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Last season\u2019s Kia MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (right) and Luka Doncic are near locks to make the All-Star Game.<\/p>\n
Editor\u2019s Note: Read more NBA coverage from Yahoo Sports here<\/a>. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its teams.\u00a0<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n We\u2019re roughly a month into a wild, wacky and ultimately entertaining NBA season. We\u2019ve had the usual blend of fun: dominance at the top (hi, Oklahoma City), a star-studded MVP race, an intriguing rookie class and plenty of overtime thrillers, breakout stars and where-did-you-come-from team performances \u2014 the Hawks, Raptors, and Suns seem to be prime candidates right now.<\/p>\n We recently got word of this year\u2019s\u00a0new All-Star format<\/a>, yet\u00a0another\u00a0round of tweaks as the NBA at large tries to find a way to recapture some of the magic \u2014 and overall interest \u2014 of the past. This year will see the introduction of a Team USA vs. Team World format, but with a bit of a twist.<\/p>\n There will be three teams of eight players (24 total, no positional limit) involved in a round-robin mini-tournament. Among the player pool, 12 must come from each conference.<\/p>\n The teams will play each other once \u2014 Team A vs. Team B, the winner facing Team C in the second game, then the\u00a0loser\u00a0of Team A vs Team B facing Team C in the third game \u2014 with each game consisting of a 12-minute period.<\/p>\n The top two teams will play each other in the championship game. If the initial three games end with each team having a 1-1 record, the tiebreaker will be the overall point differential.<\/p>\n I ultimately don\u2019t mind the attempt, though I have some history-keeping and back-of-the-roster questions in the event Adam Silver has to fudge things to make sure there are eight international players on Team World.<\/p>\n For the actual games, is a 12-minute stretch enough of a sweet spot for players to catch a rhythm and give an acceptable level of effort \u2014 the real issue with All-Star festivities the last few years \u2014 without risking injury? I guess we\u2019ll find out.<\/p>\n With a decent sample of games in the books, I thought it\u2019d be fun to take an early look at what the player pool could look like. A couple of notes before we get rollin\u2019 and scrollin\u2019:<\/p>\n While there isn\u2019t an official games-played minimum for All-Star festivities, I personally use it as a consistent guardrail since I\u2019m keeping tabs for award selections anyway. A 65-of-82 limit comes out to roughly 79% of games played; the league average for games played right now is about 13, meaning players would need to have appeared in at least 10 contests\u00a0for me\u00a0through Nov. 16. That\u2019s the primary reason you won\u2019t see Anthony Edwards (9 games), Bam Adebayo (8), LaMelo Ball (7) and others.<\/p>\n After getting the 24, I tried my best to split them into Team East, Team West and Team World. There were ultimately more Team World representatives from the West than the East, so I did my best to do a little balancing. I can\u2019t wait to see how the NBA splits or drafts things once we get to February.<\/p>\n Because it\u2019s me, there will be honorable mentions. And be aware that this is ultimately my\u00a0abbreviated\u00a0list. I don\u2019t hate your favorite team or your favorite player (non-legal-issue division), I promise.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s dig in, shall we?<\/p>\n EASTERN CONFERENCE REPS<\/p>\n * denotes World team member<\/p>\n > Giannis Antetokounmpo* (MIL) There\u2019s been more on the plate of Giannis this season, which has led to career highs in points and assists \u2014 and, quietly, more per-possession inconsistency on defense than you\u2019d like. Still, this is the best player in the East \u2014 and the most doubled player (26.2% of touches) in the league to this point \u2014 that can take over games on both ends when fully locked in.<\/p>\n > Scottie Barnes (TOR) The Raptors are currently one of four teams with a top-10 ranking in offensive\u00a0and\u00a0defensive rating per Cleaning The Glass, with Barnes \u2014 sometimes literally \u2014 at the center of both. He\u2019s oscillated between playmaking hub, screener (please make more contact), post threat and transition menace on offense. He\u2019s been tasked with a little bit of everything defensively, with his off-ball exploits popping at an All-Defense level right now.<\/p>\n > Jaylen Brown (BOS) Brown has answered \u201cHow will he look without Jayson Tatum?\u201d questions with, narrowly, the most efficient season of his career (58.7 true shooting) to this point of the season. He\u2019s gotten buckets from just about everywhere, but it\u2019s worth noting he\u2019s been bonkers in the midrange \u2014 49% per Cleaning The Glass.<\/p>\n > Jalen Brunson (NYK) Brunson has enjoyed the tweaks to the offense, more often getting to attack on the second side of actions and making quicker, still-fruitful decisions because of it. For a quick example: He\u2019s having the\u00a0best catch-and-shoot season<\/a>\u00a0of his career, draining 50% of his career-high 3.1 attempts from deep within that context.<\/p>\n > Cade Cunningham (DET) Cunningham is at the forefront of the East-leading Pistons, providing his usual blend of at-my-rhythm drives and playmaking chops. The efficiency is down, though he\u2019s dealt with some spacing-deprived defensive lineups and more defensive attention. He\u2019s seen a second defender on nearly 19% of his touches, the fifth-highest mark in the league among 138 players to log at least 500 touches.<\/p>\n > Jalen Duren (DET) Tag-teaming with Cunningham to produce the most voluminous ball-screen pairing in the league (209 picks, only duo over 200), Duren has been a legitimate two-way game changer. He\u2019s setting bone-crushing picks, cleaning the glass, providing real juice as a scheme-versatile defender and (literally) flashing mid-possession playmaking chops to keep the half-court offense moving. That brother\u2019s getting\u00a0paid\u00a0this summer, and rightfully so.<\/p>\n > Josh Giddey* (CHI) The feel-good shine for the Bulls has all but run out; after a 5-0 start, they\u2019ve lost six of their last seven games. If there\u2019s good news to be had, it\u2019s that Giddey\u2019s second-half surge from last season has carried over into this one. His intuitive and daring passing continues to juice Chicago\u2019s transition attack and overall productivity in the paint. His drives have become more physical, a welcome growth area for him. He is still hitting 3s and has gotten friskier with his off-the-dribble attempts.<\/p>\n > Jalen Johnson (ATL) Since Trae Young went down with a knee injury, Johnson has stepped up: 22.4 points (63\/46\/78), 10.9 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.9 steals and a 6-2 record in the games he\u2019s appeared in. In addition to remaining an elite transition scorer, Johnson has taken more ownership of the half-court offense as a ball-screen initiator and occasional hub. He was playing at an All-Star level last season before getting injured; hopefully he gets to cash in this season.<\/p>\n > Tyrese Maxey (PHI) It may just be time to call this Maxey\u2019s team. Career highs across the board speak for themselves, but the command Maxey has displayed has popped off the screen all season long. His driving prowess and 3-point shooting remain in abundance; the growth in playmaking and floor-manipulation, and some of the shot-hunting he\u2019s done in the midrange has made him incredibly difficult to deal with.<\/p>\n > Donovan Mitchell (CLE) It\u2019s been an uneven season for the (checks notes) third-seed Cavaliers, but Mitchell has been phenomenal. Despite teams working hard to take away his paint touches \u2014 he\u2019s seeing help on nearly 83% of his drives, a top-10 mark among high-volume drivers this season and a major step up from last year\u2019s 75.2% clip \u2014 he\u2019s been\u00a0windmill-gathering<\/a>\u00a0his way into a bevy of touch shots and tough finishes at the rim. He remains an unconscious pull-up threat from beyond the arc, making him one of the most dynamic guards we have in the league.<\/p>\n > Norman Powell (MIA) A pleasant surprise, Powell has built on his fringe All-Star campaign from last season. He\u2019s been an absolute rocket for the Heat this year; his blistering start from beyond the arc \u2014 he\u2019s been the\u00a0best 3-point shooter in the league<\/a>\u00a0among 32 players to take at least seven per game \u2014 and quick-twitch drives have been necessary within Miami\u2019s\u00a0open-season offensive attack<\/a>.<\/p>\n > Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK) It took Towns a little bit to adjust to New York\u2019s offensive tweaks; it also took head coach Mike Brown some time to figure out the right blend and rhythm of Towns\u2019 touches. It\u2019s looked much better as of late; the Knicks are 6-1 over their last seven, with Towns averaging 24-12-4 on 61.1 true shooting.<\/p>\n Honorable mentions<\/p>\n > Franz Wagner* (ORL): 23.1 points (51\/36\/83), 6.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.1 steals<\/p>\n > Paolo Banchero (ORL): 21.7 points (53\/25\/77), 8.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.9 blocks<\/p>\n The Orlando contingent will be important to watch moving forward, especially since they should both (technically) have eligibility for Team World if it comes down to it. I\u2019ve enjoyed some of the shot profile refinement (read:\u00a0soooo\u00a0many more drives and free throws) from Banchero; the early transition seals and general downhill juice from Wagner continue to excite me.<\/p>\n > Evan Mobley (CLE): 19.2 points (52\/36\/63), 9 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.6 blocks<\/p>\n Mobley\u2019s averaging career highs in points, assists and steals, but it hasn\u2019t\u00a0felt\u00a0that way. Similar to Mitchell, he\u2019s seen an uptick in attention on his drives (51.9% help rate to 60.7% this year) and has leaned more on his jump shooting to counter. While he hasn\u2019t been quite DPOY-level for\u00a0me\u00a0to start the year, he remains incredibly good on that end. It wouldn\u2019t surprise me, nor should it shock anyone, if the Cavs find their footing and Mobley feels like more of a sure thing a few weeks from now.<\/p>\n > Pascal Siakam* (IND): 24.6 points (49\/36\/66), 7.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.2 steals<\/p>\n It\u2019s not his fault the Pacers have essentially been an infirmary. I just want to note that, even within this context, Siakam has been a tough cover on all three levels. Please stay healthy, and please start making your free throws, brother.<\/p>\n > Alex Sarr* (WAS): 18.3 points (52\/35\/74), 8.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.2 blocks<\/p>\n We\u2019ll just say it hasn\u2019t been a\u00a0great\u00a0year for the Wizards, but Sarr has undoubtedly been their best story \u2014 with respect to Kyshawn George\u2019s start to the season. Sarr feels more refined as a screener, roller and finisher. His playmaking continues to pop when they allow him to make above-the-break decisions. The rim protection remains a fun feature of his game; I wish he had more consistency in front of him so his talents would really pop on that end.<\/p>\n WESTERN CONFERENCE REPS<\/p>\n * denotes World team member<\/p>\n > Devin Booker (PHX) Sunday night\u2019s loss to the Hawks bumped the Suns to 12th in defensive rating, so they\u2019re no longer one of the top-10-on-both-ends teams, but they\u2019ve been\u00a0a real joy to watch<\/a>. At the head of the snake is Booker, having the best scoring season of his career while handling an ungodly amount of traps in the process.<\/p>\n > Stephen Curry (GSW) Ask the Spurs: Curry\u2019s still got it when he needs it. It feels odd to say Curry is slumping from deep when he\u2019s converting at a 38% clip on over\u00a011 attempts,\u00a0but that\u2019s the standard he\u2019s set. Beyond that, he remains an electric scorer at all three levels, a dangerous screener and an underrated playmaker (despite the assist numbers) because of the attention he commands.<\/p>\n > Luka Don\u010di\u0107* (LAL) There already isn\u2019t much you can do with Don\u010di\u0107; that blend of size, playmaking and scoring audacity is historically rare. When he\u2019s making darn-near everything inside of, like, 12 feet, there\u00a0really\u00a0isn\u2019t anything you can do with him.<\/p>\n > Kevin Durant (HOU) Durant remains metronomic as a scorer; did you know he\u2019s on pace for his\u00a014th straight season\u00a0with a true shooting clip over 60? It\u2019s absurd. The Rockets have moved him around as an off-ball threat, initiator, screener and, if all else fails, a late-clock security blanket. It isn\u2019t always the cleanest process (I won\u2019t apologize), but he\u2019s largely delivered.<\/p>\n > Shai Gilgeous-Alexander* (OKC) How on earth did this dude get\u00a0better\u00a0despite not playing a second with Jalen Williams yet? SGA has established a different level of command in the half-court. He\u2019s averaging a career high in assists and a career\u00a0low\u00a0in turnovers (1.6 per game, 6.2 turnover rate). He has the\u00a0highest rate of unassisted baskets<\/a>\u00a0in the league and is still logging the most efficient season of his career (65.2 true shooting).<\/p>\n > James Harden (LAC) Harden logging the first 40-point triple-double in franchise history, and still coming away with a loss, feels like a microcosm of the season so far. Harden\u2019s been a monster: an elite driver (1.12 PPP), playmaker and shot-maker for a Clippers group still looking for some semblance of consistency.<\/p>\n > Nikola Joki\u0107*, Denver Nuggets An absolute no-brainer. He\u2019s been the league\u2019s best player and, due to his play and usage,\u00a0virtually impossible to guard<\/a>. He doesn\u2019t miss inside the arc, he\u2019s hitting 3s at a high clip, and he\u2019s arguably the best passer in basketball. More quietly, he\u2019s more than held his own as part of Denver\u2019s scheme-versatile, third-ranked defense. Here\u2019s a fun one: Opponents are generating 0.88 points per possession on trips featuring a ball screen defended by Joki\u0107, sixth, a hair ahead of Victor Wembanyama, among 28 players to defend at least 200 so far.<\/p>\n > Lauri Markkanen* (UTA) Talk about a bounce back season! Markkanen has been monstrous to start the year, an always-moving cog within Will Hardy\u2019s screen-heavy offense. The shooting prowess should be well-known at this point, but Markkanen\u2019s become a nastier driver this year. I don\u2019t know how sustainable 30 a night is, but he looks like a different dude. I\u2019ve enjoyed it.<\/p>\n > Julius Randle (MIN) Somewhat similar to the Cavs out East, the Wolves have had to find themselves in the midst of injury woes, guard inconsistency, and teams looking to attack them in different ways. The constant this year, in a pleasant surprise, has been Randle. The blend of bully drives \u2014 among 64 players to log 100 drives, Randle leads the NBA in points per possession generated (1.3) \u2014 pull-up shooting, off-the-bounce playmaking and occasional hub work has led to his most prolific\u00a0and\u00a0efficient season to date. In light of this, the Wolves have predictably died whenever\u00a0he\u2019s gone to the bench<\/a>.<\/p>\n > Austin Reaves (LAL) Also in the \u201che\u2019s gonna get\u00a0paid\u201d\u00a0division, Reaves has leveled up as a scorer and playmaker. He took off with the runway provided in the absence of Don\u010di\u0107 and the yet-to-play LeBron James, and it feels like the only thing that can stop him from maintaining this level of play is lingering effects of the groin injury that took him out of four games. Keep an eye on his work between, say, 7-to-14 feet. His mix of shot-making and foul-drawing has had defenses in the blender all year long.<\/p>\n > Alperen \u015eeng\u00fcn* (HOU) I have really enjoyed the \u015eeng\u00fcn Experience. The awkward cadence of his drives, the fancy footwork, the audacious passes, the freedom with which he\u2019s pulling from deep. The pick-and-roll reps as the\u00a0ball-handler,\u00a0his growing nuance and comfort defensively; it\u2019s all popping for me. He\u2019s firmly been Houston\u2019s best and\u00a0most impactful player<\/a>\u00a0this year \u2014 a huge sign of respect considering the Hall of Famer he\u2019s playing with.<\/p>\n > Victor Wembanyama* (SAS) We\u2019ve never seen anything like this. Every night, there\u2019s a what-the-heck block, a coast-to-coast possession, a dunk, a step-back three,\u00a0something\u00a0that defies conventional wisdom. He\u2019s the league\u2019s most terrifying defender, and this is with him still actively working on the nuances of coverages. While teams have had some success throwing junk defenses and double teams<\/a>\u00a0at him, Wembanyama has still been an effective scorer and playmaker who can bend a game to his will. It\u2019s going to get\u00a0better\u00a0from here, somehow.<\/p>\n Honorable mentions<\/p>\n > Deni Avdija* (POR): 26 points (56\/38\/86), 6.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 0.8 blocks<\/p>\n Only SGA (256) has logged more drives than Avdjia (223), and Avdija is quietly generating more efficient offense on those possessions (1.12 PPP to 1.11 PPP). In addition to his downhill attacks, he\u2019s continued to put fun (and sometimes wild) passes on film while becoming more shot-hunty beyond the arc (career-high 6.8 attempts). It\u2019s about to be a three-year sample of Avdija knocking down 3s at a high clip; this may just be\u00a0him\u00a0now.<\/p>\n > Jimmy Butler (GSW): 19.1 points (54\/47\/86), 5.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.6 steals<\/p>\n Butler has fit in smoothly since joining the Warriors last season. Strong driver, smart passer, intuitive cutter, willing screener, and heady off-ball defender when fully locked in \u2014 that all plays within the Golden State ecosystem. As is generally the case with the Regular Season Butler Experience, you\u2019d like more consistent aggression from him as a scorer, but it\u2019s been a good season overall.<\/p>\n > Stephon Castle (SAS): 17.3 points (62\/24\/69), 5.8 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 1.7 steals<\/p>\n Sans 3-point and free-throw shooting, both below what you\u2019d like from a guard or wing (in their context, anyway), there really hasn\u2019t been much to poke at in regards to Castle. His interior craft continues to pop \u2014 his cadence, footwork and late passing are joys to watch. He\u2019s once again taken on some tough defensive matchups on the perimeter and largely held his own. Incredibly fun player.<\/p>\n > Aaron Gordon (DEN): 19.9 points (58\/47\/89), 5.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.9 steals<\/p>\n
32.6 points (64\/50\/64 shooting splits), 11.3 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.1 blocks<\/p>\n
19.7 points (54\/41\/81), 7.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.8 blocks<\/p>\n
27.4 points (57\/34\/77), 5.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 0.8 steals<\/p>\n
28 points (52\/37\/86), 3.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 0.8 steals<\/p>\n
27.5 points (50\/29\/80), 5.4 rebounds, 9.9 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.8 blocks<\/p>\n
19.4 points (64.7% on 2s, 80.8% on FTs), 12 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.2 blocks<\/p>\n
21.9 points (49\/37\/77), 9.9 rebounds, 9.7 assists, 1.1 steals<\/p>\n
21.8 points (64\/38\/81), 9.6 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.8 steals<\/p>\n
32 points (48\/42\/88), 5.1 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.8 blocks<\/p>\n
30.4 points (62\/38\/83), 4.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.5 steals<\/p>\n
26.1 points (48\/48\/93), 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.2 steals<\/p>\n
21.8 points (49\/35\/90), 12.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1 steals, 0.9 blocks<\/p>\n
28.4 points (56\/34\/90), 4.1 rebounds, 7 assists, 0.8 steals<\/p>\n
27.4 points (57\/38\/93), 3.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.4 steals<\/p>\n
34.4 points (60\/33\/79), 8.9 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 1.7 steals<\/p>\n
25.9 points (55\/40\/89), 4.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1 steal, 0.7 blocks<\/p>\n
32.6 points (59\/37\/90), 5.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.9 blocks<\/p>\n
26 points (53\/40\/91), 6.3 rebounds, 9 assists, 0.9 steals<\/p>\n
28.7 points (77\/43\/88 shooting splits), 13 rebounds, 10.9 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.8 blocks<\/p>\n
30.6 points (55\/39\/88), 6.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.9 steals<\/p>\n
25.5 points (61\/39\/87), 7.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.3 steals<\/p>\n
28.3 points (61\/33\/87), 5.1 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.4 steals<\/p>\n
23 points (49\/45\/74), 10.3 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.3 steals, 1 block<\/p>\n
26.2 points (56\/35\/86), 12.9 rebounds, 4 assists, 1.1 steals, 3.6 blocks<\/p>\n