By Zach Kram | ESPN, 2025-12-02 18:30:00
尽管NBA全明星赛的赛制在不断演变，但入选全明星对球员而言，既是一份荣耀，也是对球迷们的肯定，更是在其职业生涯中留下的一座历史丰碑。
本赛季全新的“美国队 vs. 世界队”赛制的初始甄选流程与以往几乎完全相同，唯一的调整在于球员评选将不再区分位置。届时，如果由球迷、媒体和球员投票选出的首发以及由教练选出的替补所组成的24人全明星阵容，未能完美划分为16名美国球员和8名国际球员，联盟总裁亚当·萧华 (Adam Silver) 将会增补球员进入大名单，以满足最低人数要求。例如，若全明星阵容中包含15名美国球员和9名国际球员，萧华将会额外增补一名美国球员。
如今，赛季赛程已近半，距离全明星阵容的最终敲定（比赛将于2月15日举行）也为时不远，是时候对所有候选人进行一番审视了。随着一些球星开始在竞争中脱颖而出，让我们来分析一下哪些球员几乎锁定了席位，哪些球员仍处于入选边缘，而又有哪些球员除非能迅速扭转赛季表现，否则将面临落选的危险。
跳转至相关章节：
东部联盟 | 西部联盟
国籍分布 | 慢热球星
东部联盟
基本锁定
- 扬尼斯·阿德托昆博 (Giannis Antetokounmpo)，密尔沃基雄鹿
- 杰伦·布朗 (Jaylen Brown)，波士顿凯尔特人
- 杰伦·布伦森 (Jalen Brunson)，纽约尼克斯
- 凯德·坎宁安 (Cade Cunningham)，底特律活塞
- 杰伦·杜伦 (Jalen Duren)，底特律活塞
- 泰瑞斯·马克西 (Tyrese Maxey)，费城76人
- 多诺万·米切尔 (Donovan Mitchell)，克利夫兰骑士
在这12个全明星席位中，有7个已基本锁定，这意味着只有长时间的伤病缺席或严重的状态下滑才可能让这些球员无缘最终名单。
阿德托昆博、布伦森和米切尔是全明星赛的常客，本赛季依然打出了标志性的出色表现，入选毫无悬念。马克西在又一次实现个人飞跃后，以场均32.3分的表现领跑东部得分榜。而已经连续三届入选全明星的布朗，在波士顿的队友杰森·塔特姆 (Jayson Tatum) 缺阵的情况下，将自己的场均得分提升至生涯新高的28.4分。尽管本赛季承担了远高于以往的进攻重任——布朗36%的使用率高居联盟第三，仅次于阿德托昆博和卢卡·东契奇 (Luka Doncic)——他的效率实际上不降反升。
最后两个基本锁定的席位，属于目前东部战绩最佳球队的领军人物。坎宁安本赛季的数据与他去年入选全明星时几乎完全一致。此外，尽管本届全明星不区分位置，但值得一提的是，在联盟球员效率值榜单上排名第六的杜伦，已然是本赛季东部最出色的中锋。杜伦在攻防两端的卓越表现是活塞队能够雄踞东部榜首的重要原因，因此，他完全有资格成为底特律的第二位全明星。
入选边缘
- 巴姆·阿德巴约 (Bam Adebayo)，迈阿密热火
- 斯科蒂·巴恩斯 (Scottie Barnes)，多伦多猛龙
- 约什·吉迪 (Josh Giddey)，芝加哥公牛
- 布兰登·英格拉姆 (Brandon Ingram)，多伦多猛龙
- 杰伦·约翰逊 (Jalen Johnson)，亚特兰大老鹰
- 埃文·莫布里 (Evan Mobley)，克利夫兰骑士
- 诺曼·鲍威尔 (Norman Powell)，迈阿密热火
- 弗朗茨·瓦格纳 (Franz Wagner)，奥兰多魔术
对于这一梯队中最有力的全明星候选人，他们的入选理由或许一句话就能概括。例如，巴恩斯是东部第三强队中表现最全面的球员，而英格拉姆则是他们的头号得分手。吉迪场均贡献20.5分、10.0个篮板和9.3次助攻，数据已接近三双。约翰逊则在基础数据（22.9分、9.8个篮板、7.3次助攻和1.6次抢断）和高阶数据（真实命中率从去年的57%飙升至63%）上都迎来了大爆发。
然而，这一梯队的球员们尚未锁定席位，原因在于他们此前未能持续维持如此高水平的产出，或是他们必须在当前到二月之间，解决一个关键问题。
以热火队入围该名单的两名球员为例。鲍威尔上赛季在快船队异军突起时就是一名全明星边缘候选人，而在迈阿密他的表现更上一层楼，场均得到生涯新高的24.7分，三分命中率高达44.4%。只要在泰勒·希罗 (Tyler Herro) 回归热火阵容后，鲍威尔能继续保持如此高效的发挥，他便有充分的理由在32岁的赛季首次入选全明星。
阿德巴约则是全明星边缘球员的典型代表，过去六个赛季中，尽管他每年的数据都相差无几，却三次入选也三次落选。他在2025-26赛季的表现依旧如此：他的数据略逊于典型的全明星球员，但他精英级别的防守足以弥补进攻端的任何不足。
莫布里本赛季的情况与阿德巴约相似，这位卫冕年度最佳防守球员虽然基础数据尚可，但进攻效率却急剧下滑。最后，瓦格纳在魔术队的表现一直稳定且高效；如果他没有在2024年12月遭遇伤病，他很可能已经是一名全明星了，而他在2025-26赛季正重回这一正轨。
其他球员，如尼克斯队的米卡尔·布里奇斯 (Mikal Bridges)、印第安纳步行者队的帕斯卡尔·西亚卡姆 (Pascal Siakam) 以及夏洛特黄蜂队的新秀康·纽佩尔 (Kon Knueppel)，也可能在赛季前半程的后半段发起冲击，但目前来看，上述名单中的球员仍是最佳人选。纽佩尔是一位有趣的黑马全明星候选人，他场均贡献18.4分，并以高出手量投出了41.3%的三分命中率，但他若想入选，将成为21世纪以来第三位入选全明星的新秀。（另外两位是状元秀姚明 (Yao Ming) 和布雷克·格里芬 (Blake Griffin)，后者在正式出战新秀赛季前，还在NBA经历了一个“红衫”赛季。）
如果让我今天就选出12位东部全明星，我的选择会是7位基本锁定的球员，加上阿德巴约、巴恩斯、吉迪、约翰逊和鲍威尔。其中，阿德巴约将是压哨入选的最后一人，而瓦格纳则是最令人难以割舍的人选。
西部联盟
基本锁定
- 斯蒂芬·库里 (Stephen Curry)，金州勇士
- 卢卡·东契奇 (Luka Doncic)，洛杉矶湖人
- 凯文·杜兰特 (Kevin Durant)，休斯顿火箭
- 安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards)，明尼苏达森林狼
- 谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大 (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander)，俄克拉荷马城雷霆
- 尼古拉·约基奇 (Nikola Jokic)，丹佛掘金
- 阿尔佩伦·申京 (Alperen Sengun)，休斯顿火箭
- 维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama)，圣安东尼奥马刺
杜兰特（健康时连续15次入选全明星）、库里（11次）、约基奇（7次）、吉尔杰斯-亚历山大（3次）和爱德华兹（3次）都是常年入选全明星的球员，本赛季个人表现依旧出色，因此他们已经可以提前锁定2026年全明星名单上的席位。
东契奇上赛季遗憾落选，但在此之前他曾连续五年入选全明星。考虑到这位人气颇高的湖人队控卫本赛季领跑全联盟得分榜，他便是第六位锁定席位的球员。
接下来是文班亚马，这位2025年的全明星球员理应再次轻松入选，前提是他能及时从小腿伤势中恢复，并达到最低出场次数门槛。（希望他本赛季不会再次被取消参加技巧挑战赛的资格。）而申京一直是火箭队的最佳球员，这支队伍拥有联盟第二高的净效率值。他场均22.3分、9.1个篮板和6.9次助攻的数据，足以让他第二次入选全明星阵容。
入选边缘
- 德尼·阿夫迪亚 (Deni Avdija)，波特兰开拓者
- 德文·布克 (Devin Booker)，菲尼克斯太阳
- 詹姆斯·哈登 (James Harden)，洛杉矶快船
- 切特·霍姆格伦 (Chet Holmgren)，俄克拉荷马城雷霆
- 劳里·马尔卡宁 (Lauri Markkanen)，犹他爵士
- 贾马尔·穆雷 (Jamal Murray)，丹佛掘金
- 朱利叶斯·兰德尔 (Julius Randle)，明尼苏达森林狼
- 奥斯汀·里夫斯 (Austin Reaves)，洛杉矶湖人
西部全明星候选人的下一个梯队可以分为两类，但他们有一个共同点：都在打出惊人的数据。面对这样的表现，你又怎能拒绝任何一位球员呢？
第一类是效力于不太可能争夺总决赛席位的球队的单核球星。阿夫迪亚的场均突破次数领跑全联盟——吉尔杰斯-亚历山大过去五个赛季都霸占此项榜首，但现在也只能屈居第二——他以高效的表现场均贡献25.8分、7.1个篮板和5.8次助攻。布克近期状态有所下滑，并在周一的比赛中因腹股沟伤势提前离场，但他仍然为西部最令人惊喜的赢家太阳队场均贡献25.7分和6.9次助攻。哈登打出了自火箭生涯以来最强的得分表现（场均27.7分），助攻数（场均8.4次）也位列联盟第五。而在西部球员中，马尔卡宁以场均28分排名第六。
第二类则是强队中的二当家。穆雷，这位长久以来被誉为“从未入选过全明星的最佳现役球员”，本赛季终于迎来火热开局，场均得分（24.0分）和助攻（6.6次）双双创下生涯新高。由于文班亚马的伤病，霍姆格伦已成为年度最佳防守球员的博彩热门人选，同时他的进攻端也取得了悄然的飞跃，真实命中率提升至精英级别的65%。兰德尔场均得到23.0分，并且打出了生涯最佳的进攻效率。而里夫斯场均28.8分、6.8次助攻和5.8个篮板的数据，标志着他在洛杉矶的巨大突破。
不幸的是，从现在到二月期间，这份名单很可能会因伤病而缩减。该名单的初稿中本有阿隆·戈登 (Aaron Gordon) 的名字，但一次将使他至少缺阵一个月的腿筋伤势，让他入选全明星的希望化为泡影。
不过，就目前而言，这次预测得出的结论是：西部的合格人选太多，而全明星席位太少。例如，穆雷很有可能依然无法入选全明星，尽管他开局表现亮眼，但身边的竞争者们也同样将自己的水平提升到了新的高度。
如果让我今天就选出12位西部全明星，他们将是8位基本锁定的球员，外加阿夫迪亚、布克、霍姆格伦和里夫斯，其中霍姆格伦将力压哈登获得最后一个名额。虽然我在考虑全明星投票时通常不会过多地考虑球队战绩，但雷霆队20胜1负的历史性开局表明，他们远比5胜16负的快船更有资格拥有第二位全明星，即便哈登的个人数据更优，且快船队还是今年的东道主。
国籍分布
纵览这份候选人名单，要选出8名国际球员来组队对抗美国队应该不难。基本锁定的球员中，有六位将为国际队效力：阿德托昆博（希腊）、东契奇（斯洛文尼亚）、吉尔杰斯-亚历山大（加拿大）、约基奇（塞尔维亚）、申京（土耳其）和文班亚马（法国）。而在吉迪（澳大利亚）、瓦格纳（德国）、阿夫迪亚（以色列）、马尔卡宁（芬兰）和穆雷（加拿大）之间，至少有两位国际球员极有可能会获得一席之地。
甚至，今年似乎更有可能出现超过八名国际球员入选全明星的情况，这将需要萧华增补额外的美国球员，以确保在全明星庆典上至少有16名球员可供两支美国队调遣。
此外，审视这份国际球员名单更能凸显出，国际队将是二月份在Intuit穹顶球馆取胜的绝对热门。毫无疑问的联盟前四球员——他们本赛季都打出了历史级的开局——均为海外出生，而文班亚马或许是联盟第五强的球员。如果这些球员认真对待全明星赛，他们应该能轻松击败两支美国队，因为后者的实力会因顶尖本土球员被分配到两支队伍中而被稀释。
慢热球星
许多NBA球星尚未在本文中出现，因为他们在本赛季前六周的表现还不足以让他们获得严肃的全明星提名。在几个月后的正式甄选开始前，他们需要保持健康并打出一段持续的火热表现，才能重回讨论范围。
其中一位便是卡尔-安东尼·唐斯 (Karl-Anthony Towns)，他一直在努力适应尼克斯新帅迈克·布朗 (Mike Brown) 的进攻体系。唐斯是一位五届全明星，但他本赛季的比赛表现起伏不定，33%的三分命中率也是其职业生涯最差。
更多候选人则是因为伤病和表现不佳的双重原因，而无法被归类为“基本锁定”或“入选边缘”。以下排名不分先后：勒布朗·詹姆斯 (LeBron James)、安东尼·戴维斯 (Anthony Davis)、乔尔·恩比德 (Joel Embiid)、杰伦·威廉姆斯 (Jalen Williams)、保罗·班切罗 (Paolo Banchero)、科怀·伦纳德 (Kawhi Leonard)、小贾伦·杰克逊 (Jaren Jackson Jr.)、多曼塔斯·萨博尼斯 (Domantas Sabonis)、达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox)、拉梅洛·鲍尔 (LaMelo Ball)、特雷·杨 (Trae Young)、贾·莫兰特 (Ja Morant)、达里厄斯·加兰 (Darius Garland) 和泰勒·希罗，这些都是近期入选过全明星，但目前竞争力不足的球员。
最有趣的全明星案例可能属于詹姆斯，他以连续21次入选全明星的纪录开启本赛季。然而，詹姆斯因坐骨神经痛错过了湖人队的前14场比赛，复出后他的场均得分在队内也仅遥遥排在第三。他若想凭借实力入选自己的第22届全明星，还有很长的路要走。要知道，詹姆斯上一次无缘全明星还是他的新秀赛季——2003-04赛季；作为参考，当年全明星赛东部队的得分王是贾马尔·马格洛伊尔 (Jamaal Magloire)、肯扬·马丁 (Kenyon Martin) 和杰梅因·奥尼尔 (Jermaine O’Neal)。
最后，随着未来的名人堂控球后卫克里斯·保罗 (Chris Paul) 正式宣布退役，人们不禁会想，新赛制是否会为保罗留出空间，让他在最后一个赛季获得一个荣誉全明星的身份，就像2018-19赛季的德克·诺维茨基 (Dirk Nowitzki) 和德维恩·韦德 (Dwyane Wade) 那样。保罗是一位12届全明星，根据Basketball Reference网站的数据，他以128次助攻保持着全明星赛历史助攻纪录，比魔术师约翰逊 (Magic Johnson) 的127次还多一次。
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
点击查看原文：NBA All-Stars: Early roster predictions for East, West
NBA All-Stars: Early roster predictions for East, West
Even as the format for the NBA All-Star Game continues to change, being named an All-Star is a point of pride for players, a validation for their fans and a historical marker of legacy.
The initial selection process for the new USA vs. the World format this season will work almost the same as it has in the past, just with the tweak of being positionless. Then, if the class of 24 All-Stars doesn’t split perfectly into 16 American and eight international players – from a combination of fans, media and players voting for the starters and coaches picking the reserves – commissioner Adam Silver will add extra players to the roster to meet those minimums. For instance, if the All-Star rosters include 15 Americans and nine international players, Silver would add one more American to the group.
Now that the season is about halfway to the selection of those All-Stars (the game will be played on Feb. 15), it’s time to take a survey of the field of candidates. As some stars have started to separate themselves from the pack, let’s examine who’s almost definitely in, who’s on the bubble and who’s in danger of missing out on an All-Star appearance – unless they turn their season around quickly.
Jump to a topic:
Eastern Conference | Western Conference
Nationality breakdown | Slow starts
Eastern Conference
Near-locks
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
- Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
- Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
- Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
- Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons
- Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
- Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
Seven of these 12 All-Star spots are near-locks, meaning only a lengthy injury absence or severe slump could knock these players off the roster.
Antetokounmpo, Brunson and Mitchell are easy choices, as All-Star mainstays turning in typically stellar seasons. Maxey leads the conference in scoring (32.3 points per game) after another individual leap. And Brown, who has made three consecutive All-Star teams, has boosted his scoring to a career-high 28.4 points per game with Boston teammate Jayson Tatum out. Despite taking on a much higher offensive volume this season – Brown’s 36% usage rate ranks third in the NBA, behind Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic – his efficiency has actually increased.
The final two near-locks are the leaders of the team with the conference’s best record. Cunningham has essentially identical numbers to his All-Star campaign last season. And while the rosters are now positionless, it’s worth noting that Duren, who ranks sixth in the NBA in player efficiency rating, has been the best center in the East this season. Duren’s two-way play is a big reason for the Pistons’ presence atop the Eastern Conference standings, so he’s a worthy second All-Star for Detroit.
On the bubble
- Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
- Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors
- Josh Giddey, Chicago Bulls
- Brandon Ingram, Toronto Raptors
- Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
- Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers
- Norman Powell, Miami Heat
- Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic
The cases for the best All-Star candidates in this group can be summarized in a single sentence. For instance, Barnes has been the best all-around player on the conference’s third-best team, and Ingram is their leading scorer. Giddey’s nearly averaging a triple-double, with 20.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and 9.3 assists per game. Johnson has exploded in both the box score (22.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.6 steals) and advanced stats (63% true shooting, up from 57% last year).
But the players in this tier aren’t locks yet, either, because they haven’t sustained this level of production before or because they must answer one key question between now and February.
Consider both Heat players who appear in this group. Powell was a fringe All-Star candidate last season, as he surged with the Clippers, and he has been even better in Miami, averaging a career-high 24.7 PPG and making 44.4% of his 3-pointers. As long as Powell can remain this productive now with Tyler Herro’s return to the Heat lineup, he’ll be a deserving first-time All-Star in his age-32 season.
Adebayo defines the All-Star bubble, having made three teams and missed three teams over the past six seasons despite having similar statistics every year. His 2025-26 performance is more of the same: His statistics are a bit shy of typical All-Stars, but his elite defense can make up for any offensive weakness.
Mobley occupies a similar space to Adebayo this season, as the reigning Defensive Player of the Year is putting up decent counting stats but has seen his efficiency plummet. Finally, Wagner has been steady and productive for the Magic; he likely would have been an All-Star if he hadn’t suffered an injury in December 2024, and he’s right back on that pace in 2025-26.
Other players like the Knicks’ Mikal Bridges, the Indiana Pacers’ Pascal Siakam and Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel could make a run as the first half continues, but this bullet-pointed list represents the top options for now. Knueppel is a fun sleeper All-Star candidate, with his 18.4 PPG and 41.3% 3-point shooting on high volume, but he would be just the third rookie in the 21st century to make an All-Star team. (The other two were No. 1 picks Yao Ming and Blake Griffin, the latter of whom had a “redshirt” year in the NBA before playing his rookie season.)
If I had to pick the 12 East All-Stars today, the group would include the seven near-locks plus Adebayo, Barnes, Giddey, Johnson and Powell, with Adebayo as the last man in and Wagner as the hardest cut.
Western Conference
Near-locks
- Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
- Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers
- Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets
- Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
- Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
- Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets
- Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Durant (15 All-Star nods in a row when healthy), Curry (11), Jokic (seven), Gilgeous-Alexander (three) and Edwards (three) are perennial All-Stars enjoying excellent individual seasons, so they can already be inked onto the 2026 All-Star list.
Doncic missed out last season, but he was an All-Star five years in a row before that. Given that the popular Lakers point guard leads the NBA in scoring this season, he’s lock No. 6.
Next up is Wembanyama, a 2025 All-Star who should gain easy entry again, as long as he returns from his calf injury in enough time to reach a minimal games threshold. (Hopefully, he won’t be disqualified from the skills competition again this season.) And Sengun has been the best player on the Rockets, who have the league’s second-best net rating. His averages of 22.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists more than warrant inclusion on his second All-Star roster.
On the bubble
- Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers
- Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
- James Harden, LA Clippers
- Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
- Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz
- Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
- Julius Randle, Minnesota Timberwolves
- Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers
The next tier of West All-Star candidates splits into two groups with one thing in common: They’re all posting ludicrous numbers. How do you say no to any of these players?
The first group is single stars on teams that are unlikely to contend for a Finals berth. Avdija leads the league in drives – Gilgeous-Alexander led the league for the past five seasons but ranks second to Avdija right now – and is averaging 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists on strong efficiency. Booker is in a recent slump and left Monday’s game early with a groin injury, but is still posting 25.7 points and 6.9 assists for the most surprising winner in the West. Harden is scoring at his best rate since he was a Rocket (27.7 PPG) and ranks fifth in the league in assists (8.4 per game). And among Western Conference players, Markkanen ranks sixth at 28 PPG.
The second group is secondary stars on winning teams. Murray, long heralded as the best active player never to make an All-Star team, has finally started a season hot, averaging career highs in both points (24.0) and assists (6.6). Holmgren is the betting favorite for Defensive Player of the Year because of Wembanyama’s injury, and he has made a quiet offensive leap, boosting his true shooting to an elite 65%. Randle is scoring 23.0 PPG and operating with career-best efficiency. And Reaves’ 28.8 points, 6.8 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game signify his immense breakout in Los Angeles.
It’s unfortunately probable that injuries will cull this list between now and February. The first draft of this group included Aaron Gordon, but his All-Star chances evaporated with a hamstring injury that will keep him out at least a month.
For now, however, the lesson of this exercise is that the West has too many qualified players for too few All-Star spots. There’s a decent possibility, for example, that Murray still won’t make an All-Star team, despite his impressive start, because the competition around him has also gone up a level.
If I had to pick the 12 West All-Stars today, they would be the eight near-locks plus Avdija, Booker, Holmgren and Reaves, with Holmgren getting the last spot over Harden. While I don’t typically weigh team performance heavily when thinking about All-Star votes, the Thunder’s historically great 20-1 start suggests they’re much more deserving of a second All-Star than the 5-16 Clippers are of a single representative, even though Harden has superior individual stats and the Clips are hosting this year’s festivities.
Nationality breakdown
Looking at the list of candidates, it shouldn’t be difficult to select eight international players to team up to take on the Americans. Six of the near-locks would play for the international team: Antetokounmpo (Greece), Doncic (Slovenia), Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada), Jokic (Serbia), Sengun (Turkey) and Wembanyama (France). And between Giddey (Australia), Wagner (Germany), Avdija (Israel), Markkanen (Finland) and Murray (Canada), odds are that at least two more international representatives will grab a spot.
If anything, it seems more likely that more than eight international players will be named All-Stars this year, which would require Silver to add extra Americans to ensure at least 16 players are available for the two United States teams at the All-Star festivities.
Examining the list of international players, moreover, underscores that the international team should be heavy favorites to win at the Intuit Dome in February. The no-doubt top four players in the NBA, who are all off to historically great starts this season, are foreign-born, and Wembanyama might be the fifth-best player in the league. If those players take the All-Star event seriously, they should easily handle a pair of American squads whose strength is diluted by splitting the best domestic players across two teams.
Slow starters
A number of NBA stars haven’t appeared in this piece yet, because their level of play in the first six weeks of this season doesn’t warrant serious All-Star consideration. They’ll need both health and a sustained hot streak to reenter the conversation before the actual selection process in a couple of months.
One such player is Karl-Anthony Towns, who has struggled to find his footing in new Knicks coach Mike Brown’s offense. Towns is a five-time All-Star, but he has shown considerable game-to-game inconsistency this season, and his 33% mark from 3-point range is the worst of his career.
Far more candidates don’t profile as either near-locks or on the current bubble because of a combination of injury and underperformance. In no particular order, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, Jalen Williams, Paolo Banchero, Kawhi Leonard, Jaren Jackson Jr., Domantas Sabonis, De’Aaron Fox, LaMelo Ball, Trae Young, Ja Morant, Darius Garland and Tyler Herro are all recent All-Stars who aren’t really in contention now.
The most interesting All-Star case might belong to James, who entered this season with 21 consecutive All-Star selections. James missed the Lakers’ first 14 games with sciatica, however, and he’s a distant third on his own team in points since he returned. He has his work cut out for him to qualify for his 22nd All-Star team on the merits. But the last time James wasn’t an All-Star was his rookie season of 2003-04; for reference, the East’s leading scorers in that year’s All-Star Game were Jamaal Magloire, Kenyon Martin and Jermaine O’Neal.
Finally, now that future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul has officially announced his retirement, one wonders whether the new format will leave room for Paul to receive an honorary All-Star designation in his final season, as happened for Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade in 2018-19. Paul is a 12-time All-Star, and according to Basketball Reference, he has the career record with 128 assists in All-Star Games, one ahead of Magic Johnson’s 127.
By Zach Kram | ESPN, via ESPN