The NBA announced the starters for the All-Star Game on Thursday night, and a handful of those players will predictably be favorites to win All-Star Game MVP. LeBron James is an annual favorite to win the accolade, and stat-sheet-stuffers like Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden will also be popular picks.
However, as we’ve seen in the past, the MVP award ultimately follows a particular narrative. This doesn’t mean that the All-Star Game MVP is solely chosen based on a good story; rather, the player’s teammates and coaching staff help to flame that narrative. Last season, Kevin Durant and his impending free agency were a major storyline (as was former teammate Draymond Green’s assertion that the Warriors could win without KD), and Durant proceeded to win MVP. The previous year, impending free agent LeBron James won MVP in Los Angeles, putting on a show the year before he ended up joining the Lakers. Anthony Davis won in front of his hometown New Orleans crowd in 2017, and Russell Westbrook won in 2016 after watching Durant leave for a conference rival.
In other words, you can piece together a story that would favor one All-Star over another. With the 2020 version of the game being played in Chicago, there are several notable players you should be rooting for if you’ve planning on winning big money during All-Star Weekend.
Jimmy Butler
The Miami Heat star is most likely a shoo-in to make the game (although teammate Bam Adebayo could steal the spot), and Butler will have a chance to play on his former home court. While Butler doesn’t seem to hold nearly as much animosity for Chicago as he does for (especially) Minnesota and (to a lesser extent) Philly, you can bet that Butler will want to remind the fans what they’re missing.
Zach LaVine
The hometown boy should also be considered for the All-Star Game, and considering Lavine’s ability to put up big stats, he could be a sneaky pick for the award. Lavine is averaging a career-high 25 points per game this season, and while he’s competing with a long list of players for one of the final All-Star spots, he could get the nod to provide some excitement to the attending Bulls fans.
Derrick Rose
Chicago’s former favorite player probably has a better case to make the All Star Game than Lavine, although Rose will have to compete with teammate Andre Drummond for a spot (it’s hard to envision TWO Pistons players making the squad). Rose is having one of his best statistical seasons in years, he’s a favorite in Chicago, and veterans seem to respect him. You can easily write a narrative where Rose comes away with the MVP award.
