Last spring, 13 of the 15 players who were named to the All-NBA teams for the 2018/19 season had earned an All-NBA nod at least once in the past. Only two players made an All-NBA team for the first time: Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (First Team) and then-Hornets guard Kemba Walker (Third Team).
There are a handful of players who we can expect to claim spots on one of those three All-NBA teams on an annual basis as long as they stay healthy. James Harden and Stephen Curry have made six All-NBA teams apiece. Russell Westbrook has made eight, while his former teammate Kevin Durant has made nine. LeBron James has earned a staggering 15 All-NBA nods, tying the all-time record.
Still, injuries like the Achilles tear that will sideline Durant for most or all of the 2019/20 season can create openings for newcomers, as can down years by established stars (think Anthony Davis in 2018/19). And longtime All-NBA mainstays like LeBron won’t keep playing at that level forever.
With the 2019/20 season set to get underway next month, we want to know which players you think are in position to potentially grab an All-NBA spot for the first time next spring.
Will a veteran All-Star like Bradley Beal, Jrue Holiday, or Nikola Vucevic make another leap and enter the All-NBA ranks for the first time? Will a former lottery pick like Ben Simmons, Luka Doncic, or Donovan Mitchell break through with a career year that puts him in the conversation for a spot among the league’s top 15 players? Will an up-and-coming star like Devin Booker or Pascal Siakam take advantage of an opportunity to be his team’s No. 1 option and deliver an All-NBA caliber season?
Those players all received All-NBA votes last season, but they’re hardly the only candidates to become an All-NBA player for the first time.
What do you think? Do you expect any NBA players to make an All-NBA for the first time in 2019/20? And which of last season’s All-NBA players – besides Durant – do you expect to fall out of the top 15 next season?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!
I predict Luka is third-team All-NBA next year.
Beal, Doncic, or Vucevic are the most likely options imo
Vucevic’s stats are the best of that group including on/off, which means the stats are not empty… the team gains when he is accumulating them.
For whatever reason, some top players don’t have positive on/offs, not helping the team like they should or could. Simmons creates spacing problems for his team, Doncic’s fatigue made his unique role harder to pull off, and Mitchell was leaned on too much offensively.
As usual I advance Mike Conley, though he has an all-new situation to fit into, including Mitchell. He might help improve Mitchell’s efficiency.
Simmons should had been already an All-NBA so he is a strong candidate.
Vucevic unfortunately as much as he has deserve it, has no chance, center position is at it’s strongest ever with Embiid, Jokic, KAT, AD, Gobert, Vucevic, Drummond, DMC, Ayton… is just about impossible to make it for most of these guys despite deserving it.
Maybe Tatum if he finally plays to the potential people says he has, but I doubt it for this year, maybe in the future.
Doncic & Booker surely gotta be in the conversation as well.
Real tough for new guys to break in.
Booker hasn’t even made an All Star team yet. How’s he going to jump to All-NBA?
Dude Gobert for some reason has made it twice as an All-NBA but never to an All-Star.
Westbrook and Harden will be on there for the 9th and 7th time, respectively. Capela has a much better chance of joining them than people think.