Trending Topics: Picking East All-Star reserves

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From time to time, NBA.com’s writers will share their takes on the biggest storylines and trends around the league.

Who are your picks for All-Star reserves from the Eastern Conference?

Editor’s Note: The All-Star reserves will be officially announced on Sunday, Feb. 1 at 6 p.m. ET on NBC & Peacock.

Steve Aschburner

• Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors
• Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons
• Josh Giddey, Chicago Bulls
• Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
• Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
• Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers
• Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks

Toughest choice: Josh Giddey. Look, I’ve never subscribed to the coach-driven perspective about “rewarding winning” for the All-Star Game. Rewarding winning is what the regular season and the playoffs are about. Siakam is a pedigreed, talented player we watched in the NBA Finals just seven months ago, currently stuck in an Indiana gap year not of his doing. Giddey’s hamstring injury has bumped him off most folks’ radar, but his near triple-double work for the Bulls (19.2 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 9 apg) has been a breakthrough worthy of this opportunity — assuming he’s healthy by mid-February.

Brian Martin

• Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors
• Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons
• Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
• Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
• Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn Nets
• Norman Powell, Miami Heat
• Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks

Toughest choice: My final pick came down to a handful of players who either play for struggling teams, have missed significant time due to injury, or both. Porter Jr. ultimately got the nod over Josh Giddey (who is nearly averaging 19-9-9 but has been out since Dec. 29), Pascal Siakam (who is putting up solid numbers for the last-place Pacers) and Franz Wagner (who was on an All-Star pace before missing nearly six weeks). While Brooklyn is 13th in the East, Porter Jr. has shouldered much of the Nets’ offense. He’s posting career-best numbers — 25.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg, and 3.2 apg — despite being his opponents’ focal point all season.

Shaun Powell

• Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors
• Josh Giddey, Chicago Bulls
• Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
• Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
• Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn Nets
• Norman Powell, Miami Heat
• Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks

Toughest choice: At the risk of being labeled a hater or disrespectful (I am neither), Jalen Duren of the Pistons is a very, very tough omission. For one, he’s a double-double machine. Two: Detroit would only have Cade Cunningham in the game. That said, the All-Star spots aren’t heavily weighted toward team success (that’s for the major awards). Giddey has as many double-doubles and seven triples, Porter has been fabulous, and Powell is a deserving first-timer. If anyone is borderline on this list, it’s Towns.

John Schuhmann

• Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors
• Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons
• Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
• Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
• Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn Nets
• Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks
• Derrick White, Boston Celtics

Toughest choice: This whole exercise became difficult after Barnes, Duren, Johnson and Mitchell were written in pen. Towns and White have the team success, with one a star on offense and the other a star on defense. Porter has been remarkably prolific and efficient given the lack of talent surrounding him in Brooklyn. And Barnes has been doing it all (except making 3s) for the fourth-place team in the conference. Norman Powell, Pascal Siakam and Franz Wagner were the toughest omissions.

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