NBA All-Star Game 2015 Rosters: Final Preview and Prediction Ahead of Spectacle
The great thing about the NBA's status as a star-driven league is that the 2015 All-Star Game can swap out a few top players and not skip a beat.
It stinks that the league's future, Anthony Davis, is hurting. Ditto for the league's past, Kobe Bryant, who will obviously miss out after a few injury-riddled seasons as his team rebuilds.
Alas, certain absences mean the game will showcase just how many top-tier talents are atop the league or set to take it by storm. Kevin Durant was a snub who will put on a show. Names such as DeMarcus Cousins, Damian Lillard and James Harden have plenty to prove as they ascend the ladder.
Sunday's event is a mesh of old and new that paints one very clear picture—the league is in great hands.
Eastern and Western Conference All-Star Rosters
| 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 |
| Kyle Korver | Atlanta Hawks | BC |
| Dwyane Wade* | Miami Heat | BC |
| Jeff Teague | Atlanta Hawks | BC |
| Marc Gasol | Memphis Grizzlies | FC |
| Anthony Davis* | New Orleans Pelicans | FC |
| Damian Lillard | Portland Trail Blazers | 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 |
| DeMarcus Cousins | Sacramento Kings | FC |
| Klay Thompson | Golden State Warriors | BC |
| Dirk Nowitzki | Dallas Mavericks | FC |
| James Harden | Houston Rockets | BC |
| Chris Paul | Los Angeles Clippers | BC |
| Russell Westbrook | Oklahoma City Thunder | BC |
Preview
The storylines surrounding the game can overwhelm.
Perhaps the top feel-good story is Kyle Korver, the 33-year-old sharpshooter who is a key cog in the impressive 43-win Atlanta Hawks.
Korver was an obvious choice to replace Dwyane Wade, not only because of his solid 12.7/2.7/4.3 slash line on an average of 33.2 minutes, but because he is an absolute anomaly from downtown, as FiveThirtyEight captures:
On the opposite side, Cousins will have plenty of chances to contribute after commissioner Adam Silver helped him enter the fray.
The Kentucky product is an absolute monster for the 18-win Sacramento Kings, averaging 23.8/12.5/1.7 and a 24.27 PER, according to ESPN.com.
Also notable on the West side is Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, who just missed out on the initial chance to act as a replacement when Cousins was selected as Bryant's replacement.
These things have a way of working out, though. The 24-year-old Weber State product averages 21.5/6.3/4.6 and is the exact opposite of what most of the headlines surrounding the contest feature, as ESPN Stats & Info points out:
Harden is more of a veteran, but he has just as much to prove Sunday.
Thanks to silly Internet jokes and sheer refusal to pay attention, most still believe the Houston Rockets superstar is a lackadaisical defender who puts effort only into the offensive end of the court.
In reality, he's much improved this year in that regard and has turned it up a notch on the offensive side of things with Dwight Howard consistently hurt, hence his 27.39 PER. The bearded one will have plenty of opportunities Sunday to change the narrative in his favor.
Most interesting above all else, though, is the curious case of Durant.
Durant was a ridiculous snub. He has appeared in only 26 games, but that was more than enough for him to make his mark, which he has done with a 25.9/4.0/6.6 average and a 28.67 PER.
According to Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman, Durant will see only limited playing time:
As if the above musings do not show it off well enough, though, Durant does not need a whole lot of time to do some serious damage, so fans upset over his limited playing time need not worry.
Prediction
Really, this year's event is a bit of a test.
In normal years, two squads littered with talents from different teams play a bit of freestyle hoops with minimal defense.
This year, the Hawks have thrown something of a wrench in the plans.
They know it too, per NBA.com:
Rest assured those Hawks will see plenty of time on the court together.
The West is stacked. But Durant figures to see a limited amount of time, and the remainder of the players do not have the utmost experience playing with one another, especially if confronted by an actual team.
Few have been able to stop the Hawks this year, something that will translate to the on-court action Sunday. Even better, the East also has others, such as Kyle Lowry, LeBron James and John Wall, to lean on for production.
As the injuries and replacements pile on, the East looks like obvious favorites.
Prediction: East 155, West 143
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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