The 2019 NBA All-Star Game tips off on February 17th from the Charlotte Hornets’ Spectrum Center. The annual exhibition game will pit the NBA’s best players against one another. All-Star Game voting is conducted by fans as they choose the 10 players they believe should start the game. NBA fans can use the Tropicana casino promo code after they place their player votes and get great bonuses on online gaming. Members of the media and players also play a part in the selecting of the players who will appear at the game. The 20 reserve players for the event will be selected by the teams’ coaches.
NBA All-Star Game: Team Selection and Format
The 2019 NBA All-Star Game will be the second in which the two players who receive the most votes from each conference will be deemed team captains. Five players from each conference (the Eastern and Western) will be selected as starters. The fan vote is worth 50 percent while the player vote and media vote are both worth 25 percent apiece.
The NBA tweaked All-Star Game voting ahead of the 2018 edition of the event. Fan voting can result in some players not worthy of featuring in the game to be selected. Giving the media and players a combined 50 percent vote ensures those worthy of the selection receive it.
The team captains will draft the players selected to the All-Star Game. Rather than playing a traditional East versus West game, it will see Captain A against Captain B. Last season, LeBron James and Stephen Curry were selected as team captains resulting in a Team LeBron versus Team Curry game.
The format is to give the game more of a fun, exciting feel. It allows teammates and players from the same conference to face off against each other. Some NBA journalists have claimed the format gives the All-Star Game a playground vibe which allows fans to have a renewed interest in the exhibition game.
NBA All-Star Game: Who should start the game?
The being selected as an NBA All-Star is a great honour. It is proof that the fans believe a player is of a certain standard. This year’s All-Star Game should see the top players battling it out, but with fan voting, the most deserving players don’t always start.
In the Eastern Conference, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo leads the voting and looks set to be the team’s captain. The Greek Freak has risen to be one of the NBA’s elite players and most liked by fans. It looks likely that he will be joined by Philadelphia 76ers centre Joel Emiid and Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard in the front court. The guards leading fan voting currently are Boston Celtics’ Kyrie Irving and the Miami Heat’s Dwayne Wade.
On the Western Conference side, LeBron James is leading the way in voting. It looks likely that he will be a team captain once again. However, James has missed about a quarter of the season with injury. Dallas Mavericks forward Luca Doncic and Kevin Durant are forward selections while Stephen Curry and Derrick Rose lead the way in the back court.