The 2022 NBA  All-Star Game will be Cleveland on February 20, 2022 and we can’t help ourselves. We’re already thinking about which players will make their first appearance in the midseason matchup between 24 of the best players in the league.

We know it’s still way too early in the season to be talking about whose going to be suiting up for their first All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse this year, but we all love lists, talking about our opinions and speculating without much risk involved. If you’re into risks, you can certainly learn more about how you can rasie the stakes. Until then let us have some fun, will you?

First-Time All-Star Locks and Prentenders

We’re not only going to rank the players, but we’re going to tier them out. There are players that have raised their game, made their teams better and doesn’t look like it’s going to change anytime soon. There are others that might be just getting off to a hot start and their candidacy depends on whether they can continue. Then there are the players that are putting up numbers on bad teams. They might make the team but only if players above them falter. Enough explaining, let’s have some fun.

1. Ja Morant (26 points, 6.3 rebounds, 7.1 assists) The third-year player took his 2021 playoff run and transitioned it into this season. Outside of Steph Curry, no player has made the highlight reels more this season. As long as the Memphis Grizzlies can keep their heads above the fray, Morant is all but a lock for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game.

2. LaMelo Ball (19.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.5 assists) I’ll admit, I didn’t think LaMelo was going to be much in the NBA. He’s not only proving all the haters wrong, but he’s shattered expectations and affecting winning. He’s the cog that keeps the Chatlotte Hornets buzzing. As with Morant, as long as the Hornets are above .500, LaMelo is all but cemented his spot in the 2022 game.

3. Andrew Wiggins (18.3 points, 48.4% FG, 4.2 rebounds) If there’s ever been an argument to how winning can bring individual glory, look no further than Andrew Wiggins this season. His 18.3 points is the third lowest average of his career, but the fact that the Golden State Warriors are by far the best team in the league, they’ll likely give Wiggins a deeper look.

Not only is Wiggins shooting a career high 48.4% from the field, he’s clearly found a role in helping the Warriors win, and…. he looks like he’s finally having fun. After years of putting up empty numbers in Minnesota and finding his role in Golden State’s culture, we think Wiggins should be rewarded with a spot. The big shadow on Wiggins making the team depends on whether voters want Wiggins, Draymond Green or both.

4. Tyler Herro (21.7 points, 45% FG, 5.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists) We can’t lie, part of the reason Herro is on this list is that he’s a popular player, but even more than that, he’s #3 because he’s an offensive sparkplug for a serious Miami Heat team that’s currently second in the Eastern Conference. There’s a lot of factors impacing Herro’s chances — he has to obviously maintain his numbers, the Heat have to be at or near the top of the conference standings, and if Jimmy Butler is a lock, how do the voters decide on Herro or Bam Adebayo (or both).

The next five:

5. Anthony Edwards
6. Jarrett Allen
7. Montrezl Harrell
8. Miles Bridges
9. CJ McCollum
10. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The mix of six players fall into two buckets. The first bucket are players playing well with decent numbers on winning teams (Jarrett Allen, Montrezl, and Bridges) while the other three are players playing on subpar teams but putting good numbers (Ant-Man, McCollum, SGA). Let’s see if Herro and Wiggins (and their teams) can keep it up. Lots can change in the next 30+ games, so we’re interested to look back and see how our predictions turn out.

That’s what we got. Want more speculation and guesses based on rational basketball logic? For more in-depth look at potential first timers, go to this great article at Fadeaway World.