De’Aaron Fox & Domantas Sabonis snubbed from NBA All-Star roster
Feb 1, 2024, 4:19 PM | Updated: Feb 2, 2024, 7:47 am
The Sacramento Kings will not be represented at the NBA All-Star Game this season
Inside The NBA‘s crew of Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith revealed the 2024 NBA All-Star reserves on Thursday afternoon, and there were two glaring omissions from the list:
De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis.
Your 2024 NBA All-Star West reserves:
⭐ Kawhi Leonard
⭐ Anthony Davis
⭐ Devin Booker
⭐ Anthony Edwards
⭐ Steph Curry
⭐ Paul George
⭐ Karl-Anthony TownsAny disagreements? pic.twitter.com/mFGVpw2Iap
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 2, 2024
Snubs happen every year when players are selected to the NBA All-Star rosters, and this year, Sacramento is on the wrong end of things just one year removed from securing two All-Star nods for the first time since 2003-04.
Sabonis has been an anchor for a Kings team that currently holds a 27-19 record (5th in the West).
The 27-year-old has been a double-double machine, leading the NBA with 42—including 29 consecutive double-doubles, which has tied Sacramento’s single-season franchise record (Oscar Robertson, 1961-62).
Over 46 games, Sabonis is averaging 19.9 points, 13.0 rebounds (leads NBA), and 8.0 assists (career-high) per game while shooting 61 percent from the field and a career-best 45 percent from three-point range.
Sabonis has also been racking up triple-doubles this season, with his 13 only trailing Nikola Jokic (14) for the league lead.
Along with fellow All-NBA talent De’Aaron Fox, Sabonis and the Kings have followed up last year’s impressive run with a solid first half of the 2023-24 season as they eye another NBA Playoff berth.
Players in NBA history to post 28+ straight double-doubles:
Wilt Chamberlain (6x)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (5x)
Elvin Hayes (4x)
Moses Malone (4x)
Oscar Robertson (2x)
Nate Thurmond (2x)
Spencer Haywood
Bill Walton
Charles Barkley
John Stockton
Kevin Garnett
Dwight Howard
Kevin Love… pic.twitter.com/AA9GuR20CZ— Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) January 30, 2024
Fox, last season’s Clutch Player of the Year winner, is having a career year scoring the basketball.
Through 40 games, Fox holds averages of 27.2 points (career-high), 4.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 46 percent from the field and 38 percent from three-point range.
The three-ball has changed Fox’s game, as the speedy guard has already racked up a career-best 120 made triples over 40 games. Last year, Fox knocked down a then-career-high 119 long balls over 73 games.
Fox is shooting the three at an impressive rate, as the 26-year-old is converting 38 percent of his 7.9 attempts per game this season.
For reference, here are the following players who are shooting 38 percent or better from deep on seven or more attempts per game:
De’Aaron Fox is a legitimate three-point shooter.
Fox has set a new career-high for made triples in a single season with 120, and he’s done so over just 40 games.
Here is the list of NBA players who are currently shooting 38% or better from deep on 7+ attempts per game: pic.twitter.com/g553zIEgjF
— Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) February 1, 2024
It’s not all bad for Fox, who recently told The Sacramento Bee’s Chris Biderman that he “doesn’t really care about being an All-Star.”
Both Fox and Sabonis–if they aren’t selected for injury replacements over the next few weeks, which very well could happen–will have a chance to maximize the All-Star break by resting and re-charging for the playoff push.
Sacramento has been playing some solid basketball as of late, and now they have a reason for a chip-on-shoulder approach to the second half of the season.
More about the 2024 NBA All-Star Game
The 2024 NBA All-Star Game will occur on Sunday, February 18th, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, at 5:00 PM PST.
For more information on the NBA All-Star Game and NBA All-Star Weekend, click here.
When is the next Sacramento Kings game?
Sacramento’s seven-game road trip will continue on Friday night as De’Aaron Fox will come face-to-face with former teammate Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers.
On January 18th, a Haliburton-less Pacers team defeated the Kings by a final of 126-121 at Golden 1 Center. Star forward Pascal Siakam was also inactive for Indiana, meaning Sacramento will have its hands even more full this time around.
Be sure to tune in right here on Sactown Sports 1140 for all of your Kings vs. Pacers coverage, beginning at 3:00 PM PST on Game Night before a 4:30 PM PST tip-off from Indianapolis.
Upcoming Schedule
- Friday, February 2nd – Sacramento Kings @ Indiana Pacers – 4:30 PM PST
- Saturday, February 3rd – Sacramento Kings @ Chicago Bulls – 5:00 PM PST
- Monday, February 5th – Sacramento Kings @ Cleveland Cavaliers – 4:00 PM PST
- Wednesday, February 7th – Sacramento Kings vs. Detroit Pistons – 7:00 PM PST
- Friday, February 9th – Sacramento Kings vs. Denver Nuggets – 7:00 PM PST
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