NBA All-Star Game reserves feature three first-timers for East،
Three first-time honorees — Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey and Magic forward Paolo Banchero — were among 14 reserves chosen Thursday to fill out this month's NBA All-Star Game rosters. this.
In addition to the starters, this month's midseason Eastern Conference reserves included Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (fifth selection), Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (third), Knicks forward Julius Randle (third) and Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo. (third).
The West, meanwhile, was led by All-Star mainstays Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (10th selection), Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (ninth) and LA Clippers forward Paul George (ninth) and Kawhi Leonard (sixth). They were joined by Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (fourth), Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (fourth) and Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (second).
These players will join the 10 starters – five from each conference – that the NBA announced last week for the game to be held in Indianapolis on February 18.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton and Damian Lillard were selected to represent the East, while LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were chosen for the West.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is already expected to make several injury replacements in the Eastern Conference. Randle (shoulder) was ruled out of the All-Star Game, while Embiid (knee), the league's reigning MVP, appears unlikely after suffering a lateral meniscus injury.
It's still unclear who will coach both conferences and it could remain that way until Sunday's deadline.
In the East, the coaches will come from the Milwaukee Bucks or the Knicks, depending on the events of the coming days.
If the Knicks beat the Indiana Pacers and the Lakers and Bucks lose to the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz, New York's Tom Thibodeau and his staff will be the All-Star coaches.
If either of those things don't happen, then Doc Rivers, who replaced fired Adrian Griffin in Milwaukee last week, and the Bucks coaches will get the honor. Joe Mazzulla and his team in Boston are ineligible after coaching the game last year.
In the West, coaches will come from either the Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder or Clippers.
If Minnesota wins its final two games this week – against the Magic on Friday and the Houston Rockets on Sunday – then Chris Finch will coach the West.
If Minnesota loses one of the games, that opens the door for Mark Daigneault and the Thunder to get the honor if OKC beats the Charlotte Hornets on Friday and the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.
If the Timberwolves lose both games and the Thunder lose one, Tyronn Lue and the Clippers team will coach the game if Los Angeles can beat Detroit on Friday and Miami on Sunday.
The NBA also announced earlier this week that Curry will face WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu in a special 3-point contest on All-Star Saturday night that will take place between the usual 3-point contest and the slam dunk contest. These events will take place at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts.
Earlier this season, the NBA announced it would return to the traditional East vs. West format for the All-Star Game, doing away with the system of selecting teams by each conference's top vote-getters that has been used for years. The league said it hopes to have a better, more competitive product this season after last year's game in Salt Lake City was widely criticized.
