Rising Stars: Potential 1st-time All-Stars in the Eastern Conference

While most of the leaders in each conference and category have earned multiple selections to an All-Star team, one of the highlights of NBA All-Star Weekend is witnessing first-time All-Stars make their mark. From up-and-coming young stars like Tyrese Maxey and Paolo Banchero to seasoned veterans who have earned their spot with a new team, such as Isaiah Thomas with the Celtics in 2015-16, these players bring a fresh energy and excitement to the event.

The fans and media will mostly decide the NBA All-Star Game starters, but it’s the 30 head coaches who will select the reserves, and that’s when you typically see first-time All-Stars get the recognition they deserve. Here are four potential first-time All-Stars from the Eastern Conference:

Evan Mobley – Cleveland Cavaliers (18.9 pts, 8.8 reb, 2.9 ast, 1.5 blk, 1.0 stl, 30.2 MPG) 

The Cavaliers (30-4) have the best record in the Association and are 4.5 games ahead of the Celtics (26-9) in the Eastern Conference.

is averaging 23.4 points per game, shooting a career-best 41.2 percent from three and should make the All-Star team for a sixth straight season. Teams at the top of the conference — particularly those with as dominant of a record as the Cavs — typically send at least two players to the All-Star game, and Mobley has a strong case to join Mitchell in San Francisco. 

Mobley is coming off a dominant 34-point, 10-rebound double-double in a 134-122 win over the Mavericks, and over his last eight games, he’s averaged 20.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 blocks in 29 minutes per game. His plus-9.9 point differential trails only Gilgeous-Alexander (plus-12.2) among NBA starters, and Mobley’s 22.92 PER is tied with

for 11th-best in the Association. Mobley finished 10th in the first round of All-Star voting amongst Eastern Conference frontcourt players (145,623), but he should get plenty of consideration from head coaches around the league.

Jalen Johnson – Atlanta Hawks (19.8 pts, 10.1 reb, 5.3 ast, 1.5 stl, 1.1 blk, 36.3 MPG)

The Hawks (18-17) shook up their roster over the offseason by trading

to the Pelicans in exchange for a package centered around

and two future first-round picks. Murray averaged 21.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in his two seasons with Atlanta, and the Hawks faced a tall task in replicating that production on offense to support perennial All-Star point guard

. 

The Hawks used the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft to select

and have gotten marvelous production out of

off the bench, but Johnson has provided the most impact through the first half of the regular season for Atlanta. Johnson is averaging career highs across the board and leads the Hawks in both net rating (plus-2.6) and Player Impact Estimate (13.6). Atlanta sits on the cusp of the top-six in the Eastern Conference standings, and it can be argued that their playoff hopes would be slim to none without Johnson’s leap in his fourth NBA season.

Tyler Herro – Miami Heat (24.1 pts, 5.5 reb, 5.1 ast, 41.0% from three, 35.3 MPG)

This season Tyler Herro has found a way to elevate his game and keep the Heat in strong playoff contention.

He is scoring a career-best 24.1 points per game and is enjoying career bests in three-point shooting (41.0 percent), true shooting (62.6 percent) and effective field-goal percentage (59.1). The 2021-22 Sixth Man of the Year is well on his way to adding an All-Star selection to his accomplishments.

Derrick White – Boston Celtics (17.3 pts, 4.5 reb, 4.4 ast, 1.2 blk, 0.9 stl, 34.3 MPG)

The Celtics are still the odds-on favorites to represent the East in the NBA Finals and the superstar duo of

and

will surely earn spots in this year’s All-Star Game. The question is whether a third Celtic will join them. White seems like the strongest candidate to be that third representative, though you could make a case for Sixth Man of the Year frontrunner

.

White’s influence on both ends of the floor sparked All-Star buzz midway through the 2023-24 regular season. While he wasn’t selected last year, he’s making a strong case to be sent to San Francisco this season, as he’s averaging a career-high in points while shooting 39.9 percent from three on 9.1 3PA/G. White’s impact on the floor is undeniable and can’t be measured in stats alone. Since being acquired by the Celtics from the Spurs during the 2021-22 season, White has a 161-54 record with Boston.

Honorable mentions:

(Detroit Pistons),

(Orlando Magic),

(Washington Wizards),

(Brooklyn Nets)