My 2021 NBA All-Star Ballot

The league is as flush with talent as it has ever been.

The All-Star ballot this year looks like years past, but it’s quite a bit earlier than usual. Voting is closed after one third of the way through the season, while typically it takes place about halfway through.

This limited sample size may skew this season’s selections, but it ultimately should not matter. While this COVID-impacted season has been like nothing we have ever seen before, the All-Star candidates are as expected.

Beyond that, and this should go without saying: All-Star selections are not as important as All-NBA teams.

Great players will inevitably be snubbed and fans will be rankled. If anything, that’s a good thing. The NBA is one of the most star-rich sports leagues. The fact that there are tough decisions to make is indicative of the game’s evolution.

But I did my best to narrow down who I think are most deserving of the All-Star nods this year.

Eastern Conference

Starters

F: Joel Embiid, 76ers

F: Kevin Durant, Nets

F: Giannis Antentokounpo, Bucks

G: Bradley Beal, Wizards

G: Jaylen Brown, Celtics

Reserves

F: Bam Adebayo, Heat

F: Jayson Tatum, Celtics

F: Khris Middleton, Bucks G: James Harden, Nets G: Kyrie Irving, Nets

Wild Card: Ben Simmons, 76ers

Wild Card: Julius Randle, Knicks

Embiid, Durant, and Antetokounmpo were the easiest choices in the Eastern Conference. Embiid has reached a new degree of excellence this season. He’s been a legitimate 3-point threat while maintaining the strongest post-up game in the league. Durant looks like his old self with his shot creation. Giannis is spearheading the league’s most efficient offense and continues to be a menace on the defensive end, though unlike last season’s DPOY run.

The last two starters in the East were much more contentious. My fourth choice was Beal because of his insane offensive output. He’s leading the league in scoring and has nearly five assists a game for a ghastly Wizards squad. He just makes plays. The defense isn’t up to snuff, but, like Devin Booker on the old Phoenix Suns teams, why play defense for a team struggling this much?

I was between Brown and Harden for the last spot, but ultimately chose Brown because of how reliant the Celtics are on him and for Harden sandbagging his production to get out of Houston. Some voters won’t hold that against him, but I will. Harden hasn’t slouched defensively, but he’s not at Brown’s level.

For the reserves, my non-wild card choices were all locks. Harden’s seamless transition to Brooklyn made him a shoo-in. Adebayo can do it all offensively and has played high-level defense on a Heat team thin in the backcourt. Middleton will always be second fiddle, but his shooting splits are among the league’s best. Tatum might have more acclaim to a starting spot than Brown if not for positional reasons. He sets the tone on both sides for the Celtics.

Simmons got my first wild card spot. He has a stake in claiming this year’s DPOY. Embiid’s emergence as an outside scorer has opened things up for Simmons without expanding his own arsenal.

Randle gets the final spot. I had to double take when I saw the the Knicks were 6th in the Eastern Conference standings when voting closed. That roster is bad, and Randle is literally doing everything to put that team on his back.

Missed the Cut (in order)

Zach LaVine, Bulls

Domantas Sabonis, Pacers

Nikola Vucevic, Magic

Jerami Grant, Pistons

Jrue Holiday, Bucks

Trae Young, Hawks

Fred VanVleet/Kyle Lowry, Raptors

Western Conference

Starters

F: Nikola Jokic, Nuggets

F: LeBron James, Lakers

F: Kawhi Leonard, Clippers

G: Steph Curry, Warriors

G: Luka Doncic, Mavericks

Reserves

F: Anthony Davis, Lakers

F: Paul George, Clippers

F: Rudy Gobert, Jazz G: Damian Lillard, Trailblazers G: Donovan Mitchell, Jazz

Wild Card: Zion Williamson, Pelicans

Wild Card: Chris Paul, Suns

In the West, Jokic, LeBron, Kawhi, and Steph were all no-brainers to start. Jokic is approaching Russell Westbrook MVP type numbers at 6-foot-11, 284 pounds. Come on. LeBron … yeah. Leonard remains the heart and soul of a dominant Clippers squad. Steph is quietly posting numbers like his 2015-16 NBA season, but for a team that isn’t performing at typically Dynasty Warriors levels.

Doncic eked out Lillard for the final spot, and I gave it to him because of his play-making and defense. Given Portland’s injuries, I was tempted to put in Dame for willing that team to a positive record. But Doncic simply does more and is a plus defender.

All but one of my reserves are a lock in my eyes. Lillard, of course, is the only reason the Trailblazers are afloat. Davis’s offense has slumped this year, but he is still the key cog of the Lakers’ championship defense. George rightfully gets the playoff jokes, but he is arguably having one of his best seasons of his career.

Gobert’s offensive numbers don’t pop, but the Jazz run everything around his ability to set hard screens and pose a threat down low. Oh, and he is once again leading the race for DPOY. Gobert is the linchpin, but Mitchell is the tone-setter for the league’s best team thus far. His playmaking has once again taken another leap.

Zion is my last lock. The Pelicans have disappointed this year and still look a few pieces away from contention. But this is the All-Star game and Zion has the celebrity and the production to warrant a selection at the expense of another worthy All-Star.

I don’t see Paul actually making the All-Star team, but someone on the Suns had to be in. Booker has a case to be made, but they weren’t competing for the No. 4 seed in the West before Paul arrived. He’s running an efficient offense and making a young team play cohesively.

Missed the Cut (in order)

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder

DeMar DeRozan, Spurs

De’Aaron Fox, Kings

Devin Booker, Suns

Christian Wood, Rockets

CJ McCollum, Trailblazers