2019 NBA All-Star Game mock draft: How we see it all unfolding
The 2019 NBA All-Star Game Draft is set to air on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET on TNT, but before the two All-Star team captains — Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James — make their picks, we thought we'd take a crack at it ourselves.
USA TODAY Sports NBA reporters Jeff Zillgitt (picking as Antetokounmpo) and Martin Rogers (picking as James) put on their NBA superstar hats and draft their teams from the pool of All-Stars. They follow the same rules that Antetokounmpo and James will, first picking from the pool of players voted in as starters (via fans, players and media members) and then the players voted in as reserves (via NBA head coaches), regardless of conference affiliation.
Rogers: Let me start by saying that making the draft public is the single greatest idea the NBA has had this season. As I'm LeBron, at least for the next five minutes (not something I ever thought I would say), I'm going to take the opportunity to play some politics. Call it legal tampering if you want -- I’m team captain and I don’t care.
I, as LeBron, know that NBA superstar egos are big enough that being picked early might make it a tiny bit more likely that a prospective free agent is going to join me in Hollywood next summer. So, I’m going to stock up on them. Come over here, Kyrie, and stand next to me. Still enjoying Toronto, Kawhi? And, hey, Kemba, have I ever told you what a fine point guard I think you are?
As for you, Kevin Durant, you’re on the naughty list. Remember those “toxic” comments from a few months back? Yeah, so do I.
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Zillgitt: My team might score 100 points – in the first quarter, with Durant, James Harden, Stephen Curry and Paul George rounding out my starting five.
And Team LeBron will have to wait another day to play alongside Anthony Davis. By the way, Giannis and AD on the same team? Good luck stopping that combo. Now, if only the Bucks had the assets to make that deal.
And don’t think I don’t delight in putting Durant, Harden and Russell Westbrook on the court at the same time. Oklahoma City’s pain is the All-Star Game’s gain. Bradley Beal can stroke the threes, and Nikola Jokic can dazzle with fancy passes to Karl-Anthony Towns. And yes, D’Angelo Russell on the All-Star team serves as a reminder that just because he didn’t pan out with the Lakers doesn’t mean he can’t excel elsewhere.
The full draft order is below.
Round one (starters)
1. Team Martin: Kyrie Irving
2. Team Jeff: Kevin Durant
3. Team Martin: Kawhi Leonard
4. Team Jeff: James Harden
5. Team Martin: Kemba Walker
6. Team Jeff: Stephen Curry
7. Team Martin: Joel Embiid
8. Team Jeff: Paul George
Round two (reserves)
9. Team Jeff: Anthony Davis
10. Team Martin: Klay Thompson
11. Team Jeff: Russell Westbrook
12. Team Martin: Ben Simmons
13. Team Jeff: Karl-Anthony Towns
14. Team Martin: Damian Lillard
15. Team Jeff: Bradley Beal
16. Team Martin: LaMarcus Aldridge
17. Team Jeff: Nikola Jokic
18. Team Martin: Nikola Vucevic
19. Team Jeff: D'Angelo Russell
20. Team Martin: Kyle Lowry
21. Team Jeff: Khris Middleton
22. Team Martin: Blake Griffin
Round three (special additions)
23. Team Martin: Dwyane Wade
24. Team Jeff: Dirk Nowitzki
The final product
