The NBA All-Star Game has always showcased the best of the best. For the past decade-plus, LeBron’s gravity-defying dunks, Steph Curry’s unlimited 3-point range and Kevin Durant’s silky scoring touch have been mainstays for this midseason honor.
But as these legends approach the twilight of their careers, is the league looking at a crossroads? With NBA viewership already on the decline, what happens when these stars among stars are no longer driving the game forward?
Perhaps we need to look beyond the established names and shine a spotlight on the emerging talent ready to take the reins. The icons haven’t quite let go of the rope yet, but there are still newly minted stars that could end up being integral to the passing of the torch as the league starts its transition into a new era.
This season, several relatively underrated players have made compelling cases for their first All-Star nods. “Underrated” is a frustratingly subjective term, but it seems safe to say we can all agree that Victor Wembanyama does not count – he’s in, move on. That said, let’s outline a few who deserve some recognition.
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5. Jalen Johnson, F, Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are transforming their identity into a team of athletic ball hawks (yep, went there) that will fly around the court to make your life difficult by getting deflections and running out on the break. Johnson logs 22 percent of his possessions in transition and scores 1.21 points per possession (70th percentile) in these situations. His elite size and athleticism along with above-average ball handling ability make him a terror to deal with on the break.
After bursting onto the scene last year, his breakout season was cut short by injury, playing just 56 games. This year, he has taken advantage of the departure of DeJounte Murray and produced at an even higher level. His 19.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game are numbers matched only by stars like Nikola Jokic, Domantas Sabonis and Giannis Antetokounmpo. He’s also providing almost three stocks (steals plus blocks) per game to boot, announcing himself as a two-way force.
The glow-up has been a joy to watch, and it’s resulting in wins. The Hawks are currently the No. 6 seed in the East and looking to be clear of the Play-In for the first time in four seasons. While he still leaves something to be desired as a 3-point shooter, he gets to the rim at will and is a nightmare to deal with, scoring 12.3 points per game in the paint, which is 14th in the league.
There are so many great players in the league, so we might be a year early for Johnson, but if he doesn’t get an All-Star nod this year, it will simply be because of the league’s depth of talent, not for lack of deserving it.
4. Tyler Herro, G, Miami Heat
Tyler Herro has arrived, folks. The kid is torching his defenders so badly they’re throwing him to the floor in frustration. He has altered his shot diet to cut out a large chunk of mid-range jumpers in favor of 3-pointers, where he has taken over half his shots this year. It’s working, too. He’s scoring a career-high 24.0 points per game while hitting 41 percent on almost ten 3-pointers per game, both of which are also career highs. This has resulted in shooting and scoring in the 90th percentile for combo guards in the league.
Herro has become a real threat off the dribble from long range. He is in the top 15 in the league in pull-up 3-point attempts per game and converts on the third highest percentage (39.6 percent) among that group. These are some of the toughest shots in the game to make, and when you do, it’s one of the hardest things for defenses to account for with their help principles. They warp the geometry of the floor like few other types of shots do.
He's also doing a better job than ever in leveraging that gravity to find open teammates. His 25.9 assist percentage is a career high and allows his teammates to benefit from the threat of his scoring ability. He’s no slouch on the boards, either. Defensive rebounding is one of his more underrated skills, where he ranks in the 100th percentile for his position, showing he’s not just a one-trick pony.
With all the turmoil surrounding the Heat and the Jimmy Butler saga, Herro has been a steady rock keeping them in the playoff race, currently holding the No. 7 seed.
3. Alperen Şengün, C, Houston Rockets
The Rockets are this year’s upstart young team taking a major step forward. They have an elite defensive squad buoyed by their endless waves of athletic wings, while Şengün puts himself in unconventional primary matchups to keep him near the rim to deter easy shots. Houston is also No. 1 in the league in rebounding rate, where Şengün collects 10.8 per game himself (No. 10 in the league).
Where Şengün makes his presence felt most, though, is when his team has the ball. He is the team’s unquestioned hub on the offensive end, leading the team in usage and assist percentage. He hasn’t been quite as dominant a low post scorer as he was last season, but he’s still leading the team with 19 points per game while diming up cutters to the tune of 5.1 assists per night from the center spot.
Whether it’s a no-look pass to his jumping jack teammates or his flamingo-esque one-legged jumpers, Şengün is the biggest reason the Rockets can score enough points to put wins on the board. At the No. 3 seed in the West with the No. 6 net rating in the league, Houston should have somebody representing them in the All-Star game, and Şengün more than fits the bill.
2. Jalen Williams, F, Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are running roughshod over the league, sporting the NBA’s best defensive rating (102.9) and overall net rating (plus-12.1) to this point in the season. MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander rightfully gets all the headlines, but the team’s second option is helping make sure they don’t miss a beat as they struggle to keep their big men on the floor.
21 points, six rebounds, five assists and almost two steals per game only begin to scratch the surface of the contributions by Jalen Williams this season. In his third year, he continues to display an all-around game on both ends of the floor that is rivaled by few in the league. He’s pulled up his bootstraps to man the center spot in the absence of approximately 400 Thunder big men this season and the team just keeps on truckin’.
His size, athleticism and non-stop motor have made him a bear to deal with on both ends. He is 11th in the NBA in deflections per game, adding to the Thunder’s dogged defensive activity and has become one of the better mid-range scorers in the league as well. He’s a good rebounder and passer as well.
There’s really nothing on the floor Williams doesn’t do well and he’s been an absolute necessity to the Thunder’s success.
1. Evan Mobley, F/C, Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are pacing the league with 28 wins and show no signs of slowing down any time soon. They’ve got three other players in their starting lineup who have already been to the All-Star game, but it’s the youngest of their star quartet that is building a case for his first bid.
Evan Mobley is showing a command over his offensive game that he had not previously shown in his career. He is putting up a career high in scoring (18.4 points per game), yes, but he is doing so by leveraging his length and strength better than ever before. He’s successfully driving to the rim at the best rate of his career, taking 56 percent of his shots there and scoring the most unassisted points at the rim of his career, showing real development in creating these opportunities himself.
His usage is higher than it’s ever been, yet he’s scoring more efficiently than he ever has as well. He’s also shooting over 40 percent from 3 and we haven’t even mentioned his Defensive Player of the Year-level defense!
Mobley's defensive on/off differential is 93rd percentile and he’s one of the best big men around at patrolling the paint and the passing lanes simultaneously. His ability to guard all over the floor makes him an indispensable defensive piece and fully deserving of All-Star consideration.
Honorable Mentions
Cade Cunningham (Pistons): Cunningham is putting together a gaudy statistical season in his first foray into some semblance of a normal NBA team. His 24.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 9.7 assists per game (all career highs) jump off the page. He is also showing great ability to knock down tough shots in the mid-range, making him tough to stop consistently. There is an argument to be made that his insanely high usage (30.8 percent) is a core driver to his production, especially when taking his lack of efficiency (54.4 true shooting percentage and 4.4 turnovers per game) into account. Either way, he’s been driving the Pistons to respectability for the first time in years.
Derrick White (Celtics): White is the league’s ultimate role player. He has a plus-10.8 net rating on the season, is scoring a career-high 16.9 points per game and is playing elite defense yet again for the defending champions. His two-way impact is as high as any player in the league – particularly among guards – as he both bombs away from 3 and protects the rim like a big man. He’s seventh in the league in made 3-pointers and allowing just 62 percent shooting within five feet of the rim.
Norm Powell (Clippers): Norm Powell is going bananas as a scorer for the Clippers, who continue to defy expectations this season. He had no qualms with the departure of Paul George, believing he and his teammates could easily step in to fill the void. He has backed that up and then some, scoring 24.6 points per night on a ridiculous 46 percent from 3-point range. The Clippers are currently 5th in the Western Conference without seeing Kawhi Leonard on the court for a single minute and Powell is one of the biggest reasons why.
Cam Johnson (Nets): This kid is ballin’. The Brooklyn Nets have started the season better than anyone expected and are even jettisoning their veteran players well in advance of the trade deadline to compensate. Johnson and his elite shooting have been a big part of that success. His 1.34 points per shot attempt is in the 97th percentile in the league for forwards and he is 11th in the league in 3-pointers made, where he’s converting at a scorching 43 percent. He’s one of the least likely players on this list to earn a spot but his career-best production should not go unnoticed.
Ivica Zubac (Clippers): The Clippers are right in the thick of the playoff race off the back of their elite defense. LA’s other team is fourth in the league in defensive rating (108.0), thanks in large part to their anchor in the middle: Ivica Zubac. Zubac is putting up career highs in points (15.4), rebounds (12.7) and assists (2.5) while sporting a defensive rating in the 90th percentile among big men. He has put it all together in his ninth season and has the Clippers playing great basketball.
Side Note: Injuries suck: Franz Wagner and Chet Holmgren were well on their way to their first All-Star selections before going down to injury. It’s unlikely they will end up being selected with all the time they’re missing, and they may not be healthy for the game anyway. But their production prior to injury is absolutely worth mentioning.