Should LaMelo Ball be an All-Star Game starter? Should LeBron James?
The fans say yes with their votes. Now, those votes will be mixed with votes from NBA players and select media, and on Thursday the NBA All-Star Game starters will be announced on TNT. The only guarantees are that Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic will be starters, and some other fan bases are going to feel snubbed and head to social media to vent.
Here are my votes for the starters, as well as my picks for who should be the All-Star reserves. As a quick reminder, the starters are chosen by a composite of fan votes (50%), player votes (25%) and media votes (25%). The reserves are determined by a vote of NBA coaches, who must select two guards and three frontcourt players and have two wild card selections.
Western Conference All-Stars
Starters
G. Stephen Curry
G. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
F. Nikola Jokic
F. Victor Wembanyama
F. Anthony Davis
Reserves
G. Anthony Edwards
G. Ja Morant
F. Domantas Sabonis
F. LeBron James
F. Kevin Durant
WC. Jalen Williams
WC. Devin Booker
SNUBS: Luka Doncic (Mavericks), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies), Kyrie Irving (Mavericks), James Harden (Clippers), Ivica Zubac (Clippers), De’Aaron Fox (Kings), Alperen Sengun (Rockets)
The West is deep and choosing the reserves is brutal — deserving players will get left out. For example, in making these picks, I ended up snubbing the Houston Rockets, the team sitting second in the conference, by not giving them an All-Star. I’ll be the first to admit that’s not fair.
The last fan vote released had Kevin Durant and LeBron James as frontcourt starters for the West, but I have moved the future Hall of Famers to the bench to make way for guys I believe have earned it more with their play this season: Wembanyama and Davis. That puts a streak on the line: Will LeBron’s 20-year run of starting in the All-Star Game come to an end? Are we about to witness the start of a Wembanyama streak that should run for at least a decade?
Luka Doncic is the most challenging decision on the board. He is unquestionably an All-Star caliber player who led his team to the NBA Finals last season, but he’s also missed 20 games this season, including the last 12 (and counting). That said, he should be healthy and back by the time of the All-Star Game, and if he gets a spot, it’s hard to argue one of the game’s best should be sitting at home. Edwards may not have taken the step forward we hoped this season but he’s still an All-Star and the coaches should make him a reserve.
Sabonis gets a deserving nod for the Kings, but De’Aaron Fox is snubbed in favor of Jalen Williams (the Thunder need two representatives and Williams is more than qualified) and Devin Booker.
Eastern Conference All-Stars
Starters
G. Jalen Brunson
G. Donovan Mitchell
F. Giannis Antetokounmpo
F. Evan Mobley
F. Jayson Tatum
Reserves
G. Darius Garland
G. Trae Young
F. Karl-Anthony Towns
F. Bam Adebayo
F. Jaylen Brown
WC. Cade Cunningham
WC. Damian Lillard
SNUBS: Tyrese Maxey (76ers), Paolo Banchero (Magic), Tyler Herro (Heat), Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers)
The fan vote has the Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns as a starter — and he likely gets that spot when the starters are announced Thursday — but for my money, Evan Mobley’s two-way play and how that has lifted the Cavaliers earned him a starting spot. That said, no argument from me if Towns gets it, he is deserving.
The rest of the East starting five seems pretty obvious, although one could argue that Darius Garland should replace his teammate Booker as a starter.
Banchero would have been a given if he had not gotten injured. Tyrese Maxey also is a deserving All-Star dragged down by the 76ers team struggles, allowing Cunningham to jump over him. If (when) there are players who are out, Maxey and the Heat’s Tyler Herro should be the first in.
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