Isaiah Thomas not among Eastern Conference All-Star starters

Share

BOSTON – For all that Isaiah Thomas has accomplished in his NBA career, the hallmark of his rise from the last player picked six years ago to where he is now is nothing short of amazing.

Thomas will be an All-Star for the second year in a row, but it’s not going to be as a starter.

The NBA announced the starting five for the Eastern and Western Conferences, respectively, Thursday night.

The Eastern Conference All-Star starters in the backcourt are Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving and Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan with a frontcourt that features Cleveland’s LeBron James, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Chicago's Jimmy Butler.

Starting in the Western Conference backcourt are Houston’s James Harden and Golden State’s Stephen Curry. The frontcourt will include Golden State’s Kevin Durant, San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard and New Orleans' Anthony Davis.

Despite not being named a starter, there is still a lot to be excited about the season Thomas is having.

The 27-year-old leads the Celtics in scoring with a 28.7 points per game average which ranks fourth in the NBA.

His 10.1 points scored in the fourth quarter leads all players in the NBA. And if he can maintain that average, he will become the first player since the statistic began being recorded in 1997 to average double digit points in the final quarter of play.

While most players try to be low-key in their desire to be an All-Star, Thomas has made it known to anyone within earshot that he deserved to not just be an all-star, but an all-star starter.

His head coach Brad Stevens agreed.

“He’s having a hell of a year,” Stevens said.

But not enough to earn what would have been a starting spot on the East all-star team which would have made him the first Celtic to do so since Kevin Garnett in 2013.

 

Contact Us