If you missed our Eastern Conference NBA All-Star selections last week, you can check those out here. We’re repeating the process today out West.
Much like our last batch of All-Stars, we’ve stuck to the positional requirements imposed by the league and individual positional definitions as outlined by the official All-Star ballot. These picks are intended to be a reflection of who deserves to be an All-Star, not a prediction of who will be selected.
Let’s dive in.
Nikola Jokic - Frontcourt Starter
Per Game Stats: 25.3 points, 13.9 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.8 blocks
Advanced Stats: 31.8% USG, .640 TS%, 4.8 VORP, .283 WS/48
This was about as easy a call as there was. And there are some pretty easy calls still to come. The Denver Nuggets have been absolutely ravaged by injuries, but Nikola Jokic has managed to keep them two games above .500 and in sixth place in the Western Conference.
Jokic is a passing savant, post up ballerino, rebounding machine, silky smooth shooter, and (as of relatively recently) positive contributor on defense. Denver is outscoring opponents by 9.6 points per 100 non-garbage-time possessions when the reigning MVP plays, per Cleaning the Glass. That’s 24.2 points better than when he sits.
LeBron James - Frontcourt Starter
Per Game Stats: 28.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.2 blocks
Advanced Stats: 30.9% USG, .617 TS%, 3.1 VORP, .208 WS/48
LeBron James is absurd. He’s having the kind of statistical season most players can’t even dream of despite being 37 years old and in the 19th year of his career. For the first time in a very long time James’ individual brilliance hasn’t been enough to lead to high-level team success.
After adding Russell Westbrook and a host of over-the-hill veterans this summer, the Los Angeles Lakers have struggled to find consistently positive lineup combinations. That’s not James’ fault though. He’s a metronome of basketball excellence who has been predictably phenomenal again.
Draymond Green - Frontcourt Starter
Per Game Stats: 7.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.2 blocks
Advanced Stats: 14.3% USG, .581 TS%, 1.6 VORP, .152 WS/48
Draymond Green may not have the most impressive scoring numbers, but he’s the best defensive player in the NBA, and his modest scoring output belies his offensive impact. Green is an incredible screener, a brilliant facilitator, and an altruistic ball mover. The Golden State Warriors are a leading contender to win it all, and Green is absolutely essential to what they do on both ends.
Steph Curry - Guard Starter
Per Game Stats: 26.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.5 blocks
Advanced Stats: 32.2% USG, .589 TS%, 2.9 VORP, .182 WS/48
Read everything about Green above and just know that Steph Curry is even more important to the Warriors success (though his impact is made much differently from Green’s and primarily on the offensive end). He’s the greatest shooter of all time and an offensive ecosystem unto himself. Curry is firmly in the MVP conversation and should be an easy lock as an All-Star starter.
Ja Morant - Guard Starter
Per Game Stats: 24.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.4 blocks
Advanced: 31.8% USG, .572 TS%, 2.1 VORP, .172 WS/48
In addition to having an incredibly efficient and impactful season, Ja Morant may be the closest we ever get to seeing a human who can fly. He’s a spindly bundle of quick twitch muscles and effortless hops.
At 31-15 and in third place in the Western Conference, the Memphis Grizzlies are the best story in basketball. Morant is the team’s heart and soul, and has evolved into one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the NBA. He’s impossible to stay in front of and scores at the rim with slippery scoops, aerobatic layups, and emphatic dunks. Send extra help and Morant gladly finds his teammates around the three-point arc and headed to the basket. There are no good decisions.
Chris Paul - Guard Reserve
Per Game Stats: 13.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 10.0 assists, 1.9 steals, 0.3 blocks
Advanced Stats: 19.6% USG, .563 TS%, 2.4 VORP, .210 WS/48
Chris Paul has been one of the best point guards in the NBA for roughly a decade and a half. He’s as good as it gets when it comes to setting up an offense and facilitating for others. Paul leverages the threat of his automatic midrange jumper and otherworldly feel for the game to pile up assists. His 41.8% assist percentage ranks in the 95th percentile as compared to his positional peers, per Cleaning the Glass.
Devin Booker - Guard Reserve
Per Game Stats: 24.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.3 blocks
Advanced Stats: 31.9% USG, .563 TS%, 1.6 VORP, .149 WS/48
If Paul is the Phoenix Suns’ organizing principal, Devin Booker is by far the most important piece revolving around him. The seventh-year guard is a silky smooth scorer with somewhat underappreciated burst. Booker is a knockdown shooter with a devastating hesitation move and oodles of craft by the basket.
He’s developed as a facilitator as well, a reality that didn’t seem all too certain in his early career. The Suns have benefited significantly from his continuous growth. Phoenix has the NBA’s best record, and Booker is arguably the team’s best player.
Rudy Gobert - Frontcourt Reserve
Per Game Stats: 15.7 points, 15.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.8 steals, 2.3 blocks
Advanced Stats: 16.8% USG, .732 TS%, 2.3 VORP, .276 WS/48
Rudy Gobert has been an absolutely monumental defensive force for the Utah Jazz again this year. Utah has posted a 105.0 non-garbage-time defensive rating and +14.0 net rating in his minutes, ranking in the 88th and 98th percentile league-wide, per Cleaning the Glass. Gobert got some serious consideration for a starting spot, but ultimately Draymond Green got the nod as a more versatile defender on a better team.
Karl-Anthony Towns - Frontcourt Reserve
Per Game Stats: 24.6 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.2 blocks
Advanced Stats: 27.8% USG, .631 TS%, 2.3 VORP, .192 WS/48
The Minnesota Timberwolves aren’t title contenders, but for the first time in a long time they have the look of a potential playoff team. Karl-Anthony Towns is a major reason why. He’s an incredible shooter, whose individual production and gravity are the foundation for a robust offensive ecosystem. Teammates find wider driving and passing lanes and less resistance at the rim because of the attention Towns draws both with and without the ball.
And for the first time in his career, KAT has been good enough to be part of an above-average defense. He’s not a particularly impactful defender, but being passable is plenty sufficient given his offensive strengths.
Jaren Jackson Jr. - Frontcourt Reserve
Per Game Stats: 16. points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.0 steals, 2.1 blocks
Advanced Stats: 25.6% USG, .532 TS%, 0.6 VORP, .111 WS/48
The spot belongs to Paul George, but with the Clippers’ rangy wing potentially sidelined for the rest of the season, we’re looking elsewhere. Making a selection from the remaining frontcourt players wasn’t easy. Deandre Ayton, Anthony Davis, Brandon Ingram, Jonas Valancuinas, and Andrew Wiggins were all given consideration.
Jackson’s counting stats are worse than just about everyone on that list, but he’s blossomed into a hugely impactful defensive player this year. The Grizzlies have allowed just 105.5 points per 100 non-garbage-time possessions when he plays, ranking in the 86th percentile league-wide, per Cleaning the Glass.
The threat of Jackson’s shooting breathes space into Memphis’ offense, where he's made a decidedly positive impact as well, despite his relatively modest individual efficieny numbers. Jackson’s inclusion here is a bet that the on/off stats that paint such a favorable picture of him are reflective of a real leap in overall talent level and not just some random good fortune.
Donovan Mitchell - Wildcard Reserve
Per Game Stats: 25.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.2 blocks
Advanced Stats: 32.9% USG, .566 TS%, 2.0 VORP, .159 WS/48
Donovan Mitchell is a simple pick. He’s the best offensive player on the most efficient offense in the league. Mitchell has developed into a bit of a mid-range killer, while maintaining a willingness to bomb away from deep and plenty of athleticism to get to the rim. His bump in efficiency in the in-between spaces has taken him to a new level as threat with the ball in his hands. If the Jazz get the early-exit postseason monkey of their backs this year, Mitchell will be the reason why.
Luka Doncic - Wildcard Reserve
Per Game Stats: 24.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.5 blocks
Advanced Stats: 35.9% USG, .526 TS%, 1.9 VORP, .096 WS/48
Luka Doncic is having what is widely considered a down year, but he’s still been massively productive. The Mavericks have actually performed better when Doncic sits than when he plays, and the Slovenian superstar is struggling to make shots, but no one in their right mind would suggest that Dallas is better off without him. No one else in the West has done quite enough to bump Doncic out of the All-Star game for his dip in efficiency.