NBA All-Star Rosters 2021: TV Schedule, Reserves Predictions Under Draft Format
The Utah Jazz possess the best record in the NBA, but they did not have any players selected as NBA All-Star Game starters.
Utah's top players have to wait until Tuesday to find out whether they have been named as reserves by the league's head coaches. Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert can all make cases they deserve to represent Utah during the March 7 exhibition in Atlanta.
Of the four teams with the best records entering Sunday, Utah is the only one without an All-Star starter. Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James will represent the two Los Angeles teams, and Joel Embiid will go to the event for the Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia 76ers.
A handful of other stars from top NBA teams should be included on the list of 14 reserves. Seven will come from each conference. Three frontcourt players, two backcourt players and a pair of wild cards from any position will be named Tuesday.
NBA All-Star Roster Schedule
Date: Tuesday, February 23
Start Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: TNT
Reserve Predictions
Eastern Conference
Guard: Jaylen Brown, Boston
Guard: James Harden, Brooklyn
Forward: Jayson Tatum, Boston
Forward: Julius Randle, New York
Forward: Domantas Sabonis, Indiana
Wild card: Ben Simmons, Philadelphia
Wild card: Zach LaVine, Chicago
Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and James Harden should be locks on the Eastern Conference reserve list.
Brown and Tatum both rank in the top 15 in the NBA in points per game and have led the Boston Celtics to fourth in the East.
Harden's seamless transition into the Brooklyn Nets lineup has helped the team slide into second place behind the 76ers. Harden is the only player averaging more than 10 assists per game, and he ranks 16th on the scoring chart.
Julius Randle should be rewarded for his terrific first half that has put the New York Knicks in a playoff position entering Sunday. Randle is averaging career highs in points per game (23.9) and rebounds per game (10.9). He has scored 20 or more points in 21 of his 30 games this term.
Zach LaVine may be listed as a wild card on the reserve chart because of the presence of Brown and Harden, but he is more than deserving of landing an All-Star appearance. LaVine and Damian Lillard are the only two players in the top nine in points per game the fans did not choose as starters.
LaVine reeled off 30-point performances in each of the past four Chicago Bulls games and has knocked down multiple three-point shots in the last seven contests. Although he does not play for a top team, LaVine's scoring prowess should land him a position alongside the league's other top scorers.
Ben Simmons presents a conundrum for some All-Star voters since he does not have high scoring numbers, but he has done so much to help the Sixers achieve first place in the East. Simmons only averages 15.2 points per game, which is a dip in production from the past two seasons, but he is eighth in assists per game and almost single-handedly beat Utah with 42 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists in his most recent appearance.
While Embiid is the clear-cut star on the Sixers roster, Simmons is an important piece as well because of his defensive skills. If the coaches want to reward the top team in the East with more than one All-Star, Simmons is the easy choice.
Domantas Sabonis is not the first name on anyone's lips when you talk about dominant frontcourt players, but he has become a more complete player for the Indiana Pacers. The one-time All-Star increased his scoring production by three points per game and is once again averaging more than 11 rebounds per game.
Western Conference
Guard: Mike Conley, Utah
Guard: Donovan Mitchell, Utah
Forward: Rudy Gobert, Utah
Forward: Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers
Forward: Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
Wild card: Damian Lillard, Portland
Wild card: Chris Paul, Phoenix
The top team in the NBA deserves as much All-Star recognition as it can get.
Mitchell is one of the league's rising superstars and leads the Jazz with 24.6 points per game with a 42.8 field-goal percentage. His high-scoring capabilities are perfect for an exhibition that typically has both teams produce large totals.
In a similar vein as Simmons, Conley should be named as a reserve for everything he does for the top team in his conference. He averages 16.5 points, 5.6 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game and is shooting 41 percent from three-point range.
The 33-year-old does not have the flashiest totals, but his importance can't be overstated in the Utah offense. A first career All-Star selection would be a terrific reward for a player who has been one of the most consistent scoring guards over the past decade.
Gobert should once again be a Defensive Player of the Year favorite for a team that allows 106.3 points per game, which is the second-lowest total in the West behind the Lakers. The Frenchman is second to Myles Turner in blocks per game and is averaging a double-double for the second consecutive season.
The rest of the West's reserves should be fairly easy to figure out, with Anthony Davis, Paul George and Lillard all deserving of repeat trips to the showcase event.
Lillard is one of three players averaging more than 30 points per game. Bradley Beal and Embiid, both named as All-Star starters, are the other two.
Davis and George have been dominant fixtures alongside James and Leonard, but Davis may not participate due to his current injury status.
If Davis is unable to play in the All-Star Game, Zion Williamson may be the ideal candidate to replace him to add more frontcourt star power.
Chris Paul could be viewed as a controversial choice over Devin Booker, but he has improved his totals from the past few seasons since joining the Phoenix Suns in the summer. Paul is on pace to record his highest assists per game total since the 2016-17 campaign, and he is shooting 24 percentage points better than his career average from the field.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from Basketball Reference.
