Western Conference All Star Starters

2023 NBA Western Conference All Star Starters 

By Dylan Grodner, of Swish Tribune 


LeBron James is closing in on the all time scoring record, Stephen Curry is coming off of a Finals MVP, Nikola Jokic is looking for his third straight MVP, Luka Doncic leads the scoring title in the West, and Zion Williamson, well, he's Zion Williamson. 

With James honing in on his 19th All Star Game appearance, and his 5th straight year of being named captain, he was a lock for this position. He has averaged a whopping 30.2 PPG, 8.5 RPG, and 7.1 APG, tallying up to 7,418,116 total votes. James truly has aged like fine wine and looks to continue his winning record of 5-0 in the All Star Game as a captain.

Another lock for this position is Luka Doncic. Doncic has been my MVP thus far, averaging a career high of 33.4 PPG, 8.9 RPG, and 8.3 APG. He has filled up the stat sheet in the most prominent way and continues to put his team on his back, currently sitting at the 6th seed in the West. Where would the Dallas Mavericks be without Doncic? Point is, he's phenomenal and 100% deserving of this spot. 

Next up for the starters is Nikola Jokic. Jokic has been outstanding this season, averaging a triple double of 25.1 PPG, 11.1 RPG, and 10 APG. It really doesn't get better than Jokic when comparing him to other centers in the NBA. With the only nearby center on Jokic's level being Embiid, it is clear that Jokic is the better big man simply due to the two back to back MVP awards. Not only has Jokic won that award the past two seasons but he's going for it again, making it three straight years. This was a no-brainer, and Jokic is another guy that clearly deserves this position. 

Moving on, the last forward in the lineup is Zion Williamson. We all know what Williamson can do on the court, but why does it matter if he is constantly off the court? This question applies to another big man that was in the running for this position, being Anthony Davis. Both of these guys are powerhouses and are superstars when they play. The biggest issue with these guys is keeping them healthy and on the court. Zion Williamson has been averaging 26 PPG, 7 RPG, and 4.6 APG, but has missed a total of 19 games this season due to injury. Anthony Davis has averaged 26.8 PPG, 11.9 RPG, and 2.6 APG, while playing amazing on the defensive end of the ball. Davis too has missed 24 games this season due to inury, knocking him out of the starting lineup. Many fans believe that Domantas Sabonis or Lauri Markkanen deserves this spots over Zion Williamson. With Sabonis leading the Kings to the three seed, and Markkanen looking like the Most Improved Player, they are definitely worthy of this role. They can even land this role if Williamson is still injured by the time of the All Star Game.

Finally, the greatest shooter in NBA history has been named the other starting guard in the West. Although Stephen Curry is never a wrong answer for this position, he has been competing with other superstar caliber guards who make a strong case as to why they should have been named an All Star Starter. Curry has averaged 29.7 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 6.5 APG, while being the heart and soul of the Warriors offense. Although these stats are ridiculous, players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ja Morant are playing at the same level, if not higher. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 30.9 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 5.7 APG, while only missing 4 games this season. Ja Morant has also been playing at an MVP caliber-level, averaging 27.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 8.2 APG, while leading his team to the 2 seed. It seems unlikely that Stephen Curry, who has missed 15 games this season, is starting over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Not to say Curry hasn't been playing like an MVP this season, but in my opinion, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was snubbed from this spot. 

Although these are the starters now, with all the injuries this season, anyone can be starting by the time of the All Star Game. Only time will tell. 

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