The winning starters, including team captains, will drop on Jan. Luckily, we don't have to nba all star game 2019 highlights that long to get the lowdown. Forecasting the All-Star pool remains an imprecise science. Somewhat limiting the importance of conference affiliation has ascribed more merit to the process, but selections are still vulnerable to subjectivity. Fans, players and media members have the power to skew the starters' results, and coaches, who view the game differently from most armchair analysts, always seem to be good for a surprise reserve pick or three. Our stab at predicting this year's crew will attempt to account for that inexactness. This is not one person's opinion or a group consensus on who should make the cut. It seeks to choose who's most likely to get the All-Star nod based on the selection process. The assumption will be that fans, players and media get the starters right, but hairs will be split on the reserve front. Don't write off the jilted just yet. Players are being picked relative to their performance so far. Fringe candidates have another few weeks to finagle their way up the totem pole. Current players and selected media members count for 25 percent apiece. This exercise will not predict the actual teams. That's best left for when the player pool is set in stone. We care only about the 12 players from each conference who will be in Charlotte for the Feb. This shouldn't be too nba all star game 2019 highlights of a question. Antetokounmpo has everything going for him to start this process. His Milwaukee Bucks are really good, he's a media darling, and he trailed only in the Eastern Conference last year. With the King in Hollywood, Antetokounmpo's reign can begin in an official capacity. His only rivals are 's brand and Kawhi Leonard, who should enjoy a nice fan-vote boon from a Toronto market that hopes he'll stick around beyond this season. Related: Imagine having to draft his team on live television. Antetokounmpo also has the benefit of, you know, deserving this seat at the big kid's table. A busted jumper gives him one of the league's most predictable shot profiles. Defenses know where he's going. Almost of his looks are coming within five feet of the basket. Milwaukee's five-out model under head coach Mike Budenholzer helps, but Antetokounmpo's gait is just as responsible. He needs roughly one dribble to go the length of the floor. Realer talk: He's shooting 65. If Antetokounmpo's efficient scoring doesn't sway you, everything else about his game should. He's averaging career highs in rebounds and assists, and his forever arms and endless energy are crucial to the Bucks'. He's averaging fewer points per game, but that's no surprise. The Celtics have more weapons at their disposal, and his assist rate has climbed. The offense's utter dependence on him is the real shocker. Boston is scoring a 14. Up-and-down play from Brown, Hayward, and Terry Rozier hasn't helped. Nor has Horford's recent left knee injury or Brown's previous lower-back issue. This trend shows little sign of turning anytime soon. Boston is in offensive efficiency since November's three-game losing streak but continues to see its output per 100 possessions by 16. That his own shooting percentages haven't taken a nosedive amid this stark reliance is a minor miracle—and a testament to his ability to hit tough shots. Kemba Walker would have an airtight case if not for his recent slump. Ben Simmons always looms, but he's looking a little less superhuman at the nba all star game 2019 highlights end following Robert Covington's departure. Shows of affection for Eric Bledsoe or Josh Richardson are cool, too. Points-per-game suckups are going to hate Kyle Lowry getting the edge. They'll need to get over it. Lowry has conceded shots in the name of cohesion—not just to unburden Kawhi Leonard's integration, but to streamline elevated roles for and Pascal Siakam. Lowry doesn't need the scoring cachet to justify a starter's position. He has supplemented shot attempts with a bunch of drive-and-finds—he would in assists per game if not for —and remains a defensive bulldog. Toronto is giving up fewer than 104 points per 100 possessions whenever he plays without Leonard, a Defensive Player of the Year hopeful once more, according to. Besides, Lowry can get off shots when the situation calls for it. He busted out of his own slump with consecutive 20-point outings during a Dec. Again: Lowry's selection is not ironclad based on performance alone. Raptors fans are going to have his back, and plenty of media members will gravitate toward a standout from the team with the league's best record. He began the year looking mostly comfortable on the offensive end. It took some time for his long-range accuracy to come around, but oh baby, has it come around. Leonard is shooting from deep, including.
