Voting to choose the All-Stars for the 2020-2021 NBA season has already begun: As always, with five players from the Eastern Conference and five from the Western Conference who can be chosen, limited by position (two between guards and guards and three between forwards, power forwards and pivots).
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The vote of the public has not decided everything for a few years, but it has a lot of influence in selecting the headlines: it is worth 50% of the final result, while the other half is defined between the vote of the players (25%) and a group of journalists chosen by the league (25%).
Before knowing the results of the first vote count, Agustín Aboy and Juan Estévez open the NBA.com Global Staff Discussion Chat and discuss their choices: many players present strong arguments for being chosen.
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Western Conference:
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–Agustín Aboy: Well, let’s start with the West. Last year the selected ones were James Harden and Luka Doncic in the midfield Y LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard y Anthony Davis entre el frontcourt, no surprises. And there wasn’t much to object
–Juan Estevez: I think this year there may be a bit more debate, no? Especially in the midfield. In my case, the frontcourt is quite clear to me with LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and Nikola Jokic. It seems to me that with the three of them there should be no surprises. We talk about three of the candidates to fight for the MVP. And it seems to me that also the Anthony Davis season is not being as decisive as the 2019-2020.
–Aboy: Totally, the midfield is where we are going to go. I think I don’t hesitate with my choice of Stephen Curry, but every time I vote I choose someone different to accompany the Golden State Warriors.
–Estevez: Here I have doubts basically with four names: Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, Luka Doncic and Donovan Mitchell. We confirmed Steph, right? I think it’s a step above. Especially because of the surrounding context. He’s elevating a team that shouldn’t have the record they do, if we look at the other names.
–Aboy: Yes, Steph is gathering all the requirementsHis team is winning more than he is losing, he is clearly fundamental in that, his numbers are at the All-NBA level. And in a context that did not seem anything favorable. 28 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists on average with 41% in triples*, almost 33 years old and after a long inactivity. An out of series. But Among the other three, each has an argument in their favor. Which one do you prefer for the moment?
–Estevez: Maybe I’m playing my sympathy for Portland a bit, but I think today I stay with Lillard. It is difficult for Doncic to vote for him at this time, because I am not convinced by certain attitudes he is having in the campaign, in addition to the very bad present of Dallas. Their numbers are excellent at first glance, but we also found again a very low percentage in triples (29.3%) and problems when closing some games. Mitchell is the other extreme: great collective moment, but individually I see it a little step behind Dame and Luka, although it has rebounded. I think Lillard is the right way. Portland is in the Playoffs zone (or Play-in at least), even though they’ve also had to deal with lots of key men casualties. Y his performance is superlative, averaging 29.1 points and 7.3 assists, with good percentages of effectiveness. Which one do you stay with?
–Aboy: As for sympathy, I also see myself crossed by the three, one of the most entertaining players to watch in the league today. Y my pick also leans a bit more for the man from portland for those same arguments you give. Is being the most consistent, while Luka or Donovan have had not so good games. But we must not forget that Doncic is almost averaging a triple-double (27.3 points, 9 rebounds and 9.4 assists) and that Mitchell leads the team with the best record in the league at the moment, although individually it even seems a a step further back than in the previous campaign.
–Estevez: Be careful, if Dallas picks up, as is logical that at some point it happens, maybe the story will change in a couple of weeks. But hey Today the Mavs are very bad and that plays against Doncic.
–Aboy: Yes while Dame keeps Blazers competitive without CJ McCollum and that helps your argument. It would be the first time that the Portland player is chosen as a starter in the All-Star: usually he was in the shadow of James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Curry himself. As for the other three positions I share the choice you mentioned of Jokic, Leonard and LeBron. All three are at the MVP level, which no other player in the West is doing at the moment in my opinion. And all three are in three of the top four teams in the Conference at the moment. Do you feel that any player could join the fight in the coming weeks? Paul George and Anthony Davis are having good performances, but in the shadow of their teammates, while Christian Wood in Houston (23.3 points and 10.7 rebounds with 55% from the field) does not give more than fighting a place as a substitute, an equally enormous achievement for a player who was almost unknown a year ago.
–Estevez: I don’t honestly see it. Of the three, it seems to me that the one who could be closest to losing his place for performance is LeBron, simply because we know that it regulates a little in the Regular Phase. But I don’t see any scenario where someone leaves James out of tenure, while Kawhi and Jokic are noticed far above anyone else. A better AD could get into the discussion, but he is having a 2020-2021 much less productive than usual, both in defense and in attack.
Eastern Conference:
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–Aboy: We agreed on the choice of the five western names then, so we moved to the East. Kemba Walker, Trae Young, Pascal Siakam, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid were the five chosen last season, but this year I think we will have several changes.
–Estevez: Yes, of those five I see only two that remain: Giannis and Embiid. I imagine that in those two we coincide. Embiid MVP level, who is playing the best basketball of his career and Antetokounmpo continues to be the most dominant in the league. However, Siakam is not having the best year, Kemba is just picking up pace after injury and I see him well behind some other names for Young. Out of those two, I have only one more name that I think is assured: Kevin Durant.
–Aboy: Yes, Trae Young still competes a lot and I am unclear about the choice of my East midfield. There are lots of talented players and a more even level than in the West. Harden started very well in Brooklyn, Kyrie is close to 30 points per game, Beal’s individual is magnificent (35 points per game), Young is by far the best player in a finally competitive Atlanta, even Jaylen Brown and Malcolm Brogdon, winners of winning teams, can get into the discussion.
–Estevez: For me not only Jaylen Brown gets into the discussion, but It seems to me the most worthy of all those names. He is averaging 26.6 points, with 52.4% from the field and 42.9% in triples, in addition to having his maximum in assists (3.5), steals (1.4) and caps (0.6). Further, he is much better defender than Kyrie, Young, Harden and Beal, which are all below average on that side. Brown is untouchable on my ballot. Do you see any one above the rest?
–Aboy: No, I don’t see anyone above the rest, but with what you name and taking into account that he sustained Boston in several games without Tatum or with him, but missing pieces from last season (Hayward, Kemba), Jaylen’s looks like an All-Star to me. It would be his debut, and as a starter. Today i think I choose to accompany him with HardenAlthough Brooklyn has defensive problems, he has already strengthened it a lot more in attack and he adapted well to the role of driver, with 21.6 points and 11.7 assists per game. He’s looking better than Irving. What is your other vote?
–Estevez: There I do not agree. Kyrie season is looking fabulous to me. It is true that he had that stretch in which he was out of the team and opaque, but I am seeing Irving at an extraordinary level and very decisive in the closing of games. Their numbers are magnificent too: 28.3 points, 53.5% from the field and 44.7% in triples. Harden has a vast advantage as a passer and I even think as a defender nowadays, but Kyrie’s thing when it comes to scoring the ball is tremendous. Today I’m staying with him and Jaylen.
–Aboy: With the other three names if there is a match: Durant on his return is being extraordinary, it is not normal to average 30 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. The thing about Embiid is like fighting for the MVP award for his individual and collective performance of the team and that of Giannis, although it no longer attracts so much attention because the production dropped a bit compared to the incredible 2019-2020, it also deserves All- Star without a doubt. Gone is a very interesting fight between many names, from Domantas Sabonis to Julius Randle, but not at the height of these three players. Perhaps the Lithuanian is the only one who could get a little closer to Antetokounmpo.
–Estevez: Y Tatum should also be added to the discussion. He missed a few games, but his season is extraordinary too. Almost 27 points with 48% from the field and 43% from triples, in addition to everything he gives in defense. The point is that plays against the category of “frontcourt”, because otherwise it would probably get. Same I don’t know if he’s having a season too much lower than Giannis’s, for example.
–Aboy: Ha, ha, yes, I forgot Tatum! In fact if I think he can discuss hand to hand with Antetokounmpo, which last year was the most voted in the East among fans by a difference of more than two million votes. Those weeks of absence that he had lower his consideration a bit, but he’s having a super consistent season and sure will be All-Star, whether as a starter or alternate.
–Estevez: Yes, there is no doubt about that. Headlines or not, if as everything indicates we have All-Star Game, we will see almost all these names on the court.
–Aboy: So our only discord is inside Brooklyn, between Irving and Harden. We invite all readers to choose their 10 names: there is time until Tuesday February 16 Y on the 18th we will meet those elected as holders.
* All the statistics mentioned are prior to the matchday of February 3.
The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the NBA or its organizations.
