Will the young core of the Los Angeles Lakers become future All-Stars?
All-star voting is in full swing for the 2018-2019 season. Kyle Kuzma sits 8th out west among all forwards and Lonzo Ball also finds himself in 8th place out of every guard. It’s very unlikely either player will make the All-Star team this year, but do Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, or the other most hyped member of the Lakers young core, Brandon Ingram, have a chance at making one or more future All-Star games?
First let’s take a look at last year’s Western Conference All-Stars and their 2017-2018 stats, so that we can see what kind of numbers a player needs to become an all-star.
Guards:
Stephen Curry: 26.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 6.1 APG, .423 3P%, .618 eFG%, 28.2 PER
James Harden: 30.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 8.8 APG, .367 3P%, .541 eFG%, 29.8 PER
Damian Lillard: 26.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 6.6 APG, .361 3P%, .519 eFG%, 25.2 PER
Klay Thompson: 20 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.5 APG, .440 3P%, .585 eFG%, 16.1 PER
Russell Westbrook: 25.4 PPG, 10. RPG, 10.3 APG, .298 3P%, .477 eFG%, 24.7 PER
Curry, Harden, Lillard, Thompson, and Westbrook’s stats averaged among the five of them:
25 PPG, 6 RPG, 7 APG, .380 3P%, .050 eFG%, 25 PER, average age: 28
Forwards:
Anthony Davis: 28.1 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 2.3 APG, .340 3P%, .558 eFG%, 28.9 PER
Kevin Durant: 26.4 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 5.4 APG, .419 3P%, .586 eFG%, 26 PER
Paul George: 21.9 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 3.3 APG, .401 3P%, .521 eFG%, 18.7 PER
Draymond Green: 11 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 7.3 APG, .301 3P%, .562 eFG%, 16.1 PER
Jimmy Butler: 22.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.9 APG, .350 3P%, .509 eFG%, 23.7 PER
Davis, Durant, George, Green, and Butler’s stats averaged among the five of them:
22 PPG, 7 RPG, 5 APG, .361 3P%, .547 eFG%, 23 PER, average age: 27
Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, and Lonzo Ball are much younger than every All-Star who was selected last year. Their stats are also well below the type of production of an average Western Conference All-Star. Therefore, realistically speaking none of the Lakers young core are going to make an All-Star appearance this year or next year.
The question is, after 3 to 4 years when Ball, Ingram, and Kuzma are in their primes and most of the current All-Stars are starting to slow down, then do any of the Lakers young guns have a shot at an All-Star birth?