Choosing the NBA All-Star reserves can be trickier than selecting the starters.

Players who are on the brink of starting but miss out often find their way onto the All-Star team as reserves. Yet, many worthy players may be overlooked when the reserve selections are revealed this Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET on TNT.

Both the Eastern and Western Conferences have backcourt and frontcourt players who deserve to be in the All-Star Game but will likely be left out. It’s also a numbers game; for instance, the Miami Heat, currently around the .500 mark and fluctuating in and out of the top six in the conference, may only have one All-Star between Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, not both.

The same dilemma applies to the Sacramento Kings, who have surged since firing Mike Brown. Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox are both having standout seasons, but whether they both make it to the All-Star Game in San Francisco on Feb. 16 is uncertain.

Additionally, teams like Houston and Memphis pose similar questions. Shouldn’t the second- and third-place teams in the West have representation in the All-Star lineup?

Coaches are tasked with choosing the reserves, which include two backcourt players, three frontcourt players, and two additional players of any position.

Here are the All-Star reserve choices proposed by YSL News Sports NBA writers Jeff Zillgitt and Lorenzo Reyes:

NBA All-Star Reserve Selections

Jeff Zillgitt’s NBA All-Star Reserve Picks

Eastern Conference

Backcourt: Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland

Frontcourt: Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam; Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown

Wildcards: Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro; Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine

I’m relieved that it’s the coaches making these reserve selections and not me. In reality, some deserving players will inevitably be overlooked. While selecting reserves, I made a point to balance individual performance, including efficiency, against team success. Trae Young’s shooting percentages (40.2% field goal and 34.2% from three) alongside Atlanta’s record of 22-25—despite his league-leading 11.4 assists—got him excluded from this list. Bam Adebayo of Miami is having a stellar season, but with the Heat’s 23-22 record, it’s unlikely they’ll field two All-Stars. If someone prefers to swap Adebayo for Herro, I’m on board with that. Also, if you think having three Cavaliers in the All-Star lineup is excessive or are unsure about Brown’s season, there’s an argument to include Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson. – Jeff Zillgitt

Western Conference

Backcourt: Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards; Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox

Frontcourt: Los Angeles Lakers forward-center Anthony Davis; Memphis Grizzlies center Jaren Jackson Jr.; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengün

Wildcards: Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams; San Antonio Spurs forward-center Victor Wembanyama

The West also presents tough choices. With Houston and Memphis holding the second and third-best records in the conference, it feels unjust not to include players from both squads in the All-Star Game. This creates a crowded field, as Kyrie Irving, Norman Powell, Domantas Sabonis, James Harden, and Devin Booker are among the names left off the final roster. – Jeff Zillgitt

Lorenzo Reyes’ All-Star Reserve Picks

Eastern Conference

Backcourt: Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham

Frontcourt: Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley; Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown; Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vučević

Wildcards: Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro

The most challenging choice was the last frontcourt position, where Vučević stands out over players like Pascal Siakam and Jarrett Allen due to his offensive efficiency and rebounding ability. Cunningham has been impressive while leading the rising Pistons and unquestionably deserves his first All-Star selection. Mobley’s improved perimeter shooting has also enhanced spacing for the Cavs. Although there are various guards in the East deserving of recognition, Garland’s efficiency and Herro’s efforts to keep the Heat’s season viable both warrant their All-Star nods. – Lorenzo Reyes

Western Conference

Backcourt: Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards; Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox

Frontcourt: Los Angeles Lakers forward-center Anthony Davis; San Antonio Spurs forward-center Victor Wembanyama; Sacramento Kings forward-center Domantas Sabonis

Wildcards: Houston Rockets center Alperen Şengün; Oklahoma City forward Jalen Williams

The West boasts a deep frontcourt, and both Davis and Wembanyama had strong cases for starting, so they were easy selections. I believe Sabonis’s contributions earn him a spot, while Şengün and Williams narrowly outperform competitors like James Harden, Devin Booker, and Kyrie Irving. For the guard positions, even though Fox’s scoring has fluctuated, his playmaking and key plays in clutch situations solidify his spot, while Edwards remains one of the league’s most electrifying players, making him an obvious choice for his third consecutive selection. – Lorenzo Reyes