Editor’s update 25 February 2021: The NBA has announced that Devin Booker has made the roster and officially been named a replacement for Anthony Davis.

The All-Star reserves have come in and for the second season in a row, Devin Booker has been snubbed.

Look, there weren’t that many surprises for the Western Conference, but Booker’s omission will certainly rankle some feathers.

This is especially because his teammate Chris Paul, who is admittedly having another great season at the age of 35, made the cut.

There’s no case you can make to put Booker above Donovan Mitchell and Damian Lillard, who arguably deserves to be a starter instead of Luka Doncic, but picking his backcourt partner from the Phoenix Suns is worth a look.

From a head to head record, here’s how the two look against each other on paper:

  • Devin Booker: 24.7 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 4.3 APG, 0.8 SPG
  • Chris Paul: 16.6 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 8.5 APG, 1.2 SPG

To me, it’s a razor-thin choice between the two. Paul is continuing to play great, and he’s got almost double Booker’s assists, showing his value as a floor general.

However, Booker’s also scoring close to 50% more points, because he’s an all-around scorer who has done some special things, including leading the Suns to an 8-0 record in the bubble.

Together, the two guards have the Suns earnestly the playoff chase for the first time in over a decade.

I’m all right with Paul getting the nod this year, as it will probably be the last year he makes the All-Star game. If this is his last year in the game, that will be his 11th selection. He’s a known name, has a lot of fans, and is still a premier player.

The snub will be disappointing for Booker, who has the backing of one of the greatest stars the game has known:

Suns fans will be happy to see a representative at the yearly showcase, but there’s another silver lining. This could spur Booker to play even more out of his mind.

You better believe he’s going to break down the door to that squad next year, one can only be ignored for so long. (Editor’s Note:

In other news, it was good to see a couple of deserving players get their reserve spots in the East. Zach LaVine has been making a case for himself all season. Jaylen Brown deserved his first selection as well, considering how he’s elevated his game to become a formidable 1-2 punch with teammate Jayson Tatum, who will also be playing.

Out West, Zion Williamson got his first nod too, and it will be fun to see how Zhanos performs in the game. 

Overall, the game has a decent mix of new and old blood. Whether or not it should even be held, though, is a topic that we’ll discuss for another day.

Here’s the final list of All-Star Reserves:

Eastern Conference

  • Jaylen Brown
  • James Harden
  • Zach LaVine
  • Julius Randle
  • Ben Simmons
  • Jayson Tatum
  • Nikola Vujevic

Western Conference

  • Anthony Davis
  • Paul George
  • Rudy Gobert
  • Damian Lillard
  • Donovan Mitchell
  • Chris Paul
  • Zion Williamson

Overall, the game has a decent mix of new and old blood. Whether or not it should even be held, though, is a topic that we’ll discuss for another day.