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LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports

All-Star mock draft: Predicting LeBron and Giannis Antetokounmpo's selections

By Sean Keane | Last updated 2/17/23

For the first time, All-Star captains will choose teams just before the game. We're trying to predict the teams right now.

LeBron James will once again have the first pick, as the league's top vote-getter. James has picked first in all five previous years of the All-Star Draft, choosing Giannis Antetokounmpo with his top pick the last two season. This year, Antetokounmpo is the other captain, so James will have to rethink his draft strategy.

As a reminder, James gets the first pick among the remaining eight starters, while Team Giannis gets first crack at the reserves.

1. Team LeBron: James has taken Antetokounmpo twice, Kevin Durant twice and Anthony Davis once with the first overall pick. He likes size, and he likes mild tampering. James picked Durant ahead of his free agency, and Davis both before and after his trade to the Lakers. In terms of size, talent and possible recruitment to LA, the obvious pick is 6'7" Luka Doncic. Sure, he seems happy in Dallas, but that's before he joined the Kyrie Irving Experience.

2. Team Giannis: The Greek Freak took Steph Curry with his first pick in 2019 after Curry took him first in 2018. His other top pick was Joel Embiid in 2020. But Embiid told reporters he's "not sure" he's healthy enough to play, so we think Team Giannis goes with a different center, Denver's Nikola Jokic.

3. Team LeBron: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics. James wants to show there's no hard feelings after the uncalled foul on Tatum a few weeks ago, plus it's a good chance to reach out to the Kobe Stans of Laker Nation, as Tatum is an unabashed superfan of Bryant.

This exchange between LeBron James and Jayson Tatum on Instagram

LeBron: “Good block ”

Tatum: “Last night was blur” pic.twitter.com/ZFLKIe44P3
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) January 30, 2023

4. Team Giannis: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers. In 2020, Anteotokounmpo called Embiid "my African brother," and even if he won't play, Team Giannis will let people dream of a massive Jokic-Embiid-Giannis front court.

5. Team LeBron: Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks. After all, Irving could still decide he wants to go to the Lakers as a free agent, and James can't resist a little bit of tampering in an All-Star Draft.

6. Team Giannis: They need a guard, and we think Antetokoumpo goes with Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies, because he fears for his life. And to annoy LeBron's friend Shannon Sharpe.

7. Team LeBron: Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers. This leaves Team LeBron a bit small, but King James can't resist picking a star from his old team.

8. Team Giannis: Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz. The hometown hero falls to Team Giannis, giving the team three Europeans. This also gives Team Giannis All-Stars from both sides of the Mitchell trade last summer.

Reserves

9. Team Giannis: Antetokounmpo gets first pick of the reserves, and the first time he had this chance, he took teammate Khris Middleton with his first pick. He'll repeat it this year, going with fellow Milwaukee Buck Jrue Holiday.

10. Team LeBron: Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers. Lillard always goes hard in the All-Star Game, plus he has a history with James as a cast member from "Space Jam: A New Legacy." Still, James should make Lillard agree not to rap before he picks him.

⌚️It’s about that time. Hyped to be a part of Space Jam: A New Legacy! CHRONOS and the Goon Squad taking over. @spacejammovie hits theaters and @hbomax on July 16!#SpaceJam #CHRONOS #GoonSquad #YKWTII pic.twitter.com/rWelVWEy4o
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) May 13, 2021

11. Team Giannis: Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors. Antetokoumpo called the Cameroonian Siakam "my other African brother" when he drafted him in 2020, and we think he does it again.

12. Team LeBron: Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves. Edwards has been incredible carrying the Minnesota Timberwolves recently, and he's also a Klutch Sports athlete, making him irresistible to James.

13. Team Giannis: Giannis likes drafting first-time All-Stars. We think he goes with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, the best NBA player who flies totally under the radar.

14. Team LeBron: Cleveland almost traded for Paul George before James' last season there. He'll take this opportunity to team up with the Clippers star.

15. Team Giannis: This would be Jaylen Brown, but we expect him to miss the game with a facial fracture, courtesy of a friendly fire elbow from Tatum. Instead, it's another first-timer, Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton.

16. Team LeBron: As a tribute to his old team, Team LeBron takes Miami center Bam Adebayo.

17. Team Giannis: Sacramento's De'Aaron Fox, the last remaining first-time All-Star.

18. Team LeBron: DeMar DeRozan has a strained quad, but after pushing the Lakers to trade for Russell Westbrook instead of DeRozan in 2021, James won't pass him up this time.

19. Team Giannis: Domantas Sabonis. The Kings center adds another Euro and reunites Fox with his pick-and-roll partner.

20. Team LeBron: Julius Randle, New York Knicks. James adds his old Laker teammate, who blossomed after leaving his shadow.

21. Team Giannis: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics. We expect the NBA to name a replacement for this spot, but until then, we think the playful Antetokounmpo won't be able to resist sticking James with a Mamphis Grizzly.

22. Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies. Last year, Kevin Durant left James Harden for LeBron after Harden demanded a trade out of Brooklyn. This year, James will be left with the young power forward from the Memphis team the Lakers scuffled with last month.