Looking at the official list of All-Star starters for the West, notably missing is Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Even though the National Basketball Association (NBA) has been crowded with a lot of forwards these days, Davis is seen as one of the budding big men who would follow the steps of such greats like Kevin Garnett.
However, Davis has been plagued by injuries this season, the story besetting the Pelicans so far. Davis has not exactly been his usual self and such is deemed the reason why he didn't come close to vying for a spot in the West All-Star frontline.
With Davis ending up trailing behind Tim Duncan and Enes Kanter, his possible inclusion in the reserve list doesn't look good. But other than that, there are more pressing matters in jeopardy such as a $23 million pay raise as a result of the Rose Rule.
According to the Rose Rule, a player would need to satisfy certain conditions to receive a higher maximum salary. By failing to make it to the All-Star starting unit, Davis still has another chance but only if he makes the NBA team at the end of the season.
Davis needed to make the All-Star team or the All-NBA team twice. He has already done so once for each but as it stands now, he needs to make it to the All-NBA team if that $23 million means anything to him.
Right now, Davis is not the same player NBA fans saw last year. He has been struggling and injuries are not making it any easier for him.
With the likes of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Draymond Green, Kevin Love, and so on, Davis has a chance to make it but only with a dramatically improved performance.
Anything less may very well cost him a hefty $23 million in earnings.
