Toronto’s Fred Vanvleet has eclipsed the 20-point barrier for the first time this season. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

The 2022 NBA All Star game is just a month away and yet again, the fan vote is providing a barrel of laughs. Klay Thompson? Kyrie Irving? Wonderful players, for sure – they’ve played less than 10 games between them. Andrew Wiggins? Andrew freaking Wiggins? Astonishing. It’s decision-making of that ilk that has seen the All Star fan vote capped at 50 per cent since 2017. However, in the spirit of fairness, if this writer is going to mock some of the choices of the masses, then it’s only sporting to publicise my own selections.

These selections are who this writer thinks should make the team. They’re further broken down into groups of how certain your correspondent is of who will make the team. In other words, a Lock is a certainty to make the team, a Probable is more than likely to be an All Star. The Remainders should make the team, but there will be serious debate as to their merit.

Let’s start with the Eastern Conference, before heading West later in the week.

THE LOCKS

Giannis Antetokounmpo
Milwaukee Bucks

Last season Antetokounmpo won the Finals MVP. The two seasons prior, the regular season MVP. His performances over those three season, as well as this one, have been remarkably similar. Along with Nikola Jokic, he has to be the front runner for another MVP award. Despite Milwaukee being struck harder than most with injury and COVID absences, Giannis has kept the Bucks afloat in the Eastern Conference. It’s almost absurd that Giannis celebrated his 27th birthday just last month. We’ve still got another 6-8 years of this dominance ahead of us!

Kevin Durant
Brooklyn Nets

Durant’s recently sprained left MCL will likely see him not suit up for the 2022 All Star contest, but there is no way on this Earth that he won’t be named as an All Star. Now aged 33, Durant leads the NBA in scoring with 29.3 points per game, carrying the load for an absent Kyrie Irving and a slow starting James Harden in his own effortless way. There really isn’t anything left to say about the most dominant scorer the league has seen since prime Michael Jordan. Not even a blown Achilles has been able to slow him down.

Joel Embiid
Philadelphia 76ers

Seven feet tall, 280 pounds, a dancers agility and hit’s his three pointers at 38%. Joel Embiid just isn’t fair. In the absence of the Sixers very own ‘He Who Shall Not Be Named’, the Cameroonian has only gone and found another level. Averaging 27.3 points (48/38/81 shooting splits), 10.3 boards, 4.2 assists (by far a career high), 1.1 steals and 1.3 blocks, his stats alone confirm his All Star status for a 5th consecutive year. Throw in the fact that with HWSNBN out of action Embiid has taken on more play making and practically all of the rebounding responsibilities, then it might just be his best campaign yet. To top it all off, he just hung 50 points in the Magic in a mere 27 minutes of court time.

DeMar DeRozan
Chicago Bulls

At age 32 and his last All Star appearance coming back in 2018 as a Raptor, it was understandably assumed that DeRozan’s best days were behind him. Instead, he’s proven as resurgent as his new team, putting up 25.6 points per game – four points more than last season – thriving as a finisher without having the play making burden he carried in San Antonio. He still doesn’t take enough three pointers, though the ones he does take are dropping at a career high 34.7%. Most importantly, he’s been a late game assassin for Chicago. People will point to the back to back game winners he recently produced, but don’t let that distract from a litany of late game daggers from his favoured mid-range.

THE PROBABLES

Jimmy Butler
Miami Heat

On production alone, Butler should be in the above group, but he has only appeared in 26 of Miami’s 44 games this season – it’s the only black mark against an otherwise airtight All Star case. Jimmy Buckets produces across the board: 22.4 points, 5.9 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.9 steals. He also continues to provide stout defense to his team, despite the 32 year old having a lot of ‘Thibs Miles’ on the clock from his Chicago days. Most importantly, Butler is the primary driver of the Heat’s Take No Prisoners mindset, setting the tone for his team at both ends of the floor.

Zach Lavine
Chicago Bulls

The East leading Bulls deserve a 2nd All Star spot and the obvious candidate is their holdover All Star Zach Lavine. The Bulls increased talent levels have resulted in Lavine’s numbers dropping ever so slightly across the board. That said, he’s still putting up 24.9 points (on 49/41/87 shooting), 4.8 rebounds an 4.2 assists. He’s improved defensively, likely as a result of having Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso taking the more difficult assignments, but improved all the same. That team defense has seen Lavine get into the open floor far more often this season, too. He doesn’t quite have the same explosive hops he possessed in his early 20’s, but he can still do this:

Trae Young
Atlanta Hawks

Sitting a full four games outside of the play-in tournament, Atlanta have been one of the NBA’s most disappointing teams so far this season. But that doesn’t take away from the magnificent numbers that Young puts forward: 27.7 points (45/37/90 shooting splits – all career highs), 9.4 assists and a steal. He is the offensive hub for the Hawks, who’s offensive rating falls an astonishing 14.6 points with him off the floor. Sure, he’s a sieve defensively and his team suck but that’s not enough cause to leave Young out of the 2022 All Star team.

James Harden
Brooklyn Nets

After a most concerning start to the campaign, Harden has rounded into shape and into form and will head to his 10th All Star game. As expected, Harden doesn’t score at the red hot rate he did in Houston, but he still puts up 22.7 points per game, flirting each and every night with a triple double. He leads the NBA in assists at an even 10 per game with eight boards and 1.4 steals to boot. His cold start means his efficiency on the season is far below what is expected, though they are trending upwards. Interestingly, he’s shooting more free throws this season than last, despite all the talk of the NBA’s new rule interpretations being directed squarely at him.

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THE REMAINDERS

Fred Vanvleet
Toronto Raptors

Since his astonishing shooting late in the Raptors 2019 championship run, Vanvleet has not just become a legitimate NBA starter, but has been on the fringes of All Star consideration. This season, he’s burst through those saloon doors. In addition to his usual tenacious defense, hustle and whip smart decision making, he has eclipsed the 20 point barrier for the first time, his 21.9 per game leading the team. Throw in 6.7 assists, 1.7 steals and 40.7% shooting from deep on 9.6 attempts per game and you have an All Star case. His January run of 26.7 points on 43.9% shooting from three should cement his first All Star call up.

Jarrett Allen
Cleveland Cavaliers

Allen has always had the potential to be an elite rim protector and rebounder, something he has actualised so far this campaign, with 16.6 boards and 1.4 blocks per game to his name. What elevates him to All Star status is his offensive improvements. Posting 16.6 points – by far a career high – on ridiculous 70% shooting, he’s a legitimate offensive weapon for Cleveland. It’s not just rim running dunks, either. Allen has developed an effective back to the basket game with moves over both shoulders now amongst his arsenal.

Jrue Holiday
Milwaukee Bucks

Holiday gets the nod here, making his 2nd career All Star appearance and first since all the way back in 2013. Often seen as the 3rd of the Bucks Big Three, Holiday has more than eclipsed Khris Middleton this season. Defensively he remains the bulwark that sets the tone for Milwaukee’s vaunted defense. With the Bucks being considerably effected by COVID absences, Holiday has stepped up offensively with a higher usage rate and similar efficiency. He has taken control of units that contain four reserves, in particular. His +/- numbers are the best on the team.

LaMelo Ball
Charlotte Hornets

LaMelo wins a straight shootout with Darius Garland for the final All Star berth. LaMelo leads the Hornets in rebounds (7.2), assists (7.6) and steals (1.7) whilst scoring 19.4 points per game. Defensively, Ball – like most of he teammates – may as well be made of smoke, but he’s so much fun to watch offensively, where his deep three’s and dazzling array of passing creating nightly highlights. LaMelo will be so much fun to watch in an All Star setting. In a tight decision, that is the deciding factor.

THE APOLOGIES

Darius Garland
Cleveland Cavaliers

The hardest cut. A case can be made that Garland’s ascension is just as responsible for the Cavaliers rise as his celebrated front court teammates, especially without the injured Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio to share the ball handling load. In this list, though, he loses out to the consummate showman in Ball.
*Given Durant’s recent injury, Garland would be the replacement should KD not be available.

Jayson Tatum
Boston Celtics

Averaging 25.5 points and 8.6 rebounds, it’s tough to leave Tatum out, but a combination of his own dramatic decrease in efficiency and the Celtics miserable season see him miss out.

Jaylen Brown
Boston Celtics

Averaging 24.2 points and 6.5 rebounds, it’s……exactly the same as was written for Tatum.

Domantas Sabonis
Indiana Pacers

Sabonis is putting up similar numbers to his last two season, both garnering All Star berths. The Pacers are struggling mightily and that lack of team success costs Sabonis his All Star spot in 2022.

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