The 2024 All-Star Games will be held in Indianapolis, and the biggest attraction will be the return to East-West rivalry, rather than the "selection system" of the captains of the two teams.
So far, more than 1/4 of the regular season has been played, so if the All-Star voting starts now, who should be chosen?
west
Main players: Curry, Doncic, James, Durant, Jokic
Although the current All-Star starters are selected by fans, players and reporters (2:1:1), it is still dominated by the status of the stars and the popularity of the stars.
Then there is basically no doubt about the All-Star starters in the West.
Jokic, Durant and James in the frontcourt are all sure candidates, and as long as they don't get injured themselves, there's no one in the West to shake their position.
Curry and Doncic in the backcourt are also in the league's first-line position, and the only one who may challenge them is Alexander, who has been popular this season.
But one thing to say, whether it is the number of fans, the team's reviews or public opinion, whether it is Curry or Doncic still has a preconceived advantage, Alexander needs better performance and hard goods to squeeze them out.
Subs: Alexander, Edwards, Booker, Fox, Leonard, Bush, Downs
As for the bench lineup, the competition in the west is more fierce. Although it is selected by the league's coaches, there are a lot of people who are qualified to compete this year.
First of all, the Timberwolves, the No. 1 team in the West, are basically sure to have more than two people selected. Now the league's new favorite Edwards has booked a spot in advance, as for the twin towers Gobert and Downs, the former is the pillar of optimus on the defensive end, and the latter has changed his mind this year, not only is the offensive end close to the 180 club, but the defensive end is also more hard than before, and here Mr. Tang is tentatively selected.
The other two spots booked are Alexandria, the current boss of the Thunder, and Leonard, who is currently leading the Clippers to a seven-game winning streak and shooting 28.4 points in the last nine games (97 of 155) from the field.
And the "Little Fox" Fox, who has grown into the King's No. 1 card this season and averages 30.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game, should also occupy a place in the bench lineup.
The last two spots should be given to the Lakers' "Purple and Gold Beam" Anthony Davis, who is more important to the Lakers this season than James, and the Lakers lost to the Rockets by 34 points and the Spurs by 14 points in the two games he missed.
And his 23.9 points (fourth on the inside), 12.5 rebounds (first in the league), and 2.6 blocks (fifth in the league) per game this season don't even fully sum up his value to the team.
and the Suns' sharpshooter Devin Booker, who averaged 28.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game worthy of the title of the league's No. 1 quarterback, his only problem is that he missed too many games in the early stage, and his attendance is difficult to convince the public, which is currently only 64%.
In addition, the Clippers' Harden and Paul George, the Nuggets' Jamal Murray, the Mavericks' Irving, the Rockets' Shin Jing, the Pelicans' Zion, and Ingram, if they can either return from injury or continue to contribute to their highlight performances in the next month, they may also squeeze out the above candidates and get back their All-Star positions.
eastern
Main forces: Lillard, Haliburton, Tatum, Antetokounmpo, Embiid
Compared with the bright stars in the west, the east now looks a little bleak. The frontcourt candidates are also undisputed, and the three MVP-level candidates for Antetokounmpo, Embiid, and Tatum are also unshakable.
Among the two in the backcourt, Coach Lee should be able to get a seat with his popularity for many years, and the last starting position belongs to Haliburton, who has sprung up this year and is popular in the mid-season.
Coupled with the fact that this year's All-Star is being played on the home court of the Pacers, I believe most people will give him a face.
Subs: Bronson, Maxey, Brown, Mitchell, Bridges, Butler, Banchero
Compared to the starters, the bench can be much more difficult to choose and much more intense. Because this year's Eastern stars are showing a lack of success. Many of the former "old clients" are either in poor form or have poor team results, and the individual performance and team record of the young people are not good enough, and there are not many candidates who can convince everyone at the same time.
The Knicks' current "real core" Bronson should be an excellent performance of 25+6 per game, coupled with the blessing of the New York media, which should make his first All-Star journey.
And 76ers guard Maxey took over perfectly after Harden's departure, and his performance of 25.6 points and 6.7 assists is already the top in the East, and it can even be said that he is the second largest Eastern guard in the East this year after Haliburton.
The Celtics are at first place in the East, giving Jaylen Brown the confidence to be selected, although his shooting average of 21.9 points per game this year is already the lowest since 2020.
The Heat's Butler is still in the "hibernation" stage of the regular season, averaging 21.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game is certainly not his true level, but considering his horrific performance in the playoffs, I believe the coaches will still send him to the All-Star.
The Cavaliers' Mitchell still averaged 27.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game to keep the team in the top eight in the East despite a series of injuries to Allen, Garland, and Mobley, and there were few people who could beat him.
There are strengths and weaknesses in the rest of the players. The last two spots went to the Nets' current Knife Bridges and the Magic's No. 1 pick Banchero.
Bridges still contributed 22.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists while maintaining full attendance, which is the team's most consistent scoring point.
As the top four in the East today, the emphasis on the overall style of play also makes it difficult to choose the representative of the team. Banchero (20+6+5) is already the most consistent presence in the team.
Candidates: Magic Wagner Jr. (mediocre stats), Knicks Randle (down significantly from last season), Heat Adebayo (lack of attendance due to injury), Trae Young (poor team record) If they can adjust in time, there is also a possibility of impact.