B/R Staff: 2025 NBA All-Star Reserves Predictions

With the 2025 NBA All-Star starters revealed, it's time to predict who will represent each conference as reserves.

Before we do, though, it's worth remembering that these 14 players are selected by the league's coaches (as opposed to the fans, media and players who pick the starters). So, predicting these stars requires us to put our coach's caps on.

Which two guards, three frontcourt players and two wild cards will represent each conference? Scroll below to find out.

This is the first time the Detroit Pistons will have an All-Star this decade, marking just the third different All-Star for the franchise since Allen Iverson in 2008-09.

Cade Cunningham should be considered a lock by the head coaches who vote on reserves, as he's led the Pistons to a 23-23 record and a chance at an above .500 record for the first time since the 2015-16 season when Reggie Jackson was the team's leading scorer.

This will be the first All-Star selection for the 23-year-old point guard who's setting career-high marks in scoring (24.8 points per game), rebounding (6.4) and assists (9.4, third-most in the NBA). He has also improved his shooting efficiency, a major weak point of his over the first three years. His effective field-goal percentage of 50.8 percent is the best of his young career.

Coaches should reward both his individual production and Detroit's team success compared to its expectations, especially after losing starter Jaden Ivey to a broken leg on Jan 1.

There are a lot of guards who can make All-Star cases in the East, although Damian Lillard should still be safe given his individual numbers and the Milwaukee Bucks' turnaround this season.

Lillard's numbers across the board are better than his first season in Milwaukee when he was an All-Star, as the 34-year-old is averaging 25.5 points (12th-most in the NBA), 4.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists (also 12th-most), 1.2 steals (tied for a career high) and 3.5 made threes a game on good efficiency (38.3 percent).

Both Lillard and All-Star starter Giannis Antetokounmpo are asked to carry an enormous offensive load each night, as the Bucks' other three starters (Brook Lopez, Taurean Prince, Andre Jackson Jr.) combine to average 23.2 points a night.

Milwaukee is up to 26-18 on the season, good for fourth place in the East and homecourt advantage in the first round. Lillard may not have too many All-Star games left in him now in his mid-30s, but he's done enough to earn a spot this year.

An All-Star-caliber defender from the day he stepped on an NBA court, Evan Mobley's offense has finally begun to catch up.

The 23-year-old is averaging a career-high 18.1 points to go along with 8.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 blocks per game. Under new Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson, he has begun shooting and making threes at a high level, including 40.5 percent overall and a whopping 44.6 percent on catch-and-shoot attempts.

His defense continues to be elite no matter what position he is guarding. The Cavs give up 8.1 fewer points per 100 possessions with him on the floor (96th percentile via Cleaning the Glass) and players are shooting just 31.7 percent overall from three with Mobley guarding them.

The Cavaliers should get two or three All-Stars given their conference-best 37-9 record, with Mobley standing the strongest chance behind Donovan Mitchell as a frontcourt reserve selection.

Jaylen Brown continues to put up big numbers for a winning team while defending at a high level, all factors that will sit well with the head coaches when making their picks.

The 28-year-old is averaging a career high in assists this season (4.8), playing unselfish basketball while also scoring at a high clip (23.1 points per game) and rebounding the ball (6.0). His 1.3 steals per contest are also the highest of his nine seasons.

At 32-15 and second in the East, the Boston Celtics deserve to have multiple All-Stars. Jayson Tatum has already been named a starter, and while Derrick White and Payton Pritchard have both been very good, Brown is clearly the second-most deserving player on the Celtics.

This will be the fourth selection overall for Brown, adding to a trophy collection that has grown considerably over the past year.

Jalen Johnson and Zach LaVine (if deemed a frontcourt player) could be considered here as well, although Pascal Siakam has established himself as the No. 1 offensive option on an Indiana Pacers team that has climbed to No. 5 in the East.

The raw numbers pass the All-Star test (20.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.9 steals) and Siakam is enjoying a career year from outside the arc. A lifetime 33.0 percent shooter from deep, he has nailed 41.3 percent of his three-pointers this season on solid volume (4.2 attempts per game).

With Tyrese Haliburton having a down year and players such as Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith missing time due to injury, Siakam earns points for being a steady force on both ends and has a sparkling swing rating of plus-13.1 (96th percentile, via Cleaning the Glass).

The Pacers are 15-5 over their last 20 games in large part because of Siakam. He deserves to make his third All-Star game (and first for Indiana) this year.

Darius Garland's raw numbers can't compete with that of LaMelo Ball's scoring or Trae Young's NBA-leading assists, although the Cleveland Cavaliers' floor general has been by far the most efficient scorer of a trio that is helping lead the best team in the East.

Garland's 21.7 points per game are identical to his All-Star season of 2021-22 when he was Cleveland's No. 1 scoring option, and the 25-year-old point guard is also averaging a team-high 6.8 assists and 1.1 steals.

His incredible scoring efficiency helps separate him from the rest of the East guards. Always a talented shooter, his 42.5 percent mark from three is good for 14th overall in the NBA and is far ahead of players like Ball (33.7 percent) and Young (34.5 percent).

With a slash line of 49.9/42.5/88.3, Garland has a chance to join the elusive 50/40/90 club, a feat accomplished by just nine total players in NBA history thus far.

With Donovan Mitchell already locked in to a starting position and Evan Mobley likely joining as a frontcourt reserve, a third All-Star from the Cavaliers could still well happen given their 37-9 record.

The final wild-card spot in the East could easily go to LaMelo Ball, Trae Young, Zach LaVine, Jalen Johnson or a number of other deserving candidates.

However, Tyler Herro gets the nod given the Miami Heat are the only team among these currently in a playoff spot in the East, which is saying a lot given the chaos the franchise has been through this season.

The fact that Miami still has a top-six seed is a testament to Herro, who has been the team's best player this season even ahead of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.

The 25-year-old is averaging a career-high 24.1 points to go along with 5.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists. His 3.9 made three-pointers per game are coming on a career-best 40.0 percent accuracy as well. The only other NBA player to average at least 24 points, five rebounds and five assists this season while shooting 40 percent from deep is three-time MVP Nikola Jokić.

Having missed just a single game this season, Herro has been a reliable offensive force as Miami's leading scorer and should be rewarded with his first All-Star appearance.

Even with Luka Dončić potentially eliminated from contention by missing more than half his team's games, it's tough to limit the field of potential All-Stars in the West.

More than one of Kyrie Irving, Jalen Williams, James Harden, Anthony Edwards and Devin Booker won't make the cut. Know that if you're backing one of the above and don't see him below, I'm aware he has a case.

For now, we'll zero in on Edwards, who hasn't quite taken the superstar leap some may have expected after his Western Conference Finals experience, and whose Minnesota Timberwolves have been underwhelming, but is still producing like an All-Star and generating highlights at a rate most guards can't.

The 23-year-old is at 26.3 points, 4.4 points and an eye-popping 4.1 threes. And on a team with Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert, he's putting up those numbers for a team that isn't really designed to space the floor and maximize his strengths.

Given the way the Los Angeles Clippers have smashed expectations this season, it almost feels like they have to get an All-Star. And while there may be a case for the volume-shooting Norman Powell, it's the engine of the offense who should get the nod.

Even in his age-35 campaign, James Harden is proving capable of carrying his team's attack when surrounded by few offensive ceiling-raisers. This season, he's averaging 21.7 points, 8.3 assists and 2.9 threes.

And while he's certainly not a lockdown defender on the perimeter, he has quietly been a plus on that end, thanks to his awareness, stoutness inside and willingness to end possessions as a rebounder.

Victor Wembanyama probably should've been a starter (sorry, Kevin Durant). So far this season, he's performed like one of the five best players in the league (not just the West).

The 21-year-old is already the most dominant defensive force in the NBA. He's a permanent matchup problem on the other end, thanks to both his ability to space the floor and put the ball on the floor. And he's increasingly becoming a real playmaking option for the San Antonio Spurs to run offense through.

All of that has added up to cartoonish averages of 24.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.9 blocks, 3.7 assists, 3.2 threes and 1.1 steals on a team that has no business being as close to .500 as San Antonio is.

All season, it's felt like the Los Angeles Lakers having two All-Stars was almost a foregone conclusion. And a month or so ago, that might have been a little less palatable.

But the Lakers are starting to string some wins together and climb the Western Conference standings. And Anthony Davis' numbers have warranted All-Star consideration throughout.

The 31-year-old is putting up 26.3 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.3 steals. And L.A. wouldn't be in the position it is without his two-way impact.

On the year, the Lakers have a point differential around that of a 45-win team when Davis is on the floor, compared to one around that of a 30-win team when he's off it.

It almost feels like the coaches are going to have to choose one or two of Alperen Şengün, Domantas Sabonis and Jaren Jackson Jr. All three have been good enough to get in, but it's almost impossible to include them all.

So, this is where we have to go back to those coach's caps we put on earlier. They're almost certainly going to reward winning and select at least one All-Star from the Houston Rockets, who have been in second place in the West for most of the campaign.

And once the decision to reward Houston is made, Şengün is a fairly obvious pick.

He's averaging 19.2 points for an egalitarian offense, while also adding 10.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.3 steals.

Jaren Jackson Jr. gets a boost from team success. Snubbing Sabonis feels borderline egregious, but this is a prediction of what the All-Stars will be. Not what they should be.

And as of this writing, Sacramento is 6.5 games and seven spots in the standings behind the Memphis Grizzlies, whose best player this season has undoubtedly been Jackson.

The lack of rebounding can make his numbers look a little scant for a big man, but his impact is undeniable. His three-point shooting pulls opposing forwards and centers away from the paint, opening it up for his guards and wings. And his range and shot-blocking on defense allows everyone else to play more aggressively. Teammates know Jackson can cover for a multiple of mistakes (or calculated gambles).

And honestly, calling the raw numbers scant probably isn't even fair. Jackson leads the third-place Grizzlies in scoring and is averaging 22.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.8 threes, 1.6 blocks and 1.4 steals.

This may be the most controversial prediction. Booker, Kyrie and Sabonis are all still on the board. There are arguments to be made for all three.

But the Oklahoma City Thunder are on pace for well over 60 wins, with Chet Holmgren missing most of the season to date. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is understandably getting most of the credit for that, but Jalen Williams deserves some love, too.

He's one of the better and more consistent perimeter defenders in the NBA. And he's somehow quietly put up 21.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.7 threes.

Combine his impact on both ends, and the 23-year-old has played like a top 10-15 player all season.

You can't really chalk that up to defenses paying all their attention to SGA, either. The MVP candidate certainly benefits from Williams, too. And he's a huge part of why the Thunder are a net plus in the non-SGA minutes this season.

When Williams plays without Gilgeous-Alexander, he averages 25.9 points and 6.7 assists per 75 possessions. And OKC has a plus-3.9 net rating in those minutes.