2021 All-Star Reserves Prediction
Despite the pushback from some players, media members, and fans, it looks like the NBA will be going through with All-Star Sunday this year. After initially announcing the cancellation of the 2021 All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, the NBA has determined that they should be able to coordinate a safe and fun event for the fans this year.
The NBA also just announced the All-Star starters (listed below), so it’s time to look at who we should expect to get into the game as the reserves. Rules are still the same, as far as there being 7 reserves per conference. This past All-Star game saw 10 1st-time selections, the most since 2002. Tough to see that high number repeating this year, or even coming close, to be honest. With so much young talent in the league, paired with the veterans who are in their primes, it’s going to get harder and harder for players to nab their 1st-time All-Star appearances. Regardless of the rosters, there will still be an All-Star Draft with the 2 captains selecting from the starters then the rest of the bunch. With that said, let’s look at my 2021 NBA All-Star roster predictions.
(C)=Captain
*=1st-time All-Star
+=Injured (Likely out of All-Star Game)
Bold=Injury Replacement
EASTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STARS
Starters
G Kyrie Irving
G Bradley Beal
F Kevin Durant (C)
F Giannis Antetokounmpo
F Joel Embiid
Reserve Guard Predictions
James Harden
Trae Young
Jaylen Brown*
Reserve Frontcourt Predictions
Domantas Sabonis
Jayson Tatum
Bam Adebayo
Julius Randle*
WESTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STARS
Starters
G Stephen Curry
G Luka Doncic
F Kawhi Leonard
F LeBron James (C)
F Nikola Jokic
Reserve Guard Predictions
Damian Lillard
Devin Booker
Donovan Mitchell
CJ McCollum*+
Reserve Frontcourt Predictions
Anthony Davis+
Paul George
Zion Williamson*
DeMar DeRozan
Rudy Gobert
NOTABLE SNUBS
Ben Simmons
Simmons projected as a future perennial All-Star, yet I have him missing this one after two straight selections. If Simmons does get selected, it’ll be based on his defensive prowess and the 76ers’ #1 seeding in the Eastern Conference. Simmons is an All-Star caliber talent; he just seems to have plateaued as a player this year. Outside of his scoring outburst in a loss against the Utah Jazz recently, Simmons has only topped 20 points 3x. He’s had 3 triple-doubles (as of February 18th) and is averaging a mere 14.0 PPG, 11.0 RPG, and 11.0 APG in those three games, not astounding numbers. He simply hasn’t played at an All-Star level, as the supporting cast around him and Joel Embiid has improved drastically.
Chris Paul
CP3 just might make it, though I don’t see how he makes it over the guards I listed in the West (Lillard, Booker, Mitchell). Maybe he makes it in the flex spot or as an injury replacement instead of DeRozan or Gobert. He’s having a great season, averaging 17.2 PPG and 8.2 APG, and is a big reason why the Suns currently sit in the 5th spot in the Western Conference. However, the numbers being put up by those other guards are a bit more impressive. It'll be tough to see the Jazz with just one All-Star while having the best record in the league. Also, the Spurs may need some representation as well, as they sit just 1 game behind the Suns (as of February 18th).
Ja Morant
Morant is on the cusp of his 1st All-Star appearance, but I think it might be just a year too soon to put him in there. His Grizzlies are at exactly .500 and Morant is the leader of the team (on the court). However, the team is 8-8 in the 16 games he’s played, meaning they’re 4-4 in the 8 games he’s missed. That doesn’t scream “he deserves an All-Star spot”, especially with the guards in the West.
Zach LaVine
LaVine will likely get the “Bradley Beal” treatment this year as his Bulls are below .500, making it hard to put him in the All-Star Game. The Bulls are a lot more competitive this year though, which I may be overlooking. LaVine is averaging 28.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 5.2 APG on outstanding efficiency from the field (though he IS averaging 3.9 turnovers per game). He may even deserve the nod over Trae Young, who hasn’t been nearly as efficient, and the Hawks are half-a-game behind the Bulls. Chalk this one up as a likely error on me.
Toronto Raptors & Charlotte Hornets
If my predictions turn out to be true, the Raptors and the Hornets would be the only playoff-seeded teams to not have any All-Star representatives. However, I see no issue as both teams are under .500. There are a few guys who’d deserve a spot if the teams were better, but their numbers aren’t great enough to outweigh their teams’ records (Gordon Hayward, Fred Van Vleet, Kyle Lowry, Terry Rozier, & Pascal Siakam). Maybe the coaches will reward these teams and overlook the numbers being put up by Adebayo and Young. Or maybe they’ll even decide that Brooklyn doesn’t deserve a 3rd participant and somehow decide to ignore Harden. I don’t see any of that happening, so sorry Charlotte and Toronto.
MISSING 2020 ALL-STARS
Pascal Siakam
Kemba Walker
Khris Middleton
Ben Simmons
Jimmy Butler
Kyle Lowry
Chris Paul
Brandon Ingram
Russell Westbrook