NBA All-Star Game 2015: Full Eastern, Western Conference Rosters and Predictions

The NBA regular season has been full of wild twists and turns thus far, and the All-Star break couldn’t have come at a better time for many teams. With the All-Star Game scheduled for Sunday, February 15, basketball fans are ready for the excitement.

There is always tons of buzz surrounding the skills competitions on the Saturday before the All-Star Game, but Sunday’s main event is what the fans really want to see. With the top names in the sport going head-to-head, this is what basketball is all about at its core.

Here are the full Eastern and Western Conference rosters and a breakdown of the matchup with predictions.

East Starters	Team	Position
West Reserves	Team	Position
West Starters	Team	Position
West Reserves	Team	Position
Pau Gasol	Chicago Bulls	FC
LeBron James	Cleveland Cavaliers	FC
Carmelo Anthony	New York Knicks	FC
John Wall	Washington Wizards	BC
Kyle Lowry	Toronto Raptors	BC
Paul Millsap	Atlanta Hawks	FC
Al Horford	Atlanta Hawks	FC
Chris Bosh	Miami Heat	FC
Kyrie Irving	Cleveland Cavaliers	BC
Jimmy Butler	Chicago Bulls	BC
Dwyane Wade	Miami Heat	BC
Jeff Teague	Atlanta Hawks	BC
Marc Gasol	Memphis Grizzlies	FC
Anthony Davis	New Orleans Pelicans	FC
Blake Griffin	Los Angeles Clippers	FC
Kobe Bryant	Los Angeles Lakers	BC
Stephen Curry	Golden State Warriors	BC
LaMarcus Aldridge	Portland Trail Blazers	FC
Kevin Durant	Oklahoma City Thunder	FC
Tim Duncan	San Antonio Spurs	FC
Klay Thompson	Golden State Warriors	BC
James Harden	Houston Rockets	BC
Chris Paul	Los Angeles Clippers	BC
Russell Westbrook	Oklahoma City Thunder	BC

Breaking Down the 2015 NBA All-Star Game

The NBA All-Star Game is the headlining act on a weekend full of entertaining events and moments, but the battle between the Eastern and Western Conferences is one of the most interesting games sports fans will witness all season.

Unlike many other sports, basketball is a pickup game at its core, and the All-Star Game is basically the best players in the world taking sides in a glorified version of street ball. With a lack of defensive effort all around and a focus on explosive offenses, this high-scoring affair is always a good time.

With top stars like LeBron James, Blake Griffin, John Wall, Kevin Durant and many more making this one of the deepest All-Star Games in years, basketball fans will be treated to a one-of-a-kind event that could have memorable results.

Not all of the biggest names made the All-Star Game, though. When asked about the exclusion of Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard, NBA commissioner Adam Silver told ESPN Radio, via Marc Stein of ESPN.com:

"

I rely heavily on our basketball folks in terms of where the coaches' [voting] came out. Of course there's a fan vote for the starters and the coaches choose the reserves. DeMarcus was very high up on the coaches' vote, so that had a strong influence on me. Ultimately I deferred to them. DeMarcus, based on his numbers, absolutely deserves to be an All-Star. Damian ... his numbers are great, too. When I look at his team's record, I want to take that into account as well. Damian is someone who has literally been a model citizen in terms of what he's done in the community, he's done in Portland [and] activities he's engaged in with the league. It was essentially a tie in my mind, so I ultimately deferred to the coaches.

"

On the Eastern Conference side, the team has a dangerous starting lineup with James, Wall, Pau Gasol, Carmelo Anthony and Kyle Lowry, but it will be the reserves who could make the biggest impact.

Not only does the team feature three players from the red-hot Atlanta Hawks (Al Horford, Paul Millsap and Jeff Teague), but the East will also be the first on-court reunion between James and former Miami Heat teammates Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade.

On the Western Conference side, offensive stars like Stephen Curry and Griffin will be key pieces to the puzzle, but the injury to Kobe Bryant leaves a void in the starting lineup. With players like Durant, James Harden, Chris Paul and others coming off the bench, though, there is no doubt the West will not go down without a fight.

As good as both teams are, the Eastern Conference has more depth and is healthier right now. If James takes the game seriously and wants to send a message to the league, his new teammates and his old teammates, he will take the game over and win All-Star MVP.

Predicted Final Score: East 130, West 120

*Stats via NBA.com.

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