CHICAGO _ After his first All-Star Game appearance, Luka Doncic wanted to do it again.
"I hope there's more to come," he said Sunday night after tallying eight points, one rebound, four assists and one steal in 17 minutes.
With good health and continued standout production, 20-year-old Doncic appears primed to accomplish that goal.
But the players he might join _ and his status as a starter on upcoming All-Star teams _ might look different than the set-up of Sunday night's thrilling contest.
The landscape of starting All-Star contenders from the Western Conference is poised to change with several top players returning from injury.
Most notable: Golden State's Stephen Curry.
Curry, a six-time All-Star, has missed all but four games this season with a broken left hand.
It robbed him of the chance to make a seventh straight All-Star team, but with Curry a possibility to return late this year and the Warriors on track to restore their dominance in 2020-21, Curry's will likely return to All-Star Weekend, as well.
If so, Curry would be in contention for one of the Western Conference's two starting guard spots and could knock either Doncic or Houston Rockets guard and former league MVP James Harden _ this year's backcourt duo _ out of the starting lineup.
In addition, the Warriors' five-time All-Star Klay Thompson, who's missed the season with a torn ACL, and Trail Blazers' five-time All-Star Damian Lillard, who was voted a West reserve this season but missed the game with a groin injury, could be in the mix, too.
That this year's All-Star Game marked the first appearance for 10 of the 24 active players meant injuries impacted both conferences' selections.
The Nets' Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and the Clippers' Paul George have combined for 22 All-Star nominations in their careers but they've also dealt with injury issues throughout 2019-20. Add good health for Mavericks' Kristaps Porzingis, a 2017-18 All-Star selection, and Pelicans star rookie Zion Williamson, and the two could also be in contention for spots next season.
But perhaps Doncic's spot amid all the turnover will be most secure for the 2021 All-Star Game in Indianapolis.
As a rookie last year, Doncic received the third-most fan votes among all players, though he didn't qualify after coaches and players' votes counted for 25% of the selection criteria apiece.
This year, Doncic trailed only Western Conference team captain LeBron James in fan voting. Doncic's massive international following _ not just from his native Slovenia _ has proven its support.
Plus, if Doncic continues at his torrid rise that has the Mavericks on track for the playoffs and his name in the MVP conversation this season, he likely won't have to do much else to convince those around the league to offer the same support.
