NBA All-Star Game 2015: Date, Latest Expert Predictions for Starting Lineups
Mere hours from the 2015 NBA All-Star Game lineup announcement, the who and why remains a subject of much controversy.
The two-man race between LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors for the status of top vote-getter is more interesting than the Eastern Conference itself.
The fact Kobe Bryant may steal a spot from someone such as James Harden of the Houston Rockets alights the Internet and other mediums with buzz, too.
It all ends when the starters are announced Thursday, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m. ET on TNT. Before, let's take one last look at some of the top expert predictions.
2015 NBA All-Star Game
Date: Feb. 15
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: TNT
Latest Expert Predictions
Sports Illustrated
| Kyle Lowry | G | Stephen Curry |
| Jimmy Butler | G | James Harden |
| LeBron James | F | Anthony Davis |
| Pau Gasol | F | LaMarcus Aldridge |
| Paul Millsap | F | Marc Gasol |
Ben Golliver and others at Sports Illustrated start things off with a bang in the Eastern Conference, as the Toronto Raptors' Kyle Lowry is the man with a starter spot, not John Wall.
The truth is, though, add in a dash of Jimmy Butler from the Chicago Bulls, and one finds himself with the toughest decision of all the spots this year—and one that is hard to mess up.
Lowry, who averages 19.8 points, 7.6 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game, is a pleasure to watch this season as he grows into his own. Mike Jensen of Philly.com recently broke down how a new mindset birthed a superstar right in front of the eyes of the globe this season:
"By his own admission, Lowry really hit this level over the last year. It's hard to be a coach on the floor if you're always questioning the ones on the bench. When he became the go-to player, his points-per-minute spiked. Sometimes it doesn't help a team when one guy scores more, but Toronto began winning a lot more. For anybody who wondered if Lowry was simply playing for a new contract - which he now has, locked in for $12 million through 2017-18 - his numbers kept trending up this season.
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Lowry's coach, Dwane Casey, recently noted his displeasure with his guard's standing in the voting process, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN:
The experts at Sports Illustrated keep things fresh in the frontcourt, too, with a nod going to Paul Millsap, labeling the Atlanta Hawks star as a "well-kept secret." Millsap, now 29 years old, averages a 16.9/7.9/0.9 slash line and is a critical element of the innovative attack that allows the Hawks to rest at 34-8.
Like many, the crew also gives the nod to Harden over Bryant. Also interesting is the Western frontcourt, where Kevin Love is gone, Kevin Durant has been hurt and Blake Griffin is on a downtrend.
For many, this is enough to give Portland Trail Blazers superstar LaMarcus Aldridge a spot. The Dallas native posts a gaudy 23.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game on an 11-loss team, so his resume is as good as any other, fan voting or not.
An interesting wrinkle in most predictions is Memphis Grizzlies big man Marc Gasol, who as of January 8 sat behind only two names in terms of voting despite his small-market status.
Apparently, 19.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and nearly 1.7 blocks per game on a 12-loss team can trump market size.
Perhaps the voting process is not so broken after all.
Sports Illustrated's full breakdown and predictions can be found here.
Bleacher Report
| John Wall | G | Stephen Curry |
| Jimmy Butler | G | James Harden |
| LeBron James | F | Anthony Davis |
| Pau Gasol | F | LaMarcus Aldridge |
| Nikola Vucevic | F | Marc Gasol |
The Harden train is strong at Bleacher Report, too.
He sure knows how to make a last-ditch effort as well, as the Arizona State product erupted recently with another 40-point showcase, as ESPN Stats & Info illustrates:
Truthfully, the Internet and its endless use of memes to poke fun at Harden's defense in past years probably does not help his case.
That said, the Internet is also a major reason most of the globe seems to understand that perhaps no player is more important to his team than Anthony Davis. Chris Trenchard explains the selection:
"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.
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As far as the Eastern Conference goes, Wall gets the nod. More noticeable is Nikola Vucevic of the Orlando Magic, owner of 18.8 points and 11 boards per game as well as a 21.45 PER, according to ESPN.com. The 24-year-old star continues to turn heads each night.
With jaw-dropping dunks such as this on his resume, a facet of the Dwight Howard trade back in 2012 will at least put on a show if given a nod.
In short, not many disagree on how the lineups should shape up come Thursday. It is important to recognize some of the lesser-known names that may be lost in the voting process, but the reserves list, always controversial, should clear the air somewhat of potential gaffes.
Bleacher Report's full breakdown and predictions can be found here.
Stats and info courtesy of NBA.com unless otherwise specified.
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