NBA All-Star Game 2019 Draft: TV Schedule for LeBron vs. Giannis Roster Reveal
The 2019 NBA All-Star Draft will take place on Thursday, February 7 at 7 p.m. ET on TNT. Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will take turns picking from a group of eight starters and 14 reserves.
Here's a look at the entire player pool and what to watch for in advance of the first-ever televised NBA All-Star draft, with a more specific look at potential roster constructions.
Player Pool
Captains
Milwaukee Bucks F Giannis Antetokounmpo, Los Angeles Lakers F LeBron James
Starters
Boston Celtics PG Kyrie Irving, Charlotte Hornets PG Kemba Walker, Golden State Warriors PG Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors F Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets G James Harden, Oklahoma City Thunder F Paul George, Philadelphia 76ers C Joel Embiid, Toronto Raptors F Kawhi Leonard
Reserves
Denver Nuggets C Nikola Jokic, Detroit Pistons PF Blake Griffin, Golden State Warriors SG Klay Thompson, Indiana Pacers G Victor Oladipo (injured, replacement not yet announced), Milwaukee Bucks G/F Khris Middleton, Minnesota Timberwolves C Karl-Anthony Towns, New Orleans Pelicans F/C Anthony Davis, Oklahoma City Thunder PG Russell Westbrook, Orlando Magic C Nikola Vucevic, Philadelphia 76ers PG Ben Simmons, Portland Trail Blazers PG Damian Lillard, San Antonio Spurs F/C LaMarcus Aldridge, Toronto Raptors PG Kyle Lowry, Washington Wizards G Bradley Beal
What To Watch
The No. 1 Pick and Defensive Potential
While it's unknown whether James or Antetokounmpo will have the top pick, the player who selects first can go a few different routes.
Houston Rockets guard James Harden looks like the favorite to go first overall. Entering Thursday, the Beard was averaging 36.3 points and 8.1 assists per game for a 29-21 Rockets team that has been without nine-time All-Star point guard Chris Paul for nearly half the season. He and Antetokounmpo are the clear NBA MVP frontrunners, so the player with the top pick could ride the hot hand.
But the wild card here is defense. James and Antetokounmpo are both defensive stalwarts, so perhaps they take a different route and build teams around the best two-way players in the league.
Granted, the NBA All-Star Game is defense-optional, but last year's contest saw at least some effort on that end with the format change. The best route may be for them to construct an All-Star defensive team to at least find some success on that end. In that case, maybe the scorching-hot Paul George or two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard will go first overall.
But neither player may be as valuable as Joel Embiid, who is the only true center among the player pool. The team that has him could have a significant edge on the field, as Embiid could dominate down low and get his side off to a nice start. The 7-footer is averaging 27.2 points, 13.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks.
We'll get to see who went No. 1 this year after the draft was not televised last season, but James' and Antetokounmpo's roster-construction strategies will be of note. If possible, one of them should try for an Embiid-George-Leonard trio to have one of the best defensive fives ever assembled.
Friends and "Enemies"
A few current and former teammates are in the player pool. The Warriors lead the way with three representatives, and the Thunder, Raptors, 76ers and Bucks each have two.
Otherwise, ex-Cleveland Cavaliers James and Kyrie Irving are All-Stars, while Harden, Westbrook and Durant were all once on the Thunder.
James and Antetokounmpo could stress team chemistry with their picks and try to group duos (or the Warriors trio) together. Those groups have obviously found success on individual and team levels, so that could give an All-Star team an advantage.
Last year, Warriors guard Stephen Curry went that route. He picked two of his three All-Star teammates (Klay Thompson and Draymond Green) and also added the Raptors' top two of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. James also picked up Irving.
The other interesting subplot is whether players who may not be on the best of terms right now get placed on the same team. Of note, the Embiid-Russell Westbrook feud has been going on for a few years, as described by Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
Antetokounmpo didn't seem particularly concerned about that relative to his All-Star decisions. "It's all about love," the 24-year-old said per SportsCenter. "I'm gonna pick Joel Embiid. If I can pick Joel Embiid and Russell Westbrook on the same team, I'll do it."
That's an incredible big three even without considering that potential trio's teammates, so we'll see whether it comes to fruition.
