When the league officially opens voting for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game later this month.
We looked at the difficult decisions that will have to be made regarding the Western Conference backcourt players.
In alphabetical order, here is a quick look at eight guards from the Eastern Conference who should be in the running for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game:
1. Boston Celtics Jaylen Brown’s season stats:
It’s hard to believe that Brown has only participated in one All-Star Game with 26.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists.
Be that as it may, the 26-year-old dropped 22 focuses with eight bounce back and eight helps on Monday in assisting the Celtics with dropping Toronto to 9-3 at home.
It is interesting to note that the Celtics have a record of 15-1 when Brown and MVP candidate Jayson Tatum play 16 games together.
2. Season stats for DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls:
5 All-Star and 14-year veteran with 25.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists.
He is not slowing down. DeRozan scored 25 or more in seven consecutive games from November 16 to 30, making him the second player in Chicago Bulls history to do so (Michael Jordan did it 30 times).
Inconsistencies have plagued both DeRozan and 2022 All-Star Zach LaVine this season, and Chicago has lost four of its last five games on a six-game road trip that ended Sunday at Sacramento.
3. Season stats for Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers:
Donovan Mitchell has a 22.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg, and 7.7 apg, but you could argue that Garland is the engine that makes Cleveland run.
The guard, who is in his fourth season, made his first All-Star Game appearance last year.
At the moment, he is averaging career highs in scoring, minutes played per game (35.9), and 3-point percentage (40.8%).
4. Season stats for James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers:
Harden returned from a 14-game absence on Monday, scoring 21.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 9.7 assists in Houston’s 114-112 double-overtime loss.
His shot, which could have won the game, didn’t quite go as planned.
Despite the fact that Tyrese Maxey is probably the Sixers’ All-Star guard, he has missed the last nine games because of a foot fracture.
5. Statistics from Tyrese Haliburton’s Indiana Pacers season:
19.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 10.9 assists in his first game with the Pacers since joining on Sunday because of a left groin injury.
He then missed Monday’s game against the Golden State Warriors.
However, over the course of 22 games this season, we have witnessed the development of one of the best facilitators in the NBA.
6. Donovan Mitchell’s Cleveland Cavaliers season stats are as follows:
Mitchell has thus far lived up to his billing as arguably the most significant offseason acquisition, averaging 28.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.9 assists.
He was tied for fifth in the NBA as of Monday with 30 points or more in 12 games this season.
The 26-year-old is scoring at a career-high level and is one of two players this season (Stephen Curry is the other) to have made at least 40% of their attempts at 75 or more 3-pointers.
7. Atlanta Hawks Dejounte Murray’s season stats:
21.4 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game, and 6.7 assists per game The combination with Trae Young appeared promising at first, but it is still a work in progress 24 games into the season, with more advantages than disadvantages.
In the loss to Oklahoma City on Monday, Murray had a team-high 24 points, going 3-for-5 from three, and he also had two steals.
8. Season stats for Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks:
The Atlanta Hawks gave up their sixth double-digit lead of the season, which is tied for sixth in the NBA, in a 121-114 loss to the Thunder on Monday. Dished out 27.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 9.6 assists, but they were insufficient.
The 24-year-old now has 139 point-assist double-doubles and 141 games with 10 or more assists, which is the most in team history.