Nine NBA players who could deservedly become first-time All-Stars this season

NBA All-Star voting kicked off this week. In the NBA's desperate attempt to fix a game that's been broken for a while, the league is going with yet another new format, pitting Americans against international stars.

Per usual, 24 players will be selected, with 12 from each conference. No position requirements. The American team(s) will have at least 16 players, while the international team will have a minimum of eight. If those numbers aren't reached organically between the voting process for starters -- fans account for 50%, with players and media each getting 25% -- and the reserves selected by NBA head coaches, the commissioner will add extra All-Stars. Confused? Just put it out of your mind and know that a bunch of guys will be All-Stars and they'll play something kinda resembling basketball that weekend and then everyone will probably complain about it afterward. 

Problems with the format aside, there are some players who have never been All-Stars who are deserving of the honor this season. Not everyone will make the cut, of course, but what follows is the argument in favor of naming some first-time selections. The operative word there being "some." 

We're not listing every potential first-time All-Star. There are notable names absent for various reasons, including but not limited to Franz Wagner (out several weeks with a high ankle sprain which could sink his chances), Amen Thompson (Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun are locks and it's hard to imagine the Rockets getting three in a loaded conference) and Dillon Brooks (having a career-best scoring season but is unlikely to win anyone's voting popularity contest). That said, here's the case for nine worthy first timers in no particular order.

1. Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets

Nikola Jokić has famously never had an All-Star or All-NBA teammate. That should change this season with Murray making a strong case for his first All-Star appearance. The 28-year-old is averaging 24.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.8 assists with 50.1/44.7/89.6 shooting splits. All but his free-throw percentage are career highs. He's also one of three Nuggets -- along with Aaron Gordon and Joker -- to have a 50-point game this season.

The knock against Murray has always been consistency. He'd flash and then disappear at times during the regular season. This season, in the absence of starters Christian Braun (ankle) and Gordon (hamstring), Murray has been the omnipresent 1A option Joker has always longed to have at his side. If he's not an All-Star this season, it's never happening. Justice for Jamal. 

2. Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers 

Another late-20-something putting up eye-popping numbers. Reaves is averaging career highs in points (27.8), rebounds (5.6) and assists (6.7) in 36.9 minutes per game while shooting 50.3% from the floor. Aside from play making and scoring, he's really leveled up on getting to the foul line. Not everyone loves it, but foul grifting is a skill and Reaves is one the best in the league. He's getting to the line 9.1 times per game shooting and 87.5%. With Luka Dončić and LeBron James out in October, he dropped 51 points on the Kings in Sacramento and followed that up the next night with 41 against Portland at home. He's also undeniably first-team All-Interview.

3. Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks

Welcome to Jalen Johnson is the Best Player on the Hawks Island. Proud to say the population is growing in earnest. Johnson is averaging 22.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 1.6 steals (all career highs) with 51.6/38.5/81.3 shooting splits. The 3-point and free-throw numbers are significant improvements. Johnson had never shot better than 35.5% from deep or 74.6% from the line. He's also become a counting stats monster. This week he posted his fourth-straight triple-double, becoming just the third player in NBA history to do so before turning 24. The other two are Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson. Pretty good company. 

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4. Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder

This is separate from All-Star selections, but qualifying for season awards requires playing a minimum of 65 games. If not for that, Victor Wembanyama would be the runaway winner for Defensive Player of the Year, but clearing the threshold will be difficult considering he's already missed 12 games. That windup is simply to say, if it's not Wemby, the DPOY might very well be Holmgren. 

He's anchored the league's best defense and is currently the betting favorite to win the award (+145 at FanDuel). If it wasn't for the fact that the Thunder are blowing out most of their opponents by a comical margin (OKC's 16.8 point differential is the best in NBA history, improving on the record the Thunder set last season), Holmgren might be playing more in the fourth quarter instead of averaging 28 minutes per game. In that world, imagine an uptick on all his counting stats, particularly his 1.5 blocks per game.

5. Deni Avdija, Portland Trailblazers 

The Blazers sometimes get overlooked. That happens when you're 10-16 and play late-night West Coast games. But real hoop heads recognize that Avdija is having a breakout season. The 24-year-old is quietly putting up reliable numbers, averaging a career-best 25.5 points and 6.3 assists, along with 7.2 rebounds. He's also taking 6.4 3-point attempts per game and hitting 37.7%, while getting to the line 9.6 times per game and shooting 81.2% -- all of which are career highs. 

6. Norm Powell, Miami Heat

You know who could use someone with Powell's skill set? The Clippers. Instead the Heat are putting his instant offense to good use. Powell has improved on last season's breakout campaign in LA by averaging career highs in Miami in points (24.4) and rebounds (3.7) while shooting 49.3% from the field and 42.9% from 3 on seven attempts per game. Powell is 32. It's rare for someone to have the best seasons of his career after turning 30, but that's what he's done the last two years. 

7. Josh Giddey, Chicago Bulls

I hesitated to include Giddey. I'm not sure his brand of basketball lends itself to winning when he's the main guy. After a hot start, the Bulls have lost eight of their last 10 and fallen to 11-15 (though they did just beat a Cavs team that's suddenly forgotten how to shoot ). That's not all on him, of course, and making the All-Star team is generally about numbers, not the win-loss column. Giddey is posting serious counting stats: 20.3 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 8.9 apg, all of which are career-highs. He's also shooting a career-best 47.6% from the floor and 40.4% from deep. That might not translate to much more than another play-in berth for the Bulls -- if that -- but the numbers look good on the paper. 

8. Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons

The Pistons are still in first place in the Eastern Conference. Cade Cunningham is the biggest reason why, but Duren has certainly done his part. The 22-year-old is averaging a career-high 18 points along with 11 rebounds. He's posted double doubles in 15 of the 23 games he's played, and he's fourth in the league in rebounding. He's also gotten much better defensively where he's averaging nearly one steal and block per game. For a team that dominates the paint and stacks wins because of it, Duren has been hugely valuable. 

9. Derrick White, Boston Celtics

Some people will blanch at this one because he's shooting 39.6% from the floor and 33.8% from three. Fair criticism! But hear me out. With Jayson Tatum out with an Achilles, and Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis shipped out during the offseason, White was asked to take on more responsibility on the offensive end. Accordingly, his usage rate has spiked to a career-high 24.2. With the increased volume, he got off to a rough shooting start that didn't do his percentages any favors. 

But over the last month, a span of 13 games dating back to mid-November, he's starting to find a rhythm, shooting 44.9% from the field and 38.7% from deep. He's been a key reason why the surprising Celtics (15-11) are fourth in the Eastern Conference and Brad Stevens is saying "nothing is holding us back" from adding talent. 

But the most impressive part of White's game is how disruptive he is on defense. The two-time All-Defense selection is averaging a career-best 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks per game, making him one of only two players in the NBA with at least 30 blocks and 30 steals this season. He frequently makes plays where you end up thinking where did he just come from? Look how far he tracks back for this block on Daniss Jenkins.

He probably won't be selected as an All-Star (again), but he's forever first-team All-Underrated.