by The NBA announced the starters for this year’s NBA All-Star Game on Thursday night with Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid getting the nod for the Eastern Conference. Antetokounmpo will captain the side as the game will return to the original East vs. West that has not been used since 2018.
The game’s reserves will be announced on Feb. 1, with seven players from each conference being chosen. Each team’s reserves will consist of two guards, three frontcourt players, and two wild-cards. We’ll predict the East’s reserves based on a combination of statistics, games played, team record, and advanced analytics among other intangibles such as coaching or team injuries.
East Guards: Jalen Brunson and Donovan Mitchell
This was perhaps the easiest group to pick, as both of these players have separated themselves with stellar seasons. It’s also widely believed that either one of these players should be starting in place of Lillard. Brunson, in particular has fans all over New York up in arms as his ascent to stardom has brought the Knicks back to relevancy in his second year with his new team. An All-Star snub last season, Brunson has upped his play, averaging 26.5 points per game, 3.8 rebounds, and 6.4 assists as well as shooting 48% from the field and an incredible 42% from three. Those numbers, combined with leading the Knicks to a 28-17 record has Brunson well on his way to being a lock to compete in his first All-Star game.
Mitchell has had a bit of a tougher season, injury-wise, than Brunson but has led the Cavaliers to a scorching 8-2 record in their last 10 games and 5th in the East amid long-term absences from Darius Garland and Evan Mobley. He is averaging 27.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists in addition to 1.9 steals, which ranks second in all of the league. Mitchell’s percentages are a bit down from last year, as he is shooting 46% from the field and just 34% percent from three on just under nine attempts per game, but the rest of his play has not fallen off.
East Frontcourt: Jaylen Brown, Julius Randle, and Paolo Banchero
Things got harder as it was hard not to include the likes of Bam Adebayo and Scottie Barnes, as well as strong cases from Kristaps Porzingis and Jarrett Allen. All of these players are still eligible for wild-card spots, but for now Brown, Randle, and Banchero lock into the three frontcourt selections.
Including Brown made a lot of sense: he is the 2nd best player on the team with the best record in the league. His numbers are slightly down and he still isn’t always great turnover-wise but his team loaded up in the offseason with other talented pieces such as Porzingis and Jrue Holiday that have taken his usage down, but he’s still averaging 23.0 points per game on 50% shooting from the field. Those are strong numbers no matter the team and it makes him more than worthy for an All-Star nod.
Randle got off to a very slow start, but he’s been great recently to come from behind to earn a reserve spot. He’s the second option behind Brunson in New York and is averaging 24.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists on 47% shooting. He’s still only shooting 30% from three, which is very bad, but his overall statistics and upward trends have brought him into strong contention for a spot.
Banchero was the hardest selection to make, but his second year leap and role as the best player on a vastly improved Orlando Magic team makes him worthy of his first ever selection. Almost all of his statistics are up from last year, as he’s putting up 22.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game this season. The final frontcourt spot could go a lot of ways, but Banchero has put himself in prime position to grab it.
East Wild-Cards: Tyrese Maxey and Bam Adebayo
Maxey is a shoo-in here, as he, similar to Brunson and Mitchell, could genuinely make a case for starter over Lillard. He ends up just a step behind the other three here, but fortunately is still able to find his way in. Maxey has made an incredible jump in his fourth season in the league, and has taken the reins to Philadelphia’s offense amid James Harden’s departure. He’s averaging 25.7 points per game to go along with 6.6 assists and is leading the league in minutes per game with 37.5. He has undoubtedly put together enough for his first All-Star selection, and it will be shocking if he doesn’t get in.
Adebayo’s odds are much less certain than Maxey’s, because, as discussed earlier, there is a significant jumble of frontcourt players vying for a spot. Adebayo, though, has the best case of any of the remaining players, as he is averaging career highs in points and rebounds, with 21.3 and 10.5, respectively. With Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro in and out of the lineup all year, Adebayo has done a great job leading the Heat to a 24-21 record, a record which is impressive considering some of the lineups they’ve had to throw out there. Adebayo’s role as Miami’s leader, both defensively and offensively, sneaks him in for the final spot in our projections.
Final Reserve Predictions: Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, Julius Randle, Paolo Banchero, Tyrese Maxey, Bam Adebayo.
Just Missed: Derrick White, Pascal Siakam, Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, Scottie Barnes, Kristaps Porzingis, Jimmy Butler, Jarrett Allen.
