NBA All-Star Game 2015 Rosters: Predicting Starting Lineups for Both Squads
Voting for the NBA All-Star Game is generally a popularity contest (as most professional exhibitions of its kind are) that often honors those who have been around awhile and dishonors the upstart, breakout stars who are more deserving of either a berth or a start in the game.
The starters will officially be announced on Thursday, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m. ET on TNT, but we already have an indication of who might start because of a Jan. 8 release from NBA.com. Voting shouldn't change all that much from that report (voting closed on Jan. 19), though an Internet surge may have propelled a few fringe starters into the discussion.
If the results stand, then the fans should be happy to know that they did a solid job choosing very deserving first-time starters. As it stands now, four players are in line to take the floor with the regulars for the first time in their careers.
Below, you'll find predictions for the starting lineups for both the Eastern and Western Conference. We'll highlight the first-time starters for the Feb. 15 event as well.
Eastern Conference
| G | John Wall |
| G | Dwyane Wade |
| F | LeBron James |
| F | Carmelo Anthony |
| F | Pau Gasol |
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony aren't shocking picks here. King James is the most popular athlete in sports, and Flash is enjoying his best season since 2011-12. One could make an argument that Melo doesn't deserve a start because of the New York Knicks' dismal record, but as an individual, he has been quite effective.
Wall was named an All-Star last year yet didn't start despite having the numbers to warrant being a regular. He has improved over the course of a year, and his per-game totals show it. His 17 points per game are actually his lowest in two seasons, but he's shooting a career-high 46 percent from the floor and dishing out 10 assists per game—the best average in the Association.
They aren't just boring assists, either. Check out this dime to Marcin Gortat:
His Washington Wizards are also 29-14, second in the East.
Wall is humbled to be the No. 1 vote-getting guard as of Jan. 8, via The Washington Times: "I didn’t think I would be at the top. I think I would be in it just because of the way I’m playing and my team winning games. Like I said in the past, as a point guard you get known by winning games, not by just having big numbers."
Luckily, Wall is enjoying both winning and great production.
It's been a long time coming for Gasol, who will make his fifth All-Star appearance of his successful 14-year career on Feb. 15. He has never started the game on the floor, though, so this marks a career moment.
After question marks the past several seasons, Gasol has re-emerged as one of the top big men in the NBA. The 34-year-old is averaging 18.7 points, 11.4 rebounds and 34.9 minutes per game. Pretty much a guaranteed double-double each night, Gasol has been an asset in his first year with the Chicago Bulls.
His claim to fame is his sneaky-good passing ability, and he got King James on a fake earlier this week:
Here's to hoping we see more of those from Gasol at Madison Square Garden in less than a month.
Western Conference
| G | Stephen Curry |
| G | Kobe Bryant |
| F | Blake Griffin |
| F | Marc Gasol |
| F | Anthony Davis |
You can argue that James Harden, an MVP candidate, should start over Kobe Bryant. And your argument would probably be pretty good. Harden has four 40-point games for the Houston Rockets this season, and the Beard has raged to the tune of a league-high 27.1 points per game.
That said, the Black Mamba is overwhelmingly popular and has pretty good numbers in his own right (22.6 PPG).
And there's no debating Stephen Curry's candidacy. He has been money for the Golden State Warriors, the best team in the NBA. Blake Griffin is also deserving given his propensity for highlight-reel plays.
Anthony Davis and Marc Gasol deserve the final two starting positions. The two big men have succeeded both offensively and defensively, making them a potentially terrorizing tandem under the rim at MSG.
This represents the first of many starts for Davis, the 6'10" phenom and bearer of the brow. There has been no stopping him this season. His per-game averages are superb—24.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.9 blocks—and he's shooting a career-high 56.3 percent from the floor.
Fox Sports' Jimmy Spencer tweets that he has also been the most efficient player in the NBA:
Davis will be one of the biggest studs of the event. Don't be surprised if he wins the game's MVP award.
The other Gasol brother who deserves to start for the first time, Marc is enjoying by far his best offensive season. His 19.3 points per game is a career high by nearly five full points. The Memphis Grizzlies have relied on him under the basket because of his size and deceptive athleticism, and he hasn't disappointed.
He and Pau will likely go head-to-head on the court. Bulls.com's Sam Smith writes that the two will make history by doing so: "With the Gasol brothers both in position to start it would be the first time ever brothers started in an NBA All-Star game. The last brothers to play were the Van Ardsdales in 1971."
In what perhaps will be the most underrated matchup of the night, Pau and Marc will bump bodies like they did in the driveway growing up.
With the West's combination of shooters and big bodies in the starting lineup, look for it to steal the show.
Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @kennydejohn
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