2013 NBA All-Star Roster: Full Rundown of Eastern, Western Conference Starters

Kobe Bryant led the NBA’s 2013 All-Star Game voting with nearly 1.6 million votes, a few more than stars LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

The top three performers in the league were following closely by Caremlo Anthony, who had over 1.4 million nods in his favor.

This year’s starting squad selections entailed little to no shockers. All 10 of the teams’ starters are the biggest and best names in the game.

Eastern Conference Starters

Rajon Rondo, PG

The Boston Celtics are hanging on thanks to the creative ability of Rajon Rondo. The dynamic point guard is averaging a double-double with 13 points and 11.2 assists per game.

 

Dwyane Wade, SG

Wade is having a fine complimentary season to LeBron James in Miami. He’s a slasher and can get hot from the perimeter to completely take over games at times.

This is Wade’s eighth straight selection to the All-Star team’s starting lineup.

 

LeBron James, F

Is there anyone better in the game today than Miami’s LeBron James? James has been voted into the Eastern Conference’s starting lineup for nine consecutive seasons and could keep it up for nine more years at this pace.

He recently became the youngest player in NBA history to score 20,000 points in a career.

Carmelo Anthony, F

The New York Knicks are thriving, and it isn’t just because of the scoring ability of Carmelo Anthony. Still, the versatile forward has the talent and ability to put his team on his shoulders if needed.

Anthony is currently second in the NBA, just behind Kobe Bryant, with 29.2 points per game.

Kevin Garnett, F/C

Kevin Garnett is having an “off year.” The big man from Boston is putting up just 14.6 points and seven rebounds per game this season. The trusty veteran is having his minutes monitored and is playing just 29.5 minutes per contest, though.

Western Conference Starters

Kobe Bryant, SG

This season has been a tumultuous one for the new-look Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe Bryant has remained the lone figure of normality at the Staples Center amidst all of the injuries, coaching turmoil and drama.

Bryant, 34, is currently leading the league in scoring and having one of his best shooting seasons of his career.

Chris Paul, PG

The Los Angeles Clippers have stolen the show in the City of Angels. Chris Paul is a catalyst of one of the biggest turnarounds in franchise history.

Paul’s ability to create for his teammates and lob up alley-oops has made the team one of the most exciting to watch in the league.

Kevin Durant, F

There isn’t a better volume scorer in the league at times than Kevin Durant. James Harden left via preseason trade, but the Oklahoma City Thunder haven’t missed a beat.

Mr. Durant has a lot to do with that.

Blake Griffin, PF

The other end of Paul’s lobs has emphatically helped put the Clippers back on the map. Griffin is scoring 17.8 points per game and also grabbing 8.3 rebounds. His 3.3 assists per contests show his versatility and ability to help create for teammates when drawing double teams.

Dwight Howard, C

It hasn’t been easy street for Dwight Howard after leaving Orlando, like he’d hoped. He’s had to combat injuries and the ugly face of negative press while the Lakers attempt to find themselves this season.

Still, the big man is getting healthy and could make a huge impact on the Lakers’ season down the stretch.

How They Stack Up

The Western Conference squad looks to have an advantage on the inside, but that can be negated by the athleticism and defensive ability of the Eastern Conference’s unit.

Wade, James and Anthony all played together on Team USA Basketball and cold rekindle those relationships to help get something going for the East. Luckily for the West, Paul, Bryant and Durant were all members of that gold medal-winning team.

Overall, there appears to be no real weakness in either of these two starting lineups. Dwight Howard and Blake Griffin should be able to control the boards, though, and that could help swing things in favor of the West in the early going.

The East is better suited for fast breaks and boast a lineup that could cause problems for the West in transition.

 

Matchup to Watch

LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant

King James against the best up-and-coming scorer in the Western Conference should provide plenty of excitement and intrigue while both are on the court.

Durant’s ability to hit the deep ball with pinpoint accuracy, even with a hand in his face, will keep LeBron on his toes. That dynamic works both ways, though, as James has continued to improve his perimeter game.

James is currently connecting on 55 percent of his field goals, the second-highest percentage of any of the 50 best scorers in the league this season.