Andre Drummond deserving of All-Star start, but not popular enough

Tom Haberstroh of ESPN made his Eastern Conference All-Star choices – based on merit – and Andre Drummond earned a starting spot in the frontcourt with LeBron James and Paul George:

"Drummond probably will get some love for Most Improved Player this season, but in reality his per-minute numbers are nearly identical to his rookie season. The difference? He’s finally getting the run he deserves. He tops every East center in EWA, and he paces the league in field goal percentage as well as jaw-drop percentage. Start the "Big Penguin" in the Big Easy."

Yup.

Unfortunately, Drummond ranked 11th in the NBA’s initial voting. The road to the top three is too long, so Drummond certainly won’t be starting. (It’s even longer for Josh Smith, who ranked 15th on the initial results, higher than I would have expected.)

But Drummond has a chance to be an All-Star reserve, an honor chosen by coaches. That’s not quite as much of a popularity contest, so he should have a chance. So far, he’s deserving, but it’s close enough that Drummond must keep producing until the actual selection.