The 2015 NBA All-Star Game is less than a month away. The announcement of who is starting in that game is only a few hours away. In advance of the unveiling, here are the five Western Conference players I think are most deserving of a starting spot in the All-Star game.
G: Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors
The guy is having an MVP caliber season. The Dubs have the best record in the NBA. This season couldn't have made rapper Drake look any better for his line, "I'm Steph Curry with the shot, boy." If Curry isn't among the leading overall vote-getters, then there is something seriously wrong with the All-Star selection process. It's not rocket science.
"If anyone says anyone other than Curry here, they need their press pass revoked," ESPN's Ramona Shelburne wrote. "The guy is having one of the best shooting seasons in history. He'd be the MVP if voting took place today. And he's picked it up on the defensive end too."
G: James Harden, Houston Rockets
Okay, I admit it. I didn't think the Rockets would be blasting off this season after they traded away valuable role players and failed to land Chris Bosh in free agency. But Harden's Herculean effort (not The Rock's cruddy movie version of "Hercules" that came out a few months ago. A much better version) has kept Houston in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race. The Rockets are 29-14, and Harden is averaging career highs in points (27.2), assists (6.7), rebounds (5.5) and free throw percentage (.889). I sincerely doubt the Oklahoma City Thunder knew they were trading away this type of player when they dealt him back in 2012.
"He is nearly Houston's entire offense and he's made strides defensively," Ethan Sherwood Strauss wrote. "His passing has been especially good this season, as he keeps learning how to leverage the intense fear his drives inspire in the defense. It's a career year for Harden, who really shouldn't be losing a starting spot to Kobe nostalgia."
F: Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
I get it, Durant has missed 23 games this season. But who are we kidding; the All-Star game is an entertainment spectacle, not a true blue reward for players. Durant is one of the two best basketball players on the planet. You just can't have an All-Star game without both guys, especially when they play for opposing conferences. That would be like watching the prequel trilogy of "Star Wars" instead of the original. It's just wrong.
"This is hard to justify in terms of total production this season, but if you, like me, believe Durant is currently the league's best player, you're willing to overlook that," Strauss wrote. "Durant proved his value just in how much the Thunder struggled in his absence. Now that he's back, we might as well see him back in the All-Star Game."
F: Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
So, are we all in agreement that we won't start spreading "Davis to the Lakers" rumors until he's closer to free agency? In the meantime, Davis is also setting career highs in several categories including points (24.3), rebounds (10.4) and blocks (2.9). I don't care that the Pelicans still can't fight their way into the top eight out west. Davis has proven to be one of the most destructive two-way players in the NBA, and it would be a travesty to leave him out of the All-Star Game.
"While it hasn't yet been reflected in the Pelicans' record, this is the season Davis put it together and became one of the NBA's top handful of players," Kevin Pelton wrote. "Nobody can impact a game - real or All-Star - in more different ways."
F: Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies
Man, this last spot was close. Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge are deserving. So is DeMarcus Cousins. But at the end of the day, Gasol is the most important player for Memphis, where as one could argue that Chris Paul and Damian Lillard are more valuable to their teams than their respective big men. Plus, a Gasol Brothers showdown would be phenomenal entertainment.
"The Grizzlies' success is more than just Gasol," Shelburne wrote. "But he is the backbone of their stout defense and efficient offense. He'd be getting a lot more MVP talk if it weren't for Curry. Even so, he's a surefire All-Star starter."
