As the NBA's All-Star weekend approaches, fans across the country are casting ballots, wondering if their favorite players will make the cut. Voting for this year's game opened before Christmas day, and after two weeks, we have an idea of who the starters could be. Fan votes only account for 50% of the vote to decide the Western Conference and Eastern Conference starters, so things are still very much in flux. With all that in mind, we've compiled this list of who we expect to see in this year's starting lineup.
It's a safe bet that James and Durant will draft teams for the NBA All-Star Game again this year. The NBA released the first returns on All-Star voting on January 5th, and both lead fan voting in their respective conferences.
Durant and James returning as team captains isn't much of a surprise; these generational players have led their peers and redefined the game for basketball fans. With betting becoming a popular way for fans to participate in NBA action, Durant and James come to mind when many fans think of the best NBA players of all time.
Top sportsbooks like DraftKings offer free bets to new customers, giving them a chance to learn the ropes before getting started. Although the LA Lakers have continued to perform poorly, it hasn't affected James, who currently has the most votes of any player in the All-Star balloting thus far.
The Dallas Mavericks guard has had a monster season, wowing fans by becoming the first player to ever achieve a 60-20-10 triple-double in a game. You read that correctly; Doncic scored 60 points, pulled down 21 rebounds, and dished 10 assists in his team's overtime comeback win against the New York Knicks.
Besides that stunning performance, he's averaging 34.3 points, 8.9 assists, and 8.8 rebounds per game. He's more than earned his place as an All-Star starter, and based on the votes he's accumulated, fans agree.
Looking at the Eastern Conference, Donovan Mitchell appears to have a lock on starting in this year's All-Star game. Although he's had some rough shooting patches, the Cleveland Cavaliers guard has had some impressive games this season.
He most recently exploded for 71 points and dished 11 assists to lead his team to victory over the Bulls, scoring the most points in an NBA game in 17 years. The stunning performance placed him in elite company, with his total tying Elgin Baylor and David Robinson for the sixth most points ever scored in a game.
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