Making the All-Star Team is an incredible achievement for any player, even if it looks normal to some all-time great players. The player with the most All-Star Team selections is none other than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who has 19 selections to his name during his incredible 20-year career. In second place are LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, who both have 18 All-Star appearances. James has a chance to equal Kareem’s record in 2023 and exceed that record by the end of the 2024 season. Currently, LeBron is the active player with the most All-Star selections.
Looking into the 2023 season so far, does LeBron James deserve to be an All-Star? That answer could yield mixed results since The King has only appeared in 13 games so far, but he is still the face of the NBA without a doubt and the most accomplished player in the league. While James could no doubt be a starter for the Western Conference, who would join him in the starting lineup? What about the Eastern Conference? With us ditching the classic G-G-F-F-C format and instead focusing on 2 backcourt and 3 frontcourt players regardless of position, here are the predicted Eastern and Western Conference All-Star starters.
Eastern Conference All-Star Starters
Captain
Kevin Durant
Season Statistics: 30.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 5.3 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.7 BPG
Kevin Durant will be the captain of the Eastern Conference All-Stars because he is arguably the best player in the conference and has the most beautiful playing style. Durant is posting superstar numbers across the board, and his dealing with Kyrie Irving and the never-ending drama of the Brooklyn Nets is winning him points from the fans.
Durant is still a villain to most fans across the world, and he does not have the love from audiences that he used to have prior to his joining the Golden State Warriors. But still, Durant is one of the most incredible players to watch in the NBA, and fans and pundits alike want to see him lead the Eastern Conference All-Stars.
Jaylen Brown
Season Statistics: 26.1 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG
The duo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum has been absolutely devastating to the rest of the league. Both players are putting up extraordinary numbers and have the Boston Celtics sitting firmly with the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. There is no doubt that Tatum will be an All-Star starter, but so will Jaylen Brown.
Brown is scoring at a very efficient rate, averaging 26.1 PPG on 50.7% from the field and 83.2% from the free-throw line. He might be the best “tough shot” maker on the team and has a clutch gene built inside of him. An excellent athlete, Brown is exceptional in driving to the rim and finishing over defenders and has developed into one of the best players in the world at the age of 26.
Jayson Tatum
Season Statistics: 31.6 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 4.5 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.1 BPG
Jayson Tatum is the leading MVP candidate for a lot of pundits closely following the NBA season, and he should be. His game has reached new heights across the board as he aims to make amends for his disastrous Finals performances where he looked out of his depth at times. This season, he has been dominant on both ends of the court.
Tatum is posting 30.8 PPG on 48.1% from the field and 87.0% from the foul line, meaning he is deadly anytime he has the ball. His defense has been extraordinary as well, posting a career-high in BPG and averaging close to 1.0 SPG. At the age of 24, Tatum is coming into his own as arguably a top-5 player in the world and will absolutely be an All-Star starter.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Season Statistics: 31.3 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 5.5 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.0 BPG
Other than Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo has the greatest impact on the floor in the NBA right now. The Greek Freak is once again posting monster numbers across the board and has the Milwaukee Bucks sitting 2nd in the Eastern Conference with a solid 14-5 record. Giannis is not only the best scorer on the team but a tremendous defensive talent that can defend multiple positions.
Antetokounmpo wants to pace himself surely before the start of the postseason, but grabbing a top-2 seed in the East will help the Bucks gain an advantage and take care of business early. As usual, Giannis will be an MVP candidate, but it will be hard for him to win it over Jayson Tatum, who is showing massive jumps in his game. Regardless, Giannis will be an All-Star starter.
Joel Embiid
Season Statistics: 31.1 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.6 BPG
Joel Embiid is the best center in the NBA, make no mistake about that. Some might argue for Nikola Jokic, but Embiid is more dominant as a two-way center when it comes to scoring in multiple ways, rebounding, and blocking shots. Joel was frustrated not to win the MVP award last year, which he probably deserved, but he has a legitimate shot this year.
Embiid is once again posting over 30 PPG on over 50% shooting, and he is showing more of an effort to completely dominate games inside. The big man has only appeared in 13 games, but his dominance has been spectacular so far as the most talented center in the game. His play against Nikola Jokic across from him in the All-Star Game will also steal headlines in a short amount of time, so watch out for that.
Western Conference All-Star Starters
Captain
LeBron James
Season Statistics: 25.8 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.7 BPG
LeBron James is the face of the NBA and the most popular player in the NBA. No matter if fans love to love him or love to hate him, James steals all the headlines time after time again. The energy he brings over himself and the team he is on is unprecedented, and he continues to be one of the most polarizing athletes of all time. Beyond popularity, James is still one of the ten best players in the world.
LeBron is putting up very solid numbers for a player in his 20th season, and even though he has only played in 13 games and is showing signs of age, his basketball brain is unique. The King knows how to create plays for his teammates better than anyone else, and he has been through it all multiple times over. The Lakers have suffered through another poor season, but that should not take away from the prediction that LeBron James will be the Western Conference All-Star captain.
Stephen Curry
Season Statistics: 31.4 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 7.0 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.2 BPG
The best point guard in the NBA will be an All-Star starter again, and for good reason. Curry is posting ridiculous numbers across the board, averaging 31.4 PPG on 51.8% from the field, 43.6% from three, and 90.7% from the free-throw line. Somehow, Curry is having his best shooting season to date, and his numbers can only be put up in video games. Unfortunately, the Warriors have not done too well record-wise.
Golden State stands at 11-11 and has not impressed anyone to date. Curry is balling out of his mind and is also one of the most liked players of all time. Steph will start for the West if he keeps up his shooting, and he certainly deserves it. Time will tell if the Warriors will get back to championship form, or they might risk wasting away one of Curry’s greatest seasons to date.
Ja Morant
Season Statistics: 28.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 7.6 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Other than Stephen Curry, Ja Morant is the most spectacular point guard in the NBA. Morant is posting superstar numbers again through 17 games, averaging 28.5 PPG and 7.6 APG on 47.2% from the field, 37.0% from three, and 75.6% from the free-throw line. His three-point shooting has continuously improved, and that bodes well for the Memphis Grizzlies and their title chances going forward.
Hopefully, Morant can stay healthy and start getting the Grizzlies into a good space to start winning games because they can be legitimate title contenders once Jaren Jackson Jr returns to the court. Ja is the most exciting player in the league right now, and for that reason alone, he will start for the Western Conference All-Stars. Considering his superstar numbers, there should be no doubt as well.
Luka Doncic
Season Statistics: 33.5 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 8.6 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Luka Doncic is one of the favorites for the MVP award, even if the Dallas Mavericks will likely not finish with a top-3 seed in the Western Conference. The addition of Kemba Walker will help Dallas improve on offense, but Luka might not have enough to challenge the best teams in the conference. It shouldn’t matter to Luka’s All-Star chances because he will absolutely start for the Western Conference.
The Slovenian superstar is averaging close to a triple-double yet again and is only getting better by the year. The Mavericks are at .500 right now, so that could harm Luka’s MVP chances at the end of the year if things don’t change. But there is no doubt that Doncic is a direct challenger for being a top-5 player in the world, and he will start in the frontcourt for the Western Conference All-Stars led by LeBron James.
Nikola Jokic
Season Statistics: 22.7 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 8.9 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Nikola Jokic is the direct challenger to Joel Embiid for the title of the best center in the game. Jokic’s scoring has gone down a little bit due to Jamal Murray’s availability over 16 games, but that bodes well for the Denver Nuggets. The Serbian superstar likely won’t win his third straight MVP award, but his numbers are MVP worthy. As a center, Jokic is averaging close to a triple-double.
Luckily for Nikola, the Denver Nuggets will be a great team and will challenge to be a top-3 seed in the West all year long. As a result, Jokic will almost certainly start for the Western Conference All-Stars because his numbers and team record indicate that he is a top-10 player in the world. The battle between Jokic and Embiid in the All-Star Game will be one of the highlights of the season, and fans are patiently waiting for it to come.
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