NBA All-Star 2019 Predictions: Predicting the starting lineup for the Western Conference

The NBA All-Star game is arguably the biggest spectacle in the NBA after the NBA Finals and for good reason. Only the finest basketball players make it to the NBA and the best amongst them make it to the All-Star Game where the season-long rivals become teammates and put a show!

This is especially true for the Western Conference which is certainly better than the Eastern Conference in terms of talent the number of players that have the potential to be an All-Star. For example. Luka Doncic who has received the third-most fan votes for the All-Star game after averaging 20 points per game in his astonishing rookie season, should not be making the All-Star team because there are better players than him in the West whether you want to agree or not.

Having said that, here's my prediction about the All-Star West Roster. I will be dividing the team into starters and reserves as I make an attempt to predict the starting five of this team.

Starters

G: Stephen Curry, Warriors

G: James Harden, Rockets

F: Anthony Davis, Pelicans

F: Kevin Durant, Warriors

F: Nikola Jokic, Nuggets

Reserves

G: Damian Lillard, Blazers

G: Klay Thompson, Warriors

F: LeBron James, Lakers

F: Paul George, Thunder

F: Rudy Gobert, Jazz

F: Karl-Anthony Towns, Timberwolves

F: Russell Westbrook, Thunder

Yes, that's right, I don't have LeBron James in my starting 5 and allow me to explain why as you go through the article. Let's discuss the starters of this team in detail.

Backcourt - Stephen Curry

Golden State Warriors v Los Angeles Lakers

Steph Curry began his season in MVP fashion averaging percentages of 50-40-90 from the field, from the 3 point line and from the free-throw line respectively. He's easily the best point guard in the League today and when it's all said and done he might go down as the best point guard the NBA has ever witnessed.

He's putting up 29.3 ppg, 5.6 apg, and 5.2 rpg every night for the Warriors who were seemingly lost without his presence in the team.

He's the #1 guard in the league and an automatic selection for the All-Star Game.

Backcourt - James Harden

James Harden is playing like a man possessed. In his last 10 games he has scored - 37, 48, 58, 57, 38, 43, 42, 32, 38, and 44 points.The Beard is averaging almost 35 points and 8.3 assists per game.

So here we have a guy who's putting up 30 points at least and he's also ranked very high in the assists per game column. That makes him an automatic candidate for the MVP Award and he continues his historic run of form, he will be crowned as the back-to-back MVP of the league.

Earlier in the season when the Rockets were struggling and Chris Paul was forced out with an injury, everyone feared that the Rockets might lose out on a playoff spot but then Harden just took over and has literally carried his team to the #5 spot in the Western Conference. Don't be surprised if they end up being the #2 or #3 seed in the West at the end of the regular season.

Frontcourt - Anthony Davis

New Orleans Pelicans v Los Angeles Clippers

Anthony Davis is Top 3 in scoring, rebounds, and blocks. In a league with versatile big men, The Brow continues to impress everybody with his insane productivity. He's averaging 29.3 ppg, 13.3 rpg, 4.4 apg, and 2.6 bpg this season. The only players that have put up similar numbers are Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bob McAdoo.

What's surprising is that after putting up those ridiculous numbers, he's still not amongst the top 10 vote-getters for the All-Star Game. He is easily amongst the Top 5 players in the league today and if any team wants to beat the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, they simply ought to have The Brow in their team. He's the best Center in the league today and having said that, he can also handle the ball like a guard - pulling off sham gods and crossovers.

He's sidelined with a finger injury but should be back before the All-Star Game.

Frontcourt - Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant is the best offensive player in the League today and it's not even close. KD is now a back-to-back Finals MVP and a surefire- starter for the heavily stacked Western Conference All-Star Team. He is currently averaging a solid 28 ppg, 7.4 rpg, and 6 apg for the Warriors. These are his best numbers since he left the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Whether or not he will leave the Warriors this off-season remains to be known but one thing is certain - Durant is a perennial All-Star starter and it doesn't matter if basketball fans hate him for jumping teams, but he is one of the best players of his generation and has continued to evolve his game every season.

Frontcourt - Nikola Jokic

If the MVP award was strictly based on value added to one'steam, Nikola Jokic would be a front-runner for the award. He's doing literally everything the Nuggets need him to do. He's a versatile big man who's not really gifted with superior athleticism but Jokic has been dominating the league lately by posting up and dishing out some of the most amazing assists that would put elite point-guards to shame. He's averaging 19.6 ppg, 10 rpg, and 7 apg.

The case against LeBron James is that he's already missed 13 games this season and has been out since Christmas Day. That's the most he has missed in his entire career. To Jokic's credit, he has played every single game this season.

In the MVP race today, Jokic would have an edge over LeBron this season simply because the King is out due to injury. Don't get me wrong, LeBron James is a way better player than Jokic and it's not even close, but it would be unfair to see Jokic start the All-Star Game as a reserve after the way he has been performing this season.