NBA All-Star Game 2017: Top MVP Candidates for Annual Exhibition
The 2017 NBA All-Star Game has moved past the drama of the selection process and into the realm of building anticipation.
Few would suggest the road to the game was smooth. The selection process snubbed Russell Westbrook of a starting role, sent a load of Golden State Warriors to the game and almost had a Zaza Pachulia catastrophe.
The only thing left is the game itself on February 19 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, a festive affair featuring a halftime show by John Legend.
The players, as usual, will decide whether the game is a memorable one. But the funny thing about such a line of thinking is the chance the odd selection process motivates players more than usual.
As a way to get ready for the event, here is a look at the rosters and some of the notable guys with strong MVP chances.
NBA All-Star Starters
| Position | Player | Team | All-Star Appearance |
| BC | Kyrie Irving | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4th |
| BC | DeMar DeRozan | Toronto Raptors | 3rd |
| FC | LeBron James | Cleveland Cavaliers | 13th |
| FC | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | 1st |
| FC | Jimmy Butler | Chicago Bulls | 3rd |
| Position | Player | Team | All-Star Appearance |
| BC | Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors | 4th |
| BC | James Harden | Houston Rockets | 5th |
| FC | Kevin Durant | Golden State Warriors | 8th |
| FC | Kawhi Leonard | San Antonio Spurs | 2nd |
| FC | Anthony Davis | New Orleans Pelicans | 4th |
NBA All-Star Reserves
| Position | Player | Team | All-Star Appearance |
| BC | John Wall | Washington Wizards | 4th |
| BC | Isaiah Thomas | Boston Celtics | 2nd |
| BC | Kyle Lowry | Toronto Raptors | 3rd |
| BC | Kemba Walker | Charlotte Hornets | 1st |
| FC | Paul George | Indiana Pacers | 4th |
| FC | Kevin Love | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4th |
| FC | Paul Millsap | Atlanta Hawks | 4th |
| Position | Player | Team | All-Star Appearance |
| BC | Russell Westbrook | Oklahoma City Thunder | 6th |
| BC | Klay Thompson | Golden State Warriors | 3rd |
| FC | Gordon Hayward | Utah Jazz | 1st |
| FC | DeMarcus Cousins | Sacramento Kings | 3rd |
| FC | DeAndre Jordan | Los Angeles Clippers | 1st |
| FC | Marc Gasol | Memphis Grizzlies | 3rd |
| FC | Draymond Green | Golden State Warriors | 2nd |
Top MVP Candidates
It would be lazy to pick a member of the Warriors or Cleveland Cavaliers and roll with it.
Like during the season, the stars from those stacked teams seem to get in the way of each other and sometimes limit production on a nightly basis. This only gets amplified at the ASG, where, top to bottom, the entire roster is the NBA's best.
Nobody gets in James Harden's way.
The Houston Rockets took a bit of a risk in rotating Harden to the point this year in the wake of Dwight Howard's departure, and the results have been silly. Harden is averaging 28.9 points, 11.4 assists and 8.2 rebounds per game. At ESPN.com, his player efficiency rating (PER) sits at a career high of 27.56.
It almost seems like there is an endless stream of numbers to throw around when it comes to Harden. Another important landmark, detailed by ESPN Stats & Info:
The point is simple—nobody can stop Harden. And while Stephen Curry might feel obliged to get Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green involved, Harden will simply shrug and keep doing what he does.
Surrounded by top-tier talent with arguably the best offensive skill set in New Orleans at the contest, Harden shouldn't have any problems running up some eye-popping stats.
Isaiah Thomas
Does anyone else feel like Isaiah Thomas will use this year's ASG as a launching pad of sorts into superstardom?
It's probably a good thing to anticipate. The Boston Celtics have a budding superstar on their hands with Thomas, who is the main reason the team sits second in the Eastern Conference entering Wednesday, just a few games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Thomas has had a breakout campaign worthy of MVP consideration while he averages 29.9 points, 6.4 assists and 2.7 rebounds. He's shooting a career-high 46.9 percent from the floor and sits on a better PER than Harden (27.88) and has a wow-worthy points per 40 minutes of 34.6, according to ESPN.com.
A clutch gene may help persuade those in charge of the MVP award. Look at a note from ESPN Stats & Info that describes Thomas' ways in the final frame of games:
Thomas is far from a household name. He is already 28 years old and had an odd start to his career, bouncing around with three different teams before Boston let him do his thing on a nightly basis.
Few will stop Thomas at the ASG, where he is liable to put up a gaudy stat line with a few clutch plays, making him another player from the Boston area who will contend for an MVP award this month.
Russell Westbrook
It probably isn't wise to give the award to Westbrook just yet.
Betting against Westbrook, though, is perhaps the worst bet fans can make all year.
The storylines aren't hard to see. Westbrook didn't just get snubbed from the starting lineup. He got shoved aside for members of the Warriors, where his former teammate fled. Now a motivated Westbrook must put on a show while once again sitting on the same bench as Durant, if not getting on the floor with him.
Westbrook is averaging a triple-double this season with 30.9 points, 10.2 assists and 10.5 rebounds per game. He's leading the league in scoring above Thomas (second) and Harden (third). He's third in assists. Per ESPN.com, his points per 40 minutes has climbed to a career-best 35.7.
Westbrook played the initial snub off well.
"It is what it is," Westbrook said, according to the Orlando Sentinel's Brian Schmitz. "That's the nature of the business, the game. I just play. I don't play for All-Star bids. I play to win championships and every night I compete at a high level, and it'll work out."
Fans know better. Everything changes when Westbrook steps on the court and has to ham it up with the guys who ruined his repeated championship bids and the guy who left him alone in Oklahoma City.
Don't forget Westbrook has won MVP twice. He might say he doesn't care, but this is a bit of deja vu with a sprinkle of betrayal. Westbrook is the runaway favorite for the individual hardware in New Orleans.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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