The NBA All-Star Game is stacked with the game’s current stars. Some won’t always hold that position, though – LeBron James is going to have to retire someday, right?
There are seven players who are competing in the All-Star Game for the first time this year, when considering those subbed in as injury replacements. In alphabetical order: Jarrett Allen, LaMelo Ball, Darius Garland, Ja Morant, Dejounte Murray, Fred VanVleet, and Andrew Wiggins.
Not all first-time NBA All-Stars are created equally. Which players will provide the most value to their teams moving forward?
The first-time competitors pretty much run the gamut in terms of experience. Garland, Ball, and Morant have gained a lot of momentum as the future of elite guards in the NBA this season. Meanwhile, Wiggins has been around since the Obama presidency, making his selection a surprise.
For this exercise, we’re going to say that all seven of these players are at an inflection point in their careers. Each player is deserving of their All-Star status in their own way. But how will they develop and evolve at this point going forward?
The answers may seem obvious, but judging by this crop of first-time All-Stars, it’s clear that we never have a definitive grip on how the future will turn out. After all, last year’s rosters included four first-time All-Stars. Jaylen Brown and Zach LaVine still seem to be on the come-up, but Zion Williamson can’t stay healthy, and Julius Randle is regressing before the eyes of the New York Knicks.
So what will these future NBA All-Stars contribute in the future?