The MVP Blog doesn’t follow the NBA’s nonsensical rules regarding the construction of their All-Star rosters. For context, here are the NBA’s rules when it comes to this subject:

• 2 guards and 3 front court players from each conference are to be selected as All-Star starters.
• Each conference has 7 reserve players which are to be selected to the All-Star Game in addition to the aforementioned starters. These reserves must be comprised of 2 guards, 3 front court players, and 2 players of any position.

This season, these restrictive rules are even more problematic than usual. For instance, 1 of these 4 players will not be named an Eastern Conference All-Star starter: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant, and Joel Embiid. Per the NBA rules/positions, all 4 of those guys are considered front court players, which means one of them will not be a starter and will instead be selected as a reserve. However, anyone who understands the game of basketball can understand that Tatum and KD are both more than capable of playing shooting guard.

Basketball as a whole is trending towards being entirely positionless, and that’s the model that we will follow when it comes to naming our NBA All-Star teams.

Therefore, we at The MVP Blog will be selecting the twelve most worthy All-Stars from each conference for the 2022-23 NBA All-Star Game, regardless of position.

Read on to find out who made the cut and who was snubbed!

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Western Conference All-Stars

Ryan

Starters: Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LeBron James, Domantas Sabonis, and Nikola Jokic

Reserves: Steph Curry, Lauri Markkanen, Damian Lillard, Ja Morant, De’Aaron Fox, Jaren Jackson Jr., Anthony Edwards

First and foremost, the best ability is availability. In my opinion, availability should play a crucial role in selecting not only the All-Star starters, but the reserves as well. When the margin between two potential All-Stars is narrow, the player who suits up every night should always get the nod. Anthony Edwards has not missed a game this season, even as he continues to battle a nagging hip injury. Devin Booker, meanwhile, has missed 20 games so far this season. Injuries are always unfortunate, but that difference in games played should count for something.

My starting lineup also reflects that belief, as I have Steph Curry coming off the bench due to having played just 32 games this season but let me be clear; due to the positionless guidelines we follow, Domantas Sabonis – not Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – starts over Curry. SGA deserves to be a starter no matter what. Meanwhile, Sabonis, who I often call “poor man’s Jokic”, will now start an All-Star Game with Jokic. Whether he will lace up on the same team as him or as opponents is yet to be decided.

Here’s why I chose these 12 guys, starting with the starters (naturally):

• Luka Doncic is simply sensational. He’s averaging 34/9/9 in the NBA at the age of 23. The talent around him in Dallas is pretty bad, and that’s putting it mildly. The fact that the Mavs are above .500 is all the proof you need that Luka is a special talent.
• Shai is a superstar. He’s averaging 31 points per game on 51% shooting, an incredibly impressive mark for a guard. He has mastered the mid-range game, and his length makes his jump shot all but impossible to block or alter. It’s so tough to stop this guy from getting to his spots, and that’s what makes him such an efficient, reliable scorer. OKC was supposed to be horrific this season, and yet they float around .500. The SGA effect.
• LeBron James is 38 years old. He is averaging 30/8.5/7. The basketball world keeps asking when he will finally slow down, and I am here to tell you that the answer is never. By the time he decides to retire, LeBron will still be a top 10 player in the league.
• The Kings are exceeding all expectations this season as the current 3rd seed in the Western Conference standings. That is, in large part, due to the all-around brilliance of Domantas Sabonis. He’s averaging 19/12.5/7.5 a night and makes every player around him better.
• Nikola Jokic has won back-to-back MVP’s. He will win his 3rd in a row when this season wraps up. What more needs to be said?
• Steph Curry is the greatest shooter of all time. He is also one of the best offensive players that this game has ever seen. He doesn’t get enough credit for how well he finishes at the hoop. I have him off the bench because of the extensive time that he has missed due to injury, but you won’t see me object to anybody who thinks he should be starting. It’s a valid argument.
• If Lauri Markkanen missed the remaining 32 games of the season, I’d still argue that he should win Most Improved Player. That’s how good he has been. He is averaging 25/9 while shooting 52% from the field and 43% from three, meaning that Lauri is averaging career highs in both on-court production (counting stats) and on-court efficiency (shooting percentages), despite taking a much higher volume of shots. His sudden breakout into stardom has been one of the most fascinating stories of the season thus far, and he’s a worthy inclusion onto the Western Conference All-Star team.
• After missing the majority of last season due to an abdominal injury, Damian Lillard is back with a vengeance, averaging 29 points and 7.5 assists per contest on good efficiency. Nobody can say that those aren’t All-Star numbers.
• Ja Morant has put the work in to become a better playmaker, and the results have been very encouraging. He is averaging a career high 8 assists per game while also pouring in 27 points a night.
• De’Aaron Fox is another guard who is scoring with great efficiency on a nightly basis. He is shooting 51% from the field and racking up 24 points per game. The Kings are the biggest surprise of the season, and both of their star players deserve to make the cut for the All-Star Game.
• Jaren Jackson Jr. is the best defensive player in the NBA, and it shouldn’t be a debate. He is averaging 1 steal and 3.3 blocks per game while playing only 26 minutes a night. His low minutes are due to his tendency to get into foul trouble, but when he’s on the floor, JJJ is absolutely everywhere on both ends of the court.
• Anthony Edwards is my favorite player in the NBA, but this pick has zero bias. Despite a nagging hip injury that has had him playing at less than 100% for the past 3 weeks, Ant hasn’t missed a single game all season. At just 21 years old, the future superstar is averaging 24/6/4.5 on the best shooting splits of his young career.

Honorable Mentions: Zion Williamson, Devin Booker, Anthony Davis, Desmond Bane, Paul George, Aaron Gordon, and Keldon Johnson

Ben

Starters: Luka Doncic, Steph Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LeBron James, and Nikola Jokic

Reserves: Domantas Sabonis, De’Aaron Fox, Ja Morant, Paul George, Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Damian Lillard

For the starting lineup of my Western Conference All-Stars, I debated putting Sabonis in over Steph, but Curry has been so incredible in the games he has played that I still think he’s worthy of his spot there. 29/6/6 on damn near 50/40/90 splits is insanity. Doncic and Jokic need no introduction, they’re the top two candidates for the MVP award, two of the best players in the NBA as a whole, and two of the greatest passers of all-time. LeBron’s recent scoring surge has powered him to breaking the 30ppg barrier to go along with 8.5 rebounds and 7 assists per game on 59% true shooting. In addition, King James is expected to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record of 38,387 points sometime in the next few weeks. He’s going to break that record having played over 150 less games (to date) than Kareem. Finally, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31/5/5.5 on a frankly ridiculous 62.4% true shooting, serving as the engine to propel the Thunder to 12 wins in their last 18 games.

The bench is where things get tricky, as there’s an abundance of talent in the West, but there’s been some health issues for some of the best All-Star candidates. Anthony Davis would have a case to be not just an All-Star, but an undisputed starter if he could just stay healthy. AD has played just 25 games this season, and as good as he’s been, I don’t feel comfortable selecting him for my team based off of that statistic alone. Along a similar vein, Zion Williamson and Devin Booker have played just 29 games apiece, and while they’ve both been the best player on their respective teams when they play, their injury issues leave me no choice but to exclude them here.

Thankfully, there are some clear cut picks for my bench in the West. Sacramento’s dynamic duo of Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox has helped power the 27-19 Kings to the NBA’s best adjusted offensive rating with an incredible 118.3 points scored per 100 possessions (adjusted for strength of schedule). They both get the nod from me. Lauri Markkanen is the efficient juggernaut of the NBA’s 4th best adjusted offensive rating, with the Utah Jazz’s mark of 117. I’m excited to see the reception he gets from the hometown when his name is announced as an All-Star at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake on February 19th. I’ve also chosen a pair of offensive-minded superstar point guards in Damian Lillard and Ja Morant. Lillard is a more efficient perimeter scorer than Morant, while Morant is a more efficient playmaker and does the grand majority of his scoring inside the arc. Lillard has unlimited range, while Morant has unlimited bounce. Both players are All-Stars for my Western Conference bench. If the season ended today, I would vote for Jaren Jackson Jr. to win Defensive Player of the Year. His combination of versatility, length, athleticism, and shot-blocking prowess is incredibly rare, and the Grizzlies are lucky to have him patrol their defense. Behind his brilliance on that side of the ball, Memphis allows just 109.8 points per 100 possessions, the best adjusted defensive rating in the NBA. JJJ is also one of the most reliable third options in the league, averaging 16 points per game on 51/38/78 shooting splits.

I could wax lyrical about Jaren Jackson Jr. all day, but it’s time to choose my final player for the Western Conference All-Star team. In all honesty, I was splitting hairs with these two players. Anthony Edwards and Paul George are each having a great season, and I feel bad having to leave one of them off the squad. Their offensive production is remarkably similar, with George putting up 23/6/5 per night and Edwards putting up 24/6/4.5 per night. On surface level, Ant has the edge here, having played 15 more games than PG. However, George has the edge on Edwards in a few key categories. Paul George is an elite three point shooter and free throw shooter (38.4% and 89%) while Anthony Edwards is merely very good (36.7% and 77.3%). Further, when it comes to estimated plus-minus (EPM), an extremely precise metric which aims to assess the proficiency of NBA players on each end of the floor, PG’s defensive impact greatly outweighs Ant’s. George ranks in the NBA’s 91st percentile when it comes to defensive EPM, while Edwards ranks in the 65th percentile. It’s close, but Paul George earns the last spot on the bench for my Western Conference All-Stars.

Honorable Mentions: Anthony Edwards, Zion Williamson, Devin Booker, Anthony Davis, Desmond Bane, Aaron Gordon, and Keldon Johnson

Eastern Conference All-Stars

Ryan

Starters: Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid

Reserves: Tyrese Haliburton, Jaylen Brown, Julius Randle, Pascal Siakam, Bam Adebayo, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving

Like we said in the intro, positions don’t matter to The MVP Blog. Therefore, the 5 players I have selected as All-Star starters are the 5 best players in the Eastern Conference. I was listening to a Bill Simmons podcast about a week ago, and he was arguing for the same thing that I am. He said something that I thought was brilliant. He argues that positions don’t matter, all that matters is whether those 5 All-Star starters can play together and be successful. 5 guards would never work. 5 bigs would never work. But Mitchell, Tatum, KD, Giannis, and Embiid would absolutely work.

The reserve selections are a bit dicey in the Eastern Conference. While the first 4 guys that I have listed as reserves should be locks, there are about 9 deserving guys for those last 3 All-Star spots.

Here’s why I picked each player:

• The arrival of Donovan Mitchell in Cleveland has lifted the team from a very good team to a championship contender. Mitchell is averaging a career high 28.4 points per game, while also shooting his best career marks from both the field and three.
• Jayson Tatum is the best player on the league’s best team. He is putting up 31/8.5/4.5 a night. If you do have to take 1 of the 4 front court players out of the starting lineup, it most certainly should not be Tatum.
• KD is the greatest scorer this league has ever seen, in my opinion. He’s taken his scoring to a new level this season, as he averages 30 points on a career high 56% shooting.
• Giannis is scoring much less efficiently this year than in recent years. Missing Jrue Holiday for a long stretch and playing without Khris Middleton all year explains why he is forcing things more than normal. He’s still averaging 31/12/5, but if you have to remove 1 of the 4 front court players, you take out Giannis.
• Joel Embiid is atop the NBA scoring leaders at nearly 34 points per game. Add in 10 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal, and 2 blocks, and Embiid is once again having an MVP worthy season.
• Tyrese Haliburton is who should actually start in the All-Star Game since the NBA requires 2 guards. The 22-year-old budding superstar shoots it well, is a sensational passer, and is a very good defender. He’s averaging 20/10 and 2 steals in his first full year as the #1 option in an offense.
• Jaylen Brown continues to just get better and better. He’s the perfect complement to Jayson Tatum. The two of them make the Celtics very scary for a long time to come. Brown is averaging a career best 27 points and 7 rebounds for the league’s best team.
• Julius Randle is not getting near the attention that he deserves. He has been putting up monster numbers in both the scoring and rebounding columns, and it’s been translating to wins for a team that has been better than most expected. If 24.5 points and 11 rebounds aren’t enough to make an All-Star Game, I don’t know what to say.
• The Raptors have been very disappointing, but Pascal Siakam has been phenomenal. He’s averaging career bests in both points and assists. He’s giving the Raptors 25/8/6.5 a night.
• Bam Adebayo just hit the game winner in the game I was watching while I type this, further solidifying his case to be an All-Star. Just like Anthony Edwards, Bam has been playing through some injuries the last few weeks. Any NBA player that actually plays through injury gets my respect. Bam is averaging 21.5/10 while also playing great defense every night.
• James Harden would be leading the NBA in assists at 11.2 per game if he had enough games played to qualify. Harden is also averaging 21.5 points and is shooting his best percentage from three since 2011-12. The Sixers are currently the NBA’s hottest team, as they are winners of 5 straight. Despite the missed time due to injury, I think he is significantly more deserving than the likes of Trae Young and DeMar DeRozan.
• Over his last 3 games, Kyrie Irving is averaging nearly 40 points per game. With no KD, the Nets have needed him to step up, and he has certainly done that. For the year, he is averaging 27/5/5 for an elite Nets team.

Honorable Mentions: DeMar DeRozan, Jalen Brunson, Trae Young, Jimmy Butler, Jrue Holiday, Darius Garland, and Zach LaVine

Ben

Starters: Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid

Reserves: Tyrese Haliburton, Jrue Holiday, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown, Jimmy Butler, and Pascal Siakam

Let me not waste any time. My Eastern Conference All-Star starters are the exact same as Ryan’s, and for good reason. Mitchell, Tatum, Durant, Giannis, and Embiid are easily the five best players in the East, so let me share my favorite thing about each of their season’s thus far:

• Donovan Mitchell is shooting nearly 40% from three on 9.5 three point attempts per game. Both of those marks are career highs.
• Jayson Tatum hasn’t shot this well from the field (46.8%) since his rookie season.
• Kevin Durant is having a career-best season from the field and from the free throw line, shooting 56% and 93.4%, respectively.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging career highs in points per game (31) and offensive rebounds per game (2.3).
• Joel Embiid is averaging nearly 34 points per game (career high) on nearly 54% from the field (career high) and 85.6% from the free throw line (career high).

Tyrese Haliburton, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown, and Pascal Siakam are all obvious choices for the East’s All-Star bench. Haliburton leads the NBA in assists per game and is shooting 40% from three once again. The man is a machine when it comes to producing efficient offense for his team. James Harden would lead the NBA in assists per game with an absurd 11.2 APG, but he doesn’t qualify since he’s only played 30 games this season. However, apart from his absolute prime in Houston, Harden has been just as good as he’s ever been offensively, and he’s helped power the Sixers to a great season so far. Kyrie Irving and Jaylen Brown, just like Harden, are top tier second scorers for their elite Eastern Conference teams. Irving has been much more efficient and slightly more productive than Brown offensively, but Jaylen Brown blows Kyrie out of the water on defense. Pascal Siakam is averaging career highs in just about every counting stat, has been insanely efficient given his offensive workload, ranks in the NBA’s 91st percentile for total EPM and ranks in the 92nd percentile for win shares. Jrue Holiday and Jimmy Butler are, in my opinion, the two best perimeter defenders in the NBA. They’ve also been efficient scorers this season, and in case you can’t tell, I value scoring efficiency very highly. Jrue has stepped up when Middleton has missed time for Milwaukee, and he’s one of the most clutch players in the league. Butler’s clutch gene is well documented, and he’s averaging a career high in true shooting at a whopping 62.4%. My honorable mentions honestly can’t compete with the two-way talents of Holiday and Jimmy Buckets.

Honorable Mentions: DeMar DeRozan, Jalen Brunson, Darius Garland, Trae Young, Julius Randle, and Kristaps Porzingis

The All-Star Draft

We at The MVP Blog have had a stellar first half of the season. In fact, Ben and Ryan have been selected as All-Star Captains. We will now draft our 12-man teams to have the two All-Star teams. A few quick things to note, as our rosters are not identical.

• Steph Curry will be a starter for the west. Domantas Sabonis will be a reserve.
• Anthony Edwards will be an All-Star reserve over Paul George.
• Julius Randle will be an All-Star reserve over Jrue Holiday.
• Jimmy Butler will be an All-Star reserve over Bam Adebayo.

Now, onto the draft. For our draft, all 10 starters must be taken before a bench player is taken, just like the actual All-Star draft. The draft order is fixed, but the person who picks first for the starters picks second for the bench players.

Starters Round

Ben – R1 P1: Luka Doncic

Ryan – R1 P2: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Ben – R2 P1: LeBron James

Ryan – R2 P2: Kevin Durant

Ben – R3 P1: Donovan Mitchell

Ryan – R3 P2: Jayson Tatum

Ben – R4 P1: Nikola Jokic

Ryan – R4 P2: Steph Curry

Ben – R5 P1: Joel Embiid

Ryan – R5 P2: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Reserve Round:

Ryan – R6 P1: Ja Morant

Ben – R6 P2: Tyrese Haliburton

Ryan – R7 P1: Jaren Jackson Jr.

Ben – R7 P2: Lauri Markkanen

Ryan – R8 P1: Anthony Edwards

Ben – R8 P2: Jimmy Butler

Ryan – R9 P1: Kyrie Irving

Ben – R9 P2: Damian Lillard

Ryan – R10 P1: Jaylen Brown

Ben – R10 P2: Domantas Sabonis

Ryan – R11 P1: Julius Randle

Ben – R11 P2: De’Aaron Fox

Ryan – R12 P1: Pascal Siakam

Ben – R12 P2: James Harden

Ryan’s team:

Starters: Steph Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, and Giannis Antetokounmpo

Bench: Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Anthony Edwards, Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown, Julius Randle, and Pascal Siakam

Ben’s team:

Starters: Luka Doncic, Donovan Mitchell, LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, and Joel Embiid

Bench: Tyrese Haliburton, Lauri Markkanen, Jimmy Butler, Damian Lillard, Domantas Sabonis, De’Aaron Fox, and James Harden

Comment down below which team you think would win!

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Authors: Ben Pawlak and Ryan Macdonald

Published: 1/25/23 at 5pm EST

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Sources/Works Cited:

Dunks & Threes, https://dunksandthrees.com/epm.

Google Images, Google, https://images.google.com/imghp?hl=en.

Sports Reference LLC. Basketball-Reference.com – Basketball Statistics and History. https://www.basketball-reference.com/. 24 January 2023.

StatMuse, https://www.statmuse.com/.