NBA 2019-20: Predicting the Eastern Conference All Star starters

Approximately a fourth of the new NBA season is past us, and we're still grasping for straws trying to explain who ends up in what bracket. There are a couple of players on this list who will be regulars for years to come, as they lead their teams into the championship sweepstakes. A couple more are also regular fixtures from the past into the roster, although it would be difficult to put a ceiling on their performances given the remainder of their peak. Let's take a look at the 5 likeliest players from the Eastern Conference to make the starting 5 from the East side given their performances up until this point of the season.

Note: the likes of Kyrie Irving are yet to hit the groove that gave them a starters' role in 2019.

#5 Giannis Antetokounmpo

Picking up right where he left off, Giannis Antetokounmpo seems keyed to once again reaching the Conference Finals. Although the Bucks are a little less well-rounded than they were in the last go-around, the Freak's performances have ensured their steady progress as Milwaukee continues to top the Eastern Conference as well as the overall standings this season at this point. An 18-3 record is a really encouraging sign for a team that lost 2 reliable sharpshooters in Malcolm Brogdon and Nikola Mirotic (Mirotic is back in homeland Spain to play for Barcelona).

Running a distant second to Harden in the scoring department, the Freak's average of 30.8 points per game is still a vast advantage given his extremely efficient play around and above the rim. He's also 4th across the league in rebounding, netting an average of 13.4 boards in 21 games played. At 5.9 assists per game, Giannis is basically in continuation with his 2018-19 impact on the floor and might well win the MVP award back-to-back.

Also read: NBA MVP Power Rankings: Top 5 leaders entering Week 7