Picking the entire Eastern Conference All-Star team

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Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers. Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images /

The NBA All-Star Weekend is the best combined All-Star event in sports. The NFL becomes meaningless without all-out effort, while hockey is cycling through ideas to be relevant. Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby is exceptional, but the game itself is a pitcher’s duel.

Basketball has it all. They have the Rising Stars game to showcase up-and-coming talent. They have the 3-point shootout. The dunk contest. And of course, a high-flying and even higher-scoring All-Star Game showcasing the game’s biggest stars.

The best in basketball will show up for All-Star Weekend in Cleveland this year. Who will make it in the Eastern Conference? How many Cavs?

Each conference sends just 12 players to the All-Star Game, making it a truly exclusive group of the very best in the league. The Cleveland Cavaliers can, for the first time since LeBron James left, expect to be represented among those 12 slots, which is perfect timing given that the event will be hosted in Cleveland and the game played at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

How many Cavs will make the cut? And who will be coming into town as the best in the Eastern Conference this year? Let’s look at the starters and reserves to determine the answer to both of those questions.