NBA All-Star reserves predictions: 5 players who deserve bench spots on Eastern & Western Conference

With the All-Star starters already being announced, many of the league's fans are giving their NBA All-Star reserves predictions. Since the league is loaded with so much star power, an argument can be made for several players to complete this season's list of reserves.

Each conference has several players who deserve an All-Star slot because of how well they've played this year. Here are five players from each conference who should get a spot on this season's All-Star team.

5 players who deserve to be named among NBA All-Star reserves from the Eastern Conference

#1 Jalen Brunson (26.6 ppg, 6.5 apg, 42.6 3pt%)

An argument can be made that New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson deserves a starting spot in this year's All-Star game. In only his second season with the team, he has become the Knicks' leader on offense, which is ranked #8 in the league.

Brunson also earned more votes from the media and other players in the All-Star voting, but Damian Lillard beat him in fan votes.

#2 Tyrese Maxey (25.7 ppg, 6.6 apg, 44.8 FG%)

With James Harden out of the way, Tyrese Maxey has had an incredible breakout year. He has been their best distributor and is doing a fantastic job at creating opportunities for himself.

His contributions might get overlooked because Joel Embiid is in the midst of what might well be his second straight MVP season, but there is no doubt that Maxey deserves to be one of the NBA All-Star reserves.

#3 Donovan Mitchell (27.7 ppg, 6.1 apg, 46.0 FG%)

With the amount of high-powered offense he provides in every single game, it would be a shame for Donovan Mitchell not to be named among the NBA All-Star reserves.

In fact, Mitchell is averaging the most points among all guards in the Eastern Conference right now, and he is doing so in exciting fashion. With that in consideration, he certainly fits the bill for an All-Star.

#4 Paolo Banchero (22.7 ppg, 4.9 apg, 6.9 rpg )

In just one and a half seasons, Paolo Banchero has already shown that he not only belongs in the league but also has the potential to become one of the NBA's biggest stars in just a few seasons.

The Orlando Magic's inconsistent and often lacking performance may cause him to be overlooked. However, as an individual, he deserves to be recognized by being given a spot on the All-Star team.

#5 Kristaps Porzingis (19.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.8 bpg, 52.9% FG)

If Charles Barkley thinks that Myles Turner deserves to be mentioned among the potential NBA All-Star reserves, then so does Kristaps Porzingis. Their numbers are almost identical except for the fact that Porzingis has been a better scorer, plus an argument can be made that he has been more impactful on defense.

The difference is that Porzingis can still stand out despite being on a stacked Boston Celtics roster.

5 players who deserve to be named among NBA All-Star reserves from the Western Conference

#1 Domantas Sabonis (19.9 ppg, 8.0 apg, 12.7 rpg, 61.4 FG%)

The Sacramento Kings would not be enjoying a resurgence if it wasn't for the contributions of Lithuanian big man Domantas Sabonis. Somehow, the fact that he only has one less triple-double (12 triple-doubles) than Nikola Jokic this season is flying under the radar, and his contributions are being overlooked.

Sabonis is also leading the league in rebounds per game and is second only behind Rudy Gobert in total rebounds with 557.

#2 De'Aaron Fox (27.7 ppg, 5.6 apg, 1.6 spg, 46.9 FG%)

Sabonis is not the only member of the Kings who deserves to be one of the NBA All-Star reserves. His running mate, De'Aaron Fox, should also be a part of the team.

The two of them have created a deadly one-two punch whose strength doesn't lie in the fact that they can get buckets. They both thrive on getting their teammates involved in the flow of the offense.

#3 Anthony Edwards (25.9 ppg, 5.3 apg, 5.2 rpg)

No one outside of the team expected the Minnesota Timberwolves to be in the position they are right now. Currently, they have tied the OKC Thunder for the best record in the West, and a huge proponent for that is Anthony Edwards.

Edwards has embraced the role of being the team's offensive leader this season and has done so in spectacular fashion, often making defenses look silly when they try to contain him.

#4 Steph Curry (27.3 ppg, 5.0 apg, 44.9 FG%, 40.3 3pt%)

With the inevitable decline of the Golden State Warriors happening right before the fans' eyes, it is no surprise that Steph Curry was not among the All-Star starters.

However, for him to not make the NBA All-Star reserves list would be a travesty. He is still an offensive threat capable of huge scoring nights, and one could argue that his teammates have been weighing him down.

#5 Kawhi Leonard (23.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.7 spg, 52.5 FG%, 44.8 3pt%)

The LA Clippers looked like they would have another terrible season, but they turned things around and have surged to the third spot in the West with a 30-14 record.

Both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George deserve to be among the West's NBA All-Star reserves this season. However, Leonard has the edge due to his better shooting percentages.