NBA All-Star format changes: These 24 players worth of U.S. vs. World showcase

On Tuesday evening, the NBA announced a brand-new format for the All-Star Game 2026. It will feature a U.S.-vs.-World matchup. This year’s showcase will include a round-robin competition between three teams, two of which are made up exclusively of Americans and the third of which is made up of international players. Each team will consist of at least eight players, and games will last for 12 minutes. The tournament will be run as follows. NBA: “In the round-robin tourney, Team A will face Team B in the first game.  The losing team in Game 1 will play Team C in the second game.After Game 3, the two top teams in terms of record will face off against each other in the final game (Game 4).  If after Game 3 all three teams are 1-1, the tiebreaker is the point differential between each team’s round-robin game.Your next question is likely to be how the All-Stars are selected, given this new format. We’ll turn back to the NBA for an explanation: “As before, 24 NBA All-Stars (eight from each Conference) will once again be selected in this manner: Fans (50% of votes), NBA players (25%) a panel of media representatives (25%), NBA coaches (70%), and NBA players themselves. This year’s All-Stars are selected without consideration of position. At a later time, the process of assigning players to two U.S. Teams will be determined.If the NBA All-Star vote does not produce 16 U.S. and 8 international players, including American players who have ties with other countries (if needed), NBA Commissioner Adam Silver may select additional All-Stars for either group in order to meet that minimum. In this case, one team will have more than 8 players.The league hasn’t announced when the All-Star voting begins, but we expect it to start in mid-December. Last year it started on December 19. 19.) It’s not until next month that we will have a larger sample size and can determine who deserves a place. In the meantime, since the format has been revealed, let’s check out which players are doing well. In a few months, when the All-Star Teams are announced, it will be interesting to see which players make the cut and end up in Los Angeles during the weekend of February 13-15. To follow the rules I chose 12 players per conference, which equals 16 Americans plus eight international players. Although it’s not clear how the American teams are going to be divided, I thought that it would be a good idea to try to balance out their positions. However, I didn’t give much thought to separating the teams further than that. Since it is unclear how the starting lineup will be determined, I also did not include starters. The fan vote will determine ten players who will start, but the players may not be evenly split between U.S. players and international players. Also, 15 players from each team will be required to start.(Enough rambling. Now let’s look at the early All-Stars. Team U.S.

Start with the guards. Tyrese Maxiey (32.1), Donovan Mitchell (30.4), and Austin Reaves (30.3) are all incredible and average over 30 points each game. It’s not necessary to say much else. These guys have to be at the top of your list. James Harden 

The lone true right wing of this team is now up for discussion. Jaylen is not quite at the threshold of 30 points per game, but at 27,7 he is close. He is having the most productive season of his life (60.6% TS), and he’s doing it all for the Celtics, who are shorthanded. Finally, let’s talk about the bigs. Jalen duren is having an outstanding season with the Pistons. The team is currently in first-place in the East. He is averaging a 19:4 point and 12 rebound double-double on 64.7% of his shots. Julius Randle, who helped the Timberwolves stay afloat during Anthony Edwards’ absence, is averaging his career-highs of points (25.4), and assists (6.2) per game. Evan Mobley is expected to return after making his first All-Star Game in the last season. He’s also recording career-high numbers in terms of assists (4.3), steals (1.5) and points (20.1) per game. Team U.S.

We’ll move to the wings/forwards. It’s been an odd start for the Magic but Paolo Banchero does his part. Banchero is leading the team with 23.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and is third on assists (4.3). Jimmy Butler will never be a big scorer, but his all-round performance has made him a valuable asset for the Warriors. He is currently ninth in the league with win shares (1.6). Kevin Durant has adapted well to Houston. He’s seen his numbers drop a little in a smaller role, but has been very efficient when the Rockets have needed him. He is shooting 71.4% during clutch minutes, which are those where he scores within five seconds with less than five remaining minutes. 

The lone big man on the team. Karl-Anthony Towns is still managing a double-double despite his struggles to adjust to the new offense of coach Mike Brown.

This season, it does not appear that an American will win the MVP award. The top-five favorites for MVP right now (per Caesars) are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+210), Luka Dončić (+325), Nikola Jokić (+350), Giannis Antetokounmpo (+550) and Victor Wembanyama (+600). This quintet is guaranteed to be at the All-Star Game, barring any injury. There’s no need to elaborate. Gilgeous-Alexander has the Thunder off to an 11-1 start; Dončić is putting up 37.1 points, 9.4 rebounds and 9.1 assists a night; Jokić is once again averaging a triple-double; Antetokounmpo’s league-leading 23.4 points in the paint per game would rank 20th in the league (he’s averaging 33.4 points overall); Wembanyama is leading the league in blocks (3.9 per game) and is an elite defense unto himself. 

The final three spots are up for debate, which is testament to the talent of the international players in the league. Josh Giddey’s play to begin the season has made it impossible for him to be left off this list. He’s setting career-highs on all fronts and is in striking distance of averaging the triple-double (21,4 points, 9,6 rebounds and 9,3 assists).)Alperen Sengun also deserves a nod. He played well at EuroBasket in the summer and carried this momentum into the new season. His improved playmaking (7.3 assists per match) and 3 point shooting (39.3%), have played a crucial role in the Rockets (6-3)’s success. 

It would be a sin to ignore the work that Pascal Siakam is doing for the Pacers this season, who are extremely shorthanded and have had over 20 players in one game. Siakam is on his own, but he has been able to reach career highs in assists (5.8) and scoring (24.3) per game. Deni Avdija is apologizing for his actions. Lauri Markkanen Franz Wagner and Jamal Murray also have valid cases. 

2025-11-12 15:13:28