Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images The All-Star game is less than a month away, so it’s time to select players for the Eastern 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 Eastern Conference All-Stars. You can also access the list for the West here. Starters Backcourt Jalen Brunson: Brunson’s scoring numbers are down slightly (28.7ppg last year to 26.0 this season), but that’s more of a product of his improved offensive ecosystem rather than any drop-off in play. He’s a borderline top-10 player in the league and the unquestioned leader of a Knicks team on pace for another 50-win season, and Brunson remains one of the craftiest guards in the league. Cade Cunningham: Similar to Anthony Edwards in the West, the second backcourt spot featured multiple suitable candidates. I decided to go with Cade ultimately since the Pistons’ turnaround is one of the best in league history: they went from winning just 14 games last year to being on pace for 41 this season. Cade’s finally reaching his potential of being an all-around guard, as he’s averaging 24.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 9.4 assists on 45/36.8/80.5 splits, which are all career highs. That it’s difficult to pick who Detroit’s second-best player makes his season even more impressive, as they’d undoubtedly be in the basement again without Cade. Frontcourt Jayson Tatum: Ho hum, Tatum is once again the best player on one of the league’s best teams. Interestingly, he’s had to carry a larger load this year due to Jaylen Brown having a down season, Jrue Holiday declining, and Kristaps Porzingis being in and out of the lineup because of injuries. That’s reflected in his on/off, as Tatum sports a +5.1 when he was a -2.0 last season. Still just 19 26, the (wannabe) Green Mamba continues to expand his game, as he’s crossed the 5 assists per game mark for the first time in his career. Giannis Antetokounmpo: Now 30, the Greek Freak shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, he’s arguably having his best season since his MVP days, as Giannis’ 31.4 points per game is a career-high. More importantly, his shot selection has improved immensely: the Freak has finally given up on his dreams of being Steph and is now attempting less than a single three per game. Giannis’ mid-range has taken a jump too, as he’s making a career-high 44% (61st percentile) between the rim and the three-point line. For someone who relies so heavily on their athleticism, it’s nice to see him expand his range as he continues to age. Karl-Anthony Towns: The Towns/Randle trade seemed like a lose-lose at first, but it’s now safe to say that New York is the clear winner. Big Purr is having arguably his best season by shooting lights out from everywhere on the floor: KAT is making 55% of his overall shots, 59.3% of his twos, and 44.9% from deep, which are all career highs. Even with his defensive struggles, KAT’s offensive brilliance still makes him a slam-dunk All-Star starter and All-NBA candidate, too. Reserves Backcourt Donovan Mitchell & Darius Garland: It didn’t seem right to separate these two given how similar their seasons have been. Many will likely vote Mitchell in as a starting guard alongside Brunson, but I’m not sure if he’s even been the better of the two Cavs guards. Mitchell is scoring slightly more (23.1ppg vs 21.2) and grabbing more rebounds (4.5 vs 2.5), but Garland has shouldered a much larger playmaking role (6.8 assists vs 4.5) while having much better percentages (49.9/42.4/90.7 vs 44.6/40.1/82.6). Mitchell is unquestionably still the lead dog, and he’s admirably taken a backseat offensively (his 18.2 field goal attempts is the lowest since his rookie season), but that has naturally boosted Garland’s numbers, whose EPM rank of 12th is also higher than Mitchell’s at 23. Simply put, Mitchell should be given credit for sharing the load, and he’s improved a lot defensively because of it, too. But because of that, Garland’s having an equally impressive season, which is why they both make the reserves instead of starting. Frontcourt Evan Mobley & Jarrett Allen: I anticipated that the Cavs would have three All-Stars, but surprisingly, every member of their Big Four ended up making it. Mobley’s a shoo-in. His case is similar to Jaren Jackson Jr’s, as they’re both candidates to be DPOY finalists (behind Wemby) while also improving drastically on offense. Mobley’s added strength has made him more lethal as a driver, and Kenny Atkinson has rewarded him by giving him more ballhandling duties. Moreover, the 23-year-old is now shooting 42.1% from deep on 2.8 attempts per game, forcing defenses to respect him from three. In the midst of a potential 70-win season, Mobley’s offensive development has been the most important part of Cleveland’s success. Allen’s case is less strong, but he’s still a worthy All-Star. The Fro remains an elite defensive force while being one of the most efficient players on offense: both Allen’s 70.9% field goal and 73% true shooting rank among the best marks league-wide. Even so, I need to mention that Allen’s inclusion is partly due to the East having poor frontcourt candidates this year — the opposite problem when compared to the West. I expected a second Celtic to fill one of the reserve frontcourt spots but Porzingis has missed too many games and Brown is having a down season. Still, if any team is worthy of having four All-Stars, it’s the one that’s still on pace for 70 wins halfway through the season. Franz Wagner: Even after missing six weeks due to an oblique strain, Franz is a deserving first-time All-Star. The Magic went 13-7 in the games he played without Paolo, and his averages of 24.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.7 assists are all career highs. More importantly, Franz has an on/off of +15.1 this season, and Orlando has frankly looked lost when both he and Paolo have been out. It also helps that he’ll be back relatively soon, so the time he missed will be less of a concern, too. Wildcards Tyrese Haliburton: Hali’s play has been sporadic for a year now due to lingering injuries, but his demise has been greatly exaggerated. He’s still averaging 17.9 points and 8.8 assists on 58.6% true shooting and leading a Pacers team that’s now the fifth seed in the East. Hali’s often been criticized for seemingly lacking aggression, but Indiana’s offense still improves by 6.8 points with him on the court. Moreover, EPM has him ranked 15th for this season, which is further proof that he’s still been an elite player even if the box scores seem disappointing. Trae Young: Trae’s scoring is down (23.2ppg this year vs 25.7 last season), but he’s putting up historic playmaking numbers by averaging 11.8 assists per game. He has an on/off split of +7.7, and Atlanta’s offense is 8.6 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor. As the leader of a Hawks team many expected to miss the play-in, he deserves credit for helping Atlanta exceed expectations by pacing for 44 wins while also being in the playoff hunt. Honorable mentions Damian Lillard, Tyler Herro, Jaylen Brown, LaMelo Ball.