Featuring the infamous LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo as this year’s All-Star captains, the celebrated Draft, which took place on February 19, revealed two epic lineups.
The All-Star Starters
Here, we delve into the ins and outs of this elite roster, giving you insight into everything you need to know about the players and the upcoming games, including where to compare NBA scores today 2022 with live scores from the 2023-24 NBA season.
This year’s teams boast an epic roster, with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s team being coached by Boston Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla and Le Bron’s team being mentored by Denver Nuggets’ Mike Malone.
Gains Antetokounmpo: First Team Roster
Giannis Antetokounmpo, 7-time All-Star and captain of this year’s All-Stars, picked Lauri Markkanen to replace Williamson in the starting lineup, 4-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell, Ja Morant to replace Curry, and last but not least, another 4-time, All-Star, Jayson Tatum, who completed the roster.
Giannis Antetokounmpo: Reserves
Reserves include Bam Adebayo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, DeMar DeRozan, Jrue Holiday, Damien Lillard, Domantas Sabonis de, Pascal Siakam, and Kevin Durant.
LeBron James: First Team
Team LeBron players comprise 4-time All-Star Luka Doncic, 6-time All-Star Joel Embiid to replace Durant, 8-time All-Star Kyrie Irving, and 5-time All-Star Nikola Jokic.
LeBron James: Reserves
Reserves for LeBron include Jaylen Brown, Anthony Edwards, De’Aaron Fox, Paul George, Tyrese Haliburton, Jared Jackson Jr., Julius Randle, Stephen Curry and Zion Williamson.
More about the Players
Picking All-Stars is no easy feat, especially with so many epic players, and doing so is often a balancing act. Here, we look at some of the favorite All-Stars from the firsts and reserves.
1. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
Donovan Mitchell, who plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ has showcased a pre-anticipated boost in practice. Mitchell has the Cavs on track to outdo last year’s 44-38 record, even with starter and rotation piece injuries.
2. Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers
Though Tyrese Haliburton is a surprising yet deserving pick in terms of points, long-range shooting, and assist efficiency, Halliburton is in the same bracket as some of history’s most outstanding players for his age.
3. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Jayson Tatum was, at one point, the MVP favorite in ESPN’s first straw poll, and that distinction is part of why he has made the 2023 roster. He has undoubtedly leveled up in his age-24 season, with gains including heightened foul-drawing, better finishing craft, and a big rise in scoring efficiency.
If he continues this, Tatum’s first season will showcase a scoring average of at least 30 points.
4. Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets
Durant has achieved more field goals and scored more total points than any other player in the NBA this season, which is a good enough reason to add him to this season’s roster. KD is currently gearing toward his fifth career scoring title.
On top of this, Durant is a top-10 fixture in RAPTOR WAR for the FiveThirtyEight.
5. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
Having only logged a mere 36% of his minutes, it’s easy to see why Jaylen Brown has been given the guard spot, primarily as he traditionally defends more enormous wings.
Judging by his recent efforts, he is set to hit new career-scoring highs; he has also played a major part in keeping the Boston Celtics team atop the Eastern Conference.
6. Jrue Holiday, Milwaukee Bucks
Jrue Holiday stands his ground as one of the league’s top defensive guards. He’s also been majorly credited for his performance on the other end for a Bucks team that was void of Khris Middleton IP until Dec. 2 and is currently on track to receive a 3.6 Box Plus/Minus; this would be the highest yet in his career.
7. Luka Dončić, Dallas Mavericks
Despite the Western Conference backcourt position being one of the most sought-after, Luka Dončić has donned this starting spot for some time now. His age-23 campaign started with nine consecutive 30-point games, an incredible feat and the longest streak in 60 years.
All-Star picks focus majorly on individual brilliance, and Dončić is one such player to be shining bright this season. He is the only player averaging at least 30 points and eight assists each game.
8. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Despite recovering from an injury, Curry’s plus-20.1 net rating swing places him third-best amongst players with much more court time than him. On top of this, he ranks second in EPM, third in RAPTOR, and first in Offensive Box Plus/Minus.
9. Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets
With career highs of an impressive 61.7% shooting from the field and an epic 9.2 assists each game, it comes as little surprise that Denver has made the list.
He missed matching the best Player Efficiency Rating single-season high last year, making him a top choice for one of the three frontcourt All-Star starters.
10. Zion Williamson, New Orleans
Zion is deemed one of the league’s most notable downhill attackers. Yet, besides bulldozing his way to the net, he has recently led New Orleans in assists, passes, potential assists, and points via assist, which makes him a great team player.
Final Thoughts
With so many talented, skilled players on the court, those who have made it to the elite roster have done so for different reasons, but all deserve their All-Star status.
This year’s pick was incredibly challenging as at least 55 players dropped at least 20 points per game compared to the 33 players averaging this total the previous year.
Game enthusiasts wishing to view and compare past scores and those in real time, can do so on various channels including the likes of ESPN and CBS Sports.
