The NBA All-Star Game will be played next Sunday and it will be held 39 years later in Indianapolis. This game will be played again with the East vs. West format after 4 years and being so demanded by the league's fans. However, this All-Star Game will be loaded with players who will become the new face of the NBA such as Paolo Banchero, Tyrese Haliburton and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Italian-American player has been selected for the first time in the All-Star team, but the 21-year-old power forward already showed the level to become a superstar in college. In high school he showed what he was capable of with averages above the rest and that led him to Duke University.
His freshman year was enough to put him in the running for a top 3 pick in next year's draft. He averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game with 47.8% shooting from the field. After that season he entered the NBA draft and was selected by the Orlando Magic with the number one pick, ahead of players like Jabari Smith Jr. and Chet Holmgren.
The Orlando Magic 's bid caused a lot of commotion, as at the time the two players mentioned above were favorites for that spot. However, Paolo Banchero settled the doubts after a historic first season becoming the best rookie of the year with averages of 20 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He also achieved records such as making in his first game more than 25-5-5, numbers achieved in his first game only by Lebron James and Kareem Abdul Jabbar , and in his first six games he scored more than 20 points, which had not been done since the 94-95 season, by Grant Hill.
This season has been incredible on his part, surpassing last year's numbers and averages with 23 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game on 47% shooting from the field and 37% from three-point range. These statistics have raised the competitive ceiling of the franchise, placing it in Play-In positions one game out of sixth place and achieving the player's first star in his career. The U. S. international power forward can become one of the faces of the league, thanks to his 2.08 physicality and height, his winning mentality and versatility in scoring. His improvement in three-point shooting could make him one of the best superstars in the NBA for many years to come and in Orlando Magic history.
The 6-foot-6 point guard began his career at Iowa State, where he proved to be a very consistent and mature player for his age. After being selected in the second best five of the Big-12 Conference, in his second year he gave up the remaining two years with the university to enter the 2020 NBA draft. He was chosen by the Sacramento Kings in the 12th position, what the other franchises didn't know is that he would be one of the biggest draft steals in recent years. After a surprising first season alongside Fox he ended up being the third best rookie and was chosen in the best rookie quintet.
Haliburton' s second year with the Sacramento Kings was one of evolution for the American point guard, but a trade occurred that completely changed his career. The Kings, on February 8, 2022 traded him to the Pacers for Domantas Sabonis, in what would become in the future, a beneficial trade for both franchises. His end of the season with Indiana was spectacular, with a role change after getting rid of a star point guard like Fox and this caused him to improve his stats in all aspects of the game.
However, his third year was the one of consolidation, as one of the most promising stars in the NBA. The point guard averaged 20 points, 10.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game, numbers that would take him to the first All Star of his career. In addition to stellar performances that season, he signed a 5-year, $260 million contract extension with the Pacers.
This season he has risen as one of the best point guards in the league with averages unheard of for any player at his position currently, with 21.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 11.7 assists on 49% shooting from the field and 40% from three-point range. Haliburton is not only the top assist man of the season, but he has made unique performances such as his first triple double with more than 20 points and without any loss, a double-double with 21 points and 20 assists and he distributed in the next game 23 assists against New York Knicks being his maximum in this facet.
Tyrese Haliburton accompanied by these numbers has been chosen for the second time in his career as All Star in 2024 and is managing to keep the Pacers in playoff positions. At this rate the future at point guard in the NBA and the Indiana franchise is in very good hands with a player unlike any other.
The current Oklahoma City Thunder star got off to a different start than Banchero and Haliburton. The Canadian point guard who played at the University of Kentucky was drafted 11th overall in 2018 by the Charlotte Hornets,, later being traded that same night to the Clippers. After an unremarkable first season he was traded heading to OKC, in exchange for the arrival of Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers. This trade was a before and after in his career and in both franchises, since his arrival every year and despite injuries he has been showing a growing evolution to become what he is today.
Shai' s first year in the franchise turned out to be positive after averaging almost 20 points per game and leaving flashes of the player he could become, they also managed to reach the playoffs led by Chris Paul. The following two years, although he averaged more than 22 points with an improvement in percentages were fraught with injury problems in a team in full reconstruction with the departure of important players, in which he had to act as leader of the franchise, but injuries worried the staff and fans of the team.
The 2022-23 season was the one in which he consolidated his place among the league's elite with superstar averages: 31.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.6 steals with an incredible 51% shooting percentage from the field. That season he ended up being chosen All Star for the first time in his career, finished in the top 5 of the MVP discussion and was included in the NBA's best five .
In the current campaign he has been chosen for the second time All Star in his career and will play as a starter in the West team. The Canadian player is currently one of the best players in the NBA and that can be proven after being positioned second in the race for the MVP, with many games left to play. Shai is being the top leader of a project full of young players with averages of 31.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 2.2 steals and a solid 55% shooting percentage. The 25-year-old point guard is leading the franchise to the top of the second place in the West, with the help of players like Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, and building what could be one of the future dynasties of the league led by himself.