With All-Star weekend underway it's worth looking at who's in and who's when it comes to All-Star selections and most importantly, who should have been there. 

When it comes to that last question: Julius Randle should have been an All-Star. 

The Minnesota Timberwolves forward is having one of the best seasons of his career with 22.3 points, seven rebounds and 5.4 assists per game and he's finally settled into his role with the Timberwolves, forming an effective duo with Anthony Edwards, who was selected as All-Star reserve.

When it comes to All-Star roster construction, the staters for each conference tend to be obvious, while the reserve list is slightly more contentious and the injury replacements even more so. Randle wasn't selected to any of these lists, despite having the numbers that could arguably warrant some kind of selection.

The three most significant names that Randle could pair up against when it comes to All-Star selections Brandon Ingram, who replaced Steph Curry, and Chet Holmgren.

Ingram is averaging 21.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists this season, all inferior numbers to what Randle has been able to achieve.

Holmgren has a better case over Randle as he does have the advantage in rebounds with 8.7 per game and plays a closer role to center than Randle does, which can be a better roster fit, but Holmgren's scoring and assist numbers both pale in comparison to what Randle has been able to achieve this season. 

Looking at it on paper and looking at what Randle has been able to achieve for the Timberwolves this season alongside Edwards, and there should be no argument that Randle should have had an All-Star nod in some way, shape or form.

Randle hasn't always been overlooked in his career. He-s a three time All-Star, all with the New York Knicks, the 2021 Most Improved Player and he's even received MVP votes in the past. 

An All-Star selection for Randle wouldn't just be deserving, it would have given him a chance to share the court with his teammate Edwards, laying the groundwork for what could have been an electric pairing of the two Timberwolves.

The All-Star game certainly looks different this season as it's not a single game at all. It's a round-robin tournament between two USA-born teams and one international-born team. The format is designed to bring new excitement and combat the dwindling interest in the All-Star game.

Whether or not the format will work as intended, one thing is clear. Randle should have been a part of it all.