Taking place in Indianapolis this year, NBA All-Star Weekend is back. With the All-Star Game reverting back to the East vs. West format, as well as two of the greatest shooters in NBA and WNBA history squaring off, the weekend should be an exciting one.
Friday Night
NBA All-Star Celebrity Game
Vincent’s Pick: Team Stephen A.
To start off All-Star Weekend is the Celebrity Game. Looking at the rosters, Team Stephen A. is stacked. The main name for the team is former Defensive Player of the Year and NBA champion Metta World Peace. Alongside World Peace is reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year CJ Stroud, Olympic high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi and 2019 WNBA champion Natasha Cloud. With that trio is YouTuber Tristan Jass, who has demonstrated great basketball skills in many of his videos. The roster combined with a coaching staff that has two-time MVP and two WNBA champion A’ja Wilson makes it hard to pick against Team Steven A.
Celebrity Game MVP: Tristan Jass
John’s Pick: Team Stephen A.
Indianapolis will be rocking from the jump Friday night as the All-Star celebrity game kicks off the weekend of events. I agree with Vinnie’s pick. When you have a former NBA player on your roster that is a big boost as Metta World Peace will likely take over in this game.. Another big name that caught my eye here was C.J. Stroud. He’s one to keep an eye out for because of what we’ve seen in his pregame warmups. His form is very much game ready. Stephen A. will not want to lose to his fellow First Take host Shannon Sharpe in a game of bragging rights and that to me will have them come out on top.
Celebrity Game MVP: Metta World Peace
Panini Rising Stars Game
Vincent’s Pick: Team Pau
Wrapping up the opening night of All-Star Weekend is the Rising Stars Game, which highlights the best of the first and second year players in the NBA, as well as some of the best G-League players. My pick is Team Paul for this year. Any roster with Rookie of the Year frontrunner Victor Wembanyama is going to have a great chance of winning. Adding the likes of Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Brandon Miller, two of the brightest players from this year’s draft class, makes Team Pau significantly more lethal. The team is rounded out with guards Cason Wallace and Brandin Podziemski, along with forwards Jabari Smith Jr. and Bilal Coulibaly, all of which have been solid role players for their respective teams, Team Pau is going to walk away with the title.
Rising Stars MVP: Victor Wembanyama
John’s Pick: Team Jalen
After the very highly anticipated Celebrity game, the Rising Stars Game will take center stage which showcases the best young players in the NBA. To me these teams are evenly matched, but I think Team Jalen has the advantage in height and size overall which will be big in a fast paced matchup. The combination of Chet Holmgren, Jeremy Sochan and Walker Kessler as well as other guys will come out ready to go as Jalen Rose will be coaching these boys up from the tip.
Rising Stars MVP: Chet Holmgren
Saturday Night
Kia Skills Challenge
Vincent’s Pick: Team Top Picks
Kicking off Saturday’s event is the Skills Challenge. Since switching formats, the host city’s team has won, but the streak will end here. Team Top Picks, which is composed of Wembanyama, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and Magic forward Paolo Banchero, all of whom were the first overall selection in their respective drafts, is going to take home the win. Banchero is the reigning Rookie of the Year and earned his first All-Star nod this season, while Edwards is a two-time All-Star, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting in 2021. This trio is the future of the NBA and will show why Saturday night.
John’s Pick: Team All-Stars
The Skills Challenge hasn’t disappointed over the last few years. It will be won by the trio of Scottie Barnes, Tyrese Maxey, and Trae Young. They have the best balance in events like this because you need guards, which they have two, and lights out shooting which is huge to try and close out this event. The All Stars will come away with the win.
Starry 3-Point Contest
Vincent’s Pick: Trae Young
The next event of the evening will be the 3-Point Contest, which shows off the elite shooters from around the league. My pick is a veteran of this event, Trae Young. Young has competed in the contest twice before, finishing short both times. The Atlanta guard is averaging a career best 3.4 threes made per game, while connecting at a .377 clip, the second best rate of his career. Young will finally bring home the trophy that has been within fingertips reach in years prior.
John’s Pick: Malik Beasley
There are a lot of big names in the 3-Point contest but I’m going with the underdog in the fight, Malik Beasley. I’m a little puzzled about why no one is giving him a chance as he’s shooting a career high 45% from beyond the arc which is top 10 in the league, and he has a quick trigger which is something you need in an event like this that requires rhythm and confidence.
Stephen vs. Sabrina 3-Point Challenge
Vincent’s Pick: Stephen Curry
In a new event, we get to see the NBA’s greatest shooter, Stephen Curry, compete against one of the best shooters the WNBA has ever had, Sabrina Ionescu. Curry is a two-time 3-Point Contest champion and holds the record for most 3-pointers made in NBA history. Ionescu set the single-season record for threes made in 2023 and holds the record for both NBA and WNBA 3-Point Contest with 37 points. Each player will use their league’s three-point line and basketballs. Curry has been scorching recently, draining seven or more threes in his last four games, including 11 triples against the Pacers.
John’s Pick: Stephen Curry
In this brand new event, we get to see, in my opinion, the best shooter to ever shoot the rock in the NBA in Stephen Curry going up against the WNBA’s best Sabrina Ionescu in an event that I feel won’t be as close as many people think. Although each player will shoot from their respective three point line I don’t see Curry having any issues in this one as he’s been on a heater recently.
AT&T Slam Dunk Contest
Vincent’s Pick: Mac McClung
Finishing the events on Saturday is my personal favorite event: the Slam Dunk Contest. There have only been four players to win consecutive dunk contests: Michael Jordan, Jason Richardson, Nate Robinson and most recently Zach LaVine. The list is going to expand after this year. Mac McClung was electric in last year’s contest, with three of his four dunks scoring perfect scores. Only standing in at 6’2, McClung defies gravity with every one of his dunks, and will do so again Saturday.
John’s Pick: Jacob Toppin
As we’ve seen last year the G-league has major talent, as Mac McClung took the attention from everyone else with a great showing in the contest. Jacob Toppin will be a fellow G league guy Saturday night will steal the show as he will showcase his leaping ability and has his brother Obi Toppin, 2022 Slam Dunk champion to lean on for some advice if he needs some props.
Sunday Night
73rd NBA All-Star Game
Vincent’s Pick: Team West
Concluding the festivities is the NBA All-Star Game, which has reverted back to its old format, pitting the best Eastern Conference players against the Western Conference. In the six years that it was in a draft format, LeBron James’ team was victorious five times. Team West won the last three All-Star games and six of the last seven, before the format was switched. Add the fact that the West team is stacked with MVP frontrunners Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, not to mention the rest of the stacked roster, the West’s dominance will continue.
All-Star Game MVP: Luka Dončić
John’s Pick: Team East
As we know from the past years and it still happens today, the West always has the Superstar power but to me that won’t matter because the East is loaded with young talent and breakout players which will give them the edge because they will be playing much harder. We know the East will be led by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum but the guy to watch out for is the hometown Star Point Guard Tyrese Haliburton, who will make all the difference and put his name on the map for everyone to see. The East also has a loaded bench that many haven’t taken into account and can play a huge role as well.
All-Star Game MVP: Tyrese Haliburton
All stats are from Basketball Reference as of February 13.
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