by The 72nd NBA All-Star Game will be held on Sunday, February 19 in Salt Lake City. With voting officially open, the Crossover staff looks at potential rookies and first-time All-Stars in the West. (Eastern Conference picks are here.)
1. Who would get your first votes for the two starting spots in the West?
Howard Beck: Steph Curry and Luka Doncic. Yes, Curry will be out for a few weeks, but his excellence in the first third of the season earns him a spot on my fantasy ballot today. Doncic (32.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 8.6 assists) has career highs in scoring and effective field goal percentage. Generally speaking, I’d prefer my All-Star starters to come from winning teams, but it’s been a strange season so far for both Warriors and Mavericks, and there really is no question that these two are the best guards in the West. They get the nod Ja Morad and Devin Booker.
Chris Herring: I think Stephen Curry has been one of the two or three most impactful players in the league this year. But now that he’s going to miss a few weeks with injury, I think it’s fair to say that Luka Dončić and Ja Morant deserve more in the west back. Both deserve the nod. Luca for his go-anything nature for Dallas, and Ja for being the engine of a club that tied for first place even though he’s still not at full strength.
Robin Lundberg: Steph Curry and Luka Doncic. Unfortunately Steph was hurt, but he was having as good a year as ever. And we know how good he is, while Luca is a top MVP candidate. It’s hard to leave off Ja Morant and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but I have to give the nod to Curry and Luka.
Chris Mannix: Luka Doncic is an easy pick, with Luka putting up numbers (and triples) for the middling Mavericks. Stephen Curry is also an easy choice—for now. Curry’s performance (30 points per game on 50% shooting and 43.4% from three makes him a lock, but his latest injury, which is expected to keep him out for at least a few weeks, could cost him a starting spot. Or at least make him less worthy of one.
Rohan Nadkarni: Luka Doncic and Stephen Curry. Luca and Steph are two of the top three backcourt scorers in the West, and both their teams would be toast without them. Steph, while currently hurt, is arguably performing better than his unanimous MVP season in 2016. Doncic is a one-man offensive hub who on most nights feels like the most unstoppable force in the NBA.
2. Who would get your first votes for the West’s top three frontcourt spots?
Nod: Nikola Jokic, LeBron James and Zion Williamson. Jokić, who is making a case for a third consecutive MVP, is automatic. LeBron is right on the edge of the I’ve missed too many games clause (and the clause that stinks your team) … but he gets a waiver, as an all-time great who still produces like a top-10 player. He has earned it. Zion takes the final nod, apologizing Anthony Davis and Lauri Markkanen. Williamson, healthy at last, isn’t just scoring (25.2 points per game), he’s doing so with incredible efficiency (.611 eFG%) and lifting his teammates (4.7 assists per game). Davis is out for the foreseeable future, so we could cut him now to simplify the process. Markkanen has been a revelation, just not as dominant as Williamson.
Herring: LeBron, Zion and Jokic. You feel like this race isn’t as complicated or crowded, in part because the other usual contenders — Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kawhi, Paul George, Brandon Ingram — have all been sidelined for a while this season.
Lundberg: Nikola Jokić, Zion Williamson and LeBron James. The back-to-back reigning MVP excels again, Zion is having a breakout season as he’s finally healthy, and LeBron is showing the longevity we’ve never seen in the league that will surely lead to another All-Star appearance.
Mannix: Nikola Jokic, LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
How good is Jokić? Right now maybe the only argument against him being a front-runner for MVP is that he’s won the last two of them. James is still playing at another level, even with a dip in three-point performance. Davis gets the nod for the third spot with his recent return to dominance, but his latest injury, like with Curry, could ultimately cost him the final vote.
Nadkarni: Jokić is back to his MVP antics, James is averaging 27 points a night and Davis is a two-way Goliath who single-handedly made this Lakers season interesting. Jokić’s effectiveness is comical. James may not be the ultimate James, but let’s be serious. it’s LeBron. And while Davis could miss at least a month with a foot injury, I think he’ll be back in time to make his case. Forget the conference. AD was one of the 10 best players in the league.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having a breakout season.
Erik Williams/USA TODAY Sports
3. Which first-time All-Star prospect is most deserving of making the West roster?
Nod: In most years, this would be a quick conversation. But I count six players in the West who are at least worthy of consideration for their first All-Star nod: Markkanen, De’Aaron Fox, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, Anfernee Simons and CJ McCollum. I’ll go with SGA (almost over Markkanen) on the strength of his scoring ability, his playmaking, his elite foul shooting (10.2 free throws per game) and his ability to make the Thunder one of the most fun league lottery teams.
Herring: Is there even a question that the correct answer is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? The guy is averaging 31.3 points and nearly six assists on 50% shooting. I don’t think there is a case for anyone else. The only guard/forward in the NBA who scores more per night than him is Luka.
Lundberg: I’ll go with SGA. He made the Thunder more than a draft pick for the first time in a long time, and he happens to be averaging more than 30 points per game. It’s safe to say that SGA has arrived.
Mannix: This should not be up for debate. SGA, which has been injured or shut out by Oklahoma City for much of the past two seasons, shines this season. He’s a dominant scorer (31.3 ppg), a solid three-point shooter (34.5 percent) and a free-throw shooter (93.3 percent), which matters if Gilgeous-Alexander gets to the free-throw line better from 10 times per game. The Thunder seemed destined for another losing season when Chet Holmgren went down with a season-ending leg injury. Thanks to the SGA, they could compete for a play-in slot.
Nadkarni: If Steph misses a ton of time, SGA will have an argument for a starting spot. He’s third in scoring and teams haven’t been able to stop him from getting into the paint. The West is loaded with backcourt talent, and even then SGA stands out for how well it played this year. It deserves more than a place. It’s a lock.
