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Picking All-Star Teams: How many Cavs make the cut?

By Josh Cornelissen

Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks and Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors. Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images /

Picking All-Star Teams: West starters

The star power in the NBA right now is incredible, so all of these players in line to be the Western Conference starters are also MVP candidates. This is an analysis of which players deserve these spots, not a prediction, as LeBron James is a lock to start the AS Game every season of his career.

Backcourt: Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

Luka Doncic is shouldering a huge load for a Dallas Mavericks team that didn’t prioritize getting (or keeping) help for him this offseason. He is averaging 33 points, 8.3 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game and is in line to make his fourth All-Star game in five seasons in the league.

Backcourt: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Stephen Curry sticks here for now despite the shoulder injury he suffered last week. The two-time MVP is having an all-time season: 30 points per game on 50/43/91 shooting splits to go with 6.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game. As with Luka and the Mavericks, the Golden State Warriors are having an unsteady start to the season, but it isn’t because of Curry.

Frontcourt: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Night after night Nikola Jokic shows why he is one of the most special offensive players to ever wear an NBA uniform, putting up mind-boggling stat lines and carrying the Nuggets to an 18-11 record that is just one game back of the top spot in the West. 25.2 points, 10.9 rebounds and nine assists is quite the stat line, and every advanced metric places his impact at the top of the league.

Frontcourt: Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans

Zion Williamson made the All-Star Game two seasons ago and looks like a lock to make it back after missing all of last season. The New Orleans Pelicans are tied for first place in the West and are doing it with an ensemble cast of players, but it’s clear Zion is the primary driving force of their success.

Frontcourt: Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers’ only chance this season was for LeBron and Anthony Davis to be top-10 players, a tall task after two injury-plagued seasons for Davis. He was holding up his end of the bargain with dominant force, averaging 27.4 points and 12.1 rebounds, until a freak foot injury has again sidelined the big man. He will probably struggle to make the final All-Star roster given the amount of games he will miss, but he absolutely deserves recognition right now for his 25 games of excellence.