The 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend is fast approaching, with all the festivities set to take place in Indianapolis from Feb. 16-18. This year's big change is the All-Star Game format, which will be reverting to the traditional Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference matchup for the first time since 2017.
Fan voting for the starters opened on Dec. 19 and the first returns will be published by the league on Thursday (Jan. 4). Ahead of that announcement, here's a look at which 10 players I would select to start the game at this time.
Eastern Conference
Guard: Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers
Haliburton made his All-Star debut as a reserve last season, and deserves to make his first start in the annual showcase in front of his home fans this time around. He's taken his game to a completely different level this season and established himself as a premier point guard. His 12.7 assists per game lead the league and have him on pace to be the first player to average 12 assists for a season since John Stockton in 1995. In addition to his playmaking, he's putting up 24.7 points a night on 50.1/40.6/85.6 shooting splits, and a 50/40/90 season is within reach with some better shooting from the line. Under Haliburton's leadership, the Pacers' league-leading 122.2 offensive rating is on track to be the highest ever, and the team is in sixth place in the East at 18-14.
Guard: Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
There are a number of deserving candidates for the second starting guard spot in the East, many of whom are on far more successful teams than the Hawks. Winning is important for All-Star consideration, but it's not the only benchmark in what is ultimately a celebration of individual brilliance. Right now, what Young is doing on the offensive side of the ball is simply too hard to ignore. He's putting up 28.3 points and 11.3 assists per game, which has him in seventh in scoring and second in assists. There have only been six other seasons in NBA history where a player averaged at least 28 points and 11 assists, and James Harden is the only other player to do it this century.
Frontcourt: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Before each season you can just pencil the Greek Freak in as an All-Star starter. He's earned that honor in seven consecutive seasons, and will soon make it eight. What is there to even say about Antetokounmpo at this point? He is an unstoppable physical force who does whatever he wants in the paint -- he's once again shooting above 80% within three feet -- and has become an advanced passer when teams force the ball out of his hands. At 30.9 points, 11.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game, he's on pace to join Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to average at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in multiple seasons. Along with Damian Lillard, he has the Bucks near the top of the East at 24-9.
Frontcourt: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
The reigning MVP might just go back-to-back as long as he can stay healthy enough to meet the league's new 65-game threshold for major awards. He has refined his offensive game to an unfathomable degree for a person his size and is now borderline unguardable as his league-leading 34.8 points per game prove. His 51-point destruction of Defensive Player of the Year contender Rudy Gobert and the Timberwolves on Dec. 21 was one of the best individual efforts all season. On the other end, Embiid is an elite rim protector and one of three players averaging at least two blocks and one steal per game.
Frontcourt: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Tatum has made four consecutive All-Star Games and will surely make it five in a row this year. His scoring numbers have declined a bit due to the Celtics' new additions, but he's still one of just four players averaging at least 27 points, eight rebounds and four assists per game in the league. And that's to say nothing of his defensive ability. While that side of the ball has never been a deciding factor in All-Star selections, he remains arguably the best two-way wing in the league, capable of shutting down opponents' best scorers and causing havoc on the weak side. With Tatum leading the way, the Celtics are once again title contenders and have the best record in the league at 26-7.
Western Conference
Guard: Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
The Slovenian phenom has only missed the All-Star Game in his rookie season, and barring injury will likely never miss out again. Very few players can control the game in the way he can offensively with his volume scoring and high-level playmaking. At 33.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 9.4 assists per game, he's the only player in the league in the top-five in both scoring and assists, and is on pace to join Oscar Robertson as the only players ever to average at least 30 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in multiple seasons. Best of all, his production is actually leading to wins this season, with the Mavericks sitting at 19-15.
Guard: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
If his All-Star and All-NBA First Team appearances last season weren't proof enough, Gilgeous-Alexander's first two months of this season have made it abundantly clear that he is a bonafide superstar. The Thunder's main man has vaulted himself into the MVP conversation by doing any and everything on both sides of the ball. Case in point, he's on track to become just the fourth player to average at least 30 points and 2.5 steals per game since the latter began being tracked. Unsurprisingly, he's also the only player in the league this season in the top-five in both points (31.4) and steals (2.6) per game. With SGA leading the way, the Thunder have exceeded expectations and boast the fourth-best record in the league at 23-9.
Frontcourt: Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
No matter how much changes in the NBA, one constant you can always count on is Durant scoring at a remarkable level -- no matter which team he's on. In his first full season with the Suns he's putting up 29.9 points per game on 52.5% shooting overall and a career-high 47.7% from 3-point land. This will be the seventh season that Durant has averaged at least 25 points on 50% shooting or better, which is the fifth-most all-time. That he's remained so efficient this season despite often facing immense defensive pressure as the lone option for the shorthanded Suns only makes his performance more impressive. Thanks to Durant, the Suns are 18-15 even though the new big three of Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal have played four games together.
Frontcourt: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
When James was limited to 29 minutes on opening night, and Lakers head coach Darvin Ham discussed a minutes restriction, it seemed as though this would be the season the NBA's all-time leading scorer took a significant step back. Not quite. It's been full throttle ever since then, and James remains one of the league's best. He's going to start every All-Star Game until the end of his career due to the fan vote, but he still deserves the honor. He's averaging at least 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the first time since 2020 and the 10th time in his career. No one else has done it more than six times. When James is selected for the 2024 All-Star Game, it will give him the all-time record with 20, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Frontcourt: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
As is often the case with defending champions, there have been times this season where Jokic and the Nuggets have looked like they were on cruise control, but even so the reigning Finals MVP has been his usual dominant self. In a 37-point win over the Grizzlies on Dec. 28, Jokic recorded a triple-double while shooting a perfect 11-of-11 from the field. The last player to have a triple-double while shooting a perfect 100% from the field on at least 10 attempts? Jokic in 2018. In fact, the only other player to ever pull off that feat is Wilt Chamberlain. At 25.7 points, 12.3 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game, Jokic is the only player in the league in the top five in rebounding and assists, and has the Nuggets in third place in the West at 24-11.
