8 candidates to become All-Star Guards in the Western Conference – NBA.com

Tough decisions await later this month when the NBA officially opens voting for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game, scheduled for February 19 at Vivint Smart Home Arena.

This is especially evident when looking at the glut of talent vying for backcourt spots in the Western Conference, which at this point appears to present stiffer competition than the Eastern Conference for that position.

That’s not to say earning a trip to the All-Star Game as an East guard won’t be difficult, considering the fact that two West 2022 All-Star guards — Donovan Mitchell and Dejounte Murray — are went to the East this offseason, thus strengthening the talent pool in the backcourt of this conference. Interestingly, those departures haven’t even left a dent in the depth of the West, who can have up to four players in the 2023 NBA All-Star Game who didn’t make the 2022 contest.

Keep in mind that the starting groups for both conferences include two guards and three frontcourt players, while the reserves are made up of two guards, three frontcourt players and two wildcard picks. Seven guards from each conference participated in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game.

Here’s a quick look at eight Western Conference guards expected to feature prominently in the 2023 NBA All-Star Game mix, listed in alphabetical order.

1. Desmond Bane, Memphis Grizzlies

Season statistics: 24.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 4.8 apg

Bane hasn’t played since Nov. 11 as he continues to recover from a Grade 2 sprained right big toe sustained in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. In just his third season, Bane has become a legitimate co-star against Ja Morant, and he’s posting career-high averages in points (24.7), rebounds (4.9) and assists (4.8) , shooting 45.1% from 3 points. Depending on how much time he’s missing, Bane is likely one of the frontrunners to win the Kia NBA Most Improved Player award (he finished fifth in last season’s voting for the award).

2. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns

Season statistics: 29.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 5.8 apg

Spoiler alert: expect Booker to rise in Kia’s next race to the MVP rankings. Without Chris Paul (last 11 games with a heel injury), Cameron Johnson (last 13 games with a torn right meniscus) and Jae Crowder (who hasn’t played all season), Booker carried the Suns to best record in the West. Naturally, you expect a dropout from a team that’s been missing three starters for so long. But Booker doesn’t have it and showed it by dropping 51 points in Wednesday’s win over Chicago.

🤯 51 PTS (20/25 MGF) | 6 ASD | 6 p.m. 3 p.m.@DevinBook went out for 51 PTS in just 3 quarters of play in @Suns 6th right W! pic.twitter.com/ywzxicWAaI

—NBA (@NBA) December 1, 2022

3.Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Season statistics: 31.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 7.0 apg

Curry led the Warriors to three straight wins before falling to Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday in an epic duel that ended. Curry scored 32 points in the loss to go with five rebounds and five assists, picking up his 13th game this season with 30 or more points. That total trails only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (15) and Doncic (14). Golden State is 11-11, just shy of eighth place. Without Curry, the Warriors wouldn’t even be close.

4. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

Season statistics: 33.5 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 8.6 apg

The 23-year-old MVP candidate put on a show Tuesday becoming the sixth player to post at least five 40-point triple-doubles in Dallas’ win over Golden State, joining Oscar Robertson (22), James Harden (16), Russell Westbrook (13), Wilt Chamberlain (7) and LeBron James. In total, Doncic scored 41 goals along with 12 rebounds, 12 assists and four steals in the win. In just his fifth season, Doncic is now tied with Dirk Nowitzki for the second-most 40 points in Mavs history (20), behind Mark Aguirre (22).

It was the @luka7doncic show in Dallas:

🔥 41 PTS, 12 REB, 12 AST, 4 STL, 4 15H 🔥 pic.twitter.com/MbAVVb5xX0

—NBA (@NBA) November 30, 2022

5. De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings

Season statistics: 24.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 6.0 apg

“Swipa” produced his second-lowest point total of the season in Monday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns, and in his last three outings before Wednesday’s win over the Indiana Pacers, he was shooting 35% ( 17 out of 49) after hitting 61% in the previous three games. From Nov. 9-22, Fox led Sacramento on a seven-game winning streak, dropping 28 or more points in four of those contests. Fox and Domantas Sabonis have become a formidable duo that gives the Kings a real shot at making the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

6. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Season statistics: 31.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 6.1 apg

Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s fifth-leading scorer, sat out Wednesday’s win over the San Antonio Spurs with a bruised left hip. Prior to that, the 24-year-old had played in five consecutive 30-point games, the most by a Thunder player since Paul George in 2019. TNT’s Charles Barkley thinks Gilgeous-Alexander should be an All-Star starter – and he has probably right in his assessment. Gilgeous-Alexander is only the second player in league history to have 30 or more points on at least 50% from the field in 10 of his first 14 games of a season.

Ernie: “Shai Alexander-Gilchrest”? 🤔
Chuck: “It’s 1am” 🤣

Charles says @shaiglalex expected to be a starter in this year’s All-Star Game pic.twitter.com/KEedNSC3Lx

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) November 30, 2022

7. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers

Season statistics: 26.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 7.0 apg

The six-time All-Star missed his fifth straight game (straight right calf) on Wednesday, but the 32-year-old appeared to be back to All-Star form in his first 11 games. During that span, Lillard averaged 26.3 ppg and 7.0 apg, including a pair of 40-point nights in back-to-back games in October. The Blazers are 4-6 this season without Lillard and 19-44 under those circumstances since the start of 2021-22. Lillard is reportedly targeting a return for Sunday’s home game against Indiana (9 ET, NBA TV).

8. Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies

Season statistics: 28.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 7.6 apg

Besides playing so far, we still haven’t seen Morant with his full arsenal. This has led to a lack of consistency as Memphis have lost three of their last five games. The 23-year-old spent the first half of the season facing Bane but without Jaren Jackson Jr., who missed Memphis’ first 14 games while recovering from offseason foot surgery. By the time Jackson returned on Nov. 15, Bane was missing his second straight game with a sprained right big toe. After his first All-Star nod, Morant likely deserves a second trip in 2022-23.

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