The NBA Eastern Conference All-Star Reserves feature some of the most under-rated players leading their respective teams. Whether they're over-shadowed by a teammate (or two) or play for a struggling team, they've still managed to have respectable seasons and some impressive individual achievements as well.
Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia 76ers - Holiday is having a career year in his fourth season in the NBA. He has more points, assists, rebounds and a higher field goal percentage than ever before. He scored 35 points and added five rebounds and six assists in the 76ers win over the Knicks on January 26, one of four games he scored 30 or more. He has 14 games with ten-plus assists, including a season-high 15 on November 30.
Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers - Irving is most likely to take Rajon Rondo's spot as the starting point guard for the Eastern Conference. The second-year player in Cleveland leads his squad in points, assists and steals per game. Irving has four games with 35 or more points, including two 40-point games (one in December against the Knicks and one in January against the Celtics).
Chris Bosh, Miami Heat - Bosh is the third all-star for the Miami Heat squad but has held his own as one of the top front court players year in and year out, regardless of who gets the attention on his teams. Bosh has back-to-back games with 11 rebounds and corralled a season-high 18 in a November win versus the Milwaukee Bucks. He registered a year-high four blocks in a pair of January games.
Tyson Chandler, New York Knicks - Chandler is a solid defensive contributor who is averaging double-digit rebounds this season for the first time since 2007-2008 with the New Orleans Hornets. The only season he had better points or rebounds averages was that same campaign, though his current shooting percentage is second in his career only to last season. His Knicks are atop the Atlantic Division.
Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls - Noah is having the best season of his five-year career, setting personal bests in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks per game. He had one of the most dominant performances of the season in a December 7 win at the Detroit Pistons, scoring 30 points, collecting 23 rebounds and adding six assists (plus two blocks). The Bulls have the best record of any second-place team in the conference and are only half a game behind the Pacers for the Central Division lead.
Paul George, Indiana Pacers - George has 14 double-doubles this season and starting with the first game, a 14-point, 15-rebound performance on Halloween at Toronto. His calendar year got off to a good foot as well, with a 29 points and 14 rebounds against the Washington Wizards. George leads the Central Division's best team in points and steals per game.
Luol Deng, Chicago Bulls - Deng has double-doubles in three of his last five games and leads Chicago in points per game. Deng's season-highs for both points (33) and rebounds (14) came in road victories for the Bulls. Only Carmelo Anthony had more points (39) in the 108-101 win over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, and he led all scorers with 25 points on the night the Atlanta Hawks lost at home in his rebounding high.
Brook Lopez, Brooklyn Nets - Lopez is the lone Nets all-star and made the team only because of Rondo's injury, but has quietly had a solid season for the second-place Brooklyn club. His field goal percentage (.518) is up over half for the first time since his rookie season, and he's averaging half a block more per game than his career average. His season-high in points (35) and rebounds (13) both game in double-doubles during a four-game stretch entering 2013.
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