NBA: Early Frontcourt Favorites For All-Star Game
Christmas has come and gone which means the NBA season is about to ramp up, with now less than two months remaining until the 2015 All-Star Game.
This year’s actual contest will be held at Madison Square Garden for the first time since Michael Jordan won MVP of the game in 1998.
Below, we’ve highlighted players in the frontcourt who are worthy of playing on Feb. 15 for the 64th annual All-Star Game.
*Please note – the stats used are from games played through Dec. 29.
SMALL FORWARD
Eastern Conference– LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony
Even with the Cleveland Cavaliers struggling and LeBron admitting that they’re just not very good right now (18-12 overall, 5-5 in their last 10 games), it’s likely The King will be the top vote-getter come February. His numbers are down from last season but he remains one of three players averaging at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists. With Paul George suffering a freak injury while playing for Team USA this summer, Anthony gets the nod by default as the next best small forward in the East. The New York Knicks are a woeful 5-28, the second-worst record in the league but Anthony is still an elite scorer, tied for fourth in scoring.
Western Conference– Kevin Durant, Rudy Gay
Last year’s MVP, Durant, is still nursing a bad ankle sprain and the timetable is unknown for his return to Scott Brooks’ rotation. He’s averaging only 28.2 minutes per game and the Oklahoma City Thunder will desperately need him to bounce back to MVP form in order for the team to gain a top-four seed out West. Gay is quietly having a career year with Sacramento playing as the second option behind DeMarcus Cousins, putting up 21 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. He’s seeking his first All-Star game appearance.
POWER FORWARD
Eastern Conference– Pau Gasol, Kevin Love, Paul Millsap
The 34-year-old Gasol looks rejuvenated after moving to The Windy City playing alongside Joakim Noah in the frontcourt and has the fifth-most double-doubles this year. Love’s numbers in the major statistically categories are down across the board from last year and his struggles defensively are contributing heavily to the Cavaliers lack of wins. Still, he’s a double-double machine and you can expect the chemistry between LeBron, Kyrie Irving and him to pick up as we inch closer to the All-Star break. Millsap is nearly tied with teammate Jeff Teague for the Atlanta Hawks leading scorer (16.5 points) and the team has played exceptional so far, only 1½ games back of the top-seeded Raptors.
Western Conference– Anthony Davis, LaMarcus Aldridge, Blake Griffin
With the versatility he displays and the numbers he’s averaging, Davis has played as well as any other player has this season and the 21-year-old continues to improve on a nightly basis. His rankings so far: third in scoring, ninth in rebounding, first in blocks and 16th in steals. It is clear Aldridge is building off his playoff performance in the first round last year against the Rockets, now averaging 22.9 points and 10.6 rebounds. He has 11 games of scoring 25 points or more. Offensively, Griffin has developed a more consistent jump shot and is much more confident playing with his back to the basket. He also continues to hit more than 70 percent of his free throws, so teams can no longer just put him on the foul line down the stretch of close games.
CENTER
Eastern Conference– Chris Bosh, Nikola Vucevic
LeBron is back in Cleveland and Bosh’s scoring has increased nearly five points more than last year. With many teams willing to play small ball these days, Bosh may be the best stretch 5 across the league and his versatility defensively has always gone overlooked. Orlando already has 13 wins compared to last year’s 23 because of Vucevic’s growth on both ends of the court, and currently leads the league in double-doubles with 18.
Western Conference– DeMarcus Cousins, Marc Gasol
Boogie Cousins is averaging 24.7 points and 12.3 rebounds and the 24-year-old is starting to get recognized as the best center in basketball. His physicality and skill on the interior along with his ability to step outside the paint and be just as effective have made him an unstoppable offensive force at 270 pounds. In a contract year, Gasol has taken on a much larger role with the team offensively, scoring about six more points per game (20.2) than last year. Teamed with Zach Randolph up front, the Memphis Grizzlies have the fifth best record in basketball.