Nick Wass/Associated Press
No. 19 Pick (Team Giannis): Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards (8.0)
Bradley Beal has been nothing short of incredible when operating without John Wall. That’s not a shot at the injured point guard, who never quite seemed himself before undergoing surgery, but instead a compliment highlighting the Washington 2-guard’s ability to thrive as a solo star.
Beal has averaged a whopping 25.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists per 36 minutes while shooting 51.7 percent from inside the arc and 36.8 percent from outside it when operating without the typical starter at the 1.
Important note: He won’t be suiting up alongside Wall in New Orleans.
No. 20 Pick (Team LeBron): D’Angelo Russell, Brooklyn Nets (7.1)
Remember how Lillard’s pull-up numbers (51.3 effective field-goal percentage on 9.1 attempts per game) were awfully impressive? Well, D’Angelo Russell, taking 9.0 pull-up jumpers per game and connecting frequently enough to earn a 51.5 effective field-goal percentage, is keeping pace with the veteran guard during his breakout season for the Brooklyn Nets.
Cliche as it may seem, the game seems to have slowed down for this 22-year-old, who’s hitting more shots from all over the floor and becoming an efficient playmaker willing to take what’s given to him. Last year, he earned a 35.7 assist percentage while turning the ball over on 16.8 percent of his possessions. Those numbers have shifted to 38.3 and 13.7.
No. 21 Pick (Team Giannis): Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks (6.8)
Khris Middleton has always flashed a smooth pull-up jumper, one that he often used from mid-range zones to counter the idea that those aren’t efficient shots. But in an offense granted more spacing under the supervision of head coach Mike Budenholzer, he’s starting to create even more of his own offense. Compared to the 2017-18 campaign, his assisted two-pointers have decreased from 42.7 percent of his field goals inside the arc to 35.6, and his assisted triples have dropped from 84.2 percent to 61.2.
In fact, Middleton stands out as more than just one of the dozen qualified marksmen connecting on at least 38.0 percent of his treys while taking more than six per game (he’s at 38.3 and 6.2). Along with Irving, he’s one of just two to join the club while creating more than 35 percent of his deep makes off the bounce.
No. 22 Pick (Team LeBron): Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors (2.2)
Yes, Klay Thompson has—by far—the worst score of the 24 All-Stars who were selected in typical fashion, which makes him the last pick of the second round in our objective analysis. Just keep in mind that his numbers are a bit misleading for two primary reasons.
As ESPN.com’s Kevin Pelton once explained, defensive numbers tend to sell this Golden State Warrior short:
“The issue, instead, is the box score-stat component of RPM that helps stabilize it. Thompson’s steal rate in particular is exceptionally poor, while his defensive rebounding has also been worse than the average shooting guard’s. Players with box score defensive stats like Thompson’s are typically poor defenders, so his defensive box plus-minus rating is far worse than league average. That rating is similar to the one RPM uses as a starting point to rate players, which means it’s beginning with the assumption that the Golden State defense is succeeding in spite of Thompson rather than because of him.
“The lack of steals suggests that Thompson’s defense is probably somewhat overrated, since these contributions tend to be undervalued in favor of one-on-one defense by most observers. Still, this isn’t a case like Avery Bradley, in which elite individual defense doesn’t seem to be translating at the team level. Thompson is clearly a very good defender, just in a way that’s difficult to measure for a system designed to provide the best estimate for all players and not unusual cases like him.”
Second, Thompson started the season in miserable fashion. But fear not. He’s stabilized, to the point that he’s hitting 48.1 percent of his 8.3 deep attempts per game during the 2019 portion of the campaign.
No. 23 Pick (Team LeBron): Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat (minus-1.5)
Note: Team LeBron gets the first pick of the final round.
While it’s a fun legacy nod to include Dwyane Wade in the New Orleans festivities, he’s not deserving of an All-Star selection. In fact, his score in our composite metric ranks 240th among the 383 players who have logged at least 200 minutes—among the likes of Shaun Livingston, Tyreke Evans, Quincy Pondexter and Rodney McGruder.
At least this works out so he gets to join his good friend and fearless captain, who may let him play a few minutes and get at least one defender up in the air with that enduringly effective pump-fake.
No. 24 Pick (Team Giannis): Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks (minus-5.1)
The sentiments expressed for Wade also apply to Dirk Nowitzki, who’s playing just 10.2 minutes per game for the Dallas Mavericks and slashing a miserable 34.4/29.8/81.8. Though he’s been surprisingly adequate on the defensive end (perhaps thanks to sheer force of will and pride), his offensive game has dried up, as he earns the 353rd score in our composite metric.
Let’s remember who he was on the court, not who he’s become during his age-40 season.
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