Marc J. Spears: The NBA says the 2019 NBA All-Star Draft will be televised by TNT on Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. ET. The team rosters will be revealed during a NBA All-Star Draft Show.
All-Star Rumors
With five days remaining in the fan vote for the All-Star Game, back-to-back NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant and reigning NBA MVP James Harden remain outside of the Western Conference starting five. Oklahoma City Thunder’s Paul George remains ahead of Durant in the West’s starting five in the most recent fan voting results, the league announced Thursday. George joins Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Dallas Mavericks rookie Luka Doncic in the conference’s frontcourt.
With the Clippers jostling for playoff position in the Western Conference standings on a nightly basis, Harris and Gallinari each made their case to be All-Stars when speaking to The Athletic earlier this month. “Honestly, I think if you look at our team and how well we’ve been playing, when you look at my game over the years of development and where I’m at now, I believe so,” Harris, who leads the Clippers in points (20.8), rebounds (8.0) and minutes (34.2) per game, said. “In the Western Conference, I think if you go down the list, God willing, I should be one of the guys.”
“I think so, especially considering the record the team has,” Gallinari, who leads the Clippers in 3-point percentage (.453), said. “Definitely. Usually, the team has to do well in order to be considered in the All-Star picks. We’re doing well, and we’ve got to keep doing well. I’ve always thought that the winning has to be rewarded and the best teams have to be rewarded with that.”
Carmichael Dave: I’m told the Sacramento Kings will have 4 representatives invited to all star weekend in Charlotte. Buddy Hield in the 3 point contest, and De’Aaron Fox, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Marvin Bagley in the Rising Stars Challenge. No word if Fox will be in the Skills Competition.
“It doesn’t matter to me,” Wade, a 12-time All-Star, said of the possibility of playing in the Feb. 17 game in Charlotte, North Carolina. “I’ve been around great players for a while in my career. One last hurrah is not going to make or break what I feel about my career. “I’ll be down there anyway, will be around some of the guys anyway, so it’s really not a big deal for me. It’s cool from a fan perspective that they have some of their favorite players, that no matter what they will always see them on that stage. But you want the guys that deserve to be in the All-Star Game, who had the best first half of the season, to be able to go live out a dream. I had that opportunity multiple times, so you want those guys to be able to do it.”
