Predicting the East Starters & Reserves for the 2018 All-Star Game

So there are a few changes that have been made to the All-Star Game format, the first of which we will witness in Los Angeles. The changes are more to the selection of the final teams that compete against each other. The process that helps the league decide the pool of players available for the All-Star Game is still the same - starters are voted in (50% fans + 25% media + 25% players) and the reserves are selected by the team coaches.

Here we aren't literally predicting the team because nobody can know who the fan voting will make a starter and who the highest voted players will pick for their team. What we are doing here, is picking the players who deserve to be All-Star starters.

In terms of rosters, the division for the starters includes two backcourt and three frontcourt players. For the reserves, it's the same division with the inclusion of two more players known as wildcards.

Obviously, these players aren't going to be on the same team but based on the season so far, here are the East All-Stars:

East Starting Backcourt

Kyrie Irving and DeMar DeRozan

Kyrie Irving - Boston Celtics

DeMar DeRozan - Toronto Raptors

There's been a general shortage of talent in the East, with a majority moving to the Western Conference over the summer. Having said that, choosing Irving and DeRozan were no-brainers not only because of their spectacular play in the season so far but also due to the lack of competition for these spots.

The Celtics have been in a slump recently, going 5-6 in their last 11 games but it's important to remember that they have a record of 27-10 despite losing their All-Star Gordon Hayward on opening night. Although it's been a team effort, they've been led by Kyrie Irving - 24.7 points, 4.9 assists, 3.0 rebounds. His numbers might not bounce off the screen but his contribution to the team's success is undeniable and there isn't any other guard who can threaten his grip on this spot.

DeMar DeRozan and the Raptors, thriving under a new offense, have quietly surged among the East's elites. They currently rank second in the East with a record of 23-9 with DeRozan leading the way - 24.9 points, 4.9 assists (career-high), 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals (career-high) on 49.3% shooting from the field and 34.1% from beyond the arc (career-high).

East Starting Frontcourt

Kristaps Porzingis, Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James

LeBron James - Cleveland Cavaliers

Giannis Antetokounmpo - Milwaukee Bucks

Kristaps Porzingis - New York Knicks

LeBron James' selection in the All-Star game shouldn't even be a debate. The way he is going, he should be just written in every year till he retires. It's unreal what he's doing at the age of 32 in his 15th season in the league. With the way things stand now, he holds a slight edge over James Harden in the MVP race. Through 34 games so far, he's averaging 28.1 points (3rd in the league), 9.1 assists (career-high) and 8.1 rebounds.

Giannis Antetokounmpo began the season as an MVP frontrunner but the addition of Eric Bledsoe has brought his numbers down. Nonetheless, the "Greek Freak" has been the key to the Milwaukee Bucks' 17-15 record. Through each of his four previous seasons, Antetokounmpo has improved in every stat category and other than assists and blocks, he has continued that trend this season as well with averages of 29.5 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.4 blocks.

It's been a while since the New York Knicks have been watchable around Christmas. While they have been winning a couple of games here and there without Kristaps Porzingis, his overall impact this season cannot be denied. The Unicorn is averaging 24.6 points (+6.5 points from last season) and 6.7 rebounds. He's made the Knicks relevant and by the looks of it, he could be the franchise's torch bearer for many more years to come.

Reserves: Backcourt

Victor Oladipo and John Wall

Victor Oladipo - Indiana Pacers

John Wall - Washington Wizards

Victor Oladipo isn't elite yet, thus not threatening for a starting spot but he is certainly the first guard on the reserves list. He is the leading candidate right now for the Most Improved Player Award, with averages of 24.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.8 assists, 1.0 blocks on 48.5% shooting from the field and 42.3% from beyond the arc - all except assists are CAREER-HIGHS.

John Wall has missed 11 of the team's 34 games but he's way too valuable to not be put on this list. The team limped to a 5-6 record in his absence and has found their way once again since he returned. In his 23 games played, he's averaging 18.6 points, 8.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds. Definitely below his the level that his expected of him but this too keeps among the league's superstars when it comes to the guards.

Reserves: Frontcourt

Joel Embiid, Kevin Love and Al Horford.

Kevin Love - Cleveland Cavaliers

Joel Embiid - Philadelphia 76ers

Al Horford - Boston Celtics

Numerous storylines are discussed in Cleveland - LeBron's MVP case, Isaiah Thomas' return date, improvement in the team's bench and so forth - but very few talk about Kevin Love. He's played in 33 of the team's 34 games and has been more than just serviceable. He's averaging 20.1 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists on 47.2% shooting from the field and 41.6% from beyond the arc. Other than the rebounds and assists, all other numbers are his career-best while representing the Cavaliers. For this spot, it was a toss-up between Love and Detroit Pistons' center Andre Drummond but the latter's contributions proved to be just far more vital (win shares) than the latter.

Joel Embiid has played 25 of the team's 33 games so far, which is a far higher percentage of games played as compared to last season. So far this season, he's averaging 23.8 points (+3.6 from last season), 11.1 rebounds (+3.3 from last season), 3.4 assists and 2.0 blocks at 48.6% shooting. A major reason for that is the increase in his minutes per game - 31.2 (+5.8 from last season). It's only the second season of his career but it's difficult to ignore a player who is a majority of the times, unguardable when he is on the court.

These are Al Horford's average through 34 games so far - 13.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 5.4 assists. Numbers that are certainly not worthy of being in the All-Star game right? Probably not but Horford is going to make it anyway. His numbers might not show that but he is more important to the Celtics than Irving. Not to mention the fact that he is ranked 10th in the league in Win Shares, according to Basketball Reference.

Reserves: Wildcards

Bradley Beal and Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons - Philadelphia 76ers

Bradley Beal - Washington Wizards

Yes, Ben Simmons is a rookie but he could still represent the East in the All-Star game in LA. His numbers - 16.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.6 assists are incredible for a rookie. Imagine how lethal he could be with a jump shot. Anyways, that's a topic for another day. Getting back to his All-Star case, there really isn't anybody else better than Simmons right now given his playmaking skills at his height.

Through 34 games, the Wizards' guard averages 23.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.1 steals - all of those are CAREER HIGHS. In 11 games missed by John Wall, Beal has carried the team to a just about respectable 5-6 record. Beal isn't ideal for this spot but there isn't anybody else to pick. With the Charlotte Hornets' record at 12-21, it's difficult to pick Kemba Walker when you want to reward winning. John Wall