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NBA All-Star Game 2020: TV Schedule for Reserves Reveal and Predicting Top Snubs
January 29, 2020
The first 10 seats at the 2019-20 NBA All-Star table have been taken.
For the second straight season, Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James will serve as All-Star captains for their respective conferences. Those and the other eight spots were revealed Thursday and decided by a combination of fan, player and media voting.
While the conference affiliation doesn't affect the makeup of Team Giannis and Team LeBron—rosters that will be drafted live Feb. 6 on TNT—it did determine the starting player pool.
We'll refresh those rosters and lay out the scheduling particulars, we'll predict the top players who will be snubbed when the coaches select the 14 All-Star reserves.
2020 NBA All-Star Schedule Info
All-Star Reserves Revealed
When: Thursday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. ET
TV: TNT
All-Star Draft Show
When: Thursday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. ET
TV: TNT
All-Star Game
When: Sunday, Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. ET
Where: United Center in Chicago
TV: TNT
2020 NBA All-Star Game Starters
Eastern Conference
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks (captain)
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors
Kemba Walker, Boston Celtics
Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
Western Conference
LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers (captain)
Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
James Harden, Houston Rockets
Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
Predicting Top All-Star Snubs
East: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
Our crystal ball says coaches won't grant the Celtics more than two All-Star spots. With Kemba Walker already occupying one, that leaves either Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown on the chopping block.
Their stat lines are remarkably similar, but Tatum is the more known commodity and carries a slightly bigger scoring load. Those things probably shouldn't be the deciding factors in a distinction like this, but if coaches are forced to split hairs, they can rely on things like preconceived notions (Tatum is the anointed ascending star) and point totals.
So, Brown gets left out in the cold, even though his defense, three-level scoring and rebounding are vital pieces of Boston's winning formula.
West: Russell Westbrook, Houston Rockets
Russell Westbrook's transition to Space City had a rocky start, and the Rockets are still struggling to tread water whenever James Harden needs a breather.
But the Brodie has been on an absolute heater. Over his last 19 outings, he's averaged 30.4 points on 49.2 percent shooting, to go along with 7.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.6 steals. Those aren't empty numbers, either, as Houston has fared 4.7 points better per 100 possessions with him than without during this stretch.
Still, the damage done during those early woes may continue weighing heavier than they should on the minds of voters. Westbrook has been a no-brainer All-Star for the past month-plus, but voters may still side with the season-long contributions of Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell, Devin Booker and Chris Paul.
East: Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards
It's never easy to tell how much winning matters in this discussion—Trae Young is an All-Star starter, after all—but too much losing can be damaging to an otherwise pristine resume.
Bradley Beal has been a wrecking ball for the John Wall-less Wizards, pairing a top-10 scoring average with a career high in assists. The fact he's been an All-Star twice before probably helps his case, since familiarity can be crucial for coaches who spend less time on these decisions than others.
Working against Beal, though, are declining shooting rates and Washington's historically putrid defense. The East has enough deserving candidates that these flaws could deny him a third consecutive All-Star trip.
Statistics used courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball Reference.