With one-third of the NBA season completed, All-Star voting has officially begun, as we look ahead to the star-studded showcase in Indiana in early 2024. While voting for the greatest players in the NBA is mostly a popularity battle, there are some up-and-comers in the field competing for their first All-Star Game berth. Every year, a few first-timers make their way into the roster, and with another robust crop of competitors, how many first-time All-Stars can we expect this season?
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HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Spurs – Victor Wembanyama Victor Wembanyama has proven to be as good as advertised in his first 25 games of his career. Wemby will make plenty of appearances among the greatest of the best in years to come, despite having only featured in four wins thus far.
Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley – Evan Mobley has failed to make the customary third-year breakthrough that we have come to expect from NBA prospects. Nonetheless, prior to his knee injury, the Cavs’ youthful big man was averaging an effective double-double, fueled by 64 dunks – the league’s third highest total behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and Rudy Gobert.
Nuggets’ Jamal Murray – Injuries continue to derail Jamal Murray’s All-Star bid, as they have for years. Denver’s point guard has an 11-4 record in 15 games this season, averaging 18.4 points per game on healthy shooting splits and 5.7 assists each night. He is deserving of qualification, but unless Murray improves his scoring average and the Nuggets go on a tear, he will most likely miss out again.
LaMelo Ball, Hornets – Yet another All-Star guard who can’t remain on the court. LaMelo’s health will prevent him from making a significant run for ASG. With averages near to 25 and 8, the Charlotte star would be in the running for a roster slot, but the fact that he isn’t close to returning and has only played 15 games this season definitely keeps Ball out.
Thunder, Chet Holmgren – Chet Holmgren, the front-runner for Rookie of the Year honors, was relatively unlucky to find himself among the honorable mentions rather than a legitimate contender for a roster place. However, the All-Star Game only features 24 players each season, and while Holmgren is helping to transform the Thunder into a contender with his play on both ends of the floor, an All-Star berth is a long shot.
TYRESE HALIBURTON, PACERS
Season stats: 11-8 record, 26.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 11.9 APG
Tyrese Haliburton is the finest point guard in the league, in my opinion. With Indiana’s floor general dominating offensively during the first part of the 2023-24 season, ending in an outstanding Pacers in-season tournament run, this isn’t exactly an outrageous assertion. No one, and I repeat, NO ONE, has ever averaged 24 points and 12 assists for an entire NBA season, demonstrating how dominant Haliburton has been in terms of creating offense for his club. There is still a lot of work to be done before the All-Star rosters are finalized, but it’s safe to assume Haliburton will be on the team, providing the host city a representative in the mid-season classic.
ALPEREN SENGUN, ROCKETS
Season stats: 13-12 record, 19.7 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 5.2 APG
The term ‘unicorn’ is overused in today’s NBA, but make no mistake: Alperen Sengun is a rare, rare talent. Only six other players in the league (Julius Randle, Giannis Antetokoumpo, Joel Embiid, Scottie Barnes, and Nikola Jokic) have comparable per-game averages to Sengun, and the majority of them are pillars for their respective clubs and are projected to play in the All-Star game. While Houston’s starting center is experiencing a short shooting slump, his ever-expanding game, combined with Houston’s improvement in the win-loss column, puts Sengun squarely in the All-Star conversation.
SCOTTIE BARNES, RAPTORS
Season stats: 11-16 record, 20.6 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 5.7 APG
Any concerns Toronto fans had following Scottie Barnes’ sophomore struggles have swiftly dissipated. With the Raptors’ 4th overall choice in the 2021 draft shooting 10% better from the 3-point line (38.1%) than the previous season, it’s evident that they have a potential superstar on their hands. Barnes will have to compete for a reserve place with a stacked group of Eastern contenders, and Toronto’s sub.500 record may be used against him. Scottie, on the other hand, fully deserves to be on the court when All-Star action returns to Indiana in February.
PAOLO BANCHERO, MAGIC
Season stats: 16-10 record, 20.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 4.5 APG
Paolo Banchero is another Eastern Conference forward who is likely to make numerous All-Star selections in his career. The reigning Rookie of the Year has taken another step forward in his development this season, establishing himself as the Magic’s go-to guy and a player around whom they can potentially construct a future winner. A four-game losing run doesn’t help his prospects, but if coaches choose to reward Orlando for their strong start, Banchero is the one who will make the team.
DESMOND BANE, GRIZZLIES
Season stats: 8-18 record, 24.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.2 APG
Desmond Bane has filled in admirably for Memphis after being forced to play without his running partner, Ja Morant, for the first 25 games of the season. Bane, who is only in his fourth season in the league, has already established himself as one of the purest shooters in the league, as evidenced by his 49-point outburst against Detroit just three weeks ago. There is a difficult road ahead of him in order to qualify for the ASG, but if the Grizzlies can regain their mojo and Bane is at the vanguard of their turnaround, Memphis’ rising star could surprise us and win a nomination.
MIKAL BRIDGES, NETS
Season stats: 13-14 record, 21.7 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3.7 APG
Mikal Bridges looked every bit the franchise player in his first 27 games with the Nets after being acquired in a Kevin Durant trade. Bridges’ 26 points per game and defensive plays propelled him further into the conversation as one of the league’s finest two-way players. Unfortunately, he hasn’t produced at the same level this season as the Nets struggle to rediscover their identity as a team. Bridges hasn’t done anything to convince us that he won’t be a cornerstone piece for Brooklyn during his first 27 games of the new season, but he faces an uphill battle to enter the All-Star rotation.
TYRESE MAXEY, SIXERS
Season stats: 12-7 record, 26.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 6.7 APG
Tyrese Maxey’s spectacular season has swiftly dispelled whatever doubts Philadelphia supporters had about life without James Harden. Maxey has thrived with Joel Embiid to keep the Sixers squarely in the championship race through the first 27 games of the season, averaging the 15th-highest PPG mark in the NBA. What has most amazed me is Maxey’s playmaking abilities, as he joins Chris Paul and Mike Conley as the only players to average 6+ assists and less than 1.5 turnovers per game. If he continues this up, he’ll undoubtedly claim one of the East’s reserve positions.
JALEN BRUNSON, KNICKS
Season stats: 16-11 record, 25.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 5.9 APG
I am capable of admitting when I am mistaken. I was among those who questioned Jalen Brunson’s contract from New York two offseasons ago, but 106 games into his Knicks tenure, it’s clear that they got a steal. Brunson has won over 62% of his Knickerbocker games while leading the team to consecutive postseason appearances for the first time in a decade. Brunson appears doomed to watch the All-Star Game from home once again in an era where per-game stats are popping off the page, but the catalyst to New York’s success should be rewarded for his extraordinarily consistent high level of performance.