Bleacher Report's Official 2015 NBA All-Star Game Ballot
The 2015 NBA All-Star Game starters aren't announced until next week, but let's be honest—we could play this game every week (OK, we sorta do). But this time, it's official.
On the record.
Together.
Twenty Bleacher Report NBA writers and editors were asked to cast a ballot for their 2015 All-Star Game rosters and also help make formal recommendations for the Slam Dunk Contest and Three-Point Shootout participants. Voting guidelines can be found at the end of this piece.
Let's squad up.
Western Conference Starters
Guard: Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors (Unanimous)
2014-15 Numbers: 23.3 PPG, 8.0 APG, 2.1 Steals, 27.6 PER
We're running out of superlatives for Steph Curry. The 2014-15 MVP front-runner is barreling toward his second consecutive All-Star appearance and is currently tops among guards in fan voting among Western Conference guards (and second overall behind LeBron James).
Guard: James Harden, Houston Rockets (Unanimous)
2014-15 Numbers: 26.9 PPG, 6.7 APG, 44.7 FG%
Sometimes the Internet sucks. A few cleverly edited videos highlighting lapses in James Harden's defensive attention span made the rounds last year, smearing the Rockets star shooting guard's rep and distorting public opinion. Harden has answered critics with renewed gumption on both ends of the floor this year, leading the NBA in scoring and posting a 2.5 defensive win shares rating, second only to Golden State forward Draymond Green.
Forward: Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans (Unanimous)
2014-15 Numbers: 24.2 PPG, 2.9 BPG, 31.1 PER
It'll be a shame when Anthony Davis' New Orleans Pelicans inevitably miss the playoffs while Eastern Conference afterthoughts play in late April. At least the basketball world will have a moment to marvel at the league's most wondrous rising star in this year's All-Star Game. Davis is dominating the game in a way few superstars ever have and has a very real chance to top Wilt Chamberlain's vaunted 31.8 player efficiency rating achieved over 50 years ago in 1962-63.
Forward: Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies
2014-15 Numbers: 19.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.7 BPG
Marc Gasol is the Lebowskian rug that ties the room together, the focal point for the Western Conference's third-best team and the everyman all NBA teams covet. Among all NBA players, Gasol ranks ninth in field goals made, fifth in free throws made, 11th in defensive rebounds, 10th in blocks and 13th in PER, and he's arguably the best passing big man in the NBA.
Forward: LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers
2014-15 Numbers: 23.3 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 45.9 FG%, 22.1 PER
Enjoy LaMarcus Aldridge's game while you can—his craft is a dying breed. The turnaround mid-range fadeaway doesn't appeal much to analytics-minded decision-makers, but Aldridge's long twos still stretch NBA defenses thin night to night. He's been a steadying force for the Western Conference power in Portland, marked most notably by his 29.7 usage rate, 11th in the NBA.
Western Conference Reserves
Forward: DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings
2014-15 Numbers: 24.2 PPG, 12.4 RPG, 26.8 PER
We can't help shake the feeling DeMarcus Cousins is mad, disheartened and determined to breathe fire on whoever gets in his way. But not for the same tired reasons. Cousins and his upstart Sacramento Kings were blindsided by the firing of former coach Mike Malone earlier this season (we were too!). The enigmatic center, who was a vocal supporter of Malone, was having a career year when his former coach was discarded—and still very much is. He's currently fifth in the NBA in PER.
Forward: Blake Griffin, L.A. Clippers
2014-15 Numbers: 22.6 PPG, 5.0 APG, 21.7 PER
Wait, maybe Marc Gasol isn't the NBA's best passing big man. As Bleacher Report columnist Fred Katz pointed out earlier this week, "Griffin may be averaging a career-high 5.0 dimes per game on the year (no other big is averaging more than Noah's 3.6), but more impressively, he's getting those assists in such a variety of ways." Dunks are so 2013.
Forward: Kevin Durant, OKC Thunder
2014-15 Numbers: 25.0 PPG, 52.2 FG%, 29.0 PER
Spare us your "but he's only played 14 games!" trolling. It's Kevin Durant. Who's next?
Guard: Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
2014-15 Numbers: 21.3 PPG, 43.9 3P%, 20.4 PER
Raise a hand if you thought the Warriors should have traded Klay Thompson (and other pieces) for Kevin Love this past summer. Let's see that hand all the way up; this is a public shaming. Now form a monocle with your hand and place it over your eye and repeat after me—"I was wrong, and Klay Thompson should be an All-Star." Now take a video of yourself saying those words, monocle still in place, and send it to @KlayThompson.
Guard: Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
2014-15 Numbers: 22.0 PPG, 6.2 APG, 45.5 FG%
Damian Lillard is magic. That's the only way to explain the virtuoso guard's uncanny late-game heroics (he ranks third in the NBA in points scored in the fourth quarter). The 2012-13 Rookie of the Year and 2013-14 All-Star keeps making dramatic leaps year over year, and his big-shot acumen will strike maddening fear in they eyes of Portland playoff opponents.
Guard: Chris Paul, L.A. Clippers
2014-15 Numbers: 18.1 PPG, 9.6 APG, 40.6 3P%
Chris Paul is about to be on the wrong side of 30. The struggle is real, as Bleacher Report NBA lead writer Josh Martin pointed out earlier this week. But his off-pace numbers serve as a reminder of how high the bar is for one of the game's all-time great point guards—not to mention how badly L.A. needs a serviceable backup point guard.
Guard: Russell Westbrook, OKC Thunder
2014-15 Numbers: 26.2 PPG, 7.1 APG, 5.6 RPG
Oklahoma City's incredible stumble in the first half serves as simple proof of Westbrook and Durant's disproportionate value to their team. OKC went 4-10 without its all-world duo while each recovered from prolonged injury. Westbrook is back, healthy and thankfully doing Westbrook things again (i.e. everything), owning a 29.5 PER that's second only to Anthony Davis.
Head coach: Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors
Things shouldn't be this easy for former player/executive/broadcaster Steve Kerr in his first go-round as an NBA coach. He inherited a good roster, but he also took over a team that strongly supported his predecessor Mark Jackson. The fact Jackson was dismissed after a 51-win season only increased the weight on Kerr's shoulders, but he has exceeded expectations and then some for the NBA's top team.
Eastern Conference Starters
Guard: John Wall, Washington Wizards
2014-15 Numbers: 17.4 PPG, 10.2 APG, 21.1 PER
A near-unanimous selection to the Eastern Conference's starting five, John Wall has officially arrived. The stealth-mode point guard leads the NBA in dimes (at 10.2 per game) and total steals. More importantly, he's leading a reinforced Wizards team on a path to the Eastern Conference playoffs, which might as well be Washington's to lose.
Guard: Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls
2014-15 Numbers: 20.7 PPG, 46.1 FG%, 21.2 PER
Jimmy. Buckets. Gonna. Get. That. Money. Before the season began, Jimmy Butler turned down the Chicago Bulls' four-year, $40 million extension offer, and the gamble has paid major dividends for the breakout shooting guard. If Butler can maintain current production (or even slightly below it), he'll see max dollars this offseason as a restricted free agent.
Forward: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
2014-15 Numbers: 25.5 PPG, 7.5 APG, 25.3 PER
Nevermind the Shakespearean plots. Nevermind the reports out of Cleveland citing LeBron's ulterior motives to have his head coach, David Blatt, ousted. Nevermind the two weeks he took off to heal a high-mileage body. Nevermind the shove. Forget the semantics; embrace the hyperbole. LeBron James is still the greatest basketball player on the planet, and we are lucky enough to bear witness.
Forward: Pau Gasol, Chicago Bulls
2014-15 Numbers: 18.8 PPG, 11.3 APG, 2.1 BPG
Easily the best acquisition of the 2014 offseason, the 34-year-old has helped carry a star-laden veteran team built to compete for a title. Pau Gasol will more than likely earn a spot in an NBA All-Star Game for the first time since 2011, and current voting numbers put him second behind King James among Eastern Conference players.
Forward: Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic
2014-15 Numbers: 18.9 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 22.0 PER
Who? This guy:
Vucevic won't likely make the starting five at this year's All-Star Game, but an outright snub would break our faith in the system.
Eastern Conference Reserves
Guard: Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
2014-15 Numbers: 20.3 PPG, 7.8 APG, 23.4 PER
The Raptors have struggled without Lowry's backcourt mate, DeMar Derozan, otherwise Lowry might have found himself starting. Lowry's bulldog quotient reached new heights at the outset of the season when the Raps set the early pace in the East. Still, Lowry ranks in the top 20 in minutes played, field goals made, three-pointers made, assists, steals, PER and win shares.
Guard: Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
2014-15 Numbers: 22.1 PPG, 5.6 APG, 49.5 FG%
Without the benefit of LeBron James drawing double-teams and the focus of defensive deployments in Miami anymore, it's remarkable how well Wade has managed in the absence of Mr. Notable Omission. At 32 years old, Wade is still producing at an elite level. He's third in the NBA in usage rate, eighth in PER and ninth in two-point buckets.
Forward: Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks
2014-15 Numbers: 16.9 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 3.1 APG
Millsap suits up for the Spurs of the East, so forgive him if his numbers don't blow you away. But here's a couple of them that will. The Hawks are 9.9 points per 100 possessions better than their opponents when Millsap plays and 0.6 points per 100 possessions worse than the opposition when he doesn't, per NBA.com. He's also the league's only player with at least 30 threes, 60 steals and 300 rebounds.
Forward: Chris Bosh, Miami Heat
2014-15 Numbers: 21.3 PPG, 39.0 3P%, 21.4 PER
No LeBron James, no serviceable point guards, no problem? Bosh is making it seem that way, blending his pre-Miami post game with the perimeter craft he's honed since landing in South Beach. The sweet-shooting big man has missed eight games due to injury, but he's still had the 10th-most double-doubles.
Guard: Jeff Teague, Atlanta Hawks
2014-15 Numbers: 17.5 PPG, 7.2 APG, 48.5 FG%
Mike Budenholzer's equal-opportunity offense values team play over individual creativity, but the Hawks aren't sitting atop the East without Teague's point guard mastery guiding them there. The 26-year-old is putting up career numbers nearly across the board and ranks among the league's top 20 in assists, steals, free throws made, PER, true shooting percentage and win shares.
Guard: Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers
2014-15 Numbers: 20.7 PPG, 5.2 APG, 45.1 FG%
Uncle Drew continues giving life lessons inside the lines, namely the importance of getting buckets. It's become second nature for the fourth-year scoring guard, who has five 30-point eruptions to his name already this season. Irving has a new coach, new expectations and a revamped supporting cast, but his numbers show just how well he's adjusted to the changes.
Forward: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks
2014-15 Numbers: 14.8 PPG, 3.0 APG, 1.4 BPG
Three Hawks on one All-Star roster? Better believe it. Horford is a glue guy with superstar skills, a combination every bit as potent as it sounds. He ranks 10th in two-point field goals, 16th in blocks and 14th in field-goal percentage. He also sits fourth in assists per game among NBA centers.
Head coach: Mike Budenholzer, Atlanta Hawks
Coach Bud was a unanimous selection, and why wouldn't he be? Even those who liked the Hawks coming into the season couldn't have seen this coming: a .795 winning percentage, top-six efficiency rankings on both sides of the ball, two winning streaks of nine-plus games already. Atlanta is winning with system basketball, and the architect of it deserves this honor.
All-Star Weekend Wish List
WESTERN CONFERENCE DUNK CONTEST NOMINATIONS
Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota Timberwolves
Wiggins broke the Internet before the breaking the Internet was a thing. The No. 1 pick cemented his position atop the 2014 rookie class when a viral image of his hops made everyone wonder if jumping out of the gym was more than a clever saying. His combination of power and explosiveness made him an easy choice.
Zach LaVine, Minnesota Timberwolves
Who knew Timberpups could fly? No one should need to campaign for LaVine's dunk contest spot. He's been auditioning since high school, and the buzz surrounding his aerial game hasn't quieted since. He flashed an absurd 41.5-inch vertical at the draft combine then upped the ante with a 46-inch bounce a few weeks later, per Mark Medina of InsideSoCal.com.
Gerald Green, Phoenix Suns
If the Cupcake Man has lost any athleticism to Father Time, he's been good about keeping that secret from getting out. He's a fierce in-game dunker, with the creativity to complement his world-class springs. He's been to three dunk contests already, winning in 2007, and he should have an open invitation to return for a fourth.
EASTERN CONFERENCE DUNK CONTEST NOMINATIONS
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
This could be a layup contest, and we'd still want the Greek Freak. Seriously, who else is Gyro-Stepping from the three-point line? The 20-year-old is long, crazy athletic, oozing with energy and painfully easy to root for. Try finding a better set of ingredients for a dunk artist.
LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Look, we're never going to stop hoping. If Magic Johnson's $1 million offer couldn't get James to compete, it's likely nothing ever will. But the 30-year-old can still hold his own air show, and All-Star Weekend would be a great venue to host it.
K.J. McDaniels, Philadelphia 76ers
McDaniels makes the lowly 76ers worth watching. Need we say more? He attacks with a personal vendetta against NBA rims, punishing them at any and every opportunity. As a second-round pick hidden in Philly, he needs an introduction to the casual fan. This could be the perfect platform.
WESTERN CONFERENCE THREE-POINT SHOOTOUT NOMINATIONS
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Yes, Curry has participated in the contest, and yes, he has yet to walk away with a victory. But how does he not get another chance to compete? He's the fourth most accurate sniper in NBA history, fastest to 1,000 career triples and third with 112 makes this season. If this was an off-the-dribble contest, Curry would take it in a landslide. The fact that it isn't gives others a puncher's chance.
Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
Is it greedy to want two Splash Siblings in the competition? We don't think so. Thompson is making it hard to tell who the best shooter in the Bay Area is. Curry has a minor edge in threes, but Thompson has a 3.5-point advantage in three-point percentage. He's also a lethal catch-and-shoot artist, which could pay major dividends in this competition.
Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
He's the renaissance man of All-Star Weekend, a serious threat and must-see competitor in any event. This season, Lillard has upped his volume from deep and has yet to pay the price in efficiency. He averages nearly three long-range bombs a night on 38.9 percent shooting.
Wesley Matthews, Portland Trail Blazers
Credit Matthews for understanding the perfect time to strike. Facing unrestricted free agency at season's end, he has turned in the best year of his career. And he's been cooking with flaming hot grease from the outside. He has cashed in a league-high 118 threes, and his 40.1 percent conversion rate is the second-highest he's ever had.
EASTERN CONFERENCE THREE-POINT SHOOTOUT NOMINATIONS
Kyle Korver, Atlanta Hawks
How good has Korver been from distance? He's changing hoops vernacular. Video game mode is gone; it's Korver mode from here on out. No one has ever made more than 128 threes while hitting at least half of those shots. Korver has already rained in 115 on a ridiculous 52.5 percent.
Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards
Remember when Beal shot 33.9 percent from deep during his lone season at Florida, scouts still dubbed him the next Ray Allen and all of us chuckled? Guess who's laughing now. Beal's picturesque form has yielded a personal-best 47.1 three-point percentage this season. Safe to say those Shuttlesworth comparisons are getting easier to see by the second.
Robert Covington, Philadelphia 76ers
Covington was cut by the Rockets in training camp, started his season in the D-League and signed with Philly in November. Naturally, his next stop should be All-Star Weekend. He's been a quantity-plus-quality marksman, ranking 12th in threes per game and and 14th among qualified shooters in long-range accuracy.
Jodie Meeks, Detroit Pistons
The Josh Smith effect might be real, but don't dismiss the impact Meeks has made on Detroit's rapid recovery. The Pistons are 11-6 with Meeks in the lineup, thanks in no small part to the attention he commands behind the arc. He's been putting in 2.2 threes per 36 minutes, while shooting 38.8 percent from range.
Twenty Bleacher Report NBA writers and editors were asked to cast a ballot for their 2015 All-Star picks, with the following guidelines:
1. Starter votes were weighted and worth 1.5 votes.
2. Reserve votes were worth one vote.
3. Top two guard-vote recipients in each conference earned B/R All-Star starter honors.
4. Top three frontcourt vote recipients in each conference earned B/R All-Star starter honors.
5. Next seven-highest vote recipients in each conference were named a reserve.
6. Coaches to receive most votes in each conference will be named coach.
7. Top three dunk contest nominees from each conference earned our recommendation.
8. Top four three-point contest nominees from each conference earned our recommendation.
All data sourced from Basketball-Reference.com. Statistics accurate as of Wednesday, January 14.
Special thanks to Zach Buckley for assisting with write-ups.
