The All-Star starters: Who wins a real 5-on-5?
Does anybody need additional evidence that positions as we used to know them in the NBA are going out the window?
Obviously, the decision by the league three years ago to change All-Star balloting from traditional "forwards" and "centers" to simply "frontcourt" has given fans another chance to vote solely based on popularity, but the makeup of both the Eastern and Western Conference teams that will face off in Toronto next month is telling.
| F | Kobe Bryant | Paul George |
| F | Kevin Durant | Carmelo Anthony |
| F | Kawhi Leonard | LeBron James |
| G | Russell Westbrook | Dwyane Wade |
| G | Stephen Curry | Kyle Lowry |
Never mind that the NBA is long removed from its days being dominated by true centers, but the starters for this year's All-Star Game could form a couple of dream small-ball lineups.
So how would a theoretical 5-on-5 matchup go?
The All-Star game itself won't satisfy the true curiosity. Defense will be in absentia, passes will be lobbed at will, shots jacked from everywhere. The over/under will be about 320. Another batch of stars will play heavy minutes off the bench.
In a true 5-on-5, envision LeBron James camping in the post. On the other side, with Kawhi Leonard as the West's premier defender, his workload would include covering everybody at some point. That puts Kevin Durant playing heavy minutes at the five, and ample 1-on-1 opportunities with James.
The wild cards for the East in this scenario? Paul George and Kyle Lowry. Yet the West, even with an over-the-hill 37-year-old Kobe Bryant starting at the three, may just be too tough. The backcourt is all there is to it.
If the idea of trying to contain Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook is too much on their own, imagine both of them on the same team: Curry looping all over the court against bigger, slower defenders, and shooting from crazy angles on one possession. Then Westbrook frantically driving the lane, attacking or dishing off on another. The thought of it is almost like basketball porn.
Obviously, there will be no game like this with any real stakes. But it's nice to imagine. The playground feel of the All-Star Game should suffice in the entertainment department.