Trent Reinsmith
When & Where: Sunday, February 20 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio
Time: 8 p.m. ET
How to Watch: TNT & TBS
Listen: ESPN Radio
The 71st NBA All-Star Game takes place on Sunday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. The two players who led the fan voting in the respective conferences – LeBron James and Kevin Durant were named team captains. James and Durant then picked their teams from the pool of players who were selected as starters before moving on to picking the reserve players for their teams.
James and Durant were also the captains for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game. Team LeBron won that game by a score of 170-150. Giannis Antetokounmpo took home the MVP award with a 16-for-16 shooting effort and a total of 35 points.
The 2022 NBA All-Star Game marks the fifth year in a row where the NBA has used the current format. James has captained his team in each of those years. He is 4-0 heading into the 2022 matchup.
Before we look at the teams, please check out our NBA All Star Betting guide and the best sites to bet on the NBA.
2022 NBA All-Star Game odds
| To Win 2022 NBA All-Star Game |  |
| Team Durant | +210 |
| Team LeBron | -250 |
Team Durant
Starters:
** Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets (captain)
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Andrew Wiggins, Golden State Warriors
Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
** = injured
Reserves:
LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls
Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks
Dejounte Murray, San Antonio Spurs
Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
** Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
Team LeBron
Starters:
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls
LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers (captain)
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Reserves:
Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat
Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers
James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers
Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz
Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns
Fred VanVleet, Toronto Raptors
Team LeBron breakdown
On paper, LeBron James has the better team. James has four NBA MVPs in his starting lineup and the one player who is not a former most valuable player, DeMar DeRozan, is in the mix to win the award this year. DeRozan is fourth in the NBA in scoring with 27.9 points per game. As for scoring prowess, Team LeBron also has the league’s leading scorer in Giannis Antetokounmpo 29.4), while James checks in at third in the NBA with 29 points per game. Steph Curry is the top three-point shooter in the league with 4.7 three-pointers per game.
If Team LeBron looks familiar, that’s because James elected four of the five starters as starters last season. The only new starter is DeRozan, who replaced Luka Donic. Donic is on Team LeBron as a reserve this year.
Team Durant breakdown
Kevin Durant might be the captain of Team Durant, but he will not be playing in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game as he recovers from an MCL sprain.
Unlike James, Durant’s starting team looks very different this year as Jayson Tatum is the only starter to return to Durant’s roster. Joel Embiid is having the type of season that will put him in the running for the 2022 NBA MVP. Embiid is hot on the trail of league leading scorer, Giannis Antetokounmpo at 29.3 points per game. Trae Young is fifth in scoring at 27.9 points per game. Ja Morant checks in at No. 7 on the lust of NBA scoring leaders with 26.4 points per game. Morant, like Embiid, is a legit threat to claim the MVP award this season.
2022 NBA All-Star Game pick and prediction
If this were a series, Team Durant would be worth considering because of how much younger they are than Team James. Team Durant is also a better defensive club and they have a size advantage, especially when it comes to the reserves.
This is not a series. and this is not a game where defense will play a large role.
I expect Team LeBron will make it five straight wins in the All-Star Game.
Pick: Team LeBron to win the 2022 NBA All-Star Game.
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