NBA All-Star Rosters 2021: List of Captains, Starters, Predictions for Reserves

Fans have set the first parameters for the 2021 All-Star Game.

When the NBA's ultimate pickup game takes place in Atlanta on March 7, it will be Team LeBron James against Team Kevin Durant.

The super-skilled swingmen and longtime big-stage opponents were the top vote-getters in their respective conference, and as such they'll be tasked with drafting their own rosters.

Before that happens, though, it's up to the league's coaches to select this year's All-Star reserves. We're breaking out the crystal ball to peak ahead at how those bench mobs could take shape.

List of Captains, Starters

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Eastern Conference

Frontcourt: Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets (Captain)

Frontcourt: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Frontcourt: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

Backcourt: Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards

Backcourt: Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets

Western Conference

Frontcourt: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers (Captain)

Frontcourt: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Frontcourt: Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers

Backcourt: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Backcourt: Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

Eastern Conference Reserve Predictions

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Frountcourt

Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat

Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks

Tatum booked his first All-Star trip last season and should have no trouble securing a second. The Celtics keep throwing more on his plate at the offensive end, and he somehow keeps increasing both his volume and efficiency.

Miami might be sputtering so far, but don't put that on Adebayo. His two-way impact has been astronomic, and while he could stand to be a pinch more aggressive, his offense is growing in fascinating ways.

Middleton is everything a contender could want in a second star. He defends, he creates, he splashes most everything he launches—no, seriously, he's sitting on a 50.1/42.6/89.2 slash line—and he has a knack for molding his approach to whatever Milwaukee needs that night.

Backcourt

Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics

James Harden, Brooklyn Nets

Both Brown and Harden could've taken Irving's starting spot.

Brown doubles as a defensive stopper and offensive co-star for the Celtics, and he's becoming a legitimate secondary shot-creator. Harden is quarterbacking at an absurd rate (NBA-best 11.3 assists per game), and he remains on the league's short list of the absolute toughest covers.

Wild Cards

Julius Randle, New York Knicks

Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls

Whenever there's a cutoff point, there will inevitably be at least one person unfairly left out. In this case, there are too many to mention.

But Randle and LaVine have done just enough to stand out above the rest.

Randle's stat sheet basically shows one career-high after the next, and he's the only player other than Jokic and Antetokounmpo averaging 23 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. LaVine is one of five players averaging 28 points, five assists and five rebounds; Curry, Antetokounmpo, Durant and Doncic are the others.

Western Conference Reserve Predictions

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

Frontcourt

Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz

Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers

Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers

There are some interesting debates in the conference, but they don't start here.

Gobert's interior defense might be the single most important factor in the success of the Jazz, the league's top team by wins and net efficiency. George is a six-time All-Star who's arguably playing the best ball of his career. His shooting rates are up across the board. Davis might not be quite as dominant as usual, but he still ranks comfortably inside the NBA's top 10 talents.

Backcourt

Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers

Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz

You could present Mitchell's case as being the best player on the best team. Not everyone would buy it, but the argument alone is enough to get him in this game. He leads the Jazz in points, minutes and shots and ranks second in assists.

Starting five snub talks start with Lillard, which says everything you need to know about his credentials for the second unit. He's been no less than an MVP candidate, powering an injury-riddled Portland team to fourth in the Western Conference with loads of point-production, table-setting and crunch-time scoring.

Wild Cards

Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans

Mike Conley, Utah Jazz

There aren't nearly enough spots for all the deserving hoopers out West. Excluding the Phoenix Suns entirely feels wrong, and if the Pelicans put a player in this game, the honor could easily go to Brandon Ingram.

But what are the arguments against Williamson and Conley?

Williamson is either teetering on being unguardable or he's already there. He's a bulldozer going to the basket and an increasingly clever shot-creator away from it. Conley has long deserved an All-Star nod, but this isn't a lifetime achievement honor. Instead, it's recognition of Conley's place as Utah's leader in box plus/minus and the NBA's leader in per-game plus/minus (10.8).

All stats courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball Reference unless otherwise noted.