February 14 is about more than just Valentine's Day this year. The upcoming evening will also display the classic East vs. West showdown of the NBA's best players as voted by the fans. While the NBA All-Star game generally exhibits a less competitive atmosphere than regular season games, the chance to be a part of either All-Star lineup is an exciting honor for any player. Certain players are obvious shoe-ins, including LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and the legendary Kobe Bryant as he finishes out his time in the league. Other competitors, however, have been equally impactful on the court yet given less air time from national media. Here are five players who have earned their All-Star spot without the spotlight.
1. Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors)
With a current total of over 350,000 votes, the Raptors point guard sits in third place for guards in the East. After a drop off in efficiency during the past few season, Lowry holds a 20.8 points per game average to go with his 15.0 player impact rating. In the off-season, Lowry lost a significant amount of weight and gained confidence to get his shooting game back into All-Star worthy mode. In fact, Lowry brought his three point percentage from 34 percent last season to 37 percent so far this season and continues to keep playoff hopes alive for his team. If that's not convincing enough, Drake recently posted a picture endorsing Lowry's All-Star campaign and encouraging his own fans to do the same.
2. Jimmy Butler (Chicago Bulls)
It's been a rough first half of the season for the Bulls this year, but Jimmy "Buckets," as he goes by, has come to play every night. With a scoring average even better than that of Lowry's (22.6), the stat sheet doesn't even begin to demonstrate Butler's importance to Chicago. Just last week, Butler posted a whopping 53 points on the night in Chicago's narrow victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. This was Butler's third 40-point game of the season. With a slew of injuries and some inconsistent shooting, the Bulls have turned to Butler to maintain their third-best record in the Eastern Conference. The future looks bright for this young shooting guard, and a spot at the All-Star game would be a well-deserved addition to his resumé.
3. Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz)
Former Jazz player Raja Bell created uproar in Utah when he suggested that forward Gordon Hayward deserved to play on a better team. Considering Hayward's 43 percent field goal percentage next to a 19.2 points per game average, losing Hayward would be devastating to the Jazz lineup. Like Chicago, the Jazz has also struggled with injury this season which has made Hayward's contributions vital to team success. The Jazz currently sit in the eighth position in the Western Conference standings, barely holding on to the last playoff spot. As the season progresses into the second half, Hayward's play will likely have a major impact on Utah's playoff picture.
4. Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors)
A key ingredient to the 37-4 Golden State Warriors' scalding start to the season has been power forward Draymond Green. Green's commanding presence on the defensive end has made scoring against the Warriors a difficult task as they continue to outscore opponents by 23.3 points per 100 possessions. Some of those points are all thanks to Green and his work on outside shooting in the offseason. Green improved from 34 percent to 42 percent in three point shooting this season, making him comparable to his Splash Brother teammates Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. To top it off, Green set the NBA record for most triple-doubles in a season by a power forward with a total of 7. Although Golden State's astonishing backcourt duo often overtakes media headlines, Draymond Green is no less deserving of the accolades and All-Star votes.
5. Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Number one overall draft pick Karl-Anthony Towns had plenty of expectations to meet as he entered the NBA and he hasn't disappointed so far! Towns is currently ranked twelfth on ESPN's Player Rater for his outstanding 52 percent field goal and 85 percent free throw success rates. Combine those stats with a 24.1 usage rate and you've got one of the most efficient players in the NBA this season. These feats are impressive on their own, but for a 20 year old, 6'11" rookie playing center, they're even more unbelievable. If Towns is putting on an All-Star performance after only a few months in the league, he holds the potential to make history in more ways than one throughout his NBA career.
