There was heavy speculation that the fourth-seeded Raptors would see their two former All-Stars make a second appearance in LA, but the coaches who voted had other ideas.
NBA All-Star Weekend is officially under two weeks away, and Sunday night marked the announcement of the reserves for the All-Star game in the Intuit Dome. Voted by the coaches around the NBA, there was wide speculation that the Toronto Raptors would see representation in the game by one of their very own.
Toronto had tipped off its game against the Utah Jazz at 6:00 PM EST, which was the same time at which the All-Star reserves were set to be announced. The announcement occurred during the pregame of the New York Knicks vs. Los Angeles Lakers primetime game on NBC and Peacock by the crew of Carmelo Anthony, Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, and Maria Taylor.
Raptors Dance Team | © Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
The news was shared during a timeout in the first quarter of Raptors vs. Jazz that Scottie Barnes had been selected for the second time in his career. Unfortunately, Brandon Ingram did not receive the same honor, which led to questioning by many around the NBA.
Although head coach Darko Rajakovic was obviously happy for the young superstar, he expressed his disappointment in Ingram being snubbed.
“While we’re talking about Scottie [Barnes], I feel disappointed that [Brandon Ingram] did not make it to [the] All-Star [game] as well,” said Rajakovic. “I think that he definitely deserved it. I think that the way he’s competing and playing this year, and how much he’s putting into it, and the way he’s scoring and helping [the Raptors] to win basketball games, I think that he definitely deserves to be an All-Star.”
Ingram has been instrumental to the Raptors’ success this season. After Toronto has missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, he has made his impact felt across the league with his insertion into the lineup immediately, and it is exemplified by Toronto’s 30-21 record and fourth-seed in the Eastern Conference.
This was accentuated by Barnes, who discussed with the media postgame the All-Star snub for his teammate.
“I don’t know how [he didn’t make it],” said Barnes. “He’s been balling. He’s been doing so much for our team. To be from where our team was last year, to this year, his impact on our team is instrumental to our success. It’s just ridiculous he’s not [in the All-Star Game].”
As the leading scorer for Toronto with 21.9 points per game, Ingram regularly sees the opposing team’s best defender, along with double-teams to prevent him from taking over games. With that being said, the former No. 2 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft has scored 30 or more points in a game six times this season, with five coming against playoff teams (via StatMuse).
There is still little need for disappointment for Raptors fans, who will get to watch three members of the franchise participating in All-Star Weekend. Barnes will be joined by Collin Murray-Boyles and Alijah Martin, who will be playing on opposing teams in the Rising Stars Game on Friday, Feb. 13, at 9:00 PM EST.