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With all the moves (free agency signings and trades) that were made this past summer, many predicted the Western Conference to be packed but it's more or less been the same.
A two-horse race (Houston Rockets & Golden State Warriors), the Spurs being the Spurs, the Timberwolves & Thunder starting slow but eventually finding their way. Basically, around six-seven strong teams followed by the middle of the pack .500 teams struggling to make the Playoffs. Then comes the bottom - the non-Playoff teams and the ones that are tanking.
To a certain degree, it was easier and more difficult to make the picks for the West as compared to the East. The Conference is so stacked in terms of talent but at the same time, there are multiple no-brainers that make the prediction process easier.
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Catch the predictions for the Eastern Conference All-Stars here.
West Starting Backcourt
James Harden - Houston Rockets
Russell Westbrook - Oklahoma City Thunder
His MVP stock might have dipped with the Rockets' current 5-game losing streak but James Harden is still among the best players in the league right now and an MVP candidate. He's putting up insane numbers (some even better than his historic season last year) - 32.1 points (leads the league & career-high), 9.0 assists (3rd in the league), 5.1 rebounds on 44.9% shooting, 39.0% shooting from 3's and a career-high FT% of 87.0. Also, he leads the league in Win Shares, Win Shares Per 48 Minutes and Offensive Box Plus/Minus.
On the other hand, the reigning MVP could be gearing up for his first ever All-Star start. Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder had a rough start to the season but have had a fantastic month of December. Through 35 games, Westbrook is averaging a near triple-double 24.5 points, 10.0 assists (leads the league) and 9.5 rebounds while recording 11 triple-doubles. He's been key to the team's recent resurgence of winning 12 of their last 17 games, which includes a 6-game win streak.
West Starting Frontcourt
Kevin Durant - Golden State Warriors
Anthony Davis - New Orleans Pelicans
DeMarcus Cousins - New Orleans Pelicans
Kevin Durant is the main reason the Warriors have been able to cruise to a 9-2 record despite playing without 2-time MVP Stephen Curry. Carrying the team in another star's absence is one thing but Durant was making a name for himself even before Curry went down - on the defensive end of the floor with his block average (league-leading 2.3). He's played in 31 of the team's 36 games averaging 26.1 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists on 50.0% shooting and 39.3% 3-point shooting.
While making these selections for the All-Star Game, the aim is to reward the best players on the best teams. And while the New Orleans Pelicans aren't running away with wins, their monster frontcourt duo of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins have almost everything to do with their 18-17 record.
If it wasn't for the team's disastrous bench, the numbers put out by this duo would surely lead to more wins. The Spurs, the Warriors, and the Thunder have more wins which could have made the case for maybe Paul George or LaMarcus Aldridge to be a starter for the West but the numbers put up by Davis and Cousins are just insane.
Here are their averages through 35 games:
Davis (30 games played) - 25.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.0 blocks
Cousins (35 games) - 26.1 points, 12. 3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks
West Reserves Backcourt
Stephen Curry - Golden State Warriors
Klay Thompson - Golden State Warriors
Not a tough call by any means.
Despite being banged up, the reigning champs have cruised to a 28-8 record and among the stars at Golden State, only Klay Thompson has played in all of those 36 games. His averages of 20.7 points, 4.1 rebounds on 48.6% shooting and 45.0% on 3's don't scream off the screen but they have proved to be a rock for the Warriors, who were rocked by injuries to multiple players in their deep squad.
The only reason Curry is relegated to the bench is the 11 games he has missed in December due to a sprained right ankle. Most probably, he might be a starter because of the number of fan votes he will receive. He averages 26.3 points, 6.6 assists and 5.1 rebounds in 23 games. Again, they aren't eye-popping numbers but he ranks second in the league in Win Shares per 48 minutes and his impact on the team is quite noticeable with the team's decreased point differential in his absence.
West Reserves Frontcourt
LaMarcus Aldridge - San Antonio Spurs
Paul George - Oklahoma City Thunder
Karl-Anthony Towns - Minnesota Timberwolves
Winning must be rewarded and Kawhi Leonard has played far too few games to take credit for the San Antonio Spurs' 25-11 record. So the reward, and rightfully so, is passed on to LaMarcus Aldridge. After a sit-down with Gregg Popovich, the Spurs played around Aldridge in the absence of Leonard and the team's record is a testament to the success of the move. Playing in 35 of the team's 36 games, the former Blazers' forward averages 22.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists on 49.3% shooting.
The Thunder might have struggled but Paul George is still a stud. The team was struggling with an identity crisis on the offensive end which should not cast any doubt on George's talent level. In 33 games, he averages 20.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and a league-leading 2.5 steals. Moreover, he's a huge reason, the team is ranked fourth in the league in defensive rating.
KAT could have been an All-Star last year but it might have been too early. This year, he might have sacrificed on scoring but his impact on the game and value to the team is undeniable and among the league's best. He ranks 6th in the league in Win Shares with averages of 20.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists on 53.1% shooting. More importantly, for the first time since he came into the league, the Timberwolves have a winning record (22-14, 4th in the West) so deep into the season.
West Reserves Wildcard
Draymond Green - Golden State Warriors
Jimmy Butler - Minnesota Timberwolves
As mentioned earlier, winning must be rewarded. Thus, additional members of the Warriors and Timberwolves are the wildcards for the West All-Star team. In addition, there is no player on the sub .500 teams that is putting up huge numbers that can't be ignored.
It's only a 0.5 game lead but Golden State holds the best record in the league despite losing their most recent game against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night. So it's only apt their fourth star Draymond Green makes the All-Star team. He's missed six games this season but in the rest 30 games, it's like he hasn't missed a beat from last season - 10.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks.
Jimmy Butler - a huge reason why the Timberwolves are fourth in the West and more than four games above .500. Similar to Thompson, his averages don't jump off the screen - 21.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists but his contribution and value as jumped immensely when analyzing the team's performance (9-4) in December. After zero 30+ point games before December, Butler has as many as six with a game still to go. Not to mention being ranked 12th in the league in Win Shares.
