Anthony Davis Named 2015 NBA All-Star Game Starter

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Published: January 23, 2015

The New Orleans Pelicans have an All-Star for the second year in a row, and this time he’s starting.

Anthony Davis is a starting forward for the West in the 2015 NBA All-Star Game. This is a huge honor for the team and for Davis, especially in just his third season.

Press Release

New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis has been named a starter on the NBA Western Conference All-Star team, the league announced today. Davis, a second-time All-Star, earned the most votes of any Western Conference frontcourt player, and becomes the first Pelicans player to be voted in by the fans since Chris Paul in 2011. Davis is the third player in New Orleans franchise history to represent the team in multiple All-Star games, joining Chris Paul and David West.

Davis, 21, is averaging 24.3 points on .563 shooting from the field, 10.4 rebounds 3.0 blocks and 1.5 steals over 36.0 minutes in 38 games. Among NBA leaders, Davis ranks 3rd in scoring, 10th in rebounding, 6th in field goal percentage and 1st in blocks. Davis has recorded 23 point-rebound double doubles on the season, including 21 20-10 games, nine 30-10 games and four 25-points, 10-rebound, five block performances.

The University of Kentucky product has taken part in All-Star Weekend in his previous two seasons in the NBA, appearing in the BBVA Rising Stars game as a starter in both 2013 and 2014, as well as a reserve in the 2014 NBA All-Star Game.

Joining Davis in the starting lineup for the Western Conference is Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers), Marc Gasol (Memphis Grizzlies), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors) and Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers). The Eastern Conference starting lineup features LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers), Pau Gasol (Chicago Bulls), Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks), John Wall (Washington Wizards) and Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors).

Davis, who finished with 1,369,911 votes, was one of just three players to surpass the one million mark, joining leading vote-getter Stephen Curry (1,513,324) and LeBron James (1,470,483).

For the first time ever, the official NBA All-Star Ballot presented by Sprint included all current NBA players. As part of the NBA’s all-digital program, fans voted on NBA.com; through social media networks, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Sina Weibo and Tencent Microblog; via SMS text; and with the NBA Game Time and the NBA Game Time from Sprint applications

The 64th NBA All-Star Game will tip off Sunday, Feb. 15, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The game will be seen by fans in 215 countries and territories and will be heard in 47 languages. TNT will televise the All-Star Game for the 13th consecutive year, marking Turner Sports’ 30th year of NBA All-Star coverage.

NBA All-Star 2015 in New York City will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league’s history for a global celebration of the game. Along with the All-Star Game, TNT will also air the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, Feb. 13, and State Farm All-Star Saturday Night on Saturday, Feb. 14. The BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge and State Farm All-Star Saturday night will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Other events at Barclays Center include the NBA Development League All-Star Game presented by Kumho Tire and the NBA Development League Dream Factory presented by Boost Mobile on Sunday, Feb. 15, airing on NBA TV. Madison Square Garden will host Friday night’s ESPN-televised Sprint NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.

Implications

This selection may do something to further Davis’ fame among the casual NBA fans of the world, but this does nothing to those who follow the Association closely.

There are some contractual implications, however. Now that Davis has been voted an NBA All-Star Game starter once, he is partway to meeting the “5th Year 30% Max” criteria. He will reach the criteria if he is voted as a starter in the the 2016 NBA All-Star Game. Even if he signs his extension before the criteria are met, it can still affect the deal. Additionally, he can trigger the 30% Max by being voted to the All-NBA Team twice, which is still possible (anywhere on the team, need not be First Team), or by being the NBA MVP once. The key here is they have to happen before the first day of the extension is reached.

Maximum salary contracts are not actually the single biggest contract that can be offered. Each player has a maximum salary they can be offered in a given year. Clearly, it depends on the salary cap (or basketball related income if you wish). It also depends on the NBA experience of each player. Rookies up to players with 6 years of experience have one maximum salary. That category is called the 25% Max, but that percentage is actually only approximate now, the name being retained by custom only. The next category is the 30% Max for players with 7 years to 9 years of experience. The last category is for players with at least 10 years of experience, and that is the 35% Max.

If Davis is the Pelicans’ Designated Player, which allows him to be given an extension this offseason that will kick in after the final deal of his rookie contract and last for five additional seasons, it must be for at least the 25% Max. If he meets this 5th Yeah 30% Max mark, it can be for any amount between the 25% Max and the 30% Max, inclusive.

The higher maximum salary would still be in effect if he was not the Designated Player, but it would not be mandatory to have him at least at the 25% Max. It is likely the Pelicans will try to make Davis their Designated Player extension to lock him up for as long as possible. Michael McNamara details this and more here.

Some trivial loose ends. A player gets credited with a year of service just by being on the team for day, either active or inactive. Any player can be offered up to 105% of his salary in his most recent year of service, even if it is above the so-called Maximum Salary.

Cap implications aside, the Pelicans are going to be entering a world where cap space is but a dream soon, and Davis’ extra salary, while a slight encumbrance . . . about $3m in today’s cap figures, so a Quincy Pondexter give or take . . . is just a part of doing business with great players. It’s Anthony Davis, and you pay that man.

You want the good stuff, you pay for it.

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