OverTime: So, It's All-Star Season, 2019!

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

So, it's that time of year - All-Star Season! Once again, you can log on to your phone or computer and vote for ten NBA players (five from each conference) you think deserve to make it to the All-Star Game. So, to commemorate the beginning of All-Star Season and the (near) half-way mark of the NBA season, I wanted to share my top ten. These All-Star selections are based on a few stats but mostly on my own eyes. Although the process asks voters to select two guards and three frontcourt players from each conference, I followed a harder line, only selecting a single player for each position (e.g. shooting guard, power forward). That being said, with the aid of the eye test and Basketball Reference, I present my top ten All-Stars of the 2018-2019 season.

Western Conference:

Point Guard - Stephen Curry

So, this pick seems obvious, right? Everyone knows Steph. Everyone has seen his miracle 3s. And yet, as this cursor sits blinking on this page, Russell Westbrook is averaging a triple-double, Jrue Holiday (my true love) is second in the West for assists per game, and Mike Conley is leading a resurgent Grizzlies team back into the playoff picture. Even the Los Angeles Clippers have a pair of fantastic point guards in Shei Gilgeous-Alexander and Patrick Beverley. Oh, and there's not to mention James Harden, reigning MVP and the highest scorer in the league, who just a few nights ago put up 45 points against the Celtics. There's also Damian Lillard, Portland's superstar point guard, who (that same night) drilled an overtime 3 in Oakland to finish off Curry's Warriors. All of these point guards have been phenomenal this season, and yet, I chose Steph. So, why?

Well, part of the reason Steph makes it is because his team is tied for first in the very crowded Western Conference. Although Harden and Lillard have been great, they largely haven't had what it takes to push their teams above and beyond. This is especially true when you look at how much they brought their teams up last season. The other reason I chose Steph is because he's clearly having an MVP-caliber season. Despite playing eleven games less than his teammate Kevin Durant, Steph is averaging the same number of points (28.5) on a higher true shooting percentage (65.2%) and his usage rating (the percentage of offensive plays run through him) is only half a percent less than Durant's. That's wildly impressive considering the year KD is having. 

Steph has been great. He's clearly going for another MVP award, and more times than not, he has been the deciding factor on the Warriors' floor. Just a few nights ago, the Los Angeles Clippers (one of the most well-stacked teams in the league) took the champions down to the wire, and with only five seconds left on the clock it was Curry who sunk a layup and won them the game. Steph is Golden State's hero and in such an overcrowded conference, that's what puts him on top. 

Shooting Guard - DeMar DeRozan

DeRozan is the only shooting guard in the West that we should be talking about. I don't want to hear All-Star mentions of Klay Thompson, who set the record for most 3s made in a game earlier this season, or Portland's CJ "I'm trying Jennifer" McCollum. Both of them are great, but they don't have the story that DeMar has. As of this writing, the San Antonio Spurs, DeMar DeRozan's newly adopted team, are tied for 8th in the West. That's pretty incredible for an injured and disjointed team, especially one led by a player shipped out of the Eastern conference just last summer.

DeMar was traded from Toronto in a groundbreaking deal, instantly making him an underdog on a dynasty team everyone expects to crumble. And yet, they are surviving. Of players getting at least five minutes a game, DeRozan is leading his team in scoring, assists, steals, and player efficiency. He's doing all this from mid-range too! He barely shoots the 3. And while this would be a slight for most other players, his mid-range game is so consistent and works so well inside Coach Pop's system that it plays to the Spurs' advantage. He doesn't need to shoot 3s when he can knock it down from anywhere inside the arc and kick it over half a dozen times a game to the perimeter. 

DeRozan has been truly astounding, and he's been doing it all from under the radar. He can easily drop 30 points without you even noticing. Seriously, I watched him do it against the Nuggets the other night. I didn't even realize he had 30 points until I checked the box score. He's an incredibly good system player, and it's about time we recognize he is leading the pack, even out West

Small Forward - LeBron James

Yeah, yeah. Who's surprised, right? No one. No one is surprised. Of course LeBron James should be the starting small forward. Who else would it be? Kevin Durant? Get the fuck outta here. Look at KD's face just behind LeBron's elbow. Does that look the face of an All-Star starter? I didn't think so. And besides, if I remember correctly, wasn't it Kevin Durant and the Warriors who got blown out by over 25 points on their own floor Christmas evening to none other than LeBron James? Yeah. That sounds about right.

James has been putting up crazy numbers, despite diving into a deeper conference with a whole new cast. He's averaging just over 27 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, a steal, and most of a block (.7) in 34 games with the Lakers this season (and that's not even close to his best stat line!). Obviously, the King will continue to be the King, but even with the odds stacked against him (conference wise and team wise) he has managed to pull his team solidly into the playoff window. (They're currently in sixth.) I don't know what else to say. Let the King reign. 

Power Forward - Anthony Davis

Anthony Davis is not a person. He is a literal fucking dragon. I won't even dare put a video of Davis flying around the court in this blog because the amount of power he has might crash my computer. That being said, look up his highlights. Seriously. Even at the risk of your own computer or phone's health, look them up. They're insane. 

For reference, this is the Brow's average stat line this season: 28.5 points, 13 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.6 blocks, and 1.7 steals a game. Pair these stats with a 59% true shooting percentage and the highest win share (the number of wins attributed to a player) of any player in the league (6.4), and you have yourself, not only an All-Star, but one of the best five players in the world. And he needs to be. The Pelicans are currently the 14th team in the Western conference, four games behind the bottom playoff contender. While this may seem like a reason to vote against Anthony Davis, the mere fact that the Pelicans have won 17 games is a testament to the power of Anthony Davis (and Jrue Holiday).

In a rematch between the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans this week, the Pels took back a win in a 3 point game. And while it was an impressive win against a sturdy, rising Mavericks team, it required a 48 point, 17 rebound performance from Davis. That says it all. He's goddamn incredible. He's (arguably) the best power forward in the league, and regardless if he stays with New Orleans, he belongs on the All-Star starting roster.

Center - Nikola Jokic

Nikola Jokic should be the West's All-Star starting center, no questions asked. The Nuggets are tied for first place right now. No one, not even the most die-hard Denver fans (some of whom I know), could have predicted that. And this Nuggets team revolves around their star big man, the Joker. Not only does he rebound close to 10 rebounds a game, he's averaging 18 points on 58.6% true shooting. That's not too bad for a stretch center who could double for a point guard on the fast break. 

But Jokic's true skill is his passing. Although he's only averaging 7.4 assists a game, that number is not reflective of his actual ability. Since the NBA's ruling on what is considered an "assist" is sketchy (to say the least), the stat line doesn't do him justice. The NBA's definition of an assist is anything that immediately leads the ball getting closer to the net, but while Nikola is only getting 7.4 direct "assists" per game, he actually assists on over a third (37.3%) of all field goals made by the Nuggets while he's on the floor. That makes him a top five assisting player of anyone who's played over 1,000 minutes this season, and the only center to even come close to the top of the list.

The Nuggets have been unstoppable with the Joker as their ring-leader. It's a circus out there. And when the ball is in Nikola's hands, you never know where it will go, only that it will end up at the bottom of the net. While he may be a sneaky MVP choice, he is clearly the best center in the Western conference.

Eastern Conference:

Point Guard - Kemba Walker

I'm not even gonna lie - part of the reason I chose Kemba Walker over Kyrie Irving is simply because I like him more. Sure, Kyrie is the better ball handler and player, but Kemba is a fucking jewel and is single-handedly keeping the playoff dream alive for the Charlotte Hornets. But, my bias aside, he passes the eye test to a much higher degree than Kyrie does. While Kyrie was playing some of the worst basketball of his career earlier this season, Kemba was flying! He was putting up insane numbers on a team everyone seems to forget exists. 

Walker is passing at Joker levels. Seriously. To go along with his 6 assists a game, Kemba is averaging 1.4 steals, 4.3 rebounds, and 25.9 points. He actually has a higher usage rate (30.9%) and win share (4) than Steph Curry (30.8% and 3.9, respectively). And while those numbers are only slightly higher, you have to remember you're comparing them to Stephen fucking Curry, the only unanimous MVP in history and probably the best shooter of all time. Kemba is pulling Stephen Curry numbers on a team coached by.... Umm... *Tabs over to Basketball Reference*... James Borrego. (*Tabs over again to make sure that's right.*) I watch a religious amount of basketball and I couldn't tell you who the fuck James Borrego is. (*Checks one more time just to make sure it's spelled correctly.*)

So, not only is Kemba crushing it on a team without a great coach and a consistent second "best player" (Nic Batum? Jeremy Lamb? Malik Monk? Could it even be... Cody Zeller? Probably. Cody Zeller is probably the second best player on the Hornets), he's doing it on a level expected of point guards who play on juggernaut teams like the Warriors and Celtics. Kemba is the All-Star point guard the East deserves. Oh, and he also dropped 60 points against PHILADELPHIA! Make him a fucking All-Star starter and stop wasting my time. 

Shooting Guard - Victor Oladipo

I don't even want to write the blurb about why Victor Oladipo is the best shooting guard in the East. He just is. Can I leave it at that? No? Is that too cheeky? Alright, well fuck it. Here I go. Vic is averaging 19.5 points a game, 6.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.7 steals, a true shooting percentage of 52.7%, and one of the highest player efficiency ratings of any shooting guard in the league (18.88). And he's done this all in only 25 games, as minor injuries sidelined him for a few weeks in early December. The glow up that began last season for Oladipo has obviously not worn off. 

He's better than Bradley Beal, who the Wizards have put on the trade block, Caris LeVert, whose tragic arc has been well-documented on this blog, Jeremy Lamb, who we've already established isn't even the second best player on the Hornets, Josh Richardson, who put the MIA in Miami, Jaylen Brown, who's disappeared to Boston's bench, and (for the purposes of All-Star voting) Jimmy Butler, who has only played half the season in the Eastern conference. 

The East isn't chock-full of shooting guards, but even if it were, Vic would stand out. He's a bright hope for the Pacers (currently the third best team in the East), and once again, he has earned a spot at the All-Star game. 

Small Forward - Kawhi Leonard

Who would have thought that Kawhi Leonard would become the best small forward in the East following the aforementioned Toronto-San Antonio summer trade? Everyone actually. I'm pretty sure everyone thought this. And we were all right. Because he is, plain and simple. 

Sure, Khris Middleton and Jayson Tatum have had great seasons, but ever since donning a Raptors' jersey, Leonard has (once again) proven he's a top three player in the world. There is nothing on either end of the floor that he can't do. His stat line is insanely impressive (averaging 26.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.7 steals, a 30.2% usage rate, and nearly 60% true shooting!). It's even more impressive considering the fact he's doing it all on a new team, with a new coach, surrounded by some of the best bench players in the league. He doesn't even need to play this well, and yet, he is. The Raptors are number one in the East, and for the first real time, they look like a Finals contender.

After years of grooming to become the face of the Spurs, it's certainly strange to see Kawhi in a Raptors' jersey. However, it won't be strange to see the best two-way player in the NBA back in an All-Star jersey. It's what he looks best in.

Power Forward - Giannis Antetokounmpo

This is the fun one! This is the one I've been waiting for. Good ole' Giannis Antetokounmpo - the 24 year old "Greek Freak"; the other answer, besides Anthony Davis, when the question, "Who's the best power forward in the NBA?" is asked; the kid and future MVP who has pulled the Milwaukee Bucks to the top of the Eastern conference with some of the most impressive performances I've ever witnessed. That's who we're talking about.

Let's just take a look at his average stat line in every category I've used so far:

• 26.6 points per game
• 12.8 rebounds per game
• 6.1 assists per game
• 1.5 blocks per game
• 1.3 steals per game
• 63.4% true shooting
• he assists 30.1% of Bucks' field goals when he's on the floor
• his player efficiency rating is 29.05 (second in the league)
• his win share is 6.1 (also second in the league)
• his usage rating is 31.4% (fifth among players who have played over 1,000 minutes)
• and he has the best smile in the league

Those are crazy fucking numbers. He literally dominates every floor he touches. He and the Bucks are the only team to go into the arenas of Denver, Toronto, and Golden State (the other top 3 teams in the league) and win. If this season is a glimpse of things to come, we're looking at - not only an All-Star - but, quite likely, the best player in the world. 

Center - Joel Embiid

"Trust the process." For years that's what the front office and coaching staff of the failing Philadelphia 76er's preached to audiences. "Trust the process." So, we did. And here we are. Now, we have an unstoppable Philly team, led by none other than Joel Embiid, nicknamed the Process.

For those of you who know and those of you who don't, Joel is the real deal. He's the heart and soul of the 76er's (and NBA Twitter), flashing his smile, throwing his taunts, and putting up 2000 MVP-Shaquille O'Neal caliber performances. 26.5 points per game, combined with a nice 13.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.9 blocks, and a near 60% true shooting percentage. That's a winner right there. His pairing with Ben Simmons, JJ Redick, and the newly acquired Jimmy Butler, has been fantastic. He can drive into the lane, slam it down, shoot the 3, and kick it to the perimeter like he's been doing this his whole life. And fun fact - he hasn't. He started playing when he was only a teenager. This just comes naturally to him.

Embiid is great. He's fun. He's an MVP contender and absolutely worthy of starting for the All-Star team. If you've made it this far, then you must have a certain understanding that picking All-Stars is not easy. It's a tedious process where you have to weigh lots of factors and players. But, as Philadelphia once asked us, you must trust the process. And in the Process, we trust.