Who are candidates to make their first NBA all

Oct 29, 2023

The FIBA World Cup will be all about rising stars, not established superstars.

Indeed, only two of the top 10 vote-getters for the 2022-23 NBA MVP award will compete in Asia starting later this month: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Canada and Luka Doncic of Slovenia. American headliners LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry will remain at home, as will international MVPs Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid.

But USA Basketball’s training camp in Las Vegas last week was a reminder that there will be plenty of talent on display as the tournament progresses to the Sept. 10 gold medal game in the Philippines. The Americans started all-stars Anthony Edwards, Brandon Ingram and Jaren Jackson Jr. in their opening exhibition win against Puerto Rico last week alongside two players who could earn their first invitations to the NBA’s midseason showcase this season.

As a reminder, the 2023 All-Star Game in Salt Lake City included six first-timers: Gilgeous-Alexander, Edwards, Jackson, Tyrese Haliburton, De’Aaron Fox and Lauri Markkanen. Here’s a look at the top candidates to make their all-star debuts at the 2024 event, which is set for Feb. 18 in Indianapolis.

Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks): The 26-year-old point guard has unexpectedly climbed into this conversation after slipping to the second round of the 2018 draft and coming off the bench for most of his first three seasons with the Dallas Mavericks. After signing with the Knicks in 2022 on the heels of a breakout season alongside Doncic, Brunson turned in a career year by averaging 24.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 6.2 assists while guiding a top-five offense. The Villanova product was one of last year’s biggest all-star snubs; Knicks forward Julius Randle wound up being the team’s only representative.

Ironically, Brunson’s path to a 2024 all-star spot got a boost when Kyrie Irving was traded by the Brooklyn Nets to the Mavericks, who desperately needed a Brunson replacement, in February. Brunson lacks elite size and athleticism, but he more than makes up for it with craft and intelligence. USA Basketball Coach Steve Kerr said Brunson, who ranked 13th in the league in Win Shares last season, quickly established himself as the World Cup team’s heart and soul.

“Jalen is such a natural leader,” Kerr said. “He’s the one who’s leading the ‘1-2-3, U-S-A!’ chant. Some guys, it just comes naturally to them.”

Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn Nets): As the centerpiece of Brooklyn’s blockbuster haul for Kevin Durant, Bridges wasted no time settling in as the new-look Nets’ No. 1 option. This was quite the transformation: The 26-year-old forward spent four-plus seasons with Phoenix as a complementary three-and-D weapon flanking Chris Paul and Devin Booker before averaging 26.1 points on 18.6 shots in 27 games with Brooklyn after the midseason trade.

While the retooling Nets can’t expect Bridges to emerge as a Durant-level franchise player, they will give him as many scoring opportunities as he can handle. Bridges, who claimed a starting spot for USA Basketball, posted a 30.3 percent usage rate with Brooklyn, putting him on par with lead options such as Edwards, Fox and Randle. That major offensive role, coupled with his ironman reputation and all-defensive-team credentials, should put Bridges firmly in the mix for an Eastern Conference frontcourt selection behind probable starters Antetokounmpo, Embiid and Jayson Tatum.

Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets): Anyone watching Denver’s 2023 title run probably found himself or herself wondering, “Wait, Murray has never made the all-star team?” The 26-year-old Canadian guard was simply sensational throughout the playoffs, averaging 26.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 7.1 assists while shooting 39.6 percent from three-point range to help the Nuggets claim their first title. After many wondered whether he would ever be able to reproduce his high level of play during the 2020 bubble playoffs, Murray found a way to raise his game even higher with clutch shot-making and brilliant passing in his role as Jokic’s chief sidekick.

Denver’s status as the returning champion should help Murray stand out in the West’s crowded backcourt field, which probably will include Curry, Doncic, Edwards, Fox and Booker. However, this year’s pack could be thinned by Ja Morant’s 25-game suspension and a possible trade of Damian Lillard to the East. If Murray, who will play for Canada in the World Cup, can carry his 2023 playoff momentum into next season, he should be punching his ticket to Indianapolis.

Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons): The 2021 No. 1 pick had become a forgotten man after undergoing shin surgery that limited him to 12 appearances last season, but that changed quickly this month when he led the USA Select team to a pair of scrimmage upsets over USA Basketball’s World Cup team. Cunningham, 21, was drafted ahead of the likes of Evan Mobley, Scottie Barnes and Jalen Green because of his profile as a skilled lead guard in a physical wing’s body, and he displayed his deft pick-and-roll skills and comfortable pacing at USA Basketball training camp.

Detroit, which hasn’t won a playoff series since 2008, desperately needs Cunningham to live up to the pre-draft hype as the heir apparent to strong, high-usage guards such as Doncic and James Harden. With Irving and Fred VanVleet, a 2022 East all-star, moving to Western Conference teams recently, there could be an all-star spot available if Cunningham delivers a healthy and productive third season. If he hadn’t been rehabilitating from such a significant injury, Cunningham surely would have earned a World Cup roster spot.

“Cade looked great,” Kerr said. “The injury is clearly behind him, and it’s great to see him healthy. He’s a guy who can really control the game from that point guard spot with his size and physicality.”

Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs): Rookies almost never earn all-star selections: Yao Ming and Blake Griffin are the only players who have managed the feat since 2000. Of course, Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 French phenom, is no typical rookie. The 19-year-old averaged 21.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in France’s top pro league last season, and he should have every opportunity to approach that level of excellent production for the rebuilding Spurs after opting out of the World Cup.

Wembanyama’s disappointing Summer League debut made it clear there could be growing pains along the way, but his global popularity, two-way impact and unprecedented combination of size and skill should help get him into the all-star conversation. Although beating out the likes of Jokic, James and Durant for a starting spot in the West frontcourt will be nearly impossible, it’s conceivable Wembanyama could sneak in as a reserve, a la Domantas Sabonis in 2022, if injuries continue to limit the likes of Anthony Davis, Zion Williamson and Kawhi Leonard.

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