NBA All-Star Game 2019: Predicting the Eastern Conference All-Stars

Frontcourt starters

Embiid and Giannis battle for rebound positioning

Kawhi Leonard

The Klaw has returned to NBA life after his trade to the Raptors almost like he never left. His defensive acumen is probably even on the rise, as evidenced by this piece of enigmatic defensive genius:

After starting the season on a comparatively quieter note, Leonard has wound up into MVP form since mid-November at a consistent rate.

His averages of 29.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game on 49.4% shooting from the field and 39.1% from downtown during the month of December speak for themselves, and he was only ineligible for Conference Player of the Month awards because of the freak we'll talk about right here.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

If a loaded gun was pointed at my head right now and I were asked who my pick for MVP would be for the first half of the 2018-19 NBA season, I'd have little choice but to nominate Giannis with my vote.

The Greek Freak rose from above-average starter to All-NBA player, and from there to MVP favourite in the span of just 3 seasons. The Bucks have the league's best winning percentage at the moment thanks to his Herculean play on both sides of the court.

Giannis is a legitimate candidate for the MVP-DPOY double this season, as advanced stats and box scores alike love him like no other candidate.

Earlier on in the year, his high turnover numbers were a huge cause for concern, but he's since been able to cut back on those and now is a consistent jump shot short of edging the likes of James and Durant out of the conversation about the very best basketball players on the planet.

Joel Embiid

Jojo, as a number of basketball fans refer to Embiid and his colourful personality, is one of the few players who has been able to maintain his per-36 numbers and two-way impact on the game despite an increased load on both ends of the court this year.

Consequently, he's the third Eastern Conference MVP candidate to start on their frontcourt this All-Star Game.

Averages of 26.9 points, 13.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 blocks per game look like video game numbers for a 7'2" center, but what's amazing is the fact that unlike Giannis, Embiid has a much better jump shot, and this opens the floor up for him to attack the paint, post up or even leak out to the 3-point line for the occasional open 3-point look. Embiid is going to be a regular feature in the All-Star Game as long as he stays healthy.