The NBA just opened fan voting for the 2023 All-Star Game set to take place in Salt Lake City, Utah on Feb. 19, so there’s no better time than now to take a look at who will be the 10 starters suiting up for the annual contest. As usual, there will be three frontcourt players and two backcourt players starting for each conference, but some decisions are easier to make than others when you look at the pool of talent around the league.
When you factor in individual performance, injuries and team success it could become the difference between a player named a starter versus a reserve. While there’s still some time before the starters are officially announced, and things can certainly change between now and then, let’s take stock of who the 10 starters could be come February.
Western Conference
Backcourt
Doncic ranks second in scoring, sixth in assists, and is first among guards in rebounds. He’s doing that while shooting a career-high 49.4 percent from the field, and over the last month has begun to heat up from 3-point territory, shooting 39.2 percent from downtown. He’s performing at an MVP level, and if he can will the Mavericks to a top 4 seed in the West, he’ll certainly have a serious case for the Michael Jordan trophy at the end of the season.
This is a tough call, because you could go with Ja Morant, who is leading a Memphis team that ranks second in the West. Or you could go with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is putting up absurd numbers on a young, rebuilding Thunder team. But despite the shoulder injury that will keep Curry out for a couple weeks, I’m still picking him as the starter. You may not have noticed this since the Warriors have looked nothing like the dominant team that won it all last year, but Curry’s stats this season have rivaled his unanimous MVP season. He’s shooting 50 percent from the field and 43.4 percent from deep, both mirroring that 2016 MVP performance. His true shooting percentage (66.8 percent) and effective field goal percentage (62.5 percent) are also near his stats from that year.
Frontcourt
Though Williamson missed all of last season with a foot injury, he hasn’t looked the least bit rusty, and it’s resulted in not just an All-Star season but pushed him into the MVP conversation as well. The scoring and sheer force that he plays with are all there, but what’s been most impressive is his improved passing. He’s averaging 4.7 assists a game, showing that his game is evolving past just being an absolute tank who can bulldoze through anyone in the league.
Davis is expected to miss a month with a foot injury, so that could severely impact his All-Star starter status, but I’m more inclined to say that he’s named a starter than not right now, that’s just how good he was playing prior to going down. He’s not only having his best season in a Lakers uniform but arguably one of the best seasons of his career, averaging a double-double and anchoring L.A.’s defense on the other end. He’s shooting a career-high from the field, and he was at the center of the Lakers starting to turn things around in the past few weeks.
After winning back-to-back MVPs, Jokic is following up that rare feat with…another MVP-caliber season. He’s leading most advanced stat categories again and is now shooting a career-high 61.7 percent from the field. Oh, and with a healthy Nuggets team surrounding him, Jokic’s efforts have led Denver to hold the No. 1 spot in the West right now.
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Eastern Conference
Backcourt
This was an easy decision. At the start of the season, when the Cavaliers were without Darius Garland for five-straight games, Cleveland didn’t lose, and that’s because of Mitchell. He’s elevated the Cavs from an intriguing team filled with promising young talent, to a legitimate threat in the East. He’s averaging a career-high in points and is also shooting the ball at the most efficient clip in his career. After getting traded in the summer I don’t think anyone could’ve predicted that Mitchell would have this good of a start with Cleveland, but here we are.
Another guard having a career year is Brown, which feels like a continuation of his standout performance in the NBA Finals a season ago. He’s blossomed from Jayson Tatum’s sidekick to every bit his equal, and on some nights he’s Boston’s saving grace if his counterpart is having an off night. Brown’s shooting a career-high 49.6 percent from the field, on 26.4 points a night, also a career-high, and after missing the All-Star Game altogether a season ago, he should be named a starter this time around.
Frontcourt
Much like one of the guard spots in the West, this frontcourt spot in the East is a difficult tossup between Tatum and Durant. Despite the constant drama that surrounds the Nets, Durant’s level of play hasn’t faltered. He’s averaging 30 points for the first time since his MVP season in 2014, oh, and is shooting it at a 56.5 percent clip, not only does that surpass his MVP season, but it’s the best mark of his career. He leads the league in total points right now and has carried Brooklyn back up to the No. 4 spot in the East. While Tatum is having an MVP-level season and could be considered the favorite right now by some people, what K.D.’s managed to due in tougher circumstances has been more impressive.
This is as easy a lock as it comes for the All-Star roster. Antetokounmpo is averaging 30+ points for the first time in his career, and he’s doing so on a Bucks team that holds the No. 1 spot in the East currently. Giannis had to shoulder a bit more responsibility on offense at the start of the season with guys like Khris Middleton out, and while many might’ve expected a slow start for the Bucks, the two-time MVP ensured that didn’t happen.
Embiid leads the league in scoring on a career-high 33 points a game, and he’s had to put up big numbers on a Sixers team that has dealt with several injuries to key players in their starting lineup. Embiid hasn’t slowed down since his MVP-caliber season a year ago, and while he may not be getting as much attention for the award this time around, that doesn’t mean he isn’t deserving of being in the conversation.
