Apologies for not posting yesterday, I'm currently working on
a season review so far and it's taking a long time to prepare. Whilst
I'm writing that, I thought I'd do a quick post choosing and explaining
my picks for the All-Star Weekend events.
All-Star Game: West - Why?
Because just look at the squads. The starting line-ups may be evenly
matched - even with the East starting LeBron at centre - but the depth
the West have in their squad is incomparable. I mean, you're looking at
Tony Parker being a 5th or 6th choice guard. The East may storm into a
lead at the start of the game, thanks to LeBron, PG24 and Melo, but they
will struggle when substitutions are made.
All-Star Game MVP: Kevin Durant - LeBron
will probably have a comparable, or even better, game than Durant, but
the West winning the game will help elevate the Durantula into the minds
of voters. A dark horse in this could be Blake Griffin. A mix of his
high-flying antics and his developing ability as an all-round player
could win him the award.
3 Point Shootout: Stephen Curry- They
don't call him a splash brother for nothing. Curry is having a great
time shooting the 3-ball and I don't expect that to stop in the
shootout. He is .409 from behind the line, not the highest in the
competition, but he's still my favourite to win. Arron Afflalo and
former winner, Kevin Love, provide serious opposition.
Dunk Contest: East - The
Dunk Contest will this year, go to a conference rather than an
individual player (there is a Dunker of the night accolade, see below). I
think the East will be the victorious side. Paul George is throwing
down 360s in-game, meanwhile Terrence Ross is rumoured to be working
with YouTube sensations, The Flight Brothers, to do something never seen
in a Dunk Contest before.
"Dunker of the Night" - Paul George - As
I mentioned before, he is doing crazy stuff in-game, so I can't even
imagine what he'll do during the Dunk Contest. Terrence Ross is also a
contender, and in the West, Harrison Barnes is probably considered the
underdog.
Rising Stars Challenge: Team Hill - #TeamHill
all the way. Looking down the roster, it's a tough call to split them.
But, I think that the experience that Team Hill has - all but one of the
roster is a sophomore - will elevate them above the Webber Team, mainly
made up of rookies.
Rising Stars MVP: - Anthony Davis - He
is the "hometown hero" after all. The centre has impressed all season
and he was the first pick for Chris Webber. In the All-Star Game, I know
I predicted the MVP to be on the winning side, but I'm expecting Davis
to have a big game in front of his home fans.
Skills Challenge: Goran Dragic and Reggie Jackson - Dragic
has been fantastic this season, and must have been close to gaining a
spot on the All-Star roster (he should have been in it if you ask me).
Jackson has also been good, making himself an apt replacement for the
injured Russell Westbrook. I think they'll face off against MCW and
Oladipo in the final, my two favourite rookies this season. It will be
interesting to see how Giannis Anteto... Antetu... (yeah, you know who I
mean) will do, considering he is listed as a Power Forward
So,
there are my predictions. I just realised, when reading it back, that I
haven't picked Damian Lillard to win anything, despite being the first
man to compete in all five All-Star Weekend events. Oh well Damian...
Better luck next time.
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