In the past, the NBA’s Eastern Conference was considered inferior to the Western Conference in the recent past. There was even discussion of changing the format of the All-Star Game to feature the top 24 players in the entire league instead of selecting 12 players from each conference. Basketball enthusiasts argued that most of the talent was concentrated in the Western Conference. But this is no longer the case. In this article, we will have a look at those players who can represent the conference in the 2024 All-Star game.
#10 Jalen Brunson
Brunson is poised to make the All-NBA team this season after averaging 24 points and 6.2 assists last season. Additionally, he shot a career-high 41.6% on 3-pointers in the 2022–23 season. He was a major contributor to the Knicks’ successful season, but Julius Randle got nominated for his second All-Star Game. If Jalen continues to play well, he should make the All-Star team, after all, he has the support of some of the most passionate NBA enthusiasts.
#9 Dennis Schroder
Schroder was amazing throughout the FIBA World Cup and won the tournament’s MVP award. His best performance for Germany was a steller 30-point, eight-assist win over Australia. Currently, he is with the Toronto Raptors. While Scottie Barnes is widely considered Toronto’s best bet for an All-Star, Dennis may have the chance to be selected because of his playmaking abilities and vocal leadership.
#8 Paolo Banchero
The 20-year-old Paolo Banchero was the first overall pick by the Orlando Magic in the 2022 Draft and he proved to be an excellent asset for them. Banchero won the Rookie of the Year Award. He led Orlando by averaging 20 points per game, along with 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists. If everything goes well, he will surely continue to improve and make his first All-Star team. However, he will need to improve his shooting percentage this year.
#7 Tyrese Maxey
Maxey was the 21st overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. He signed a rookie scale contract with the 76ers on December 3, 2020. The Philadelphia 76ers point guard averaged 20.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists last season while shooting 48.1% from the field and 43.4% from three. Seeing the uncertainty of the James Harden saga, the 22-year-old Tyrese could emerge as the 76ers’ second All-Star. If this happens, the youngster could play on his first All-Star team.
#6 Darius Garland
Garland was the fifth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He recorded his first career triple-double in 2022 against the Utah Jazz, putting up 11 points and 10 rebounds. Darius was disappointed when he wasn’t selected for the 2023 All-Star team. We hope he gets another chance this season to prove the critics wrong.
#5 Jayson Tatum
Tatum began his NBA career in 2017 and averaged 18.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists in the first 30 minutes of action. He has continued to be an important player for his team. The Boston Celtic point guard gave a brilliant performance in 2022–23 by averaging 30.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 74 games. He continues to improve various aspects of his game every season. Tatum is expected to lead the team in the Eastern Conference, where they were eliminated by Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat last time. He has already been selected four times for the Eastern Conference All-Star Game.
#4 Jimmy Butler
The Miami Heat power forward already has six All-Star selections in his career. However, he was rejected for the 2023 All-Star selection. But this didn’t affect him and he led the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals. Butler proved that he is one of the best players not only in the conference but in the league by defeating the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks en route to the Finals. He should get more respect from voters in the 2023–24 season.
#3 Joel Embiid
If reigning MVP Joel stays healthy, he is going to have another stellar performance in the 2023–24 campaign. He averaged 33.1 points per game last season. The 29-year-old is the two-time defending scoring champion and one of the league’s best defenders. Embiid should easily make the Eastern Conference All-Star team.
#2 Jaylen Brown
Brown averaged career highs of 26.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists last season. He also received one of the biggest contracts in NBA history during the off-season. He is already a two-time All-Star and should reciprocate by excelling for the Celtics this season and receiving another All-Star selection.
#1 Giannis Antetokounmpo
Antetokounmpo started his NBA career with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2013 and has continued to give good performances for them. The Bucks’ playoff run collapsed last season and the major reason behind it was Antetokounmpo’s poor health. However, with Giannis regularly tallying figures of 30 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, the Bucks are still in it. The Greek Freak can be an All-Star starter any time. He is already a one-time All-Star.
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