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You had your chance to watch the năm ngoái NBA All-Star Game and let all its wonder sink in. Now it"s time khổng lồ look ahead to the 2016 All-Star wingding.

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No, you cannot yet vote on the participants for next year"s superstar soiree, which will take place in Toronto on Feb. 14, 2016. We"re not that ahead of the curve. But we vì have an early look at what the rosters for next year"s All-Star shindig could look like. (You"re welcome.)

These predictions are based on a number of things. We"re going khổng lồ assume the full health of all players involved, because we"re not a group of Pessimistic Patricks and Debbie Downers. Age, however, will play a role in determining which recurrent All-Star performers get the shaft (sorry, Dwyane Wade).

We"re also going to lớn assume the players in question will not leave incumbent teams if they"re không tính tiền agents. If for some reason you know LaMarcus Aldridge plans on signing with the Philadelphia 76ers, please just humor us for a few minutes. Our crystal balls must be on the fritz.

This season"s performance will count for something. So, too, will reputations. If a player didn"t make it this season but has made it in the past, he receives the benefit of the doubt.

Common sense will play a major part in this production as well. There"s an element of politics và inevitability in every All-Star affair. We know certain players are locks to lớn be voted in as starters, while others have no business being in this discussion.

Do we have an understanding? Wonderful. Fire up the time machine; năm 2016 here we come.

Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers

Chris Paul has been an All-Star staple for the past eight years, and that"s not going khổng lồ change for 2016. Only recently has his place atop the point guard ladder even come under siege.

Approaching 30, Paul is still in his prime, popular and potent enough lớn where he"ll contend for another starting nod. He"s piloting a top-five offense for the fourth consecutive season, and this will mark the eighth time he"s averaged at least 15.0 points, 9.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

Just one other player has done the same: Magic Johnson. Next season, assuming health, Paul will flirt with those benchmarks for a ninth time—something no one else has ever done.

Fittingly enough, those continued on-court exploits will also be enough khổng lồ nab him All-Star selection No. 9, once again reaffirming what we already know: Paul is good at this whole basketball thing.

James Harden, Houston Rockets

Look, none of us likes this.

James Harden is the best darn-tootin" shooting guard in the game. He should be starting in 2016. I know it, you know it, & even Kobe Bryant knows it. But Bryant"s brand knows no bounds. He was voted a starter this year, the most inefficient of his career. If not for another injury, Harden would be riding pine.

Be thankful he"s here at all. Other guards are going khổng lồ suffer, receiving little or no consideration because a soon-to-be 37-year-old Bryant is the global prom king. Harden is above being impacted, insofar as it relates to his eligibility.

At 25, he"s only just entering his prime. He leads the league in scoring, is a contact-creating connoisseur, is a favorite for this year"s MVP award và has many, many (many) All-Star selections ahead of him—next year included.

Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers (Wild-Card Reserve)

Here"s a danh sách of every player to average at least 19 points, five assists & three rebounds per game in each of the last three seasons:

LeBron JamesJames HardenDamian Lillard

Yes, Lillard will be in the All-Star game next year. No, it won"t be as an injury replacement. He hasn"t yet turned 25, so the best is still lớn come. And knowing the lead-in to lớn his best includes two All-Star appearances, this is a no-brainer.

Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma city Thunder (Wild-Card Reserve)

Consider this your hourly reminder that the Western Conference could field an All-Star team comprising only point guards. Yet in this field of many, Westbrook still stands out.

Picking against him is something you just don"t do. (Bonus no-no: Never leave him hanging.) He"s the force of nature that all other forces of nature report to.

If the season ended today, Westbrook would be the fourth ever guard to register a player efficiency rating north of 28. His company would be Michael Jordan, Wade & Paul.

To believe he won"t make his fifth All-Star appearance next season would be absurd. Disregard the pants-soiling stats; the coaches will vote him in out of fear for what will happen if they don"t.

Age: 26

All-Star Selections: 2

2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 23.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 2.2 steals, 48.1 percent shooting, 27.4 PER

Spoiler Alert: The leading vote-getter for the 2015 NBA All-Star game isn"t going anywhere.

Stephen Curry"s time atop the league"s totem pole has really only just begun. He"s gone from a fringe All-Star in 2013 to a supernatural stat-stuffing machine today.

In ancient times (2012), we might have questioned whether his ankles would hold up. But his availability, along with his pre-eminent playmaking và shooting, is now a given.

"Above all else, Curry has mesmerizing talent," wrote Sam Amick of USA Today. "On his best nights, he"s a combination of Steve Nash, Pete Maravich and Reggie Miller. The pull-up threes, behind-the-back passes & yo-yo style dribbling have made the Warriors must-see TV và Oracle Arena a hallowed hall of hoops."

If his current numbers hold, Curry has a real opportunity khổng lồ join Jordan as just the second player to average 23.0 points, four rebounds, eight assists và two steals per trò chơi for an entire season. & he has that chance while posting a true shooting percentage (62)—metric measuring two-point, three-point và free-throw efficiency—higher than anything Jordan ever registered.

Curry"s brand of efficient volume usage is unprecedented. Record-breakers lượt thích himself don"t just fall off the face of the Earth in one year"s time. He"s the type of player who will remain in this spot, starting All-Star exhibitions for years khổng lồ come.

Age: 36

All-Star Selections: 17 (14 appearances)

2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.3 steals, 37.3 percent shooting, 17.6 PER

Anyone who"s anyone understands Bryant"s ability is long past the days of starting All-Star tilts. 

Anyone who"s anyone also understands his popularity is greater than that of pretty much everyone else in the NBA.

Just look at the top All-Star vote-getters this year:

Stephen Curry: 1,513,324LeBron James: 1,470,483Anthony Davis: 1,369,911Kobe Bryant: 1,152,402James Harden: 1,069,368

Bryant finished fourth, exceeding Harden"s tallies và rivaling Davis" popularity. That"s not about khổng lồ change.

This was the least efficient season of Bryant"s career, and fans still voted him in. Next season could—and probably will—be his last. The Kobe Cult isn"t about to squander its final chance khổng lồ see No. 24 run beside the league"s best players.

Emails offering condolence to lớn Harden should be sent to JHardizzle
beard.iamtherealmvp.net.

LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers

A bum left thumb couldn"t stop Aldridge from competing this year. The only reason he wouldn"t be repping the Blazers at next season"s competition is because he signed elsewhere in free agency.

In that scenario, he would be representing the San Antonio Spurs whichever team he signed with.

My point is, the only player to surpass đôi mươi points và eight rebounds per trò chơi through each of the last five seasons is going to make his fifth All-Star appearance in 2016.

DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings

Justice has not yet been served. Not entirely. Not until DeMarcus Cousins is an All-Star without strings attached.

This should have been the season, but it wasn"t. He was named as an injury placement, helping the NBA avoid one of the worst snubs ever.

Next year should pose no such roadblocks. Cousins is on the verge of joining David Robinson and Charles Barkley as the only three players to eclipse 6,000 points, 3,500 rebounds, 450 steals và 350 blocks through their first five seasons, và there"s nothing khổng lồ suggest he"ll soon slow down.

Listen closely, and you can already hear those strings coming undone.

Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs

Going out on a limb here.

Kawhi Leonard isn"t your typical All-Star. He is quiet, keeps lớn himself & only laughs once every six years. He is the personality inverse of Dwight Howard. But he"s also a budding star.

Leonard"s usage rate has exploded this season, as have most of his numbers. With the Western Conference short on dominance at small forward, và with Leonard"s importance lớn the Spurs increasing daily, it"s only a matter of time before he plays in his first All-Star Game—363 days, lớn be exact.

Age: 26

All-Star Selections: 6

2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 25.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 0.9 steals, 51.7 percent shooting, 28.6 PER

Don"t fret Kevin Durant"s stay outside the All-Star starting lineup. It won"t last long.

Various injuries restricted Durant"s tín đồ votes this season, relegating him to reserve duty, warping our perception of All-Star Weekend as we know it. But when Durant has played, he"s been downright dangerous—Durantish, if you will.

No matter, though. Bleacher Report"s Adam Fromal found concrete evidence that Durant is still Durant & fated lớn stay Durant for the foreseeable future:

The list of players in NBA history who have posted a true shooting percentage of at least 63, averaged more than 25 points per game & taken at least four triples during the typical contest is a short one.

Durant did it in 2012-13 và again in 2013-14.

Now, he is doing it in 2014-15.

Really, Durant"s năm 2016 All-Star candidacy isn"t even a question. So long as he doesn"t gamble away his spot in an illicit one-on-one competition, he"ll be in Toronto as a starter, listening khổng lồ Drake serenade him on all Canada has khổng lồ offer a svelte giant lượt thích himself.

Which brings us lớn a question actually worth asking: Will the 2016 All-Star slate be Durant"s last as a member of the Thunder?

Age: 25

All-Star Selections: 5 (4 appearances)

2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 50.1 percent shooting, 23.1 PER

 

Blake Griffin"s numbers are difficult khổng lồ sustain in video games, let alone real life. He"s the most well-rounded nguồn forward in the Association, possessing the ability to lớn post up, take opponents off the dribble, drill mid-range jumpers, bury three-pointers and, most importantly, serve as a secondary playmaker.

One could certainly argue Griffin was better last season, when he garnered MVP consideration by carrying the Clippers in Paul"s absence. But the players who have averaged 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists on 50 percent shooting for an entire season over the least trăng tròn years can be counted on one hand.

There is Kevin Garnett, Durant, James và now Griffin. That"s it.

Elbow surgery forced him out of this year"s contest, but he"ll be back. He is now the perfect combination of methodical và athletic—potent enough khổng lồ obliterate box scores và unique enough lớn incite the fan fervor that remains pivotal to lớn earning All-Star starter honors.

Expect the still-young Griffin lớn resume his All-Star tour next February.

Age: 21

All-Star Selections: 2 (one appearance)

2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 24.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 2.7 blocks, 55.1 percent shooting, 31.8 PER

A defense of this prediction could entail any number of things.

I could tell you Davis will be the fourth player in league history to eclipse touchstones of 24.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals & 2.5 blocks. Then I could tell you that puts him in the company of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon và Robinson.

After that, I could tell you he"s on pace to tie the highest PER ever (Wilt Chamberlain in 1962-63), surpassing the career highs of James and Jordan three years before either of them reached said crest.

Finally, I could tell you that Davis is his own species, a world-wolfing paragon unlike any other the NBA has ever seen.

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Instead, I"ll just remind you that Davis, despite missing this year"s All-Star Game, is the NBA"s future, destined to grab the torch James now holds. The only way he isn"t starting in next year"s All-Star racket is if the mothership from Cybertron phones him home.

Jeff Teague, Atlanta Hawks

Jeff Teague is the new-age Tony Parker—sensational yet underrated. His numbers have improved through each of his first six seasons, và he"s been thriving within head coach Mike Budenholzer"s offense, averaging career highs in points & assists despite seeing his usage rate drop slightly from last year.

When next season tips off, Teague will be just 27, playing on the NBA"s freshest force, with one All-Star appearance already under his belt. This is a player who, as of now, leads the NBA"s second-best team in win shares (with Al Horford).

There"s exactly a zero percent chance he is not back in the All-Star conversation next season.

Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls

This is what banking on Jimmy Butler"s breakout chiến dịch being more than a contract-year anomaly looks like.

Shooting guard remains a barren position, especially when it comes to lớn two-way talent. The East itself isn"t particularly flush with dominant 2-guards, hence the fans voting in two point men as starters this season.

Wade is still flashy but seldom healthy, DeMar DeRozan appears to lớn have peaked statistically, and Bradley Beal just isn"t ready. That leaves us with Butler, who joins Harden & Westbrook as the only guards topping 20 points, five rebounds, three assists and one steal per game.

Punching his second straight All-Star ticket shouldn"t be an issue, provided Tom Thibodeau doesn"t somehow force him khổng lồ play 77 minutes in 48-minute games.

Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors (Wild-Card Reserve)

Not much lớn see here.

Kyle Lowry is still steering one of the league"s best offenses, and his individual numbers continue to lớn resemble that of an All-Star. Though defending this year"s starting slot will be difficult, the All-Star festivities will be in Toronto. The coaches will have no choice but lớn recognize him for his offensive torrents.

Someone has to lớn be out there representing the Raptors. And if it"s not going to be Bruno Caboclo, Lowry is the next-best guess.

Age: 24

All-Star Selections: 2

2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 17.4 points, 4.5 assists, 10.1 assists, 1.9 steals, 46.0 percent shooting, 20.7 PER

Is John Wall the best point guard in the Eastern Conference?

Yes.

Will that change before or during next season?

Absolutely not.

Every year, it"s something different with Wall. Last season, he sported a newly improved jumper, hitting a career-high 35.1 percent of his long balls. This season, his three-point touch has dropped, but he"s banging in a personal-best 45.8 percent of his shots between three feet & inside the three-point line, while also leading the Association in assists.

Armed with speed, precise court vision and the means lớn score from anywhere on the floor, Wall has made the Eastern Conference"s point guard throne his own, capitalizing on the void Derrick Rose"s years-long downturn has created.

Other challengers, lượt thích Irving, are certainly out there, but it"s Wall and Wall alone who is charged with the Washington Wizards" well-being. Both their offense and defense are better with him on the floor, & he doesn"t have the comfort of a fellow superstar to lớn make life easier.

None of which is an indictment of the Wizards, who are endowed with blue-collar talent. It"s just that Wall, an end-to-end lightning rod, has become the East"s most indispensable floor general. The impact that"s had on his popularity is undeniable, evident in his transition from almost-All-Star khổng lồ All-Star reserve lớn All-Star starter.

Not yet 25, Wall is only just getting started. For him, an All-Star selection is no longer a possible privilege. It"s an assumed right.

Age: 22

All-Star Selections: 3

2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 21.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.5 steals, 46.6 percent shooting, 21.0 PER

Playing second fiddle to James is starting to lớn look really good on Irving. This time next season, he will only look better.

Despite a substantial dip in usage rate, Irving"s scoring totals are better than they were in 2014-15. His true shooting percentage (57.6) has never been higher, và he"s drilling a godly 45.2 percent of his catch-and-shoot three-pointers.

By season"s end, Irving will have also surpassed 5,000 points, 800 rebounds, 1,400 assists và 300 steals for his career. The list of players to lớn streak past those plateaus through their first three campaigns while shooting 38 percent from deep is short. Super short.

Irving will stand alone.

Keeping his All-Star credibility intact beyond this season, then, shouldn"t be an issue. He had enough clout to lớn secure a starting spot in 2014, & the Cleveland Cavaliers" roller coaster wasn"t enough khổng lồ keep him off the roster in 2015. 

His running beside James will be second nature in one year"s time, making Irving that much more dangerous. Given his age, his continued offensive dominance & the fact he"s already won All-Star MVP honors, there"s little keeping him from returning to lớn starter territory—which is good, because Wall and Irving will make for a fun duo.

Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks

Picking Paul Millsap is only a risky gambit for us because of his upcoming free agency. Unlike Aldridge và Leonard, his situation isn"t as cut & dried.

As the league"s only player to be averaging at least 16.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists & 1.5 steals per game, Millsap is entering max-contract territory. There"s no telling whether dollars & cents will get in the way of his remaining in Atlanta.

But it"s those numbers that make him such an obvious pick. Millsap has morphed into one of the game"s most versatile forwards, & so long as he remains in the Eastern Conference, a third All-Star berth will be within his reach.

Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons

The time has come. Or rather, it"s coming.

Although Andre Drummond"s efficiency has dipped this season, that"s to be expected when his usage rate jumps by nearly five points. Plus, it"s not lượt thích he"s doing his best Josh Smith impression. Drummond can be sloppy in the post, but he"s shooting 50 percent overall and has become more self-sufficient under Stan Van Gundy.

Those per-36-minute splits of his are still brain-bending as well. That he"s only 21 favors him, too.

Regardless of whether unrestricted free agent Greg Monroe leaves, Van Gundy has been dead set on making Drummond a focal point. In a league short on Dwight Howard comparisons, Drummond will receive his All-Star due eventually. It just so happens "eventually" means next year.

Chris Bosh, Miami Heat

Chris Bosh hasn"t kept the Heat in play for a top-four playoff spot, but he is putting up numbers, exceeding đôi mươi points per game for the first time since leaving the Raptors.

As a primary offensive option, Bosh leaves a lot lớn be desired. He continues to lớn live on the perimeter, shooting more threes than ever before. But that only means he"s protected against the physical beatdowns he would receive down low, ensuring his game ages well.

Unlike fallen stars Amar"e Stoudemire & Carlos Boozer, Bosh has expanded his offensive repertoire to lớn meet contemporary standards. The NBA is a floor-spacing league, & Bosh can space the floor. Và with Wade aging fast, he"ll have every opportunity to lớn get numbers & nab his 11th All-Star spot (10th appearance) next season.

Nikola Vucevic (Wild-Card Reserve)

Nikola Vucevic is the first NBA player since Howard in 2011-12 lớn average at least 19.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists on 50 percent shooting per game. He should have been an All-Star this year, so it"s a safe bet he"ll wind up in the discussion again next season.

Orlando"s coaching situation—the team doesn"t have a permanent one—makes this an iffy pick. A different, faster-pace offense could curb Vucevic"s scoring opportunities và overall playing time.

Still, 7-footers with his combination of offensive range and rebounding prowess are tough khổng lồ find. If the Magic feed him, he"s going to eat. And after handing him a four-year, $53 million extension, it appears they want him to feast.

Age: 30

All-Star Selections: 11

2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 25.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.5 steals, 48.9 percent shooting, 25.5 PER

The year in which James isn"t named an All-Star starter will be a sad one indeed. Good thing it"s not on the horizon.

Popularity is an integral ingredient khổng lồ netting a starting spot, and James is certainly popular. He is the closest thing to Jordan"s heir apparent the NBA has ever had (sorry, Kobe) và remains an unparalleled stats-piler.

Sure, James has more than 41,600 playoff and regular-season minutes on his treads. Và yes, there was a weeks-long span lớn start this season during which he looked human. But this is James we"re talking about. An all-time great. The only player to finish his first 12 seasons with a minimum of 20,000 points, 6,000 rebounds, 6,000 assists và 1,500 steals—and his 12th season isn"t even over yet.

Even the most expansive các mục of reasons why James wouldn"t start an All-Star game is woefully brief. Exhibit A:

James retiresJames is injuredThe All-Star jamboree is cancelled due to a lockout (keep your fingers crossed in 2017, ladies and gentleman)James ditches All-Star Weekend lớn finish filming Space Jam 2: Daffy Duck"s MVP Journey

Moral of the story: James will be one of your five Eastern Conference starters until he decides otherwise.

Age: 30

All-Star Selections: 8

2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 24.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.0 steals, 44.4 percent shooting, 21.7 PER

Eight All-Star selections later, it"s fair khổng lồ wonder when Anthony"s place among the top stars will cease to lớn exist. There is no easy way khổng lồ ask or answer that question. Anthony is anything but a conventional superstar. He"s derided for his play style và free-agency decisions, yet here he is, about to lớn start on his sixth straight All-Star stage.

Age & injuries only compound this issue. Speeding toward 31, Anthony has been banged up all year and is planning to lớn shut himself down for the rest of this season.

"It"s very likely. It"s very likely," he said during an interview on ESPN Radio, per ESPN New York"s Ian Begley. "Now I"ve got khổng lồ start thinking about the future."

A future that should still include at least one more All-Star start.

Anthony is brand-obsessed, và it shows. It showed in Eli Saslow"s piece for ESPN The Magazine, wherein Anthony emphasized his off-court relevance, và it shows in the way the half-hobbled star made himself available for a trò chơi that doesn"t actually matter.

But this brand of Anthony"s, while having endured a lion"s chia sẻ of vitriol, is irrefutably strong. He"s been looped in with the game"s best players for years, synonymous with the likes of James, Wade and Paul.

That he plays in a market lượt thích New York also helps, as does his ability lớn carry an entire offense, no matter how bad. The thủ đô new york Knicks run the equivalent of a top-10 attack when he"s on the floor. When he"s on the bench, they pump in just 94 points per 100 possessions, which would rank as one of the seven worst efficiency ratings of all time.

Eventually, someone will come for Anthony"s starting spot, a talent not even his off-court reach can fend off. For now, & leading into next season, his on- và off-court clout should be enough lớn award him a seventh consecutive All-Star start in 2016.

Kevin Love

Age: 26

All-Star Selections: 3

2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 17.0 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 42.9 percent shooting, 19.0 PER

Oodles of things are happening here.

First, we"re banking on Kevin Love staying in Cleveland, because, well, that"s what he is going to lớn do.

Second, we"re positing that three Cavaliers will be in the East"s starting lineup. This is not an unreasonable guess, knowing each of the Miami Heat"s Big Three earned a starting nod in the 2013-2014 season. It"s even more plausible considering the dearth of polarizing centers who play in the East (feel free to join the dark side in không tính phí agency, Marc Gasol).

Lastly, và most importantly, this demands we remember all Love accomplished before he came to lớn Cleveland. His 2014-15 campaign has been a disappointment compared to his days with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but that"s what happens when you go from being the first, second, third, fourth & fifth option lớn being the third.

Never mind that 17 và 10 are solid numbers for a third fiddle. This is still the same Love who finished third in All-Star voting among all Western Conference frontcourt players last season. That"s exponentially harder than securing a starting spot in the East, not khổng lồ mention a harbinger of hope for those wondering if Love will ever be close to the same. 

"I don"t know," Love told Northeast Ohio truyền thông Group"s Chris Haynes of when he"ll return to form. "I just kind of go out there & play & affect the game. Right now, I"m trying khổng lồ find my way."

Players as talented as Love, playing on teams as talented as the Cavaliers, always find their way. And as next year"s All-Star ballots will show, Love himself will be no exception.

*Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference và NBA.com và are accurate as of games played leading into the All-Star break.

Chuyên mục: Tin Tức