Every year, 24 of the NBA’s best players are hand-picked to play in the NBA All-Star game, an exhibition game for players to showcase their skills in a less competitive environment. In late 2017, it was decided that a change to the formatting of the game would take place.
Instead of there being a team made for the eastern and western conference, two captains would be selected (one from each conference), based on who received the highest number of votes. This year, those two captains were LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets.
Let’s take a look at some of the players who have locked themselves in as starters in this year’s All-Star game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
This one was not a surprise to anyone. Coming off of a championship year, Giannis has maintained the same level of play that got him his first championship ring. He has been averaging 28.6 points per game on an ultra-efficient 53.1% FG percentage. He is also chipping in just over 11 rebounds per game, which is seventh in the league. Antetokounmpo is continuing to prove himself as one of the league’s best, if not the best player.
Ja Morant
In just his third year in the NBA, Ja Morant has been named as one of the starters in the Western Conference backcourt. Morant has taken a major step forward this year in his play, and it shows with the way his team has been performing as a whole. The Memphis Grizzlies are currently third place in the Western Conference standings, a conference always known to be ultra-competitive when it comes to playoff seeding. As far as his individual work shows, Morant has gotten better in virtually every aspect of his game. His PPG (points per game) has improved from 19.1 to 25.8, his rebounds per game has increased from four to 5.9. To top it off, he has become a more efficient scorer, now shooting 48.9% from the field (a 4% increase from 2020), and 35.8% from three (a 5% increase from 2020). It is clear that Morant’s selection as an All-Star starter was well deserved.
Each season, a hot topic is made of the high profile players who don’t make the cut or the ones who are “snubbed.” At this moment, we don’t know yet who the reserves will be. Let’s take a look at some of the players who may have been deserving of a starting spot, but didn’t receive one.
Luka Doncic
The 6’ 7” point guard has played at an elite level ever since he joined the league in 2018. This season has been no different: Doncic is averaging 25 PPG, 8.9 rebounds per game, and 8.7 assists per game. These numbers are top notch, so why wasn’t Doncic named a starter?
Taking a look at his two competitors that beat him out, Stephen Curry and Ja Morant, Doncic is less than a point off from their averages, and has the upper hand in the rebounding and assisting category. The argument for Doncic to be a starter could be understandably made, however, the Warriors and Grizzlies are both in the top three in the Western Conference, while Doncic’s Mavericks sit at 5th place in the West.
Rudy Gobert
Gobert’s paint presence is often undervalued, and may be part of the reason why he wasn’t selected as a Western Conference starter. Leading the NBA in rebounds per game (15.1), Gobert is clearly one of the most dominant bigs in the league. Some would argue that he should have taken Andrew Wiggins’ spot, as Gobert has the major edge when it comes to rebounding and is just behind Wiggins in points per game.
Keep an eye out for who gets selected as reserves, as well as the players who will be competing in the dunk contest, three point contest, and the Rising Stars Game.
Article by Ben Kim of Walter Johnson High School
Photo courtesy of Unsplash