All Star Selections – ’23-’24

NBA All-Star Selections – ’23-’24

Though it’s probably overdue to expand the official all-star selections from 12-15 players (ya know, the size of actual active NBA rosters), I’ll stick with the current format as is:

• The 10 starters – two guards and three frontcourt players per conference – are chosen by a combination of fans (50% of the vote), current players (25%) and media (25%).
• The 30 NBA coaches select the 14 reserves, voting for two guards, three frontcourt players and two players at any position in their respective conferences.
• Commissioner Adam Silver selects the replacement for any player unable to participate in the All-Star Game, choosing a player from the same conference as the player who is being replaced.

Inevitably, some greats are going to be left on the cutting room floor. Happens every year. If we expanded the rosters to 30 players each, there will still be players you shamefully need to leave off. Nature of the biz. I’m just glad these votes have no impact on players’ salaries, as the All-NBA votes do (which is insane, btw). Anywho, here we go:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

• STARTERS
  • Guards
    • Tyrese Haliburton – quickly becoming the face of the league, best offensive player not named Joker or Steph.
    • Damian Lillard – probably Mitchell should’ve gotten this spot, Dame’s crunch-time heroics disguise a down shooting year.
  • Frontcourt
    • Giannis Antetonkounmpo – 2nd best player in the world, a one-man wrecking crew.
    • Joel Embiid – 3rd best player in the world having an all-time great offensive season.
    • Jayson Tatum – best player on the league’s best team, hitting his prime soon.
• RESERVES
  • Guards
    • Donovan Mitchell – deserves to be starting, carrying banged up Cavs to 5th seed & climbing.
    • Jalen Brunson – the face of New York City basketball today.
  • Frontcourt
    • Bam Adebayo – Perennial Top 5 Center is quietly becoming the best player on his team.
    • Jaylen Brown – Is he still the 2nd best player on the Celtics? Their record gives JB this selection more than his actual play, which has been good, but not great.
    • Paolo Banchero – Magic’s best player, the team’s coming back down to earth after a early rise to the top of the East.
  • Wild Cards
    • Tyrese Maxey – Last year wasn’t a fluke. Fastest end-to-end guard in the league besides Fox, a legit number 2, in competition for Most Improved Player.
    • Scottie Barnes – Rap’s poor record dim the shine coming off Scottie’s wonderful all-around season. Darko was right – he’s becoming one of the faces of the league.
• 5 HONORABLE MENTIONS
  • Coby White – best player on an average team, he’ll be back here in the future
  • Trae Young – overrated player with amazing stats, the worst perimeter defender in the NBA
  • Dejounte Murray – Underrated season on a disappointing team, will soon be a Laker
  • Kristaps Porzingis – Thou shalt not pick 3 players from one team, will he play enough games
  • Jimmy Butler – won’t play enough games, but he doesn’t care

WESTERN CONFERENCE

• STARTERS
  • Guards
    • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – The best player the average fan doesn’t know of. Top 10 player now. Legit #1 on a contender
    • Luka Doncic – MVP candidate having another elite season. Will the team be good enough in the playoffs. No one will want to play against them in 7 game series.
  • Frontcourt
    • LeBron James – Kawhi probably deserves to start, but what LeBron is doing at age 39 is unprecedented. Still a Top 15 player – averaging 25, 7 & 7 on 52% from the field
    • Kevin Durant – Has had to carry a bigger load due to Beal’s injuries, still putting up amazing numbers for anyone his age. Also a Top 15 player.
    • Nikola Joker – The Best Player in the World is ready to repeat. He’s never looked better
• RESERVES
  • Guards
    • Anthony Edwards – Best player on the West’s best team. One of the young faces of the NBA, probably its most exciting player.
    • De’Aaron Fox – Best player on struggling Kings team, fastest end-to-end player just about to enter his prime.
  • Frontcourt
    • Domas Sabonis – One of the league leaders in points, rebounds and assists per game, he’s proving that you can win with a Non-Shot-Blocking Center.
    • Anthony Davis – 3rd best center in the league having a phenomenal season for underachieving Lakers, will compete with Gobert for DPOY award.
    • Kawhi Leonard – Best Player on the climbing Clippers, resembling 2019 Kawhi, can he stay healthy?
  • Wild Cards
    • Steph Curry – Grandfathered in despite down year individually and team-wise.
    • Paul George – the perfect #2 for the Clips, plug-n-play perfection who’s healthy and as good as ever.
• 7 HONORABLE MENTIONS
  • Desmond Bane – best player on a horrible team, possibly the Most Improved Player
  • Lauri Markkanen – also the best player on a horrible team, last year’s Most Improved Player
  • Rudy Gobert – 2nd best player on a great team, but is disliked throughout the league
  • Karl-Anthony Towns – 3rd best player on great team, is also disliked throughout the league
  • Devin Booker – Top 10 player in the league, the first injury replacement
  • Alperen Sengun – Half the league is kicking itself for passing on Baby Jokic in the draft
  • Jamal Murray – the 2nd half of the best 1-2 combo in the NBA, won’t play enough games