On Thursday Night, the starters for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game were announced for both the Eastern and Western Conference. The results were met with mixed reactions from fans and media around the league but also sparked some interesting conversations in its wake. One particular comparison we came across was the elite talent comparison between the 2004 Western Conference All-Stars and the 2024 Western Conference All-Stars.
Two lineups made up of the best players in the NBA separated by 20 years of evolution in the sport is something every pure basketball fan would love to see. As we compare these two historical lineups, the advantages that each positional player has and the ones the teams have as a whole will be vastly different yet equally important to their success in this ultimate one-game showdown of Western Conference superstars.
Steve Francis vs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
The point guard matchup between Steve Francis and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one every 2000s NBA fans would be drooling over to see. If there is any advantage that Francis has in this matchup, it is his elite athleticism and scoring ability that saw him peak as a 21.0 point-per-game scorer and three-time NBA All-Star.
Francis’ speed and agility on both ends of the court were impressive during a grueling defensive era, but even with that deduction, it does not compare to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s play in 2023-24. With his body control, handles, precision, and IQ, Gilgeous-Alexander has become one of the top eight players in the NBA today.
It is because of Gilgepus-Alexander’s complete package as an isolation scorer, off-ball scorer, and transition scorer that I believe he has the advantage in this matchup over Francis.
Kobe Bryant vs. Luka Doncic
If Kobe Bryant were with us today, he would tell us that this matchup is one he would have liked to have seen in his NBA career. Bryant never met a matchup or challenge he wasn’t prepared to take on full force and considering the levels to which Luka Doncic has risen in 2023-24, this one would be no different.
Where Bryant and Doncic would differ is their approach to offense. Kobe clearly has the upper hand as a scorer, dominating from all three levels and taking advantage of Doncic’s lackluster abilities on the defensive side of the ball. Bryant could easily take him off the dribble and punish him in the post just as easily as he could as a mid-range or three-point shooter.
Where Doncic will be able to battle back a bit is his ability to get his teammates involved mixed with his size Bryant could find himself struggling with. If Doncic throws around his weight and uses his height to his advantage, there will be plenty of opportunity for him to affect the game as a scorer as well. Bryant is not to be taken lightly as a defender either and will be right in Doncic’s face, allowing nothing easy for the Slovenian superstar.
Kevin Garnett vs. LeBron James
Wow, talk about a matchup for the ages. Of course, peak Kevin Garnett during the height of his MVP season going up against a 29-year-old LeBron James isn’t exactly the best matchup between these two NBA legends that can be created but considering how dominant James remains, it will still be full of fireworks and all-time moments from both sides.
Garnett is a unique talent for James to try and tame on defense. He runs the floor like a freight train while also being supremely skilled as a scorer in the post as well as from 10-16 feet. James’ lackluster effort on defense this season will be an issue for someone who moves and gets up and down the court the way 2004 Kevin Garnett does.
James remains a freight train himself with the way he still can steamroll his way through the paint and finish at the rim. Where he will be even more effective in this matchup is as a playmaker where he can get the elite scorers next to him more involved and rely less on his athleticism and own ability as a scoring threat. Still, the advantage is going to lie with the former MVP at his peak even though James making this a close comparison speaks volumes about his greatest in 2024.
Tim Duncan vs. Kevin Durant
A matchup between Tim Duncan in 2004 and Kevin Durant in 2024 is one that any basketball fan of any era would be willing to sit center court for. In 2004, Duncan was arguably at his two-way peak during the best offensive and defensive efforts of his career. As an offensive player, he was methodical and calculated picking apart the NBA’s most relentless defenders while being one of those on the other end, blocking and altering shots and completely demoralizing entire offenses.
Not to mention that Duncan controlled the glass better than any big man perhaps other than Shaq and Garnett during this time. This poses extremely tall tasks for Kevin Durant to manage who has virtually no chance of impacting the game as a defender against Duncan despite holding a slim height advantage as Duncan is just too strong and efficient in the paint.
Where Durant will impact the game is as a three-level scorer. Durant is scoring the ball at the most efficient levels he ever has in his career, averaging 28.8 points per game on 53/45/87 shooting splits. Despite all of his talent offensively, Durant forfeits entirely too much defensively to be given the advantage in this matchup. I would expect to see a lot of LeBron James doubling onto Duncan if it becomes too much of a mismatch.
Yao Ming vs. Nikola Jokic
Perhaps the two biggest international stars of these respective years clash in the battle of big men between the 2004 and 2024 Western Conference All-Stars. Yao Ming was voted as a starter during the 2004 season averaging 17.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. His massive size at 7’6’’ and 310 lbs. was the most glaring advantage he had then, and it would be the biggest one he has now.
Mings’s ability as a defender in the post would be critical in a matchup with Nikola Jokic in this setting, using his size and strength to push Jokic as far away as possible from the basket. While he would not give up any easy baskets to Jokic in the middle, getting him away from the basket could backfire in an instant.
For those of us who have watched Jokic dominate the NBA since 2021, the high post and perimeter are where he can control the game as a passer and playmaker almost effortlessly. Whether he is knocking down shots of his own, getting through the lane, or running the entire offense from this spot, Jokic will make Yao pay on more than one occasion if the plan is to make him a perimeter player. This gives Jokic the advantage in a big way in this matchup.
2004 Western Conference All-Stars Advantages
As is the case with any matchup with historically great lineups, both teams have key advantages that could lead to victory on the basketball court. For the 2004 Western Conference All-Stars, the first one that will carry them through to a win is their collective defensive effort. Kobe Bryant starts everything up front as a perimeter guard but the frontline of Garnett, Duncan, and Ming will be the stars of the show.
This also gives the 2004 team advantages on the glass. The combination of Garnett, Duncan, and Ming were among the top rebounders in the NBA in 2004, meaning not only are they going to not give anything easy up on defense, but rebounds and second-chance points will be few and far between for the 2024 squad. If 2004 can win the turnover and rebound battle, it could tip their way in blowout fashion early in this game.
2024 Western Conference All-Stars Advantages
The 2024 Western Conference All-Stars will have to make up for their shortcomings defensively by striking early and often against 2004. They can easily do that with the elite scoring and playmaking talent they possess from top to bottom. Utilizing top playmakers like Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Nikola Jokic is going to be a top priority for the 2024 team, allowing these three to run the offense and dictate the pace of play.
That is also where the scoring advantage for the 2024 team comes in as well. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Kevin Durant can take on a large chunk of the scoring load for 2024 while Doncic, Jokic, and James can pick up the slack when they aren’t shouldering the bulk of playmaking duties. From one through five on the court, the 2024 Western Conference All-Stars are going to be the toughest possible matchup for 2004 to defend.
Who Would Win This Matchup In A One-Game Showdown?
For NBA fans who have been complaining about the lack of effort defensively or the pride that players have lost over time for the All-Star Game, you can rest assured that will not be an issue in this matchup. If for nothing more than bragging rights, a game between the 2004 and 2024 Western Conference All-Stars is going to bring out the very best on both sides of the ball from both teams.
The game gets started with all eyes on the matchup between Kobe Bryant and Luka Doncic with the trash-talk flowing and elite basketball on display. Bryant and Doncic exchange tough buckets while the offense for 2024 runs through the playmaking of Nikola Jokic. On the other side, Steve Francis and Kevin Garnett get a little chemistry going as well and after one quarter, it is a 37-32 game in favor of 2004.
The lead continues to grow for 2004 in the second quarter as Bryant continues his onslaught on the 2024 defense. Jokic responds by relinquishing some of his playmaking duties to James and Doncic, taking over as a post scorer and using his agility to get the best of a slower Yao Ming in the paint. The two sides exchange 8-0 runs to end the half and the score is knotted at 68-68 heading into halftime.
The third quarter begins with a three-point barrage by the 2024 squad thanks to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic. The 2004 team responded by pounding the paint with Garnett and Duncan with Garnett using his emotions on his sleeve and energy rubbing off on his teammates to spark a big run. The 2004 team took a comfortable lead 99-91 into the fourth quarter thanks to Garnett’s 15-point quarter.
An eight-point lead in a game featuring these two lineups is never going to last too long, however. That becomes evident as the 2024 team remains diligent in their three-point assault with Doncic and James doing most of that work from the perimeter. In the end, Kobe Bryant calls for the ball and puts 2024 away with a relentless scoring display, going for 12 points on six straight possessions to put 2004 up for good. The 2024 team had a chance to send the game into overtime on the final possession but Garnett and Duncan collapsed far too rapidly on Jokic in the post, forcing a turnover off a deflected pass off the fingertips of Garnett into the hands of Kobe Bryant. Kobe would finish with 39 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals to claim MVP honors.
Final Result: 2004 Western Conference All-Stars vs. 2024 Western Conference All-Stars 134-132
MVP: Kobe Bryant
