All-Star weekend is upon us. The NBA’s best and brightest are ready to shine bright at the legendary Madison Square Garden.
The East and West rosters are finally set and there are no major snubs after the dust is settled. It was a close call considering that Damon Lillard missed out on the fan vote, coach’s selection and the commissioner’s injury replacement for Kobe Bryant. However, when Blake Griffin was sidelined by a nasty staph infection in his elbow, all was set right with the basketball gods. That doesn’t mean there aren’t worthy players on the outside looking in, but there are no longer any glaring omissions.
The best All-Star idea I’ve heard in decades came from Kevin Durant, who fielded criticism for his selection (despite injuries) by offering his spot to any player who could beat him in a game of one-on-one. An eerie silence from the field spoke volumes as nobody wanted to get worked over by KD on live television. If the slam dunk contest is as underwhelming as its list of 2015 contestants, Durant may have found the competition’s replacement.
Commissioner Adam Silver has broached the idea of expanding the All-Star rosters to avoid snubs. Generally, I believe that’s a terrible idea. However, one acceptable method for expansion would be to add one additional spot for each team (13 players each) and select the top six ‘snubs’ from each conference to compete in a televised one-on-one tournament for the final spots. Can you imagine Zack Randolph, Mike Conley, Dirk Nowitzki, Monta Ellis, Gordon Heyward and Draymond Green battling for the final All-Star spot in the West? In the East you could have Derrick Rose, Kyle Korver, Nicola Vucevic, Al Jefferson, Kevin Love and Kemba Walker playing on Saturday for the right to suit up on Sunday!
In regards to the other events, the Shooting Stars challenge is certainly not going to shatter any ratings, but any chance I get to watch one of my all-time favorite, Dominique Wilkins, on the court is a win. ‘The Human Highlight Film’ may not have won any titles during his career, but he, Chris Bosh and Swin Cash are going for a three-peat in the Garden.
The field in the Three-Point contest is being billed as one of the best ever. Defending champion Marco Belinelli will have his hands full trying to stave off Kyrie Irving, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, James Harden, Kyle Korver, Wesley Mathews and J.J. Reddick. Irving is a former champion. Curry and Harden are bona fide MVP candidates. Korver is having one of the greatest single seasons in history in terms of three-point shooting. This sharp shooting challenge should be fun to watch as everybody in the field is capable of getting hot and going on a tear. My pick: Klay Thompson
The Slam Dunk Contest is lacking in star power this season, but should bounce back, somewhat, from the abysmal team format a season ago. Those disastrous rules have been abandoned and we’re back to four dudes with hops trying to outdo each other. There’s no teamwork, no buddy-buddy system and no meaningless conference winner. The field features Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Oladipo, Zack Levine and Mason Plumlee. Lanky guys are generally at a disadvantage because their dunks appear too easy, therefore Antetokounmpo and Plumlee should be considered longshots. Levine has serious bunnies and a sick arsenal of dunks in his repertoire. He must be considered the favorite, but Oladipo is a live underdog. It would sure be nice to some actual All-Stars representing in one of the signature events. I’m just saying… My pick: I’m a sucker for underdogs so I’ll take Victor Oladipo’s flair over Levine’s superior flight.
As far as the actual All-Star game, it is seemingly more of a talent showcase than an actual competition. It’s almost as if players have been threatened of fine or suspension if they attempt to play any type of defense. We could see a slight rise in competitiveness due to the plethora of first- and second-time selections. Young players tend to be hungry and have a strong desire to prove they belong. So look for Thompson, Jeff Teague, Demarcus Cousins, Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry and others to ball out or die trying.
Some believe the game should be tied to something important such as home court advantage in the Finals to encourage players to take the game seriously. I’m not one of those people. The game is meant to recognize the top players in the league and showcase their skills to the world. Fans will be served a healthy helping of alley oops, no-look passes, three-pointers, rim-rattling dunks and one-one-one matchups between superstars. My pick: The East has LeBron James. The West has everybody else and will emerge victorious.
Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @IshmaelSistrunk.
