![]() But Middleton continues to be a superb two-way player. Heck, even Jrue Holiday’s arrival has taken what remains of the spotlight off Middleton. Khris Middleton, Bucks: He’s Milwaukee’s often-forgotten man, obscured by Antetokounmpo’s accomplishments and charisma. Oh, Philadelphia also has the league’s sixth-best defense, so he has that going for him, too. He averages a career-high 29.6 points per game, and he’s made a massive jump in his efficiency, making 57.3 percent of his 2-point attempts and 40.0 percent of his 3-point attempts. Joel Embiid, 76ers: In past years, you could’ve made the case that Embiid was an underachiever. It’s too bad the NBA scuttled its Comeback Player of the Year Award after the 1985-86 season because Durant would deserve it following his return from a ruptured Achilles tendon. ![]() He’s averaging 29.0 points per game and has helped supercharge a Brooklyn offense that now boasts an embarrassment of riches. Everything else about Durant’s case sparkles. Kevin Durant, Nets: The only significant blemish on Durant’s All-Star bona fides is that he’s played in just 19 of Brooklyn’s 28 games. The two-time NBA MVP remains a clear-cut choice as an All-Star starter in the East, averaging 28.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists this season, complementing his superb defense. The stagnation in those areas makes me less optimistic about Milwaukee’s title chances, but postseason predictions aren’t germane to his All-Star qualifications. He’s drained only 28.2 percent of his attempts beyond the arc after he made 30.4 percent last season. He’s made just 63.3 percent of his foul shots after he made the same percentage last season. ![]() Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks: Antetokounmpo’s two most significant weaknesses, his free throw shooting and 3-point shooting, have not improved this season. Brown also is a good defender and rebounder. He also has progressed as a knockdown shooter, making 51.3 percent of his shot attempts and 40.9 percent of his 3-point tries, both career highs. He has scored at least 25 points in 15 of his 24 games. But Brown’s consistency impresses in its own right. Jaylen Brown, Celtics: The league regards the 24-year-old swingman as a backcourt player for All-Star voting purposes, and that classification boosts his candidacy (and helps him stand apart from Celtics teammate Jayson Tatum, who has similar stats). Luka Doncic, who is second in the league in assists, averages 9.4 per game. His 11.2 assists per game lead the league. He’s averaging 23.6 points and cleans the glass at a superior rate for a guard, hauling in 7.0 rebounds per game. Those arguments make sense, but not enough sense to overshadow the areas where Harden excels. Also, he has played only 14 games for the Nets. Wanting a trade from the Rockets, Harden compelled the team to move him. James Harden, Nets: This choice will rankle some folks, and I understand why. (Editor’s note: All statistics cited in this article are current through Sunday’s games.) East backcourt starters Just promise to keep it relatively nice, OK? For the sake of transparency, I identified the players who barely made the cut and barely missed the cut in each conference.If you think I subconsciously made some legacy picks here, say so. The choices were based on players’ performance this season only.The league requires voters to pick two backcourt players and three frontcourt players, so that’s the format employed here.We wanted your opinions, and I want your thoughts now.
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