NBA All-Star Game 2020: LeBron vs. Giannis Starters, Reserves, Roster Breakdown
February 11, 2020
The 2020 NBA All-Star Game features a host of changes—including a new game format with a built-in homage to the late Kobe Bryant—but those in the captain seats are the same.
For the second straight season, it's Team Giannis on one side and Team LeBron on the other. Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James already divvied up their rosters during a televised draft, and the sides seem closer than they were a year ago, when Team LeBron rolled to a 178-164 win.
We'll examine the two rosters below, then see how they match up in three different areas.
2020 NBA All-Star Rosters
Team LeBron
Starters
Anthony Davis, F, Los Angeles Lakers
Luka Doncic, G, Dallas Mavericks
James Harden, G, Houston Rockets
LeBron James, F, Los Angeles Lakers
Kawhi Leonard, F, Los Angeles Clippers
Reserves
Nikola Jokic, C, Denver Nuggets
Damian Lillard, G, Portland Trail Blazers
Chris Paul, G, Oklahoma City Thunder
Domantas Sabonis, C, Indiana Pacers
Ben Simmons, G, Philadelphia 76ers
Jayson Tatum, F, Boston Celtics
Russell Westbrook, G, Houston Rockets
Team Giannis
Starters
Giannis Antetokounmpo, F, Milwaukee Bucks
Joel Embiid, C, Philadelphia 76ers
Pascal Siakam, F, Toronto Raptors
Kemba Walker, G, Boston Celtics
Trae Young, G, Atlanta Hawks
Reserves
Bam Adebayo, C, Miami Heat
Jimmy Butler, G/F, Miami Heat
Rudy Gobert, C, Utah Jazz
Brandon Ingram, F, New Orleans Pelicans
Kyle Lowry, G, Toronto Raptors
Khris Middleton, F, Milwaukee Bucks
Donovan Mitchell, G, Utah Jazz
Roster Breakdown
Distributing: Advantage Team LeBron
LeBron James might be one of history's great scorers, but he's a table-setter at heart. Never has that been more evident than his season (mind you, 17th in the NBA), as he's averaging a career high in helpers (10.8 per game) and perhaps en route to his first assist title.
His team seems built with the same mindset.
It's not just distributors, either, but James stuffed his roster with jumbo passers. Fellow starter Luka Doncic stands 6'7". The bench boasts even bigger passers in 6'10" Ben Simmons, 6'11" Domantas Sabonis and 7-footer Nikola Jokic.
More traditionally, the roster also features lead guards Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook, plus 2016-17's top table-setter James Harden. These exhibitions aren't always defined by ball movement, but the rock should be zipping around Team LeBron's end of the floor.
Defense: Advantage Team Giannis
All-Star Game defenders usually matter as much as the kids snagging balls during the Home Run Derby. But this year could be different.
For starters, with the adoption of the Elam Ending, there are bound to be some tense moments down the stretch. Defense usually picks up (i.e., shows a pulse) about midway through the final frame, but things could get stingier earlier this time around.
Plus, with Kobe's shadow looming large over this weekend, maybe the players will feel an extra push to honor his legendary competitive fire. If his Mamba Mentality gets contagious, players might be more willing to lock up than they have in the past.
If defense becomes a theme of this year's exhibition, that's a big advantage for Team Giannis. Of the four 2018-19 All-Defensive selections to make this All-Star Game, three are on Team Giannis: Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid and reigning back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. There's also former All-Defensive team member Jimmy Butler, do-it-all big man Bam Adebayo and scrappy point guard Kyle Lowry.
Spacing: Advantage Team LeBron
It's no coincidence James put together this roster, since it's one he's perfectly built to lead.
While so many players fit his pass-first mentality, even more have the shooting range needed to keep the driving lanes clear. Save for Ben Simmons, basically everyone can step out and splash a triple. Some shooters are streaky (Westbrook), others are reluctant to fire from deep (Sabonis), but virtually all are capable.
That's just not the case with Team Giannis. Their first five alone could run into spacing issues. Team LeBron will have little problem letting Antetokounmpo and Embiid fire, and even Pascal Siakam isn't super threatening outside (35.4 percent this season, but only 32.7 for his career).
Going to the bench could only make things worse. Gobert and Adebayo don't even bother launching. Jimmy Butler has been dreadful from distance (25.5 percent). Even Brandon Ingram and Donovan Mitchell don't have the cleanest track records from three.
If this becomes a perimeter shooting contest, it's likely another easy win for Team LeBron.