5 NBA players who can be first-time All-Stars in the 2021-22 NBA season
Five players made the NBA All-Stars for the first time in their careers in the 2020-21 NBA season. Jaylen Brown, Zion Williamson, Mike Conley, Zach LaVine, and Julius Randle. Conley is the clear outlier here, as most first-time All-Stars are young players who will have more appearances in their future.
It's also notable that three of them were in the Eastern Conference, and the Western Conference players were in unique situations. Mike Conley was a major factor on the best regular-season team in the NBA, should have made the team earlier in his career, and was an injury replacement for Devin Booker. As for Zion, I mean... it's Zion Williamson.
An often overlooked aspect is the financial ramifications of All-Star appearances for some of these players who have incentives worked into their contracts. For example, Jaylen Brown earned an additional $1.3-million last season by securing a spot on the All-Star roster. Not to mention the additional media attention that comes with it and potential sponsorship opportunities.
There are a few first-timers every year, and while I don't expect there to be five new faces like last year, there certainly are a handful of promising candidates who fit the bill.
Here are five players who I think have a good shot at making their first NBA All-Star game in the 2021-22 season.
#5 Michael Porter Jr.
In the absence of Jamal Murray, who tore his ACL in April, the Denver Nuggets will need others to step up and replace his production. Michael Porter Jr. is the most obvious candidate.
The 23-year-old is already one of the best shooters in the NBA, converting 44.5 percent of his 6.3 three-point attempts on average last season. Averaging 19.0 points at his age on one of the best teams in the West while standing at 6'10" with his fluidity is an outstanding level of production and skill.
The sad truth is, the All-Star game voting is largely influenced by counting stats and leaguewide popularity. Porter Jr. has had his off-court blunders, but his name has been known in the NBA community since high school when he was a top prospect prior to multiple concerning back injuries.
Vaulting his scoring into the low twenties on average should be enough to garner serious All-Star consideration for the Missouri product. Assuming the Denver Nuggets are still a threat in the West, which is probably a safe bet with reigning MVP Nikola Jokic in the squad.
#4 LaMelo Ball
Funnily enough, LaMelo Ball might not even be the best player on his own team. He is close enough, though, that his highlights, celebrity and likeness should put him as the All-Star favorite on that roster (shoutout to Terry Rozier).
The 6'6" guard averaged 15.7 points, 6.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds in his rookie campaign and was impressively efficient as a first-year player. More flashy full-court passes, triple-doubles and, most importantly, wins for the Charlotte Hornets could spring LaMelo into the All-Star conversation.
Losing in the play-in tournament isn't going to cut it, and the Hornets have a higher upside and expectations than that going into the NBA season. Leading his team to a playoff spot would be an impressive feat in a quietly competitive race for the final spots in the Eastern Conference.