Andre Drummond, no longer East’s best center, still deserves All-Star selection

When I named Andre Drummond the best center in the Eastern Conference in early December, I noted multiple other contenders for the title were close enough to catch Drummond by the All-Star break. I believe two of them, Roy Hibbert and Joakim Noah, have.

But I still believe Drummond should be an All-Star.

At ProBasketballTalk, I wrote about what criteria I’d use for choosing All-Stars:

"Here’s the standard I use:Who’s the best player right now?That’s intentionally vague, but here’s the thought exercise I use to compare players. Imagine two teams full of average players for their positions – an average starting point guard, an average shooting guard, an average sixth man, etc. These teams are exactly equal. Now, replace one starter on each of the average teams with the players you’re comparing. Whose team wins? That’s the better player."

You won’t find detailed analysis of which players have had the best seasons so far, because that’s explicitly not how I believe All-Stars should be selected. But if you click through, you will find my picks – including Drummond, who qualified with room to spare.