and Randle is a big piece of that puzzle and a player who has attracted a lot of attention.

Trae Young was knocking on the door to be a starter. His campaign got derailed by a sixth-place finish in the player vote. That counteracted finishing second in the fan vote. That was enough to send him into the reserve pool.

There is no denying Young's stats or the entertainment value he brings to the game. He is second in the league in assists, in addition to being one of the most dynamic scorers in the league.

The only thing working against him is his team's record. The Atlanta Hawks are 18-26 in 10th in the Eastern Conference. That is at least in the postseason for now. It will be hard to deny Young with so few guards available in the player pool.

Eastern Conference All-Star Reserves Power Rankings

Orlando Magic get their man in

The question for Paolo Banchero is not if he will be an NBA All-Star but when he will get the call. Will it be this year? Will he have to wait another year to make it?

It is happening one way or another. Every Orlando Magic fan and every defender who has had to deal with the 6-foot-10, 215-pound, bruising forward knows it. It is just a question of whether the coaches will give him his first nod now.

Banchero has been incredible this season and especially incredible in the last month. In January, Banchero is averaging 24.8 points per game, 7.2 rebounds per game and 5.3 assists per game. He recorded his first career triple-double against the defending champions, no less. And he recorded his first two games of 40 points or more.

The only knock on his resume is the Magic's slip to eighth in the standings. But that should not be enough to keep him off the team.

Even if he does not get the nod now, he is putting up All-Star numbers and performances. It is just a matter of time before it happens.

Clearly, with these rankings, I think he gets there. But undoubtedly, it is not a sure thing with many excellent frontcourt players in the East clamoring for attention.

Eastern Conference All-Star Reserves Power Rankings

Fighting for their Spot

The big debate in All-Star circles is whether to value the anecdotes that make a player an All-Star or whether to value stats and deeper analytics. A simmering debate is going on once again between Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors fans.

All the analytics love Scottie Barnes, and his raw numbers are comparable. And many people are taking those analytics as gospel and squeezing Barnes onto the roster without much other context or argument.

Arguments that work for Barnes are used against his competition, while they dismiss team-based arguments against his candidacy. This is the classic eye test for numbers argument, and nobody knows who will win.

Barnes is having an All-Star season. We should not be tearing players down. Paolo Banchero and Scottie Barnes are two young, dynamic players doing great things.

But the same people only looking at the analytics are missing that the Toronto Raptors are 16-28 and outside the playoff picture.

That probably matters and is keeping Barnes from the All-Star conversation, even if he might still make it in as a wild card.

Bam Adebayo has had a strong season. He has been the healthiest player for the Miami Heat and has carried the team into the playoff picture.

But everything feels off about the Heat. And that is why Miami may not even end up with an All-Star this year.

Adebayo's efficiency is way down this year even as he has averaged a career-high in scoring.

Adebayo is still one of the best defenders in the league. And he could be in place to compete for Defensive Player of the Year (everyone is fighting for second behind Rudy Gobert).

There is enough respect for the Heat and their culture to vote him in.

Jarrett Allen does not have the scoring numbers or stats to support an All-Star bid. But he is the exact kind of player who coaches appreciate but that fans would not.

While Allen is not a scorer, he has been a central figure in the Cleveland Cavaliers' revival.

Since Evan Mobley left the lineup, Allen has averaged 16.0 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. The Cavaliers have a 108.5 defensive rating with Allen on the floor with a 14-7 record, including a seven-game win streak that has settled the Cavaliers in the 4-seed and separated them from the playoff pack.

That is what coaches will really care bout.

Eastern Conference All-Star Reserves Power Rankings

On the Outside

Derrick White has had a pretty robust campaign to make the All-Star team, with the Boston Celtics running away with the Eastern Conference's top seed. Kristaps Porzingis has also had a solid campaign to make the game as the third Celtics player. He is scoring well, albeit lower than in previous years, as he is part of the improved Celtics team.

Everyone wants to see the Celtics get a third player into the All-Star game, whether White or Porzingis. There are too many worthy players for them to break in.

Mikal Bridges is the leading scorer on a team struggling to get itself going. Bridges is still one of the most promising young scorers in the league. But the Brooklyn Nets' struggles will keep him out of the All-Star Game. He is not playing well enough to overcome a 17-27 record.

Jimmy Butler was the first player outside the starting group from the fan vote for the Eastern Conference frontcourt. But that still leaves Butler pretty far from the All-Star Game.

Some of that is by design. He knows how to pace himself through the season, and he has already missed his share of games this season.

Pascal Siakam is still a solid player and someone who can put up scoring numbers and All-Star figures. He will need some time to figure himself out with his new team in the Indiana Pacers -- although his triple-double in Thursday's win over the Philadelphia 76ers might suggest otherwise. Even though he has been playing for a losing team, the numbers are there.

Franz Wagner's All-Star campaign has been derailed by three things.

The first is his injury. Missing those nine games halted a lot of momentum, especially since he averaged 27.0 points per game in the seven games before rolling his ankle.

The second is his poor 3-point shooting. His overall lack of efficiency this season has not slowed down his scoring. But it is part of what he has struggled with all year.

The last part is the Magic's record. If Orlando were still competing and sitting in fourth, Wagner's candidacy would make a lot of sense. An 8-seed will find it challenging to get two All-Stars as reserves.

But he is closer than we might think. There is always next year.

Eastern Conference All-Star Reserves Power Rankings

My Final Reserve Picks

So here are my reserve picks as the coaches begin to vote:

Perhaps I am a bit biased. I have Paolo Banchero making the All-Star team as a reserve. But it is not a sure thing. And that is the most crucial point to take as everything resets to wait for the coaches to make their selections.

There are five locks out of the seven spots the coaches will pick. In the above depth chart, the Trae Young and Paolo Banchero spots in the above depth chart should be up for grabs. And Scottie Barnes, Bam Adebayo and Jarrett Allen will be clamoring for a spot with a solid case to make the team.

The All-Star Game is for the best of the best. And while Banchero has put himself in that conversation, it is not certain he will get the call to don the Eastern Conference jersey in Indianapolis in February.

Banchero has done a lot to climb the ranks. At the very least, he has earned his peers' respect this season.

We will find out in one week if Banchero gets that official invitation to Indianapolis. It is no guarantee, but it is looking fairly likely Banchero will get his first All-Star nod next week.