The 2021 NBA All-Star starters, comprised of two guards and three frontcourt players per conference, are set. Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant were named the captains. Joining James among Western Conference frontcourt players are Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard. Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and Luka Doncic represent the West’s backcourt.

In the East, Durant is joined by two-time reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid in the frontcourt. Durant’s teammate, Kyrie Irving, and Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal, were picked in the East’s backcourt.

As captains, James and Durant will choose their respective teams from the remaining All-Stars because they received the most votes of any player in either conference.

The reserves for the NBA All-Star Game features seven players from each conference—two guards, three frontcourt players, and two “Wild Card” players selected regardless of position—as chosen by NBA head coaches. However, the Western Conference could have an eighth reserve added to the squad, due to the long-term injury of likely All-Star Anthony Davis (aggravated right Achilles). Davis will be sidelined for the next four weeks and will not be healthy enough to participate in the March 7th All-Star contest in Atlanta.

Focusing on the Western Conference, let’s select the reserves—which will be announced on Feb. 23.

Guard: Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers

Narrowly missing out on a starting bid for the All-Star Game, Damian Lillard is essentially a lock to earn his sixth All-Star selection. Lillard is dominating with per-game averages of 29.8 points, 7.7 assists, and 4.4 rebounds. He is shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 38.4 percent from downtown. Furthermore, he is shooting 60 percent in clutch situations—the final five minutes of a game with the score within five points—this season.

Most importantly, Lillard has spearheaded the Trail Blazers to a season-best six-game win streak, vaulting the club into fourth place in the NBA Western Conference. The Trail Blazers record stands at 18-10, despite long-term injuries to CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic. McCollum was having a career year before suffering a left mid-foot fracture in January. He produced 26.7 points and 5.0 assists, shooting 47.3 percent from the field and an absurd 44.1 percent on 3-pointers.

The Trail Blazers are 10-5 without McCollum and Nurkic in the lineup, two of the team’s three best players. Lillard is playing MVP-level caliber of basketball for the injury-ravaged Trail Blazers.

Guard: Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz

The best player on the NBA’s best team (at least by record), Donovan Mitchell will be named to his second consecutive All-Star Game. Mitchell has guided the Jazz to 24-6 mark, two games ahead of the defending champion Lakers.

The 24-year-old has posted career-highs in points (24.6) and assists (5.1) per contest.

An elite scorer and improved passer, Mitchell could earn himself All-NBA honors by season’s end.

Frontcourt: Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers

After a brutal showing in the 2020 NBA playoffs, Paul George has redeemed himself this season. He is currently logging the coveted 50-40-90 split, shooting 50.4 percent from the field, 47.2 percent on 3’s and a 90.7 percent from the free-throw line. All three figures represent career-bests for the Clippers forward.

In addition to logging 23.9 points per game, George is averaging a career-high 5.4 assists. He missed two weeks due to a toe injury but returned to action Friday night in a win over the Jazz.

Among the game’s elite wing defenders, George will earn the seventh NBA All-Star selection of his career—his first as a member of the Clippers.

Frontcourt: Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers

As previously noted, Davis will not be healed in time to play in the All-Star Game. But the Lakers superstar still deserves All-Star recognition.

Davis is the NBA’s best sidekick, playing second fiddle to James on the 22-8 Lakers. He is on pace for his eighth career All-Star selection. His numbers are slightly down compared to his usual standards. Even so, per-game averages of 22.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.3 steals are All-Star worthy, especially given his All-NBA level of defense.

Frontcourt: Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz

Rudy Gobert is the NBA’s best screen-setter, paint defender, and the second-most important player on the elite Jazz. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year is averaging a career-best 2.7 blocks.

The 7-foot-1 Gobert is the West’s leading rebounder at 13.4 per game. He will be heading to the NBA All-Star Game for the second year in a row.

Wild Card: Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans

At just 20 years of age, Zion Williamson is dominating the NBA. The Pelicans forward has scored 30+ points five times since Jan. 17. In addition to his scoring rate (25 points per night), Williamson is shooting a ridiculous 62 percent from the field.

Williamson’s shooting efficiency is off the charts. He has shot 60 percent or better in seven of his past eight games and has made at least 50 percent of his field-goal attempts in 10 straight. He is an unstoppable force in the paint.

Williams holds the sixth-best PER (Player Efficiency Rating) in the league with a 27.04 mark. He is now the best player on the Pelicans, more impactful on the court than 2020 All-Star Brandon Ingram. In just his second NBA season, Williamson has likely played his way into the All-Star Game.

Wild Card: Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns

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The Suns (18-10) will probably feature one All-Star from the backcourt. Question is, will it be Devin Booker or Chris Paul? Because of Paul’s impact defensively, he gets the nod over Booker, the team’s leading scorer.

Before Paul’s arrival, the Suns were a mediocre defensive squad. Paul, a seven-time member of the NBA All-Defensive First Team who also earned All-Defensive Second Team honors twice, has helped the Suns become one of the NBA’s best defenses.

The 35-year-old has made an otherworldly 97.2 percent of his free throws, the best rate in the NBA. Paul is still an elite distributor, dishing out 8.2 dimes per contest (seventh-best in the league). He accumulated 19 assists in a win over the Pelicans on Friday, the most by a Suns player since Steve Nash in 2011.

Paul has been particularly excellent as of late, shooting over 50 percent from the field (including from 3-point territory) without missing a single free throw over his past five contests.

It appears that Paul will be an NBA All-Star for the 11th time in his Hall of Fame career.

Injury Replacement for Anthony Davis: Mike Conley, Utah Jazz

After an inconsistent first season with the Jazz, Mike Conley has shined in Year 2 in Salt Lake City. He is registering per-game clips of 16.5 points, 5.8 assists and 3.7 rebounds.

While his numbers don’t jump off the page, the analytics back up Conley’s impact on the dominant Jazz. He ranks seventh in FiveThirty’s RAPTOR, eighth in ESPN’s real plus-minus and 16th in win shares per 48 minutes.

Conley has never been selected as an All-Star. This seems like the 14-year veteran’s last chance.

Just Missed All-Star status (no particular order): De’Aaron Fox (Kings), Devin Booker (Suns), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Brandon Ingram (Pelicans), DeMar DeRozan (Spurs)