NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond was named Tuesday to replace injured Washington Wizards guard John Wall on the Team LeBron James’ squad for next month’s NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver selected Drummond for the February 18 contest. It will be his second all-star appearance, having previously represented the Pistons in 2016.
Wall was selected by NBA coaches as an all-star reserve and selected by Cleveland’s James in the talent draft to fill out rosters for his squad and a team led by Golden State star Stephen Curry.
But Wall, expected to miss up to six weeks after treatment for a left knee injury, will be unable to play. When an all-star is sidelined, the commissioner selects a replacement from the same conference as the lost player.
Drummond is averaging an NBA-best and career-high 15.1 rebounds a game as well as 14.7 points, 1.37 blocked shots and career highs of 3.8 assists and 1.54 steals. The six-year NBA veteran has 176 assists this season, 19 more than in his previous two campaigns combined.
Drummond had the most votes from coaches for an all-star reserve spot among Eastern Conference players who weren’t selected.
© Agence France-Presse