The NBA All-Star Game is around the corner, with the league’s best headed to Los Angeles to take over the Intuit Dome. One weekend. One floor. A snapshot of the season as it actually unfolded.
One of the better stories this year has been the play of the Phoenix Suns, and representation on that stage matters. That is what makes the All-Star Game work. It becomes an encapsulation of the year that was. You can look back at Dan Majerle making it in 1992, 1993, and 1995 and immediately remember those explosive Suns teams. Or think about the season when four Atlanta Hawks were selected, and the lone starter left out was DeMarre Carroll, now sitting on the Suns bench as an assistant coach.
Contrast tells the story. Individual recognition paired with team identity. A single name that carries the weight of an entire season.
That is where this year lands. The Suns have been one of the better feel-good stories in the league. The question was simple. Would that story be rewarded with a spot in Los Angeles?
We got that answer today.
And I am thankful. Truly. Thankful that I do not have to sit here ranting about how they got it wrong. Because Devin Booker _is_ an All-Star this season.
The numbers are not as clean as they have been before. The efficiencies dip compared to past versions of Booker, and if you want to argue strictly from a spreadsheet, you can try. But contrast matters here. Because what Booker has done for this team this season goes beyond percentages and box scores. This has been one of the most important stretches of his career. Leadership. Stability. Direction. The connective tissue that has held everything together.
This makes five All-Star selections for Booker, even if two came as an injury replacement. That did not matter this time. No waiting. No side door. He earned it outright.
There is also the quiet subtext. Dillon Brooks did not make it. Realistically, there was never a strong path for him. And yet, inside the walls of this team, he has been the All-Star. His presence has shifted the attitude. The effort. The temperature every night. Those things do not show up on ballots. They rarely get rewarded on this stage.
Still, it is worth noting. There are two weeks until the game. Injuries happen. Replacements get named. The commissioner makes that call. Brooks has not exactly helped his case with the technical fouls and the reputation that follows him. Although, if you want to look at it another way, he has contributed quite a bit financially to the league along the way.
Booker being in feels right. Brooks being left out feels predictable. Both can be true. And both say something real about this season.