The 2016 NBA All-Star starting lineup for the Eastern Conference offered a few surprises in the end. LeBron James, as expected, comfortably earned one of the East frontcourt spots. Indiana’s Paul George will start alongside him at one frontcourt spot, along with Carmelo Anthony. Anthony edged out Pau Gasol by just 360 votes to earn the final spot.
NBA All-Star Game 2016 roster: Kyle Lowry, Carmelo Anthony start for the East
The Raptors and Knicks stars edged out Pau Gasol and Kyrie Irving to start alongside LeBron James, Paul George and Dwyane Wade.
Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
In the backcourt, James’ old teammate Dwyane Wade was the leading vote-getter, though he has certainly declined from his best days. The second spot alongside him yielded much controversy, as Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving raced into the lead despite missing the first 24 games of the season with a knee injury. Ultimately, though, Toronto’s Kyle Lowry caught him from behind for the second straight year to earn a much-deserved trip to start in his team’s city.
The 2016 NBA All-Star Game will take place in Toronto on Feb. 14.
Here is the Eastern Conference starting lineup
GUARD: Dwyane Wade
GUARD: Kyle Lowry
FRONTCOURT: LeBron James
FRONTCOURT: Paul George
FRONTCOURT: Carmelo Anthony
At 34, Wade is no longer the player he once was, but it still one of the Eastern Conference's top guards. He's averaging 18 points, four rebounds and nearly five assists per game for the Heat. More importantly, he's stayed healthy thus far, only sitting out four games. His play is a major reason the Heat find themselves in contention for one of the Eastern Conference's top playoff seeds. This will be Wade's 12th All-Star Game appearance. He was named MVP of the game in 2010.
Lowry, 29, has established himself as one of the best point guards and players in the NBA. After slimming down in the offseason, he's averaging a career-high 21 points while dishing out six assists and pulling down five rebounds per game, numbers which have the Raptors in second place in the Eastern Conference. For the second straight year, Lowry came from behind in the voting to earn a starting backcourt spot.
James led the Eastern Conference in voting, and for good reason. He's not quite the dominant force he once was, but he's still averaging 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists per game while shooting over 50 percent from the field. More importantly, he remains the leader of a Cavaliers team that has established itself as the clear favorite in the Eastern Conference. This will be James' 12th All-Star Game appearance. He's been named the game's Most Valuable Player twice.
This will be the 25-year-old George's third All-Star Game appearance, and it's well earned. After missing nearly all of last season following a gruesome leg injury suffered during a Team USA practice, George has picked up right where he left off. He's averaging just under 24 points -- a career high -- as well as seven rebounds and four assists. He's also third in the league in three-pointers made and is connecting on nearly 38 percent of his shots from downtown. George has established himself as one of the Eastern Conference's top players and has the Pacers in the thick of the East's playoff race.
A late surge in the voting thrust Anthony past Andre Drummond and Pau Gasol for the East's third and final frontcourt spot. Anthony's scoring has dropped -- he's averaging 21.5 points, his lowest output since his second year in the NBA, on just 43 percent shooting -- but he is averaging a career-high four assists and pulling down eight boards per game. His all-around play over the last month has helped the Knicks surpass their win-total from last season (17) and put them into contention for a playoff spot. This will be Anthony's ninth All-Star Game appearance.
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