Jalen Rose lists his 2023 Eastern Conference All-Star starters: “It was tough to leave off KD”

The 2023 Eastern Conference All-Star starters haven't been announced yet, but ESPN analyst Jalen Rose already shared his ahead of NBA's announcement. As the former NBA player enumerated his choices, he said that Kevin Durant's knee injury made it difficult for him to include KD among his starting five.

Rose shared his East starting five on Twitter earlier Thursday. Before he ended, he gave his reason as to why he didn't put Durant as an All-Star starter this season.

"My 2023 All-Star starting ballad," Rose said. "Up front, the Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Still the best player in the game. Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, who has a legitimate chance to win the Eastern Conference. Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, I feel like they're the best team in the entire NBA.

"My backcourt. Jaylen Brown, two-way dominance and also Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was tough to leave off KD, but the Slim Reaper's dealing with injuries right now."

The All-Star starters are expected to be announced at 4 p.m. PST. The announcement will cover both conferences and will also name the captains. So far, both Durant and LeBron James have garnered the most votes during their returns since voting started in December.

It's hard to leave KD off the list as he's had one of his best seasons ever. With his play this season, he's led the Brooklyn Nets (29-18) to one of the best records in the Eastern Conference. However, with his absence, the Nets have suffered and have lost five of their last seven games.

With this, it's easy to see why Rose had a hard time taking him out of his lineup of 2023 Eastern Conference All-Star starters.

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Which players deserve to be named the 2023 Eastern Conference All-Star starters?

Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics at the 2022 NBA All-Star Game

With the amount of talent available this season, it's not easy to choose which players are deserving of a spot in the All-Star Game. The Eastern Conference has had a plethora of talent, making the 2023 Eastern Conference All-Star starters difficult to predict.

Still, here are the players deserving of a starting spot in this season's ASG.

Kyrie Irving

After all the drama at the start of the season, Kyrie Irving has shown that he still deserves a spot as one of the East All-Star starters.

Donovan Mitchell

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell

In his first year with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell has made a huge difference for the squad.

Kevin Durant

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant

Durant has carried the Nets this season, making Brooklyn a feared team to play.

Jayson Tatum

The Boston Celtics have been on top due to Jayson Tatum's MVP-like play.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo is playing incredible basketball for the Milwaukee Bucks, which is why he deserves a starting spot.