5 players most likely to make their first NBA All-Star team in 2019

The voting for the 2019 NBA All-Star Game has begun, and with that comes a fresh batch of possible players who could make their first appearance.

Dec. 25 has come and gone, bringing with it the voting period for the 2019 NBA All-Star Game set to take place at the Spectrum Center, home of the Charlotte Hornets.

For some of the more regular All-Stars like LeBron James and Kevin Durant who have become somewhat desensitized to it, the weekend is nothing more than an exhausting three-day stretch going from corporate obligations to interview sessions to eventually the game on Sunday night.

Those appearing in their first of hopefully many, though, feel differently. For them, it’s a representation of all their hard work and success culminating in a reward only 24 players in the entire league are granted each year.

The voting process for starters is simply a popularity process, but the selection of reserves — being done by all 30 coaches — is a little more open to interpretation. It really comes down to one’s individual statistics and team success, but obviously, each coach gives more importance to one over the other, especially considering the burden of expectations placed on each.

With the surge of talent the NBA is currently in the midst of, there are quite a few notable players who may find themselves in position to make their very first All-Star team. While all have been having terrific individual seasons, at the heart of their candidacy is the winning their teams are currently experiencing due to their level of play.

It’s always interesting to see who winds up making the cut and who is listed among the snubs, especially in the Western Conference. All five of these guys have a great shot to be selected. It’ll mostly be about maintaining their success until the voting process is taken care of.