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Whether or not an All-Star Game can be played in 2021, two All-Star teams will be selected, and voting is now underway. Fans will have a say in picking the 10 starters, with their vote counting for 50% of the total tally, while media members (25%) and players (25%) will also be involved.

On Thursday, we asked you which five Eastern Conference players deserve the strongest consideration for spots as All-Star starters. Today, we’re shifting to the Western Conference and asking you the same question. Let’s dive in and examine some of the candidates…

Guards (2)

The three leading scorers in the Western Conference are also three of the top candidates to be backcourt All-Star starters. Those players are Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (28.8 PPG), Warriors guard Stephen Curry (27.7 PPG), and Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (27.4 PPG).

Doncic’s 9.7 assists and 9.4 rebounds per game improve his candidacy, though his three-point shot has been a problem (28.5% on 7.2 attempts per game) — especially when compared to Curry (39.5% on 11.1 attempts) and Lillard (37.9% on 10.2 attempts). All three teams rank between eighth and 12th in the conference, so team performance won’t give any of them a leg up, at least so far.

If you’re unconvinced by any of those three résumés, there are a handful of other intriguing candidates to consider, including Donovan Mitchell, who is the leading scorer (23.4 PPG) for the top-seeded Jazz.

Ja Morant has averaged 22.6 PPG on 53.2% shooting for the overachieving Grizzlies, while DeMar DeRozan has been the top scorer (20.1 PPG) and play-maker (6.8 APG) for the Spurs, who currently hold a top-five seed in the West.

Lillard’s teammate CJ McCollum was off to a scorching start to the season, with 26.7 PPG and a .441 3PT% through 13 games, but he’s out for at least a month with a foot injury, essentially taking him off the board.

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Suns guards Devin Booker and Chris Paul, and Mitchell’s teammate Mike Conley are among the other candidates on the periphery. However, the choice in this group probably comes down to two of Lillard, Curry, or Doncic, with Mitchell looming as a wild card.

Frontcourt (3)

Neither Los Angeles team has a particularly strong candidate for a spot in the All-Star backcourt, but there are plenty of options up front.

Lakers star LeBron James has been his usual incredible self, averaging 25.5 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 7.5 APG through 20 games, with a career-best .417 3PT%. He’s a better candidate at this point to start than his teammate Davis, whose scoring average has dipped to 21.9 PPG in the early going.

For the Clippers, you could make a convincing argument in favor of either Kawhi Leonard (25.9 PPG, 5.7 APG, 5.4 RPG, .505/.419/.900 shooting) or Paul George (23.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.4 APG, .504/.484/.907 shooting), who have been paragons of scoring efficiency while playing solid defense on the other end of the court.

There are a number of candidates capable of crashing an all-L.A. frontcourt though, led by Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, who has been better than ever in 2019/20, with 25.2 PPG on 56.7% shooting to go along with 11.8 RPG, 8.9 APG, and 1.8 SPG.

Rudy Gobert‘s scoring numbers are modest (13.4 PPG), but his 14.2 rebounds per game lead the Western Conference, and he has anchored the Jazz‘s defense, one of the best in the NBA.

Christian Wood is making a bid for All-Star consideration in his first year with the Rockets, averaging a double-double so far (23.4 PPG, 10.8 RPG). Meanwhile, Pelicans forwards Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson each rank among the West’s top 10 scorers with 23.9 PPG apiece, though their team’s performance (6-10, 14th in the conference) hurts their cases.

At this point, I think the most logical Western lineup would include two of Lillard, Curry, and Doncic, along with LeBron, Jokic, and whichever Clippers forward you favor (I’d lean toward Kawhi). But I’m curious to know what you think.

Which five players would you vote into the Western Conference’s starting All-Star lineup? Do you think there are any spots that are too close to call for the time being, or are you ready to pencil in a starting five?

Share your thoughts and your picks in the comment section below!

We don’t know yet whether the NBA will play an All-Star Game this season, but voting for the starters is now underway. Whether or not a game is played, two All-Star teams will be selected, and fans will play a part in choosing the 10 starters — fan voting will make up 50% of the total tally, while media members (25%) and players (25%) will also have a say.

With that in mind, we want to take a closer look at which players are deserving of the five All-Star starting spots in each conference, starting today with the East.

No team has played more than 20 games so far this season, and some have played as few as 13 or 14 due to coronavirus-related postponements. In other words, it’s awfully early to decide which players have emerged as the top five in each conference. But we can at least evaluate which players are making the strongest cases to be considered for a spot in that group.

Guards (2)

The NBA’s leading scorer, by a wide margin, is Wizards star Bradley Beal, who is averaging a whopping 35.4 PPG so far. But he has only played 13 games and his team has the NBA’s worst record at 3-11. Beal missed out on an All-Star spot last season due in large part to his team’s spot in the standings, and said on Wednesday that he’s not getting his hopes up about an All-Star nod this time around.

Zach LaVine (27.0 PPG for the 7-10 Bulls), Trae Young (26.2 PPG for the 9-9 Hawks), and Collin Sexton (25.2 PPG for the 9-9 Cavaliers) are in a similar boat, putting up big offensive numbers for middle-of-the-pack teams. Young’s 8.8 assists per contest and Atlanta’s .500 record amidst injury woes should strength his case.

Nets stars James Harden and Kyrie Irving have each put up huge numbers and would typically be leading contenders for these backcourt spots, but Harden’s behavior on his way out of Houston and Irving’s personal leave may damper enthusiasm for their cases. Additionally, Irving has only played 12 games, while Harden only has seven appearances with Brooklyn so far.

Raptors guard Kyle Lowry has been an All-Star for six straight seasons and is having another strong season in 2020/21, but it probably hasn’t been quite All-Star-starter worthy, especially given his team’s 7-11 record.

Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon (22.8 PPG, 7.1 APG) and Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (27.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG) are having career years so far for top-five seeds in the conference. Both players are solid on defense too, with Brown’s two-way play on the wing making him an especially strong candidate.

Sixers guard Ben Simmons has posted very modest scoring numbers (13.0 PPG), but he continues to fill up the stat sheet with 8.6 RPG, 8.0 APG, and 1.6 SPG, and his team currently sits atop the Eastern Conference.

Frontcourt (3)

Unlike his two star teammates, who have been at the center of some off-court drama and have been fined for COVID-19 protocol violations, Nets forward Kevin Durant has made headlines for all the right reasons this season, looking better than ever coming off his Achilles tear (30.5 PPG on .517/.444/.860 shooting).

Reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (26.8 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 5.6 APG for the 11-6 Bucks) and Sixers center Joel Embiid (27.7 PPG, 11.1 RPG) have been two-way forces for the top seeds in the conference and look like All-Star locks.

Those three players are probably the frontcourt favorites, but there’s no shortage of good candidates across the East. Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis have helped lead the Pacers to a No. 3 seed so far. Celtics forward Jayson Tatum has missed some time due to COVID-19, but when he’s healthy, has looked even better than he did in his first All-NBA season last year.

Bucks forward Khris Middleton, meanwhile, has mostly flown under the radar again, but he has been one of the NBA’s most efficient scorers, with a .519/.441/.925 shooting line. He’s averaging 21.9 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 5.8 APG, all of which would be career highs, and his 2.6 win shares place him second in the conference.

Magic center Nikola Vucevic, Knicks big man Julius Randle, Pistons forward Jerami Grant, Heat big man Bam Adebayo, and Hornets forward Gordon Hayward have been standouts for sub-.500 teams.

While I like Durant, Giannis, and Embiid in the frontcourt, I’m having a much harder time deciding on two Eastern guards, as many of the most compelling contenders also have compelling factors working against them. With voting remaining open until February 16, I may take another week or two to finalize my choices there.

What do you think? Are you ready to pencil in your five choices for the Eastern All-Star starting lineup or is it too early to make a call? If you’re ready to vote, which five are you taking? If you’re on the fence, which players do you view as the top candidates?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!