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The 2019 NBA All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, February 17th, at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC.
As NBA keeps releasing vote counts by fans, it is important to note that the starting five from each conference consists of three frontcourt players and two guards, selected by a combination of fan, player, and media voting.
In 2017, the NBA moved from a pure fan vote to a weighted process wherein fan voting accounts for 50% of the total and player and media voting account for 25% each. The reserves are chosen by a vote among the head coaches from each squad's respective conference.
Taking that into account, here are my picks for the NBA All-Star East 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: Kyrie Irving, Celtics
G: Kemba Walker, Hornets
F: Joel Embiid, 76ers
F: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks
F: Kawhi Leonard, Raptors
Reserves
G: Ben Simmons, 76ers
G: Bradley Beal, Wizards
F: Blake Griffin, Pistons
F: Nikola Vucevic, Magic
F: Pascal Siakam, Raptors
G: Victor Oladipo, Pacers
F: Eric Bledsoe, Bucks
Let's discuss the starters of this team in detail.
Guard - Kyrie Irving
When we put aside his heated post-match interviews and look at his season strictly from a basketball standpoint, there's no denying the fact that Kyrie Irving is the best point guard in the East and should start the game. He's averaging 23.5 ppg, 6.9 apg, and 4.8 rpg this season.
He's also been supremely clutch in for the Celtics this season as he tries to find his stride in leading the young guys from Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals this season. For me personally, I think a player like Kyrie is tailor-made for something like an All-Star Game when entertaining basketball is a must.
Backcourt - Kemba Walker
Kemba Walker is the all-time highest scorer for Charlotte Hornets and this season, Kemba is the offense for the Hornets. He started the season with a bang - he got the season off to a solid start to a 41-point game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
A month later, he scored a career-high 60 points against the Philadelphia 76ers and followed it up with 43 points against the Boston Celtics in his next game. He has cooled off a little bit recently but he's still one of the best point guards in the East.
Kemba is also having the best season of his career averaging 25 ppg, 5.6 apg, and 4.3 rbg. However, a legitimate case can be made for Ben Simmons and Bradley Beal to make the starting 5. But wouldn't be it awesome to see Kemba show off his handles in front of the Charlotte Hornets fans present in the Spectrum Arena?
Frontcourt - Giannis Antetokounmpo
No debating about this one - The Greek Freak is the leading vote-getter in the East and a frontrunner for the MVP this season. Giannis is averaging 26.5 ppg, 12.6 rpg, and 1.4 blocks per game this season and is leading a young and talented Bucks team as they are currently placed #1 in the Eastern Conference.
While everyone was talking about the Celtics, Raptors and the 76ers, Giannis has been balling out this season and has made the Bucks a serious contender to be the best in the east. Even without a jump shot in his arsenal, he is one one of the most effective players in the NBA - which revolves around the 3 point line today.
In my opinion, the Eastern Conference now belongs to Giannis after LeBron James moved to the Lakers. He's also an MVP candidate this season. Is there absolutely any reason why Giannis shouldn't be a starter in the 2019 All-Star Game?
Frontcourt - Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard was amongst the top 5 players in the world before his injury and there were serious concerns whether he would be able to adapt to the East after being traded to the Toronto Raptors before the season started. The Klaw put those questions and doubts to bed as he is currently a Top-3 contender to win the MVP this season behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden. The former Finals MVP is quietly having a monster season.
He was always criticized for not being a "scorer" but this season he's putting up 27.6 ppg, 3.1 apg, and 7.9 rpg every night - that's almost 10 more points than his career averages. And I'm not even stressing on his defense because we already know he's arguably the best defensive player in the League. The best two-player in the NBA becomes an automatic starter for the All-Star Game.
Frontcourt- Joel Embiid
The case of Joel Embiid is simple. Even on his worst night, he's still a Top 3 Center in the NBA (along with Anthony Davis and Niloka Jokic) and there is no Center in the East who even come close.
He's often seen going at it with some of the other stars in the league - trash talking and posting hilarious tweets and Instagram posts and that only makes Embiid one of the most entertaining guys in the NBA. And isn't the All-Star game supposed to be fun and entertaining?
Embiid is playing some solid ball on both ends of the floor - averaging 27.1 ppg, 13.2 rbg, and 2.0 bpg. The Philadelphia 76'ers are currently ranked as high as #4 and have looked shaky throughout the season but Embiid is the captain of this ship and he's doing a great job.
Guess the Lakers players!
