NBA All-Star Game 2024: Our voters’ picks for East and West starters – The Athletic

Starters for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game will be revealed at 7 p.m. ET on TNT’s “NBA Tip-Off” show.

The classic game format will return for this year’s event, with Eastern and Western Conference teams squaring off for four 12-minute quarters Feb. 18 in Indianapolis. Each team will feature 12 players.

Fans voting will account for 50 percent of the tally when it comes to choosing starters. Current NBA players and a media panel will account for 25 percent each. Reserves will be announced Feb. 1.

Four of The Athletic’s writers — Jason Quick, Joe Vardon, Darnell Mayberry, David Aldridge — who participated in the vote shared their ballots for starters below, along with some thoughts behind those tough decisions.

Jason Quick

East backcourt: Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers), Tyrese Maxey (76ers)
East frontcourt: Joel Embiid (76ers), Giannis Antetokonumpo (Bucks), Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
West backcourt: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Luka Doncić (Mavericks)
West frontcourt: Nikola Jokić (Nuggets), Kevin Durant (Suns), LeBron James (Lakers)

Haliburton was an easy selection for me — leading the league in assists, shooting nearly 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3 — all while deftly directing the league’s best offense. That the game is in his city is icing on the excellence he has cooked in the first half. The second guard came down to Maxey, Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Brunson and Trae Young — all worthy candidates with similar stats — but Maxey got my nod in large part because of his low turnover rate (1.6). There was a moment when I was convinced on each guy, but ultimately, I think Maxey got bonus points for conducting one of the league’s top teams. In terms of the frontcourt, all three were no-brainers, and this trio will likely dominate the starting spots for at least the next couple seasons … until Orlando’s Paolo Panchero takes his next leap.

Like Haliburton in the East, Gilgeous-Alexander was a no-hesitation, immediate choice. He is one of four players averaging more than 30 points a game, and his patience, body control and creativity makes him a must-see on NBA League Pass. If the Thunder finish among the top three in the West, he should be in line for MVP too. Choosing a second West guard was torture, because it seems so disrespectful to exclude Devin Booker, Stephen Curry, De’Aaron Fox or Anthony Edwards. But Doncić has been special and continues to separate himself as one of the toughest covers in the league.

I have a feeling some will quibble with the choice of James over guys such as Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis and Lauri Markkanen, but there’s no denying how much James impacts every game he plays … and some nights, it’s because of a different skill. I was all-in on Durant as a starter, and Jokić was an easy pick. He was my MVP last season, and he’s flirting with averaging a triple-double. Enough said.

Joe Vardon

East backcourt: Tyrese Haliburton, Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers)
East frontcourt: Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokonumpo, Jayson Tatum
West backcourt: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncić
West frontcourt: Nikola Jokić, Kevin Durant, LeBron James

Have you seen the Cavs play lately? They’ve been on fire, virtually unstoppable on offense and missing two of their top players. There isn’t a simple answer to why Cleveland is somehow better without Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, but in the middle of the complexities is certainly Mitchell. He is sixth in the league in scoring (third in the East, first among East guards, third among guards overall), but his assists have soared as he’s playing point guard in place of Garland. Mitchell has had to change his game and continues to put up monster numbers. In the frontcourt, much like my colleague Jason above, these three were straightforward.

Gilgeous-Alexander and Doncić are superior statistically, and their teams are superior (to the Golden State Warriors), so in this case I chose not to make a legacy pick with Stephen Curry. I hate not to have Anthony Edwards on my ballot, and I like De’Aaron Fox also, but SGA and Luka are the most deserving.

In the frontcourt, however, I did make 1.5 legacy picks. James has regressed a little over the last month, basically since the In-Season Tournament, and Anthony Davis (his teammate on the middling Lakers!) and Domantas Sabonis both have arguments to be made. Durant has been brilliant but also hasn’t played as much. LeBron, though, is on the precipice of 20 NBA All-Star starts, and I was not going to stand in the way.

David Aldridge

East backcourt: Tyrese Haliburton, Jalen Brunson
East frontcourt: Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokonumpo, Jayson Tatum
West backcourt: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncić
West frontcourt: Nikola Jokić, Kevin Durant, LeBron James

For a generation, picking All-Star forwards and/or wings in either conference was incredibly hard. But the toughest call for me, this year, were the backcourts. Young is second in the league in assists and 10th in steals. Mitchell leads all East guards in scoring, and Damian Lillard is … Damian Lillard, who, while still capable of calling his shot, has struggled finding his place in the Bucks’ offense more often than not. In the West, James Harden has been sensational for the Clippers, doing everything most of us thought he wouldn’t be able to do based on his ending with the 76ers. Edwards has become a superstar for a Timberwolves team that has had the best record in the conference most of the year. And Stephen Curry is … Stephen Curry.

But I could only pick four guards. Haliburton should be self-explanatory to anyone who’s been paying attention. I went with Brunson, by a hair, over Maxey and Mitchell. All three of their teams are winning, and they’re all close in the standings. I just think Brunson has to carry a slightly bigger burden to impact winning on his team. He’s on a career-high usage trajectory and also is on a career-best assist percentage path.

In the West, Dončić is a no-brainer. I went with SGA over Curry, Harden and Edwards. The Thunder’s rise toward the top of the conference has been so stunning that I couldn’t ignore it. Harden’s been great, but he has great teammates in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Curry’s burden this season carrying the Warriors is clear, and you can never go wrong putting the league’s most popular player in a showcase for fans. For me, though, it was a photo finish for SGA over Edwards.

By contrast, the frontcourts were pretty easy. I don’t think it’s legally possible to have an All-Star Game without LeBron in it. And it’s not his fault the Lakers are taking on water. His numbers are as steady as ever, and he’s on pace to shoot his highest 3-point percentage since … the 2012-13 season! Durant has kept the Suns afloat through injuries to Booker and Bradley Beal. The Joker remains the pre-eminent player in the game. Anthony Davis, seventh in the league in PER as I write this, definitely gets props for being healthy and available for most of the season and should get strong consideration.

In the East, Giannis, Tatum and Embiid are head and shoulders above all others under consideration.

Darnell Mayberry

East backcourt: Tyrese Haliburton, Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
East frontcourt: Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokonumpo, Jayson Tatum
West backcourt: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves)
West frontcourt: Nikola Jokić, Kevin Durant, LeBron James

The most challenging part of my ballot was the West backcourt. I don’t feel good about not voting Doncić and Curry in as starters. Both are deserving, and Doncić has had an incredible first half. But I rewarded winning on my ballot. That gave Gilgeous-Alexander and Edwards the nod. They have led their respective franchises to the top two seeds in the West and deserved to be rewarded. I used the same reasoning for Brunson in the East backcourt. That decision wasn’t as difficult, although more backcourt players in the East, such as Mitchell and Maxey among others, certainly were worthy as well. Brunson’s durability and ability to pump life into the New York Knicks captured my vote.

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(Photo of Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum: Dylan Buell / Getty Images)