What the NBA All-Star rosters should look like

Eastern Conference Starters

Kyle Lowry, PG Toronto Raptors – Lowry has, unequivocally, been the best point guard in the East this season, and that is a serious statement to make given the presence of John Wall and others. The “skinny” version of Lowry has been lighting the league on fire throughout the year to the tune of 20.7 points, 6.4 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game, and he is the principle reason that the Raptors are sitting among the top four teams in the conference. For good measure, Lowry leads all East guards in both PER and ESPN’s RPM, and every metric you can find points to Toronto’s lead guard as a no-doubt inclusion in the starting lineup.

Jimmy Butler, SG Chicago Bulls – Butler certainly plays some small forward for the Bulls, but he regularly starts at shooting guard alongside Derrick Rose, and he should be viewed as a backcourt player given that and his ball-handling workload. With that out of the way, Butler is probably the best “guard” in the East right now, and he’s certainly the best shooting guard. It is crazy to consider just how much Butler has improved in recent seasons, as he transitioned from defensive star to budding presence to bona fide star, and he is now a consistent scorer (22.2 per game) who can create for others and act as a well above-average player on the defensive end. Jimmy Butler being a star wasn’t expected, but it’s certainly the reality.

LeBron James, SF/PF Cleveland Cavaliers – LeBron is going to be the runaway leader in actual All-Star voting, and while we have already explored that the fans often get things wrong, this is the right choice. James remains the best player in the Eastern Conference even as he uses cruise control throughout the regular season, and LeBron’s season-long averages of 25.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game are still jarringly impressive. There is legitimate concern about his jump shot (29.7% from three), but outside of that and an uptick in defense indifference, it is tough to poke holes in James’ candidacy as the easiest pick on this list for the East.

Paul George, SF/PF Indiana Pacers – I have no idea how the Indiana Pacers are in the midst of the playoff race in the East based on their roster, but Paul George being fantastic is the primary reason. George’s “full-time” transition to power forward has been overblown, but he has been more than capable in handling defensive duties against many types of players, and at the same time, George has carried the Indiana offense. Doubts about his hot shooting start are perfectly valid, and things have cooled off a bit to the point where he now sits at 41/39/84 shooting on the year, but George’s production (24.1 points, 7.6 rebounds per game) is outstanding. He is a two-way monster and something has gone very wrong if Paul George isn’t starting the All-Star game.

Andre Drummond, C Detroit Pistons – Drummond’s numbers are obscene. He is the best rebounder in the NBA at 15.4 boards per night, and the big man is also putting together the most prolific scoring season of his career at 18.0 points per game. There will always be concerns about his efficiency given his horrid free throw shooting (35.8%), but Drummond has developed into the two-way monster that he was always projected to be. To put him over the top, Drummond acts as the centerpiece for a Pistons team that sits solidly above the .500 mark in mid-January, and that is a huge accomplishment in itself.

Next: West Starters