LOS ANGELES – San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson expressed surprise Tuesday night that guards De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle were not selected for this season’s NBA All-Star Game, leaving rookie center Victor Wembanyama as the club’s lone representative.
Speaking to reporters before the Spurs’ 136-108 victory over the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers, Johnson volunteered his opinion without being prompted. “I do think it’s very interesting that De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle have not been named an All-Star,” he said. “Seven teams in this league have multiple All-Stars, and we’ve played pretty good against a lot of the top teams in this league.”
Johnson’s comments came hours after the league announced that Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram would replace injured Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry on the All-Star roster. Ingram, averaging 22.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists, joins teammate Scottie Barnes as Toronto’s second All-Star.
Fox, a one-time All-Star, is posting 19.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game for San Antonio. Rookie backcourt partner Castle averages 17.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 7.0 assists while earning recognition as a standout perimeter defender. Despite those numbers, neither made the Western Conference roster, which now features multiple All-Stars from seven different franchises.
San Antonio enters the All-Star break with a 37-16 record, third best in the NBA and tops among clubs with only one All-Star. Wembanyama, the front-runner for Rookie of the Year and a growing MVP candidate, earned his first selection earlier this month.
“Nothing to take away from anybody who has been named an All-Star, because they have a lot of great players,” Johnson added. “But the only way I can think we are deserving of only one All-Star means there must be an awful lot of people that have Victor Wembanyama as one of the front-runners for MVP. So thanks for asking.”
Source: ESPN
