Toronto Raptors: Where does Pascal Siakam rank among All-Star starters?

5. Trae Young

Starting off the list is another first-time NBA All-Star in Trae Young, the current point guard for the Atlanta Hawks. Young’s selection into the All-Star Game, especially as a starter, doesn’t come without a little bit of scrutiny. Young is the best player on the worst team in the Eastern Conference, and – by record – the second-worst team in the NBA at 13-36.

Offensively, Young is one of the best and most entertaining players in the league, he’s averaging 29.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 9.2 assists per game, shooting 45-percent from the field, and 37-percent from three. His scoring ranks third in the NBA while his assists rank second in the league, behind only LeBron James. Not only that, he’s taking the sixth-most three-pointers per game in the NBA at 9.3 per game.

Young is a liability on defense, though. He ranks 369th out of 371 players in ESPN’s Defensive Real Plus-Minus, and while that stat can be slightly skewed at times, it probably does Young a little justice. He’s routinely described as one of the worst defenders in the league.

But, his offense is what propels him, and it’s the reason he was voted into the All-Star Game. In just his second season in the NBA, Young is already one of the best shooters, passers, and all-around scorers in the league.

He’s the fifth-best starter on this team, but that isn’t doing him a disservice. He’s still only 21 years old.