Luka Doncic

Luka Doncic headlines a stacked field for the 2021 NBA Skills Challenge alongside Robert Covington, Chris Paul, Julius Randle, Nikola Vucevic and Domantas Sabonis.

Your 2021 #TacoBellSkills challenge participants:

🏀 Luka Doncic
🏀 CP3
🏀 Robert Covington
🏀 Julius Randle
🏀 Domantas Sabonis
🏀 Nikola Vucevic pic.twitter.com/6HOTGYWaQo

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 3, 2021

It's the fifth time in the event for Paul, who has yet to pull off a victory despite being arguably one of the best all-around point guards in NBA history. Randle, Doncic, Sabonis, Vucevic and Paul will all take part in the All-Star Game that tips off at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday. 

This year's All-Star Weekend will feature a condensed schedule from past seasons with the skills challenge, three-point contest and dunk contest all taking place on the same day.

Here's a look at this year's participants for the skills contest and who has the best chance at taking the title from Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo.

      

Taco Bell Skills Challenge Participants  

Luka Doncic, PG, Dallas Mavericks: 28.6 points, 9.0 assists, 8.4 rebounds per game

Robert Covington, SF, Portland Trail Blazers: 7.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists per game

Chris Paul, PG, Phoenix Suns: 16.4 points, 9.0 assists, 4.7 rebounds per game

Julius Randle, PF, New York Knicks: 23.4 points, 10.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists per game

Nikola Vucevic, C, Orlando Magic: 24.5 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists per game

Domantas Sabonis, PF, Indiana Pacers: 21.2 points, 11.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists per game

The skills challenge will take place at approximately 6:30 p.m. ET on TNT. 

The Eastern Conference is on a roll when it comes to the Skills Challenge, having seen its players win every event since 2017, thanks to Kristaps Porzingis, Spencer Dinwiddie, Jayson Tatum and Adebayo.

Before then, the Western Conference went on a seven-year stretch when it seemed to coast in the challenge. Steve Nash—now the coach of the Brooklyn Nets—kicked off that run in 2010, followed by Stephen Curry, Tony Parker, Damian Lillard, Trey Burke, Patrick Beverley and Karl-Anthony Towns. 

Agile forwards who boast a strong jump shot have been among the surprise winners in recent years. Adebayo, Tatum, Porzingis and Towns each fit the mold of a modern Skills Challenge winner. That makes someone like Sabonis or Vucevic a quiet threat to steal a win from Doncic or Paul. 

Just don't count out Randle, either. The Knicks forward continues to show off his versatility this year and fits right in with this crop of challengers. 

Luka Doncic is money on the court. Apparently, he's money on the card, too. 

The 2018-19 National Treasures Luka Doncic Rc Auto Logoman 1/1 sold for $4.6 million on Sunday, per SlabStox and Bolillo Lajan San on Instagram. 

$4.6 MILLION?! 😵 Shyne150 (on Instagram) just completed the highest known basketball card sale ever. pic.twitter.com/0wDSBJoJnQ

— SlabStox (@SlabStox) February 28, 2021

Rare Doncic cards fetch a high price. His Panini Gold Prizm card sold for $799,500 two weeks ago, per Joyce Li of Hypebeast.com. 

It's not a huge surprise, seeing as Doncic is one of the brightest young stars in the game and a potential future MVP. Still, $4.6 million for a trading card is a sobering figure. 

James Harden sees some similarities between himself and Luka Doncic, acknowledging that the Dallas Mavericks have a "special" player in the All-Star guard after Dallas' 115-98 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.

"He never lets anyone speed him up, and he gets what he wants," Harden told reporters. "That's rare for a guy at a young age. I think he's 21 years old. And to be able to dictate the game and control the game like he does, we all know he has a very, very bright future. The Mavs got a special one."

Doncic finished with 27 points, six rebounds and seven assists in the blowout win, which came amid Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving sitting out for Brooklyn because of injuries.

"It's something you can't even describe if somebody like that says something about you," Doncic told reporters. "It's just amazing. I really appreciate it. I watch him. He's an unbelievable player and just really special."

The Harden-Doncic comparisons were more apt when Harden was in Houston, in large part because they played a similar, iso-heavy, stepback-filled style of basketball. Harden has adjusted his game since his trade to the Nets earlier this season, becoming the NBA's leader in assists and toning down his scoring prowess a bit—though he's seen an uptick in points with Durant out of the lineup.

The Mavs' offensive system is also a bit more structured than the one Harden played in with the Rockets, requiring more off-ball movement.

Doncic is averaging 28.5 points, 9.0 assists and 8.4 rebounds per game this season, numbers that put him in elite company. In his third NBA season, Doncic is well on his way to a Hall of Fame career and should lead the Mavericks franchise for the next decade-plus, provided owner Mark Cuban is able to keep a competitive team around his star.

The Mavs are 16-16 after struggling out of the gate and are facing questions as to whether they overpaid in acquiring Kristaps Porzingis amid the 7-footer's defensive struggles.

Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic is often compared to Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird, with his head coach (and ex-Bird teammate) Rick Carlisle making remarks connecting the two on multiple occasions.

ESPN's Rachel Nichols asked Doncic about the comparison to Bird, wondering if he had watched the Hall of Famer's film in the past and if he agreed with the assessment.

Doncic acknowledged that he has watched a lot of Bird's film but did not agree with the comparison as of now.

"You can't compare me to Larry Bird," said Doncic, who noted that he has "more and more games to go" and a "long time" ahead of him in his career.

"I just want to keep hooping, having fun out there playing basketball," Doncic added.

🎥 @luka7doncic joins @Rachel__Nichols to chat about tonight's W, the comparison to Larry Bird and making his 2nd All-Star appearance next weekend 🌟 pic.twitter.com/lwvL908hiK

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) February 28, 2021

Bird is one of the game's all-time greats, and as Carlisle noted, Doncic's ability to make everyone on the floor better is one of the things that makes those two special.

Carlisle isn't the only ex-Bird teammate to align Doncic with the Celtic great. Former Celtic Cedric Maxwell told the New York Times' Marc Stein that Doncic was "Larry Bird reincarnated."

It's lofty praise for a player who just turned 22, but Doncic has been sensational in his two-plus years in the NBA. He entered Saturday averaging 28.7 points, 9.1 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game over his past two seasons. Bird stuffed the stat sheet as well, averaging 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists for his career.

For now, Doncic is focused on continuing the Mavs' upward swing after a 9-14 start to the year. The Mavs are 7-2 since then to move to 16-16 and will look to go over .500 with a road win over the Orlando Magic on Monday.  

The Dallas Mavericks cruised to a 115-98 road win over the short-handed Brooklyn Nets on Saturday at Barclays Center.

Luka Doncic led six Mavericks who scored in double digits with 27 points on 11-of-21 shooting. That offensive effort helped propel the Mavs' 68-point first half.

The Nets nearly kept pace with 64 points of their own by halftime, but Dallas dominated from there, outscoring Brooklyn 47-34 in the final two quarters.

Mavs big man Kristaps Porzingis returned after missing three games with lower back tightnessand added 18 points for a Dallas team that shot 52.3 percent from the field.

The Nets were without Kevin Durant (left hamstring strain) and Kyrie Irving (right shoulder recovery), and the offense struggled without them. James Harden led Brooklyn with 29 points, but no other Net had more than 12. Brooklyn made just 40.7 percent of its field goals.

The 16-16 Mavericks have won seven of their last nine games, and the 22-13 Nets' eight-game winning streak ended in defeat.

     

Notable Performances

Nets G James Harden: 29 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists

Nets F Jeff Green: 12 points

Nets G/F Joe Harris: 9 points, 7 rebounds

Mavericks G Luka Doncic: 27 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds

Mavericks F/C Kristaps Porzingis: 18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 blocks

Mavericks F Dorian Finney-Smith: 12 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals

     

Luka, KP Put on a Show in Brooklyn

The Mavericks have had their fair share of struggles this year en route to a .500 record, but Saturday they looked more like the team that made last year's postseason and gave the Los Angeles Clippers a tough challenge in Round 1.

Doncic and Porzingis were two big reasons for that, helping the Dallas offense dominate for nearly the entire game.

6️⃣ in double figures 📈
Euro-Step Brothers were at it again. pic.twitter.com/42qepcVgg5

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) February 28, 2021

Porzingis, who had been out for three games with a back ailment, looked just fine after this dunk.

🦄 takes flight pic.twitter.com/UzqgbL6ghT

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) February 28, 2021

Doncic soon went to work, nailing this step-back jumper.

Signature Luka step-back 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/HpypGFRlue

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) February 28, 2021

He also drew in the defense and kicked it out to Tim Hardaway Jr. for three:

True point guard vision from Luka 🎯 pic.twitter.com/rDeXGnXfNP

— ESPN (@espn) February 28, 2021

Sometimes, Doncic took care of business himself, showcasing his phenomenal handles en route to another bucket.

Chef Luka 👨‍🍳 pic.twitter.com/OVx8ocB2UP

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) February 28, 2021

Dallas' ball movement was crisp all night, and Porzingis ended one excellent sequence with a baseline jumper.

Ball movement 💯 pic.twitter.com/kBSLO2y03V

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) February 28, 2021

Doncic was once guarded by 6'11" Nic Claxton, but it didn't matter as he got the hoop plus the harm anyway.

Big Luka ENERGY 😁 pic.twitter.com/q83QjZYCbE

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) February 28, 2021

Dallas was once 9-14 this season, but the Mavs have battled all the way back to a .500 mark. If Doncic and Porzingis stay healthy, a strong second half should be waiting for them on the back end of the ledger.

     

Nothing to Worry About for Nets

The Nets have played three games without two of their three All-Stars since Harden was traded to Brooklyn from Houston in mid-January.

One game resulted in a fantastic comeback win over the Phoenix Suns in which the Nets were down 24 points on the road. The other finished with the Philadelphia 76ers encountering little trouble in a 124-108 home win.

The third game happened Saturday, and Brooklyn simply didn't have the firepower to keep pace with Dallas.

There really isn't much to be upset about after this loss, even if it was noncompetitive in the fourth quarter.

Yes, Dallas did whatever it wanted on offense, and yes, the Nets offense was poor in the second half. But this obviously isn't the team that the Nets will send out for games that matter the most come the spring and summer.

Durant, Irving and Harden will all hopefully be healthy in the postseason, which means they'll resume effortlessly dropping 120-plus points per game.

Plus, the Nets didn't lose any ground in the standings to the first-place 76ers. Things are a bit rougher Saturday if you shoot down I-95, as Philadelphia lost 112-109 at home to the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime. The 13-21 Cavs are languishing near the bottom of the Eastern Conference table.

While the 76ers were without Tobias Harris (right knee contusion), they still had All-Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons and couldn't get the job done despite a monster night from Embiid.

That's the type of loss that should concern a team moving forward. As for this Nets loss, it ultimately doesn't mean much of anything. The important thing is to get everyone back healthy and continue building on the momentum created from the recent eight-game winning streak.

     

What's Next?

Both teams will play road games Monday.

The Nets will visit the San Antonio Spurs at 8:30 p.m. ET at AT&T Center, and the Mavs will play the Orlando Magic at 7 p.m. at Amway Center.

The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Dallas Mavericks 111-97 on Thursday at home in the Wells Fargo Center.

The 76ers outscored the Mavs 36-21 in the second quarter to take a 59-43 halftime lead and used a 9-0 run in the fourth to put the game away.

Philadelphia earned big wins in turnover differential (18-7), points in the paint (50-26) and fast-break points (24-7).

Philadelphia center Joel Embiid led all scorers with 23 points, and 76ers point guard Ben Simmons added 15 points and seven assists. Mavs point guard Luka Doncic scored 19 points and committed seven turnovers.

Mavericks big man Kristaps Porzingis missed his third straight game with lower back tightness. Philadelphia forward Tobias Harris left the game in the third quarter with a right knee contusion.

The 22-11 76ers have won four of their last five games. The Mavericks, who had won six of their last seven, fell under .500 to 15-16.

      

Notable Performances

Mavericks PG Luka Doncic: 19 points, 4 assists, 3 blocks

Mavericks SG Josh Richardson: 13 points, 6 rebounds

Mavericks SG Tim Hardaway Jr.: 12 points, 3 assists, 2 blocks

76ers C Joel Embiid: 23 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists

76ers PG Ben Simmons: 15 points, 7 assists, 2 steals

76ers C Dwight Howard: 14 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks

   

Simmons-Led Defense Sparks 76ers' Win

The Mavericks entered this game shorthanded without the services of their second-leading scorer in Porzingis, and Philadelphia took full advantage, playing excellent team defense and coasting to a double-digit win.

The 76ers entered this one at No. 5 in defensive efficiency, and it showed. Doncic finished with as many turnovers (seven) as the entire 76ers team, with Simmons leading the way on defending him.

Every 76ers starter had at least two steals with the exception of Harris, who still had one and left the game with more than half of the third quarter still remaining.

Off the bench, Dwight Howard blocked three Mavericks shots and added a steal in just 16 minutes.

The 76ers' defense led to some easy opportunities on the other end.

Howard stuffed a Dwight Powell shot, and Simmons eventually gathered the ball and cruised to the lane for a dunk:

Dwight block ➡️ Ben flush! 💪@sixers turning defense to offense on TNT pic.twitter.com/vq6DoMMysm

— NBA (@NBA) February 26, 2021

Simmons later picked Willie Cauley-Stein's pocket and found an open Embiid for another fast-break bucket:

Swipe & slam.@BenSimmons25 x @JoelEmbiid pic.twitter.com/QVR51VX8Az

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 26, 2021

Per Sixers Stats, the 76ers' 22 forced turnovers were a season-high, and they led to 22 points.

Great defense made life easy for the 76ers in this one, and because of it, they're still one half-game ahead of the streaking Brooklyn Nets for first in the Eastern Conference.

      

Nothing Goes Right for Dallas in Tough Loss

Dallas came into this game on fire in February, but it left with a bad loss as the 76ers led by as many as 26 points in the fourth quarter and were able to rest their starters down the stretch.

On offense, Mavs starters combined to shoot just 37.5 percent from the field. No Mavs scored 20 or more points, marking just the second time that has happened this season. Turnovers were a problem all night as well.

On defense, the Mavs had no answer for Dwight Howard, who turned back the clock to 2009 and ripped off 14 points in just 16 minutes of play. In fairness, there isn't much defense when a freight train rolls through the lane:

https://t.co/ofzBrsAl0x pic.twitter.com/m6vkeLTlvB

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 26, 2021

Philadelphia held Embiid to just 5-of-20 shooting, but the backcourt of Simmons and Seth Curry combined to go 12-of-21, with Curry hitting all three of his three-pointers.

The pair's partnership excelled on this night, with these two highlights as evidence:

3️⃣1️⃣ → 2️⃣5️⃣ pic.twitter.com/Nt5wJO3Hq1

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 26, 2021

With some authority. pic.twitter.com/OS1j3NhSiE

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 26, 2021

Simmons later put a spin move on Doncic:

Getting nifty.

📺 @NBAonTNT | @BenSimmons25 pic.twitter.com/zPGxHrfU6d

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 26, 2021

Credit to the Mavericks for fighting until the end and nearly cutting the lead to single digits down the stretch, but Dallas simply didn't have it Thursday as Philadelphia's excellent execution paved the way to victory.

      

What's Next?

Dallas will hit the road to play the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET in a nationally televised game on ABC.

Philadelphia will play the second matchup of a four-game homestand to close the first half of its regular-season schedule against the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7 p.m.

Luka Doncic continues to impress in his young career and is now getting comparisons to Hall of Famers. 

"You can quote me: This is Larry Bird reincarnated," Cedric Maxwell told Marc Stein of the New York Times.

While Maxwell isn't the first to make this connection, he knows what he is talking about after spending six seasons playing with Bird with the Boston Celtics. The 11-year NBA veteran and current radio broadcaster won two titles alongside the legendary player and thinks Doncic has the same skill set.

"This would be Larry Bird of the 2020s," Maxwell said, "exactly how he would play now."

Doncic is certainly turning heads with his production in his third NBA season, averaging 28.9 points, 9.2 assists and 8.6 rebounds per game. Only once did Bird average more points in a season.

The Dallas Mavericks star is also hitting clutch shots, including Tuesday night's winner against the Celtics:

LUKA CALLED GAME 😱 https://t.co/XDWpogxG4y

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 24, 2021

With two All-Star selections already on his resume, Doncic is well on his way to a memorable career.

With a pair of late threes, Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic put away Tuesday's game and the Boston Celtics' winning record. 

LUKA IS FILTHY. https://t.co/t4fzUYXstq

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 24, 2021

LUKA CALLED GAME 😱 https://t.co/XDWpogxG4y

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 24, 2021

Dallas used a 17-4 run to break away from the Celtics with under four minutes to play, but when Boston started to crawl back, Doncic answered. He hit a three with 15 seconds left to put the Mavericks up two, and when Jaylen Brown tied the game up and it looked like it would head to overtime, Doncic hit another from deep to seal it. 

He ended the night with 31 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, leading the Mavericks in all categories, while Brown paced the Celtics with 29 points. 

Boston has now lost five consecutive games on the road and stands at 15-16 on the season. Dallas, meanwhile, improves to .500 (15-15). 

The Dallas Mavericks set out to fortify their defense around Luka Doncic and their historic scoring attack this offseason.

Yet here the Mavericks stand, ninth in the Western Conference, ranking 27th in overall defense, and Kristaps Porzingis' steady decline on that end of the floor appears to be the biggest dilemma this front office is now facing.

In fact, Dallas has quietly gauged the trade market for Porzingis, according to league sources, as the Mavericks have begun reevaluating whether the 25-year-old center can truly support Doncic as the second option on a contender. "They've kicked the tires on everybody on their roster that's not named Luka," one person with knowledge of Dallas' thinking said. "You know [president of basketball operations] Donnie [Nelson]; they're always tinkering."

"They've definitely sniffed around on him," an assistant general manager told B/R. "They're taking the temperature, because they know at some point it's gonna come around."

On Tuesday, Mark Cuban denied the report to the Dallas Morning News, while Ian Begley of SNY reported the Mavericks have indeed approached the Warriors about a Porzingis deal.

Porzingis was billed as Doncic's ideal running mate just six months ago when he earned second-team All-Bubble honors after averaging 30.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks while shooting 38.1 percent from distance. He was then nothing short of a force in the opening round against the Clippers—that is, until a torn meniscus ended his season, and October surgery then sidelined him until Jan. 13.

His shooting has remained effective as he's connected on 35.2 percent of his triples, right around his career average. He's 14th among centers in PER, but the numbers paint a dire picture defensively—especially after Dallas' beatdown over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night as Porzingis sat with lower back tightness. The Mavs have a minus-4.7 net rating when he's on the floor.

In those 509 minutes, Dallas has allowed 119.5 points per 100 possessions, a mark that would leave the Mavericks nearly two full points worse than the 30th-ranked Sacramento Kings. When he's been off the court, Dallas' defense had surged to a stingy 108.7 rating in 840 minutes entering Monday, good for a top-five figure in the league. And for all the rightful criticism Doncic has previously drawn, the Mavericks defense holds foes to 111.0 points per 100 possessions when Doncic is on the court and Porzingis is out.

The ship may right itself as Porzingis regains strength in his right knee. It was only Dec. 29 when he first fully participated in a practice. But the early returns have been troubling, especially as Dallas was designed to rely on its 7'3" giant stalking the back line. He's been far more of a bystander than an enforcer at the rim, and he also has a mounting history of injuries.

"It looks like it's impossible for him to get in a stance. He looks like a scarecrow out there," one Western Conference executive said. "You don't expect him to necessarily be great from the jump, but I've watched Porzingis a couple of times this year, and I'm not sure the guy can guard anybody."

For now, Dallas appears first interested in adding a center to help supplement Porzingis, sources said. The Mavericks have circled Andre Drummond as the Cleveland Cavaliers look to move in a different frontcourt direction of their own, but Dallas has expressed no interest in parting with Porzingis in those particular talks. "They want a big to pair with him," one league source said. "Obviously with physicality, rebounding, toughness."

The Mavericks have been described as one of the more active teams in these exploratory, early trade discussions around the league. After acquiring Josh Richardson in the offseason and drafting Josh Green and Tyler Bey (via the Philadelphia 76ers), Dallas has continued searching for more shooting and perimeter defense around Doncic as well, sources said.

It's important to remember that injuries and COVID-19 protocols have stunted the Mavericks. Maxi Kleber and Richardson have each missed a handful of games. But the latter was converting just 29.6 percent of his looks from deep before Monday's 3-of-7 performance, and Dallas' juggernaut attack that posted the most efficient offense in NBA history last season now ranks just 26th in three-point percentage.

Further clouding these Porzingis developments is his close relationship with Doncic. The Mavericks swung on Porzingis hoping he'd create a decadelong pairing with their All-NBA floor general, and the two in turn developed a strong connection off the court. They were frequently spotted together at the pool during the Orlando bubble, and whenever there's been friction pertaining to Doncic's own accountability during film sessions, Porzingis has remained loyal to his co-star. "He almost defends Luka," one person with knowledge of the situation said.

There's also the matter of what Porzingis would bring back in return. "Who are teams you could in theory see going after him?" the Western Conference executive wondered. "I can't say that's a contract I'd pay to take on."

After this season, three more remain on Porzingis' five-year, $158 million deal.

"I think maybe you could squeak out a lottery-protected first from somebody," one capologist said, but that would likely only happen if Dallas took back other unwanted salaries. If the Mavericks are searching for contributing players, perhaps Dallas could engage a team like Chicago or Charlotte—with a mix of young players and veterans on sizable contracts—that could be looking to take the same swing Dallas once did.

For now, the Mavericks' Porzingis discussions remain preliminary. But for Dallas to bridge this gap—between its current standing and the team's preseason expectations of competing for home-court advantage in the playoffs—league executives expect these early conversations to continue. Finding a bona fide second option for Doncic is paramount to optimizing the young superstar, and Dallas can still clear max cap space this upcoming offseason. If John Collins were to reach restricted free agency, expect the Mavericks to make a significant offer, according to league sources.

Dallas once hoped to use that room for Giannis Antetokounmpo, forming a triumvirate that would have made the Western Conference shudder. Porzingis now needs a sharp turnaround to reclaim any bit of his previous reputation. "I get why the Mavericks might be having buyer's remorse," an Eastern Conference official said.

        

*All stats via NBA.com unless otherwise noted. This story has been updated to reflect Mark Cuban's denial of this report.

Jake Fischer covers the NBA for Bleacher Report and is the author of Built to Lose: How the NBA's Tanking Era Changed the League Forever.

Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic will start the 2021 NBA All-Star Game after he earned the Western Conference's final backcourt spot in a tiebreaker over Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard.

On Saturday, Doncic offered his comments on the selection.

"I didn't expect that I was going to start this game," Doncic told reporters, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "I know that maybe Lillard deserved it more than me."

All-Star voting consisted of a combination of fan (50 percent), player (25 percent) and media (25 percent) ballots. Doncic and Lillard tied for the second spot, but the Mavs guard received the starting honor because of the fan vote tiebreaker.

Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry will be the other backcourt starter representing the Western Conference.

Lillard will not start, but he's a virtual lock to play as a reserve. The Oakland, California, native has been sensational this season, averaging 29.8 points, 7.7 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game for the 18-10 Blazers, who have won six straight.

Portland is fourth in the Western Conference despite missing shooting guard CJ McCollum (15 games) and center Jusuf Nurkic (16 games) for more than half of the year.

Doncic has been exceptional as well, averaging 29.1 points, 9.4 assists and 8.6 rebounds per game.

Lillard is notably third in the NBA with 4.6 win shares and fifth with a 27.1 player efficiency rating, per Basketball Reference. Doncic is 15th with 3.4 win shares and seventh with a 26.8 PER.

Lillard is arguably having the better individual year, even if Doncic is a nightly triple-double threat. Plus, his team is doing better, as the Mavs (who have also been shorthanded because of injuries and the league's health and safety protocols) are 10th in the West at 13-15.

One could even argue that Lillard deserved a spot over Curry, who is fifth in win shares (4.4) and eighth in PER (25.4). Curry has led a resurgent team to a 16-14 record after the shorthanded squad finished 15-50 last season. He is averaging 29.9 points, 6.2 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game.

Either way, it won't make much of a difference unless NBA coaches, who pick the reserves, somehow snub Lillard.

That won't happen, so expect to see plenty of Doncic and Lillard on Sunday, March 7, in Atlanta. Three days earlier, Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James will pick their All-Star teams in a televised draft.