The starters for the 72nd NBA All-Star game on Feb. 19 were locked in on Thursday with Los Angeles Lakers superstar forward LeBron James being named an all-star for a record-tying 19th time and a captain for the sixth straight year.
Joining James out of the Western Conference will be two-time defending MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, New Orleans Pelicans high-flyer Zion Williamson, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and the Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic.
From the Eastern Conference, Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is a captain for the third time and was followed by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets, the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell.
Like always, there was controversy with some of these starter selections. Williamson has only played 29 games this season, Joel Embiid was left out as a starter despite being one of the four best players in the Eastern Conference (along with Antetokounmpo, Durant and Tatum) and Irving got the nod despite the controversy that followed him early in the season.
However, considering the fact that 50 per cent of the starters vote belonged to the fans, it’s tough to get mad at the results. All the players involved are putting up all-star numbers and these are players that many spectators want to see in an All-Star Game.
There are still 14 spots up for grabs now, too, with two guards, three frontcourt players and two players at any position left for the NBA’s 30 coaches to select from the two conferences. And this is where things get a lot more interesting.
The following is how this particular writer believes the reserves should be filled out for each conference.
Guard: Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
Guard: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
Frontcourt: Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz
Frontcourt: Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings
Frontcourt: Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
Wild Card: Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
Wild Card: De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings
For the most part, the West reserves should be a cut-and-dry affair to select.
Morant and Gilgeous-Alexander are locks in the guard spots because of how undeniable the numbers they’re putting up are and, in Morant’s case, how successful the Grizzlies have been once again under his stewardship.
The frontcourt spots are also relatively easy to choose with Markkanen and Sabonis both enjoying fabulous seasons and helping their teams to surprisingly successful years thus far.
The third frontcourt spot could go a number of ways with Paul George a very deserving candidate, but the idea is to go with Davis here because before he got hurt he was playing MVP-calibre ball. Additionally, Davis was actually ranked No. 3 on the fan vote for all-star voting, so he’s a player that people want to see. He should get the nod.
The wild card selections were the hardest to make with so many players putting up big numbers around the conference, like Anthony Edwards in Minnesota and Devin Booker for the Phoenix Suns.
However, leaving Lillard off the team was simply impossible to do as, like Gilgeous-Alexander, he’s averaging over 30 points per game – and just had one of the most efficient 60-point performances ever – while Fox is probably the Kings’ best player and, considering the fact they’re currently holding down a top three spot in the West, giving them a second all-star just makes sense.
Guard: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
Guard: Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers
Frontcourt: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Frontcourt: Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors
Frontcourt: Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
Wild Card: James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers
Wild Card: Julius Randle, New York Knicks
The Eastern Conference had some tougher choices to be made than out West, but there were some no-brainers to be had.
The reserve guards are obvious selections as Brown is the second-best player on the league-leading Celtics, putting up primary-scorer numbers and stellar defence to boot, and Haliburton has taken a star turn with the Pacers, leading them to surprising success this season.
Embiid is also an obvious selection as he’s playing like an MVP again and was only not named a starter because of the numbers game of having only three frontcourt players. His running mate in Philly, Harden, should also be a lock as he’s playing at an All-NBA level again as a perfect complementary piece alongside Embiid.
As for the other selections, no matter how mediocre the Raptors have been this season, Siakam’s been a shining light and should be rewarded for the monstrous season he’s been putting together. From there it feels like a toss-up between four players on the Heat and Knicks in Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, Randle and Jalen Brunson.
The decision, ultimately, was to go with Adebayo and Randle because they’ve been the most impactful players on their respective squads this season.
The All-Star reserves will be announced on Feb. 2 and, in a new twist for this season, the All-Star draft will take place right before the game begins on Feb. 19.
COMMENTS
When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.