Atlanta guard Trae Young doesn't view not getting picked for the All-Star Game as getting snubbed.
He has a new word.
鈥淚t's getting 鈥楾raed鈥� at this point,鈥� he wrote on social media.
Young, the NBA's assist leader this season and a three-time All-Star selection, obviously wasn't pleased about not getting picked for the Feb. 16 All-Star event in San Francisco. their selections getting revealed on Thursday.
And a few notables didn't make the cut, including Young and Phoenix's Devin Booker 鈥� a two-time Olympic gold medalist and four-time All-Star.
It is not the first time Booker has been left out when many felt he had All-Star numbers. In recent days, Suns coach Mike Budenholzer also offered a strong pitch for Booker to get an All-Star nod this year.
鈥淥bviously, something that I wanted to be a part of,鈥� 鈥淏ut definitely not going to complain about taking a week to regroup with the family."
When arguments are made that someone who wasn't selected should have made an All-Star Game, the inevitable question then becomes asking who made the list and wasn't worthy of the spot.
"That鈥檚 always going to be the conversation every year 鈥� who got snubbed, who didn鈥檛,鈥� Booker said Friday. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of people who are deserving.鈥�
Young hasn't been voted into the game since 2022; he was an injury replacement selected by Commissioner Adam Silver for the All-Star Game last year. Hawks coach Quin Snyder made clear that he believes the players who made the All-Star roster are deserving.
鈥淭hat also doesn't preclude me from feeling the way I do about Trae,鈥� Snyder said. 鈥淚 haven't coached him for that long, but I feel like he's had the best year of his career. ... No disrespect to anyone that has made it, but as Trae's coach, I am allowed to feel disappointment for him not making it. And that's unfortunate.鈥�
Fan voting accounts for 50% of the formula for deciding which players start the game, and Charlotte's LaMelo Ball was the backcourt player who got the most votes from fans in the Eastern Conference by a wide margin. But he narrowly missed being a starter after finishing third in the East backcourt voting by current players and seventh in the media balloting 鈥� then missed out on being a reserve because he didn't get listed on enough coaches' ballots.
Ball 鈥� averaging 28.2 points this season, fourth-best in the league 鈥� is the first player under the current voting format to win the fan vote at his position, but not get picked for the All-Star Game.
鈥淚t鈥檚 unfortunate,鈥� Hornets coach Charles Lee said. 鈥淚n my humble opinion, he has been an All-Star. He鈥檚 done a great job of just helping this team in a lot of different ways 鈥� helping us weather the storm during injuries, helping put us in a situation to be in a lot of these close games that we鈥檝e been in.
鈥淚 think his numbers have been phenomenal. His play has been phenomenal. He鈥檚 gotten better in a lot of different areas. It鈥檚 unfortunate, but I think it鈥檚 one of those things where we just keep pressing forward. The votes are in. I know he will use this as continued fuel, as he always is just trying to strive to be the best player he can possibly be.鈥�
Booker lauded Young and Ball for putting up what he called 鈥渦nheard of numbers鈥� and when asked if All-Star rosters should be expanded said that 鈥渢he more talent in there, the better, I think.鈥�
鈥淭here's so many talented players in the league now,鈥� Booker said. 鈥淵ou could build a case probably for three or four guys on each side that have a legitimate case of being an All-Star.鈥�
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AP freelance writer Richard Walker in Charlotte, North Carolina contributed.
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AP NBA:
Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press
