The NBA’s biggest and brightest stars are ready to put on a dazzling display of dunks, three-pointers, killer crossovers, no-look passes and matador defense. Yes, All-Star Weekend is upon us.
Of all the professional sports leagues, the NBA highlight’s its All-Stars the best. By setting aside a full weekend for the festivities, the NBA is able to highlight its most talented players, most athletic players, best shooters and future superstars in one felled swoop.
While some complain about the lack of defense in the weekend’s marquee event, the All-Star game is really about showcasing the otherworldly abilities of the best basketball players in the world. Defense wins championships. Offense wins All-Star games – and NBA fans.
As the Eastern and Western Conferences prepare to square off in New Orleans, here are some cash money All-Star predictions you can take to the bank.
KD and Russ 24/7
The never-ending soap opera between former teammates Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant will hit a crescendo Sunday night. The two superstars will share the court as teammates instead of nemeses, for the first time since Durant left OKC for golden pastures. Well, they are expected to share the court.
There has been some chatter and speculation that Steve Kerr could opt to keep the former BFFs from being on the court at the same time. After all, Saturday night’s matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Golden State Warriors was full of scowls, shoves, trash talk and mean mugs. Putting Durant and Westbrook on the same court, on the same team, at the same time in an explosive proposition. The ever-intense Westbrook seems as likely to throw hands at Durant as he does to throw a lob to him.
That’s precisely why it needs to happen. While Westbrook and Durant are both intense competitors (though Russ is in a category all by himself when it comes to intensity), they are also professionals.
Will Westbrook dig deep down into his petty pouch and find some way to throw shade at Durant on the sly? Absolutely. Will he also do whatever it takes to win and attempt to win an unprecedented third-straight All-Star Game MVP? You bet he will.
You can also count on the fact that the NBA TV and TNT cameras will be in each star’s grill for the entire weekend. The only person who stands even a miniscule chance of getting as much screen time as Durant and Westbrook during All-Star Weekend is Chris Paul by way of those State Farm commercials that just won’t go away.
James Harden for MVP
While I stated that Westbrook would go all out to attempt to win a third-straight All-Star MVP award, I didn’t say he will win. It’s definitely possible the league could go the cheesy route and selected Westbrook and Durant as co-MVP’s should the West win (they will) and both have strong games. However, I have a feeling that James Harden will be playing with a huge chip on his shoulder.
Though Harden is averaging a ridiculous stat line of 29.1 points, 11.3 assists and 8.2 rebounds per game, he has largely been overshadowed by Westbrook’s epic triple-double season (30.9 points, 10.1 assists, 10.4 rebounds per game) and the star-studded teams in Golden State and Cleveland.
It’s undeniable that Westbrook is having a season for the ages, however, Harden’s Houston Rockets currently sit as the #3 seed in the West, behind the Warriors and Spurs, while the Thunder occupy the #7 spot.
I fully expect Harden to come out and make a huge statement during the All-Star Game that he deserves to be right at the top of the list when it comes to regular-season MVP. Besides, if Westbrook won’t pass to Durant, Harden certainly will. The beard will bring home the hardware.
Aaron Gordon’s revenge
Many people thought Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon deserved to win last year’s dunk contest against Zach LaVine in one of the greatest slam dunk contests of all-time. LaVine bowed out this season, and then ruptured his ACL, eliminating any chance of a rematch of the epic 2016 battle.
Gordon is back hoping to win the crown and his competition is limited. DeAndre Jordan is a spectacular in-game dunker, but I have my doubts that the Clippers’ bruising center has what it takes to truly dazzle the judges in a competition. At 6-foot-11, he’s at a distinct disadvantage. Taller dunkers don’t look as graceful. Gordon is 6-foot-9, but is much more nimble and agile than Jordan.
The Indiana Pacers’ Glenn Robinson III is making his debut in the dunk contest. Judging by his extra-regular (shout out to Kenya Vaughn) in-game dunks, his chances are slim-to-none.
Most of this year’s buzz is around Derrick Jones Jr. of the D-League Phoenix Suns. The 6-foot-7 rookie forward has bounced between the Phoenix Suns and its D-League affiliate the Northern Arizona Suns. During his time in the development league, he terrorized opponents with above-the-rim highlight reel finishes. His bounce is the closest thing you’ll see to LaVine’s gravity-defying ability.
However, there’s a certain pressure that comes with the dunk contest. Jones can barely get off the bench in Phoenix but is expected to get up and perform in front of 17,000 screaming fans in New Orleans.
Crazy hops won’t be enough. There’s a level of creativity and composure needed to walk away with the crown. Maybe Jones has the juice to pull it off, but my money is on Gordon’s experience pulling him to a narrow victory. One thing is for sure, he and Jones should put on one heck of a show in the finals.
Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @IshmaelSistrunk
