Announcing an injury that’d sideline him for the All-Star game, Damian Lillard suggested Devin Booker as a replacement.
Adam Silver listened.
NBA release:
Booker will also replace Lillard in the 3-point contest.
Booker should have been an All-Star in the first place. He’d tell you, too.
Now, the young guard gets his first All-Star appearance. It’s deserved recognition for a talented scorer who has made major strides fitting into a better team system. The Suns still have a long way to go, but Booker is driving their rise.
Fortunately for everyone involved, Booker – the top snub – played in Lillard’s Western Conference and is also a good 3-point shooter. By rule, the replacement must come from the same conference as the injured player, even though All-Star teams are no longer divided by conference. Booker, who won the 3-point contest in 2018, can also easily slide into that event without another player changing his All-Star break plans.