NBA Eastern Conference

With just two days left in the regular season, the NBA playoffs are really beginning to take focus.

Nearly all of the teams are now locked in, but there could be some last-minute shuffling as far as placement after Wednesday, the last day of the regular season.

Finding out the order of playoff seeds is one thing, but to have to get in by the skin of one's teeth is another.

There are two teams left that are literally fighting for their postseason lives: the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets.

And as luck would have it, the deciding game for both of these two teams is on the final night of the season, against each other.

Fans wanted some drama and high stakes in their basketball. Well, it doesn't get any more dramatic than having to play one game with everything on the line.

This week has been and will be one of the most exciting calendar of days in the Association.

From the San Antonio Spurs clinching their 21st straight trip to the playoffs despite Kawhi Leonard not playing, Russell Westbrook clinching a spot for the Oklahoma City Thunder on the strength of his triple-double or Anthony Davis literally putting the New Orleans Pelicans on his back and dragging them into the postseason, these last few days of the regular season have been amazing.

The Spurs will be in the NBA Playoffs for the 21st consecutive season. pic.twitter.com/pYbtHWqVFz

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) April 10, 2018

Here are the latest NBA playoff standings and a brief outlook on postseason play, which begins Saturday.

     

Eastern Conference Standings

e-1. Toronto Raptors (59-22) .728

x-2. Boston Celtics (54-26) .675

x-3. Philadelphia 76ers (50-30) .625

c-4. Cleveland Cavaliers (50-31) .617

x-5. Indiana Pacers (48-33) .593

x-6. Milwaukee Bucks (44-37) .543

x-7. Miami Heat (43-38) .531

x-8. Washington Wizards (42-38) .525

     

Western Conference Standings

w-1. Houston Rockets (64-16) .800

p-2. Golden State Warriors (58-23) .716

x-3. Portland Trail Blazers (48-33) .593

x-4. Utah Jazz (47-33) .588

x-5. New Orleans Pelicans (47-34) .580

x-6. San Antonio Spurs (47-34) .580

x-7. Oklahoma City Thunder (47-34) .580

8. Minnesota Timberwolves (46-35) .568

9. Denver Nuggets (46-35) .568

x = clinched playoff spot, e = clinched Easter Conference, c = clinched Central Division, w = clinched Western Conference, p = clinched Pacific Division

     

Outlook

Can the Philadelphia 76ers make it to the Eastern Conference Finals?

Let's face it, "The Process" has been a complete and utter success.

Process that.

The Sixers have won 50 games for the first time since 2000-01 when Allen Iverson took them to the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Philadelphia is also on a historic 14-game winning streak, thanks to the play of its rookie sensation, Ben Simmons.

Simmons, this week's Eastern Conference Player of the Week, has averaged an incredible 14.7 points, 10.1 rebounds and 10.9 assists during the streak.

Ben Simmons has averaged 14.7 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 10.9 assists over the @sixers 14-game winning streak. No player prior to Simmons - rookie or vet - has ever averaged a triple-double over a winning streak of 10+ games in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/iOLtfzOLq7

— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) April 8, 2018

"Where do I begin?" coach Brett Brown told Brian Seltzer of Sixers.com. "Let's start with the poise, and the unflappable type of mindset that he has, and inner peace and inner confidence that he has that doesn't let him get rattled or distracted much. Let's talk about the continued growth of the intellectual side what is a point guard...he's grown tremendously on that side of the position as well. And then, there's just how good he is. Some of the things he does athletically—speed, vision, presence—he is for real. He really is for real. He has exceeded for me all of the expectations I've had for him."

With the way they are playing, and especially if they get All-Star Joel Embiid back, the Sixers are primed to surprise a lot of people this postseason.

And that can include the Cleveland Cavaliers. In their last meeting, Simmons went off for 27 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists to give Philly a 132-130 win over the Cavs.

The Cavs are still right there, though it seems that something is missing.

And yes, it's easy to assume that what they are missing is Kyrie Irving.

But only time will tell if that's the case or if other teams like the Sixers are just too good for even the great LeBron James to overcome.

     

Are the Houston Rockets the new Golden State Warriors?

For the first time in franchise history, the Houston Rockets will enter the playoffs boasting the combination of clinching the best record in the NBA and wielding home court advantage throughout the postseason.

No one saw that coming, even with the addition of Chris Paul in the offseason.

Now that the playoffs are about to begin, everyone's curious.

Can the Rockets beat the Warriors and make it to the NBA Finals?

If Golden State weren't banged-up, there would be some very lengthy arguments on both sides.

But as it stands, the Warriors are injured, and they are without their two-time MVP Stephen Curry.

James Harden is averaging 30.6 points per game this season and the Rockets have 64 wins with two games to go.

Three players in NBA history averaged 30 PPG on a 65-win team (Steph Curry, Michael Jordan & Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) each won MVP. pic.twitter.com/pzdMLI7oWV

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 9, 2018

Meanwhile, Paul and James Harden are playing out of their minds, and the perfect supporting cast surrounds them.

Harden, the leading candidate to win this year's MVP, is averaging a league-best 30.6 points and 8.7 assists per game, and Paul is adding 18.6 points, 7.9 assists and 5.4 rebounds per outing.

When Harden, Paul and Clint Capela were on the floor together this season, they were 41-3, including 20-2 against any of the eight teams they could face in the postseason, per NBA.com's John Schuhmann.

"These last few years I've learned that obviously you can't do it by yourself," Harden told Kristie Rieken of the Associated Press (h/t Houston Chronicle). "You need guys to step up, make big shots, make big plays and so we have enough guys in here on any given night that can change a playoff series. So that's what you need. That's what puts you over the top."

Golden State may not be as strong as it was last year, but it's still not an easy out. The triumvirate of Harden, Paul and coach Mike D'Antoni will have to bring its combined best to put a stop to the Warriors' reign in the West.

But all signs point to it being able to do just that.

The reserves have landed.

On Tuesday night, the 14 players chosen by NBA head coaches to play in the 2018 NBA All-Star Game alongside the previously named starters were revealed on TNT NBA Tip-Off.

Here are your 2018 #NBAAllStar Reserves from the Eastern Conference! pic.twitter.com/OXZCq0Zp6I

— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 24, 2018

Representing the East are the Washington Wizards' Bradley Beal and John Wall, Al Horford of the Boston Celtics, Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors, Victor Oladipo of the Indiana Pacers and Kristaps Porzingis of the New York Knicks.

Here are your 2018 #NBAAllStar Reserves from the Western Conference! pic.twitter.com/Kd2pgdNhw7

— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 24, 2018

Holding it down for the West are the Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, LaMarcus Aldridge of the San Antonio Spurs, Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trailblazers and Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Now that all the players have been named, it's time to choose squads like they do it in the playground.

LeBron James and Stephen Curry, the Eastern and Western Conference team captains, will now pick the players for their rosters, regardless of conference affiliation.

Since James was the overall leading vote-getter, he'll pick first in the first round from a pool of players that includes Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers), Kyrie Irving (Celtics) and DeMar DeRozan (Raptors) from the East and Kevin Durant (Warriors), James Harden (Houston Rockets), Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins (New Orleans Pelicans) from the West.

With the collective personnel James and Curry have to choose from, the draft should be interesting.

Too bad none of us will be able to actually witness it.

The final team rosters will be broadcast on Thursday during a special one-hour edition of TNT NBA Tip-Off at 7 p.m. ET.

But until then, there's plenty of time to speculate on who'll be picked where.

It's mock draft time!

       

The Starters

Team James selects...Kevin Durant.

This is an easy pick for the Cavs star. Sure, they're rivals, but Durant is the proverbial No. 2 man when it comes to the list of the best players on the planet.

      

Team Curry selects...Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The two-time MVP has already said he'd pick the Bucks star if only to avoid getting dunked on again. But outside of that, he couldn't pick a more versatile player. Antetokounmpo can do it all, and he's going to need to going up against James and Durant.

       

Team James selects...DeMarcus Cousins.

Cousins may be known as a hothead, but James should not be afraid of a little thing like that. The simple fact is, Boogie can ball, and he's having the kind of season that can't be ignored.

        

Team Curry selects...Anthony Davis.

This is a smart defensive move. James gets Cousins, so Curry has to get a big man of his own. Davis, despite having to share the floor with Cousins in NOLA, is having a fantastic year, too. He can score in bunches, and he can defend with the best of them.

      

Team James selects...James Harden.

Harden is a maestro with the rock and can score at will. What makes him dangerous now is that he can pass to the open man and is willing to do so. That's the kind of player James wants to play with.

     

Team Curry selects...Kyrie Irving.

Curry and Irving have become rivals due to facing off in the NBA Finals three years in a row, and Curry, despite winning twice, hasn't been able to live down that game-winner Irving hit in his face.

Still, Curry wants to win this thing, and Irving will definitely help him do that. 

      

Team James selects...DeMar DeRozan.

DeRozan is another one of James' rivals, but none of that matters when you're trying to get the dub. The Raptors star is money from mid-range, and he's added a reliable three-point shot to his arsenal.

       

Team Curry selects...Joel Embiid.

Embiid hasn't been as durable as the rest of the starters, but when he's on the court, he electrifies. With a post-up game reminiscent of Hakeem Olajuwon and the kind of hubris that defies logic, Embiid is the kind of guy that will pump up the team and get them primed to put on a show.

      

The Reserves

Team Curry: Draymond Green, PF, Golden State Warriors

Team James: Russell Westbrook, PG, Oklahoma City Thunder

Team Curry: Klay Thompson, SG, Golden State Warriors

Team James: Jimmy Butler, SG, Minnesota Timberwolves

Team Curry: John Wall, PG, Washington Wizards 

Team James: Bradley Beal, SG, Washington Wizards 

Team Curry: Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Minnesota Timberwolves

Team James: Kristaps Porzingis, PF, New York Knicks

Team Curry: Al Horford, C, Boston Celtics

Team James: Kyle Lowry, PG, Toronto Raptors

Team Curry: Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana Pacers

Team James: LaMarcus Aldridge, PF, San Antonio Spurs

Team Curry: Damian Lillard, PG, Portland Trail Blazers

Team James: Kevin Love, PF, Cleveland Cavaliers

By the end of the draft, Team James and Team Curry should each have a team of 12.

The next step in the process is to select the head coaches. That step remains unchanged. The Eastern Conference and Western Conference coach who has the best record in their conference two weeks before the game will get the nod to draw up the X's and O's.

Even if Boston Celtics' Brad Stevens and Golden State's Steve Kerr end up with the best records, they can't make the cut because they coached the game last season. Additionally, the coaches selected will still be assigned based on conference.

The 67th annual midseason classic, which will be played at the Staples Center on Sunday, Feb. 18 (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT), will be televised on TNT for the 16th consecutive year.

Now we wait.

LeBron James and Stephen Curry, the Eastern and Western Conference team captains for the 2018 NBA All-Star Game already know the names of the eight players that will be drafted in the first round, but they are still in the dark about the 14 players that will be named as All-Star reserves.

That will change Tuesday night, when the reserves will be announced during TNT NBA Tip-Off at 7 p.m. ET.

Once the players, who will be selected by NBA head coaches, are revealed, James and Curry can begin to choose players for their rosters, regardless of conference affiliation.

In the first round, James, the overall vote-getter, will pick first from a pool of players that includes Giannis Antetokounmpo (2,530,211), Joel Embiid (1,285,587), Kyrie Irving (2,170,833) and DeMar DeRozan (998,999) from the East and Kevin Durant (2,238,406), James Harden (1,486,830), Anthony Davis (1,088,230) and DeMarcus Cousins (922,269) from the West.

The picks will alternate until all of the players in the first round have been chosen.

Curry will pick first in the second round, which will follow the same rules as the first until all of the reserves have been selected.

The top names for the reserves from the East are Kristaps Porzingis, Victor Oladipo of the Indiana Pacers, the Washington Wizards' Bradley Beal and John Wall, Al Horford of the Boston Celtics, Andre Drummond of the Detroit Pistons and Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Hornets.

The top reserves from the West include Russell Westbrook, LaMarcus Aldridge, Golden State's Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, the Minnesota Timberwolves' Jimmy Butler, Portland Trailblazers' Damian Lillard and Karl-Anthony Towns.

James wants to win, and since things haven't been going his way with the Cavs, he'll undoubtedly choose Durant with the first pick to make sure he gets the win.

Curry will likely go for Antetokounmpo, if not to win, then at least not to get dunked on again. From there, James might round out his squad with Harden, Cousins, Beal, DeRozan, Porzingis, Love, Butler, Walker, Westbrook and Aldridge.   

Curry will probably opt for familiarity, so he'll choose Green and Thompson, then go with Towns, Oladipo, Wall, Horford, Drummond, Davis, Irving and Lillard.

By the end of the draft, Team James and Team Curry should each have a team of 12.

The draft won't be televised, a caveat in the new format that fans and analysts have not been happy about. The reason is simple: the draft can be full of drama. Friends will be under pressure to select friends, players won't want to be picked last on television and choosing foes or players from rivals teams could be awkward with the whole world watching.

"I think it should be televised," Wall told NBC Sports Washington's Wizards Tipoff podcast. "If you made the All-Star Game, it should be televised who is going to be on what team. I don't think you should call them and then wait until everybody sees who will be an All-Star. They should let it be known. We're grown men, like [LeBron] said. If they ain't pick you, they ain't pick you."

Adam Silver, the NBA Commissioner, feels differently, according to his statement to NBA TV's The Starters.

"Should there be a public selection? Yes, it would be more fun if we had that kind of draft. On the other hand, I recognize that in picking a team to perform in the here and now, it's a little different than drafting. There was a sense from the players that it put them in an impossible position, where they're picking one player over another—in part, not because they necessarily think that player is better than another player, maybe because they have a personal relationship with the player. Invariably, if they just did it as a pure draft, guys would say, 'Oh, I can't believe such and such was selected before that player'...The goal was to improve the All-Star Game, not put a cherry on top of the cake."

The final team rosters will be broadcast on Thursday during a special one-hour edition of TNT NBA Tip-Off at 7 p.m. ET.

The process for selecting head coaches remains unchanged. Like previous games, the Eastern Conference and Western Conference coach who clinches the best record in their conference two weeks before the game will earn a spot on the bench.

Boston Celtics' Brad Stevens and Golden State's Steve Kerr are both ineligible because they coached the game last season. Although the players will disregard conference affiliation, the coaches will align with the respective captain from each conference.

The 67th annual midseason classic, which will be played at the Staples Center on Sunday, Feb. 18 (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT), will be televised on TNT for the 16th consecutive year.

Look at LeBron James and Stephen Curry: They are the captains now.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors stars won the ballot for the Eastern and Western Conferences, respectively, and will be responsible for drafting the players to join their teams for the 2018 NBA All-Star Game scheduled to be played at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Feb. 18.

Voted for by the fans, players and media, the starters were revealed on Thursday. James was the top vote-getter overall and for the East, so he will be picking first and then alternating selections with Curry.

The Eastern Conference @NBAAllStar Starters Pool! #LeBronJames#GiannisAntetokounmpo#JoelEmbiid#KyrieIrving#DeMarDeRozan#NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/2UABWqrjEr

— NBA (@NBA) January 18, 2018

Joining James as starters for the East are Giannis Antetokounmpo (2,530,211), Joel Embiid (1,285,587), Kyrie Irving (2,170,833) and DeMar DeRozan (998,999).

The Western Conference @NBAAllStar Starters Pool!#StephenCurry#JamesHarden#AnthonyDavis#KevinDurant#DeMarcusCousins #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/pftbGABdu8

— NBA (@NBA) January 18, 2018

In the West, Kevin Durant (2,238,406), James Harden (1,486,830), Anthony Davis (1,088,230) and DeMarcus Cousins (922,269) joined Curry as starters.

NBA players and 99 members of the basketball media joined fans in voting to select the starters. Fan votes accounted for 50 percent, while player and media votes represented 25 percent each.

The reason this "draft" will be so interesting is the fact each captain can select from the pool of names of the other eight starters and the 14 reserves (seven from each conference) to be chosen by NBA head coaches, regardless of conference affiliation.

One of the biggest questions is whether James will select Irving for his team despite the drama that led to him demanding a trade this past summer or whether he'll choose rival Durant, who beat him out for the 2017 championship.

"I'm trying to win," James said, per Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. "This is the reason they did this format to make it very competitive. The All-Star game hasn't been what it should be the last few years. I'm going to take it upon myself and obviously the rest of the guys to go out there and play the game the right way and compete. Our fans deserve it."

Since Team James will be picking first, Team Curry has first choice of jersey color. As for his drafting strategy, he plans on getting a little help from the rest of the Curry clan.

Steph Curry said his brother Seth and father Dell will be assistant GMs for him in the All-Star game draft: "Maybe ask Riley, too"

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) January 20, 2018

The reserves will be announced on Tuesday during TNT NBA Tip-Off at 7 p.m. ET.

The top names for the reserves from the East have been somewhat of a moving target, but the ones who have staying power are Kristaps Porzingis, Victor Oladipo of the Indiana Pacers, the Washington Wizards' Bradley Beal and John Wall, Al Horford of the Boston Celtics, Andre Drummond of the Detroit Pistons and Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Hornets.

The reserves from the West include Russell Westbrook, LaMarcus Aldridge, Golden State's Green and Klay Thompson, the Minnesota Timberwolves' Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns.

Analysts have kicked around the idea of Lou Williams of the Los Angeles Clippers getting the nod this year, but Portland Trailblazers' point guard Damian Lillard has really come on of late and has a great shot at making the cut.

"I don't know who LeBron will take with the first pick," Curry said, per Mark Medina of the Mercury News. "So depending on how that goes, I might have to go pick all guards and pick the shortest team possible. Who knows how it will play out."

Curry was kidding, of course, but the possibilities are endless. Friends can play with friends, friends can link up with foes and opposing stars can join up for the first time in a game where conference doesn't matter.

Since James wants to win, he'll undoubtedly choose Durant with the first pick, while Curry will go for Antetokounmpo. From there, the Cavs star will likely round out his squad with Harden, Cousins, Beal, DeRozan, Porzingis, Love, Butler, Walker, Westbrook and Aldridge.   

Curry most likely will choose Green, Thompson, Towns, Oladipo, Wall, Horford, Drummond, Davis, Irving and Lillard.

Unfortunately, the actual draft won't be televised. The final team rosters will be broadcast on Thursday during a special one-hour edition of TNT NBA Tip-Off at 7 p.m. ET.

As for selecting head coaches, the process remains unchanged. Like previous games, the Eastern Conference and Western Conference coach who clinches the best record in their conference two weeks before the game will earn a spot on the bench.

Boston Celtics' Brad Stevens and Golden State's Steve Kerr are both ineligible, though, because they coached the game last season. Although the players will disregard conference affiliation, the coaches will align with the respective captain from each conference.

The 67th annual midseason classic, which will be played at the Staples Center on Sunday, Feb. 18 (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT), will be televised on TNT for the 16th consecutive year.

What's that old saying?

"Ask and you shall receive."

Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry said he would have no problem making picks as the Western Conference captain for the 2018 NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles, and now, he'll be able to do just that.

"Why not?" Curry told Anthony Slater of The Athletic last week. "I'll be the first to usher in the new system. I used to go to the playground all the time, and you wanted to be the guy picking teams. That meant you were something on the court back in the day. It'll be a cool vibe to see how it all shakes out and how unique you can make the lineups."

He and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James were chosen by the fans, the players and 99 members of the basketball media as the two captains for the game after being the top vote-getters for their respective conferences.

Now, Curry and James will select the other four starters for their team from the pool of names revealed yesterday, regardless of conference affiliation.

The complete pool of starters, which was revealed Thursday night during TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by Autotrader, can be viewed below: 

Eastern Conference

• Frontcourt: LeBron James, F, Cleveland Cavaliers (27.3 PPG, 8.8 AST, 8.0 REB)
• Frontcourt: Giannis Antetokounmpo, F, Milwaukee Bucks (28.2 PPG, 10.1 REB, 4.6 AST)
• Frontcourt: Joel Embiid, C, Philadelphia 76ers (23.8 PPG, 10.8 REB, 1.9 BLK)
• Backcourt:  Kyrie Irving, G, Boston Celtics (24.1 PPG, 5.0 AST, 47.3 FG%)
• Backcourt:  DeMar DeRozan, G, Toronto Raptors (25.2 PPG, 5.0 AST, 48.0 FG%)

      

Western Conference

• Frontcourt: Kevin Durant, F, Golden State Warriors (26.2 PPG, 5.4 AST, 2.1 BLK)
• Frontcourt: Anthony Davis, F, New Orleans Pelicans (26.7 PPG, 10.5 REB, 2.1 BLK)
• Frontcourt: DeMarcus Cousins, C, New Orleans Pelicans (25.3 PPG, 12.7 REB, 5.1 AST)
• Backcourt:  Stephen Curry, G, Golden State Warriors (27.7 PPG, 6.5 AST, 41.8 3P%)
• Backcourt: James Harden, G, Houston Rockets (32.3 PPG, 9.1 AST, 1.8 STL)

If Curry wanted to choose Irving for his team, he could do that. If James wanted to pick Harden, that is allowed under the new format.

The Sacramento Bee's Jason Jones tweeted a detailed look at the final fan, player and media voting results:

FYI pic.twitter.com/5dV3L9WtwL

— Jason Jones (@mr_jasonjones) January 18, 2018

For the fan vote in the East, Giannis Antetokounmpo (2,530,211), Joel Embiid (1,285,587), Kyrie Irving (2,170,833) and DeMar Derozan (998,999) led the pack. In the West, Kevin Durant (2,238,406), James Harden (1,486,830), Anthony Davis (1,088,230) and Demarcus Cousins (922,269) joined Curry as the top seeds.

Just like last year, NBA players and 99 members of the basketball media joined fans in voting to select the starters. Fan votes accounted for 50 percent, while player and media votes represented 25 percent, respectively.

Had the vote been left to the fans, Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green (1,135,478) would be starting over Cousins and San Antonio Spurs' Manu Ginobili (1,808,860) would have gotten the nod instead of Harden. Cousins and Harden landed in the starting lineup because of the player and media vote.

Next up are the reserves. NBA head coaches will select 14 players that they feel had outstanding, All-Star seasons and those names will be announced on Tuesday, Jan. 23, during TNT NBA Tip-Off at 7 p.m. ET. 

Among the top names for the reserves from the East are Kristaps Porzingis, the Washington Wizards' Bradley Beal and John Wall, Al Horford of the Boston Celtics, Andre Drummond of the Detroit Pistons and Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Hornets.

Victor Oladipo of the Indiana Pacers should be a lock because of the quantum leap he made since being traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder. His scoring is up from 15.9 to 24.3 ppg, his field goal percentage is up from 44 percent to 48 percent and he's shooting 40 percent from behind the arc.

Many analysts thought the Pacers would take a huge dip with the departure of Paul George, but Oladipo has made all of them eat those words.

The reserves from the West include Russell Westbrook, LaMarcus Aldridge, Golden State's Green and Klay Thompson, the Minnesota Timberwolves' Jimmy Butler and Karl Anthony Towns.

The surprise contender for a spot this year could be Lou Williams of the Los Angeles Clippers. Williams has always been a walking bucket, but this season, he's taken his game up a notch, averaging a career-high 23.2 points per game, while shooting 45 percent from the field and career highs of 41 percent from three and 90 percent from the free throw line.

The other deserving player that could threaten Williams' spot is Portland Trailblazers' point guard Damian Lillard.

Lillard, who has made two All-Star Game appearances in his six-year career, last played in the game in 2015.

He spoke with Chris Haynes of ESPN.com about his frustrations with being snubbed every year:

"I've gotten frustrated just for the fact that it feels like I always got to be the fall guy and every other guy has been deserving. In the past, the thing has been, 'All right, my team has been 10 games under .500 or not in the playoffs,' but every year we've found a way to be in the postseason, and this year I think we're in much better position than we have been in the past two seasons that I didn't make it. I think I've gotten over the emotional part of it the last few times that I didn't make it. Now I'm kind of like expecting it to go that way, but I feel like I should be there."

The 27-year old California native ranks sixth among all NBA point guards in Player Efficiency Rating, according to ESPN.com, but the West is stacked with superstar guards.

Once the reserves are known, the captains will select the rest of their teams.

Unfortunately, the actual draft won't be televised. The final team rosters will be broadcast on Thursday, Jan. 25, during a special one-hour edition of TNT NBA Tip-Off at 7 p.m. ET.

As for selecting head coaches, the process remains unchanged. Like previous games, the Eastern Conference and Western Conference coach that clinch the best record in their conference two weeks before the game will earn a spot on the bench.

Boston Celtics' Brad Stevens and Golden State's Steve Kerr are both ineligible, though, because they coached the game last season. Although the players will disregard conference affiliation, the coaches will align with the respective captain from each conference.

The 67th annual midseason classic, which will be played at the Staples Center on Sunday, Feb. 18 (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT), will be televised on TNT for the 16th consecutive year.

Don't look now, but there's a new NBA All-Star Game coming to town.

The league's 67th annual midseason classic at the Staples Center in Los Angeles will mark the first time that there won't be a matchup between the Eastern Conference and Western Conference.

Instead of teams built by tethering players to their respective conference, the new format will feature two team captains who will then draft their squads from a pool of players voted in as starters and reserves.

For example, should LeBron James remain as leading vote-getter, he'll likely be the Eastern Conference team captain but would be able to select a player like Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green as his teammate.

With the NBA abandoning the East-West format, it gives this All-Star Game the look and feel of a veritable professional pickup game.

"I'm thrilled with what the players and the league have done to improve the All-Star Game, which has been a priority for all of us," said NBPA President Chris Paul of the Houston Rockets. "We're looking forward to putting on an entertaining show in L.A."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7gh-kw8yzo

Like last year, NBA players and basketball media joined fans in voting to select the starters. Fan votes account for 50 percent, while player and media votes represent 25 percent, respectively.

Team captains are chosen based on who receives the most fan votes in each conference.

All-Star voting closed Monday night, but the final results won't be announced until Thursday, Jan. 18, during TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by Autotrader at 6 p.m. ET, when Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley will help reveal the two captains and starters.

The network will also announce the 14 reserves, who will be selected by NBA head coaches, five days later on Tuesday, Jan. 23, during TNT NBA Tip-Off at 7 p.m. ET. 

And while the actual draft won't be televised, the final team rosters will be broadcast on Thursday, Jan. 25, during a special one-hour edition of TNT NBA Tip-Off at 7 p.m. ET.

"We're excited about the new All-Star format and appreciate the players' willingness to try something new," said NBA President, League Operations Byron Spruell.

As of last week, James was the leading vote-getter in the Eastern Conference and overall with 1,622,838 votes, while Stephen Curry was the leading vote-getter in the Western Conference with 1,369,658 votes.

Milwaukee Bucks' burgeoning superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo lost his initial lead to James, but he still held second place in the East with 1,480,954 votes. Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid (784,287) and New York Knicks' Kristaps Porzingis (640,928) rounded out the top spots in the East frontcourt.

Boston Celtics' dynamic playmaker Kyrie Irving was in the top spot for guards in the East with 1,370,643 votes, with Toronto Raptors' DeMar DeRozan (537,168) and Philadelphia's Ben Simmons (397,942) coming in second and third place.

Golden State's scoring machine Kevin Durant was holding court as the second leading vote-getter out West, with New Orleans Pelicans' Anthony Davis (664,687) in second place and Draymond Green in third for the frontcourt.

Joining Curry in the backcourt's top three are Houston Rockets' James Harden (978,540) and Oklahoma City Thunder's Russell Westbrook (791,332).

Once the numbers are official, players will be ranked in each conference by position (guard and frontcourt) within each of the three voting groups—fan votes, player votes and media votes.

Each player's score will be calculated by averaging the weighted rank of the fan, player and media votes. Based on those results, the five players with the best scores in the Eastern and Western Conference will be named NBA All-Star Game starters. Should there be a tie among players in a position group, the fan votes will serve as the tiebreaker.

As for selecting head coaches, the process remains unchanged. Like previous games, the Eastern Conference and Western Conference coach that clinch the best record in their conference two weeks before the game will earn a spot on the bench.

Boston Celtics' Brad Stevens and Golden State's Steve Kerr are both ineligible, though, because they coached the game last season. Although the players will disregard conference affiliation, the coaches will align with the respective captain from each conference.

The 2018 All-Star Game, which will be played at the Staples Center on Sunday, Feb. 18 (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT), will be televised on TNT for the 16th consecutive year.

See below for the second fan returns of NBA All-Star Voting 2018.

         

NBA ALL-STAR VOTING 2018

Eastern Conference

Frontcourt

1. LeBron James (CLE) 1,622,838

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) 1,480,954

3. Joel Embiid (PHI) 784,287

4. Kristaps Porzingis (NYK) 640,928

5. Kevin Love (CLE) 458,157

6. Al Horford (BOS) 229,906

7. Jayson Tatum (BOS) 213,499

8. Enes Kanter (NYK) 159,010

9. Andre Drummond (DET) 139,226

10. Dwight Howard (CHA) 111,768

       

Guards

1. Kyrie Irving (BOS) 1,370,643

2. DeMar DeRozan (TOR) 537,168

3. Ben Simmons (PHI) 397,942

4. Victor Oladipo (IND) 385,448

5. Dwyane Wade (CLE) 353,273

6. John Wall (WAS) 328,215

7. Isaiah Thomas (CLE) 252,552

8. Kyle Lowry (TOR) 176,590

9. Bradley Beal (WAS) 151,765

10. Jaylen Brown (BOS) 103,622

         

Western Conference

Frontcourt

1. Kevin Durant (GSW) 1,326,059

2. Anthony Davis (NOP) 664,687

3. Draymond Green (GSW) 616,730

4. DeMarcus Cousins (NOP) 587,835

5. Paul George (OKC) 547,582

6. Kawhi Leonard (SAS) 446,133

7. Carmelo Anthony (OKC) 378,718

8. Kyle Kuzma (LAL) 325,903

9. Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN) 320,884

10. LaMarcus Aldridge (SAS) 315,918

       

Guards

1. Stephen Curry (GSW) 1,369,658

2. James Harden (HOU) 978,540

3. Russell Westbrook (OKC) 791,332

4. Klay Thompson (GSW) 686,825

5. Manu Ginobili (SAS) 657,827

6. Chris Paul (HOU) 331,522

7. Lonzo Ball (LAL) 294,197

8. Damian Lillard (POR) 266,519

9. Jimmy Butler (MIN) 173,245

10. Devin Booker (PHO) 162,970

Voting figures per NBA.com

The votes are in.

With the final installment of fan, player and media voting now closed, NBA fans are now one step closer to an all-new All-Star Game 2018 experience in Los Angeles that the league hopes will revitalize its midseason classic.

This is the second straight year that the basketball players and media joined in on the voting fun with fans to select the All-Star Game starters. As for the breakdown, the fan vote accounts for 50 percent, while the player and media vote represents 25 percent each.

The new twist, though, is that there will be two team captains (one from each conference) selected that will have the ability to draft their respective teams from a pool of players that are voted in as starters and reserves. Under this revamped format, captains will be able to choose players for their squad regardless of conference affiliation, making this year the first time the All-Star Game won't feature a matchup between the Eastern and Western Conference.

The captains are chosen based on who receives the most fan votes in each conference.

At last count, LeBron James was the leading vote-getter in the Eastern Conference and overall with 1,622,838 votes, while Stephen Curry was the leading vote-getter in the Western Conference with 1,369,658 votes.

The Milwaukee Bucks' Swiss Army knife, Giannis Antetokounmpo was second in the East with 1,480,954 votes, with Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid (784,287) and New York Knicks' Kristaps Porzingis (640,928) rounding out the East frontcourt's top four.

For the East guards, the Boston Celtics' Kyrie Irving was in the top spot with 1,370,643 votes. The Toronto Raptors' DeMar DeRozan (537,168) and Philadelphia's Ben Simmons (397,942) hold second and third place, respectively.

Kevin Durant is the second leading vote-getter out West, with the New Orleans Pelicans' Anthony Davis (664,687) in second place and Golden State's Draymond Green in third for the frontcourt.

Joining Curry in the backcourt's top three are the Houston Rockets' James Harden (978,540) and the Oklahoma City Thunder's Russell Westbrook (791,332).

If James' and Curry's leads hold, they will most likely be selected as the two captains, along with the reveal of the All-Star Game starters on Thursday, Jan. 18 during TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by Autotrader at 6 p.m. ET, featuring Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley.

The 14 reserves, who are selected by NBA head coaches, will be announced five days later on the network Tuesday, Jan. 23, during TNT NBA Tip-Off at 7 p.m. ET. Lastly, the final team rosters will be broadcast on Thursday, Jan. 25, during an exclusive one-hour edition of TNT NBA Tip-Off at 7 p.m. ET.

Unfortunately, the All-Star draft won't be televised.

Voting concluded Monday night at 11:59 p.m. ET. Players and media were able to complete one full ballot, with the ability to select three frontcourt players and two guards from each conference.

The new numbers are still being tallied, but once they are official, players will be ranked in each conference by position (guard and frontcourt) within each of the three voting groups—fan votes, player votes and media votes.

A player's individual score will be calculated by taking the weighted rank of the fan vote, player vote and media vote and averaging the three. Based on those numbers, the five players with the best scores in the Eastern and Western Conference will be named NBA All-Star Game starters. In the event of a tie, the fan votes will serve as the tiebreaker for players with the same score in a position group.

Not surprisingly, the process for determining the head coaches remains unchanged. The Eastern Conference and Western Conference coach with the best record in their respective conferences two weeks prior to the game will get the nod. Boston Celtics' Brad Stevens and Golden State Warriors' Steve Kerr are both ineligible, though, because they coached the game last season. And while there's no longer an East vs. West scenario, the coaches will align with the respective captain from each conference.

The 67th All-Star Game, which will be played at the Staples Center on Sunday, Feb. 18 (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT), will be televised on TNT for the 16th straight year.

See below for the second fan returns of NBA All-Star Voting 2018.

       

NBA ALL-STAR VOTING 2018

Eastern Conference

Frontcourt

1. LeBron James (CLE) 1,622,838

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) 1,480,954

3. Joel Embiid (PHI) 784,287

4. Kristaps Porzingis (NYK) 640,928

5. Kevin Love (CLE) 458,157

6. Al Horford (BOS) 229,906

7. Jayson Tatum (BOS) 213,499

8. Enes Kanter (NYK) 159,010

9. Andre Drummond (DET) 139,226

10. Dwight Howard (CHA) 111,768

        

Guards

1. Kyrie Irving (BOS) 1,370,643

2. DeMar DeRozan (TOR) 537,168

3. Ben Simmons (PHI) 397,942

4. Victor Oladipo (IND) 385,448

5. Dwyane Wade (CLE) 353,273

6. John Wall (WAS) 328,215

7. Isaiah Thomas (CLE) 252,552

8. Kyle Lowry (TOR) 176,590

9. Bradley Beal (WAS) 151,765

10. Jaylen Brown (BOS) 103,622

         

Western Conference

Frontcourt

1. Kevin Durant (GSW) 1,326,059

2. Anthony Davis (NOP) 664,687

3. Draymond Green (GSW) 616,730

4. DeMarcus Cousins (NOP) 587,835

5. Paul George (OKC) 547,582

6. Kawhi Leonard (SAS) 446,133

7. Carmelo Anthony (OKC) 378,718

8. Kyle Kuzma (LAL) 325,903

9. Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN) 320,884

10. LaMarcus Aldridge (SAS) 315,918

         

Guards

1. Stephen Curry (GSW) 1,369,658

2. James Harden (HOU) 978,540

3. Russell Westbrook (OKC) 791,332

4. Klay Thompson (GSW) 686,825

5. Manu Ginobili (SAS) 657,827

6. Chris Paul (HOU) 331,522

7. Lonzo Ball (LAL) 294,197

8. Damian Lillard (POR) 266,519

9. Jimmy Butler (MIN) 173,245

10. Devin Booker (PHO) 162,970

After the Boston Celtics' season came to an end at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, center Al Horford believes his team has a lot of work to do in catching up to their competition.

Following Boston's Game 5 loss to the Cavs, Horford didn't shy away from where he sees things standing in the East.

"We see that the team to get past is Cleveland, and right now we're not there," he said, per ESPN's Chris Forsberg. "I'm proud of our group. It felt like we grew as the year went on. Not the way we wanted to finish, but we came a long ways from the beginning of the year, came together. We still have to keep growing as a group and getting better."

The Cavaliers have been the kings of the Eastern Conference since LeBron James returned. This marks their third straight trip to the NBA Finals and a chance at a second consecutive title. 

The Celtics were able to steal one game from Cleveland, but their four losses in the series were by an average of 25.8 points. 

Despite the lackluster end to their season, the Celtics are moving in the right direction. They led the East with 53 wins during the regular season, own the top pick in June's draft and have $19 million in projected cap space to sign a marquee free agent, per RealGM.com. 

James' presence will make the Cavaliers favorites in the East until another team knocks them off. The Celtics weren't able to get there this year, though they have the potential to close the gap quickly. 

Looking for the best NBA coverage around? Bleacher Report is the go-to destination for basketball fans everywhere.

B/R's NBA coverage delivers must-see on-court analysis on a daily basis. Stay with us and you'll stay in the know.

After the San Antonio Spurs closed out their series against the Houston Rockets on the road in emphatic fashion, the Boston Celtics will look to do the same tonight as they hit the road for Game 6 against the Washington Wizards.  

While the Celtics will be hoping for the same kind of result from Thursday, a winning margin of 39 points, they'll come into tonight's matchup feeling like they have enough momentum to carry them through to the Eastern Conference Finals to take on reigning champions Cleveland Cavaliers after an impressive 123-101 victory in Game 5.

But in this series, as it was during the regular season, the home town has won every game. In that regard, the Wizards will look to get back to putting the beatdown on Boston like they have for the majority of the series, and that includes some of the games they lost. 

Here's a quick look at the television and live-stream options for tonight's game to go along with my game prediction: 

Matchup	Round	Game	Time (ET)	T.V.
Washington Wizards at Boston Celtics	Second	6	8:00 p.m.	ESPN

The game will be live-streamed through WatchESPN for those viewing on mobile and tablet devices. 

 

Prediction

Wizards extend series to seven games

It's no secret that the Celtics have looked shaky not only in this series, but even dating back to their six-game series against the Chicago Bulls.

It's not often that a No. 1 seed gets written off this much so early on in the playoffs, but it's hard to look past Boston's glaring holes on both sides of the ball. Offensively, inconsistent perimeter shooting and a lack of individual creativity has haunted the Celtics.

Isaiah Thomas can drop 40 points on any given night, but as we saw in Games 3 and 4 in Washington, the Celtics break down offensively when Thomas can't get going. No other player in the starting five for Boston can create his own shot.

Al Horford is a much better distributor and spot-up shooter than he is a go-to post player, which would be fine if the likes of Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley could create off the dribble. Bradley played out of his mind in Game 5 in Boston's blowout win at home, but it's going to be difficult to score 29 points again against a team like the Wizards, especially on the road. 

Avery Bradley: It can’t just be Isaiah Thomas every night. If we’re able to understand that, the sky’s the limit for us. #Celtics

— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) May 11, 2017

We all know Bradley is one of the NBA's premier defenders and is a good knockdown shooter, but will he able to cut to the basket and create easy baskets for himself now that Washington knows what the Celtics are looking to do when they double- and triple-team Thomas?

That remains to be seen. If the Celtics want to ride this wave of success, they'll have to free up Thomas and allow him to make plays for himself and his teammates without giving up too much on the defensive end. 

John Wall has scorched Thomas for most of this series and will go back to playing isolation basketball in Game 6 to make Thomas nearly unplayable like he was in Games 3 and 4. Game 5 got away from the Wizards rather quickly, and they weren't able to take advantage of posting up Thomas with the likes of Otto Porter Jr. when Boston switched on defense.

Here's what Porter had to say after Game 4, per CSN Mid-Atlantic:

"We watched a lot of film and just tried to figure out how we can make adjustments. Especially with Isaiah guarding me, or whoever is guarding me trying to attack that side. If they double-team me, then I need to look for a shooter. It was just a good adjustment that we made."

For Washington to win tonight, they'll have to go back to what they do best. And that means posting up Porter on Thomas as much as they can and put the ball in Wall's hands so he can get to the basket.

By driving into the paint early and often, the Celtics defense will have no other choice but to collapse inside to help Thomas or Bradley defend Wall, freeing up the likes of Bradley Beal, Porter and the returning Kelly Oubre on the perimeter.

The Wizards' best defense is a good offense. By limiting turnovers and fastbreaks by scoring points and forcing the Celtics to inbound on most possessions, the Celtics won't be able to break down Washington's half-court defense as they did on Wednesday, leading to turnovers and easy baskets like Washington had during that incredible 26-0 run in the third quarter of Game 4. 

Give credit to Boston in Game 5, though. They came out and put on a show in the first quarter, which was a first in this series. The Celtics made some good adjustments, played Thomas off the ball and even made him set screens for other players to keep the offense in rhythm. The Wizards certainly have their homework to do, and they don't have a choice but to come out and play hard tonight. 

Boston can still win this series and will look to do so tonight, but the Wizards have their backs against the wall and will be fighting for their playoff lives. Look for a dominant game from Wall to will his team to a victory while extending their playoff lives to a Game 7 in Boston.