2019 West All Stars

[KingSpeed]

Thought I’d give this discussion its own thread. This will be the most competitive All Star race of my lifetime, I think. A very high percentage of the top talent in the NBA play out West. Until they change the rules, only 12 get in. Right now the super duper locks are Klay, Curry, Dray, Durant, AD, and LeBron. It’s also fairly safe to lock in Dame, Harden and Jokic. That leaves only THREE spots open from this pool of elite talent:

DeRozen
Westbrook
Mitchell
Gobert
CP3
Towns
Butler
Fox
Murray
Aldridge
Doncic
T Harris
G Harris
PG13
M Gasol

Not to mention our guys Nurkic and McCollum.

What do you all think? There are going to be a lot of very disappointed “superstars” come February.

 

[B-Roy]

Where is the reasoning behind Draymond being a lock?

 

[kjironman1]

The west is very full. I still believe just on past performance Westbrook gets the nod as well as Chris Paul.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Where is the reasoning behind Draymond being a lock?

I wouldn't even necessarily list Klay as a lock.

Curry, Durant, Lebron, AD are the only guarantees, IMO.

Harden and Westbrook, health dependent. If WB misses much time, PG13 will probably put up sufficient numbers to get a spot.

Dame and Derozan, if current performance continues. Jokic too.

Mitchell will get one if he plays 40+ games.

 

[BigGameDamian]

The west is very full. I still believe just on past performance Westbrook gets the nod as well as Chris Paul.

It's even going to be tight for Lillard but I think he gets in.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

I wouldnt be surprised if Dame doesnt get in. I know we dont want to hear that, but Im already prepared for it.

 

[tester551]

Locks:
Curry, Durant, Lebron, AD

Highly Probable:
Harden, Jokic, Dame

Probable:
Klay, Draymond, Westbrook

Really, only 2 open spots.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

The warriors could probably beat the eastern conference all star team...

 

[B-Roy]

If Lillard isn't a lock with the way he's playing I don't know what is.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

If Lillard isn't a lock with the way he's playing I don't know what is.

Its a popularity contest, not the who’s playing best contest.

 

[B-Roy]

Its a popularity contest, not the who’s playing best contest.

Not with coaches.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Not with coaches.

Yeah it is, they vote for what guys they like.

 

[THE HCP]

Dame will NEVER get the fan vote. Just won't happen. All-Star game isn't about who "deserves" it. Never has been unfortunately .

 

[kjironman1]

Lillard only gets in on coaches or replacement situations. When Portland wins a few games in the playoffs that might change but not until. I'm good with that.

 

[Natebishop3]

At the end of the day, winning matters.

If Denver somehow keeps up this crazy winning, will they only get one star?

Right now the top 8 out west are the following:

1. Golden State (Curry/Durant/Klay or Draymond?
2. Denver (Jokic and.... who?)
3. Portland (Dame)
4. San Antonio (LMA and DeRozan)
5. Clippers (who would get it?)
6. Sac (Hield?)
7. OKC (Westbrook? PG13?)
8. Grizz (Gasol?)

I think the West will stabilize. I don't see Houston and Utah and New Orleans remaining out of the top 8.

Starters will most likely be Curry/Harden/Durant/LeBron/Davis

The West will be an All-Star bloodbath.

Based just on scoring here are the top 20 scorers in the West

1. Curry
2. Dame
3. Harden
4. Durant
5. DeRozan
6. LeBron
7. Booker
8. Westbrook
9. AD
10. PG13
11. Donovan Mitchell
12. Butler
13. Mirotic
14. Tobias Harris
15. Klay
16. Gallinari
17. LMA
18. Hield
19. Doncic
20. Lou Williams

If you were to go off PER

1. Curry
2. Dame
3. Boban (LOL)
4. Durant
5. Jokic
6. Noel
7. LeBron
8. Dwight Powell
9. Harden
10. DeRozan
11. Russ
12. Butler
13. McGee
14. Nurk
15. AD
16. Gobert
17. Randle
18. Mirotic
19. Harrell
20. Diallo

If you break it down just by positions, the top 5 in scoring at each position is

PG
1. Steph
2. Dame
3. Harden
4. Russ
5. Holiday

SG
1. DeRozan
2. Booker
3. Mitchell
4. Butler
5. Klay

SF
1. Durant
2. LeBron
3. George
4. Harris
5. Gallinari

PF
1. AD
2. Mirotic
3. LMA
4. Kuzma
5. Randle

C
1. KAT
2. Jokic
3. Gobert
4. Ayton
5. Cauley-Stein

Based on the early results I could see

Starters
Steph
Harden
Durant
LeBron
AD

Reserves
DeRozan
Dame
George
LMA
Jokic
Mitchell or Booker?
Russ

Edit - apparently ESPN has a "qualified" option (god only knows what that means) which removed Harden and Booker from their leaders because of injuries.

 

[kjironman1]

@KingSpeed you should consider asking the mods to allow you to add "East" also to this discussion. I mean why not? Eventually it all comes into the conversation and this thread could just be the NBA All-Star watch thread? Just a thought.

 

[andalusian]

Why can't I see the 2020 all-star thread?

 

[THE HCP]

@KingSpeed you should consider asking the mods to allow you to add "East" also to this discussion. I mean why not? Eventually it all comes into the conversation and this thread could just be the NBA All-Star watch thread? Just a thought.

Because he will want to start it's OWN separate thread.

 

[andalusian]

Because he will want to start it's OWN separate thread.

Eff that. I am getting in on the action:

http://www.sportstwo.com/threads/2019-north-all-stars.337492/

 

[BigGameDamian]

Locks:
Curry, Durant, Lebron, AD

Highly Probable:
Harden, Jokic, Dame

Probable:
Klay, Draymond, Westbrook

Really, only 2 open spots.

So you don't think much of Paul George I take it.

 

[illmatic99]

Locks:
Curry, Durant, Lebron, AD

Highly Probable:
Harden, Jokic, Dame

Probable:
Klay, Draymond, Westbrook

Really, only 2 open spots.

Dame is a lock. 30-6-5 on great percentages and efficiency on a playoff team? Couldn't be any more of a lock.

 

[BigGameDamian]

Dame will NEVER get the fan vote. Just won't happen. All-Star game isn't about who "deserves" it. Never has been unfortunately .

The NBA needs to stop letting fans vote for players playing in the all Star game. Instead they should let the fans vote on who does the drunk contest, three point shoot out, skills challenge and horse.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

The NBA needs to stop letting fans vote for players playing in the all Star game. Instead they should let the fans vote on who does the drunk contest, three point shoot out, skills challenge and horse.

The problem is no matter who does the voting it will always be a popularity contest. The players, coaches, fans, they’ll all vote for who they like rather then who’s the best especially if they have “tough” calls to make.

 

[Jon]

the only way Lillard is a lock is if they do away with how many come from each conference and do a "top 24" of the league.

i mean, they already had team captains that draft. no east vs west any more. i could see them doing that in the near future.

 

[Jon]

they need to do away with fan voting, period. i mean, when you have Pachulia almost be a starter, there is something wrong with the system.

 

[Chris Craig]

I wouldn't be surprised if Cousins was voted in

 

[Chris Craig]

The Eastern side will be interesting

Team Antetokounmpo vs Team Curry?

 

[BigGameDamian]

I wouldn't be surprised if Cousins was voted in

That would be funny.

 

[Natebishop3]

I wouldn't be surprised if Cousins was voted in

Nah, not ahead of AD.

 

[Jon]

Nah, not ahead of AD.

Yao Ming effect.