Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images The All-Star game is less than a month away, so it’s time to select players for the Western Conference. It’s the new year, and that means one thing: getting into arguments as to why their favorite player was snubbed as an All-Star. Well, the good news is that you can start here! I’ll list the players who I believe are deserving of making the team, instead of picking who I think will make it. If this article gives you some inspiration, please remember that tomorrow (Monday the 20th) is the last day to vote for this year’s All-Stars, so it’s not too late to make Isaiah Collier feel good about his 41.4% true shooting percentage. Jokes aside, let’s dive into the Western Conference All-Stars, and stay tuned for the East as well. Starters Backcourt Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Arguably the front-runner for MVP, Shai has cemented himself as the best scorer in the league. The aura king is averaging 31.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 6 assists on 53.1/35.2/89.7 splits. He’s also taking a career-high 5.8 threes a game, making Shai an unstoppable offensive force capable of scoring from anywhere and at any time. Anthony Edwards: The second backcourt spot was much harder to pick since no one quite stood out as a Luka normally would — if he played enough. I ultimately went with Ant because he’s logged by far the most minutes (1541) and is the only above-average defensive option compared to the guards who will be discussed later. He’s also putting up career highs in points (26.1), true shooting (58.6%), and on/off differential (+5.4). Oh, did I mention that he’s the only reliable offensive option on the team who doesn’t suffer from Randle-itis? Frontcourt Jaren Jackson Jr: JJJ deserves a lot more recognition for the season he’s having. With Ja’s lingering injury concerns, JJJ has undoubtedly been the best player on a Memphis team that’s currently the third seed in the West. The most dominant defensive force outside of Wemby, JJJ is also averaging the same amount of points (22.6) as last year but on much better efficiency (44.4% vs 49%). He’s also fouling a lot less than in years past and deserves to be in All-NBA conversations too. Victor Wembanyama: Having just turned 21, Wemby is now a bonafide top-10 player knocking on the door of the top 5. He’s already delivered on the hype and then some by being the heavy favorite for DPOY: the Spurs are +4.2 (114.4 ORTG, 110.2 DRTG) with Wemby playing and an abysmal -11.9 when he sits (109.3 ORTG, 121.2 DRTG). Moreover, the French phenom is already one of the most offensively versatile big men ever, as he’s an all-time level lob threat while somehow shooting 35.3% from three on 9.1 attempts per game. Nikola Jokic: The best player on the planet, Jokic somehow continues to get better. This year, he’s averaging career highs in points (30.4), assists (9.9), three-point attempts (4.5), and three-point percentage (47.1%). Somehow, Jokic’s on/off differential of +26.4 is also the highest of his career, which is astonishing (and concerning for Denver) given that he played multiple seasons without Jamal Murray and/or Michael Porter Jr. Simply put, we’re watching one of the 10 best basketball players ever in his prime, so don’t take it for granted. Reserves Backcourt James Harden: Perhaps a controversial pick, Harden is absolutely deserving of being an All-Star this year. He’s been the offensive engine on a Clippers team built on defense, and LA is surprisingly the 5th seed in the West when many people expected them to be in the league’s basement. Harden’s shooting splits of 39.8/34.6/88.5 is rough, but his impact on the Clippers is undeniable: he has an on/off split of +6.3, and LA goes from being slightly below-average offensively with him playing (112.3, 42nd percentile) to downright anemic (108.2, 17th percentile) without him. Steph Curry: Averaging “just” 23 points a game, Steph’s still beautiful star is starting to dull. Even so, he’s the only reason why the Warriors are even in the running for a play-in spot, given that Golden State doesn’t have another reliable scorer on the roster. Steph’s +12.1 on/off differential shows how crucial he is to the Warriors, and they go from being an elite offense with him playing (119.4, 85th percentile), to being by far the worst in the league (102.1, 3rd percentile) when he sits. Frontcourt Anthony Davis: After a hot start to the season, AD has since been inconsistent, much like the rest of the Lakers. Still, he’s a dominant two-way force who’s now the undisputed best player on the team, averaging 25.8 points and 11.9 rebounds on 59.9% true shooting. AD’s defense has experienced a concerning decline this season as opponents are shooting a (not) nice 69.3% within four feet of the basket, and the Lakers have a slightly better defensive rating without him this year. Even so, he’s the biggest reason why LA is the current 6th seed in the West, even if their positioning isn’t secure. Domantas Sabonis: Now the 9th seed after a horrendous start, the Kangz’s turnaround has been led by Sabonis. He’s averaging career highs in points (20.6) and rebounds (14.1), but most importantly, Sabonis now demands attention from deep as he’s shooting 47.8%(!!!) from deep on 2.4 attempts per game. Even when that number inevitably drops, defenses now need to respect Sabonis from much farther out than before, and his on/off splits of +12.8 is one of the best in the league. Jalen Williams: The second-best player on the West’s best team, JDub can do everything on the court. From playing center to guarding them, he might be the most versatile player in the entire league on both sides of the ball. Averaging 20.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists helps too, and JDub should be a popular first-time All-NBA selection by year-end as well. Wildcards Alperen Sengun: The best player on the West’s second-best team, Sengun deserves to be an All-Star despite his drop in percentages: after making 53.7% of his shots last year and 56.7% from two, those numbers have dropped to 49.1% and 51.8%, respectively, this season. However, he’s more than made up for it with improved defense, as the Rockets are better in their own end (-4.6 DRTG) for the first time in Sengun’s career. Individually, opponents are also shooting 4.7% worse within six feet of the basket with Sengun as the primary defender, so it’s not just team-driven. Improving to average in his weakest area rightfully helps Sengun make his first All-Star game. Kevin Durant: Strangely, KD’s advanced metrics are down across the board (he’s just 41st in EPM), but his importance to the Suns is undeniable: Phoenix is 1-9 in games without the Slim Reaper. It’s also hard to ignore that KD’s still averaging 27.4 points on 52.1/37.3/82.2 splits and was an early-season MVP candidate. Wait, where’s LeBron??? You didn’t think I’d omit LeBron without explaining, did you? Well, it’s quite simple: if you pick this year’s All-Stars as objectively as possible, the case for the King is dubious at best. Yes, the numbers he’s putting up are still insane (23.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 8.8 assists), but his actual on-court impact is lacking. For starters, the Lakers are actually -5.7 in LeBron’s minutes, and he has an on/off split of -13.5(!!!). A lot of that has to do with unlucky three-point shooting on both ends: the Lakers are making just 34.9% from deep while opponents are converting 39.5% on their attempts when he plays. Even when that normalizes, though, LeBron’s on/off figures would be neutral at best, and for the first time in his career, his counting stats belies his true on-court impact. Moreover, LeBron ranks just 54th in EPM, mostly due to him being a markedly bad defender now. That the Lakers are hanging on to the 6th seed by a thread doesn’t help either, since it doesn’t make sense to reward them with two All-Stars. Lastly, LeBron was squeezed out by the format of the All-Star team, as the West is very deep in the frontcourt but two reserves need to be guards. Without that criteria, there’s a stronger argument for him to make it over Steph/Harden rather than Sengun/KD. Don’t get me wrong: what LeBron’s doing at 40 is incredible and he’ll still make the team out of sheer respect, but for the first time since he was a rookie, the King is now playing at a sub-All-Star level. Honorable mentions LeBron James, Devin Booker, Luka Doncic, De’Aaron Fox, and Kyrie Irving.