Predicting the Western Conference's All-Star reserves

Reserves for the Western Conference All-Star team will be voted on by NBA coaches and announced on Sunday, Feb. 1. With the starters set, here are the choices for the reserves who will play on Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

All-Star starters are set

A combination of fan votes, media votes and players votes came up with a group of Western Conference starters heavy on international players.

• Steph Curry | Guard, Golden State Warriors
• Luka Doncic | Guard, Los Angeles Lakers
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Guard, Oklahoma City Thunder
• Victor Wembanyama | Center, San Antonio Spurs
• Nikola Jokic | Center, Denver Nuggets

Jokic is healthy again, so there's no need for an injury replacement — at least not yet.

All-Star reserves

Kawhi Leonard | Forward, Los Angeles Clippers | 27.9 points, 2.1 steals

Not only is Kawhi Leonard seventh in the NBA in scoring, he's leading the league with 2.1 steals per game. He's shooting 49.8 percent overall, 39.7 percent on threes and a league-leading 94 percent on free throws. Leonard is making shots from everywhere on the floor, including 57 percent from 10-16 feet, and he's turned around a Los Angeles Clippers season that looked lost a month ago.

Anthony Edwards | Guard, Minnesota Timberwolves | 29.3 points, 58.1 eFG%

Every year, Anthony Edwards seems to improve some part of his game for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Last season, he led the league in three-pointers and dramatically improved his accuracy. This season, Edwards is shooting even better from deep (41.3 percent) and shooting 55.4 percent on two-pointers, huge numbers for a guard. He's great on defense, gets to the foul line and remains a top MVP candidate.

Kevin Durant | Forward, Houston Rockets | 26.5 points, 40.8 3P%

Someday, 37-year-old Kevin Durant will start slowing down. In his 18th season, that's still not the case. The Houston Rockets have to be thrilled by their veteran forward's scoring, shooting and availability after trading for him. (He's 12th in the league in minutes.) Best of all, Durant's excellent shooting from deep keeps the basket area clear for Alperen Sengun and the Rockets' other interior scorers.

Jamal Murray | Guard, Denver Nuggets | 25.9 points, 44.2 3P%

This is the first regular season where Jamal Murray has lit it up the way he has in numerous playoff series. He's making 3.3 three-pointers per game on 44.2 percent shooting while dishing a career-high 7.3 assists. When Jokic went down with an injury, Murray was a huge part of the Denver Nuggets going 10-6 in his absence — and he should make his first All-Star team.

Deni Avdija | Forward, Portland Trail Blazers | 25.8 points, 6.8 assists

It's been a breakthrough season for Deni Avdija, who's gone from 16.9 to 25.8 points per game, while going from 3.9 to 6.8 assists. The Portland Trail Blazers are running their offense through the 25-year-old forward, who is getting a whopping 9.7 foul shots per game. Plus, the World team needs forwards!

Chet Holmgren | Center, Oklahoma City Thunder | 17.8 points, two blocks

The Oklahoma City Thunder have the NBA's best defense, and Chet Holmgren is their defensive anchor. He's second in the NBA with two blocks per game and grabs 8.6 rebounds. But what sets Holmgren apart is his outside shooting (37.7 3P%), which makes him a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses.

LeBron James | Forward, Los Angeles Lakers | 22 points, 6.7 assists

We extend sincere apologies to Lauri Markkanen, James Harden, Devin Booker, Alperen Sengun, Jimmy Butler and Jimmy Butler's ACL. LeBron James may have missed some time, his scoring numbers are down and his transition defense is often non-existent. But the Los Angeles Lakers are in fifth place, are unusually good in close games and James is still the second-greatest player of all time. He gets the final spot.