2021 NBA All-Star Draft: 5 key takeaways
Kevin Durant and LeBron James provide a summary of their teams for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game.
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Since the NBA started appointing the two players with the most fan votes in the East and West as All-Star Game captains and let them pick their teams, the suspense has been palpable. It seemed like everyone in the basketball world was eagerly anticipating the big moment.
Who’s the last pick?
It appears that LeBron James and Kevin Durant are not particularly confident in the team currently boasting the best record in the league. In explaining why, LeBron jokingly twisted the knife a little deeper.
The Utah Jazz isn’t being slandered. It’s like when we were kids playing video games; we never chose Utah. Even though Karl Malone and John Stockton were fantastic, we just never selected those guys in the games.
To sum it up, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert were the last two players selected during Thursday’s 2021 All-Star Draft, in that sequence. It’s somewhat similar to being the last one in the green room during a draft night, but on a much less intimidating scale.
The Jazz leveraged a robust February to rise in the West standings, significantly assisted by their two All-Stars, and are clearly equipped with new fodder for motivation – if they deem it’s valuable to use. Mitchell and Gobert have the opportunity to defy all odds; whereas Malone and Stockton, conversely, are relegated to spectating from their couch.
The draft between LeBron and KD was otherwise fairly predictable. Giannis Antetokounmpo was the first starter to be selected by Team LeBron, while James Harden was the first reserve to be picked by Team Durant.
LeBron made a choice to support Paul George from the Clippers, but added a caveat: “This will be the only instance where I will cheer for this player and his team.”
Regardless, the scattering of players has led to intriguing circumstances, matchups, and collaborations for Sunday’s game, which we dissect below:
Point guard advantage, Team LeBron
As the Warriors and Mavs face off, lead guards Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic share a laugh.
The creativity in All-Star Games is predominantly generated by point guards, which is logical given they control the ball and usually direct subsequent actions. Therefore, Team LeBron is highly favored to win the majority of style points. In an All-Star format, as you may be aware, style points are nearly as valuable as actual points.
Team LeBron boasts five point guards, or six including LeBron himself, in contrast to Team Durant, which only has one natural point guard, Kyrie Irving. Durant’s team might have two if you consider Harden, although he is not likely to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as a point guard.
Chris Paul, Steph Curry, Luka Doncic, Damian Lillard and Ben Simmons will each trigger more than a few fast breaks and lob passes and how-did-he-do-that passes headed straight for YouTube. Team LeBron therefore ranks as Sunday’s likely leader in video starts.
Brooklyn 1-2-3
Durant astutely managed to preserve Brooklyn’s notorious B.I.G. Three, a move that would have been even more advantageous if Durant himself could have joined the play. Regardless, Durant’s decision to keep Irving and Harden together bodes well for the further development of their Nets chemistry, even if it comes at the cost of the All-Star Game. One wonders if Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid, who may face the resurgent Nets in the playoffs, realize they’re being strategically maneuvered by their All-Star captain.
Truce, or consequences
After years of intense and sometimes personal rivalry, Clippers swingman Paul George and Blazers guard Damian Lillard will join forces this Sunday.
The most delicious subplot involves the duo of Lillard and George, implying that a peacemaker from Team LeBron is needed to mediate what appears to be a fragile, if not uneasy, situation.
To jog your memory, remember that George ridiculed Dame on social media for not making late-game free throws during the bubble last fall. This led to a verbal duel between the two sports stars. Dame serenely pointed out how he had famously eliminated George from the playoffs a few years prior with the unforgettable 35-foot buzzer-beater accompanied by a puppet-wave. When George later faltered in the bubble, he was heavily criticized on social media by people who wholeheartedly supported Dame.
Time tends to heal or at least soothe any anger, but Dame, being one of the league’s more prideful players, believes in a conspiracy theory that he’s not getting the respect he deserves. Keep in mind, it was Doncic, not Dame, who was chosen by fans to start in the All-Star Game, adding another blow to Dame’s pride.
Four years back, Durant and Russell Westbrook, as All-Star Game teammates, created an unpleasant spectacle. Their relationship, as former Oklahoma City teammates, cracked when KD transferred to the Warriors and they were notably at odds throughout the midseason classic. They maintained silence during All-Star team events, and held themselves aloof in the locker room as well as on the bench. Harden, who is on good terms with both, tried to mediate over the weekend, but they only cursorily acknowledged each other during the game.
So, who will be chosen as the peacemaker for Dame-PG? The most likely choice would be LeBron, as that’s typically the role of a captain, correct?
LeBron and Curry, teammates at last
They both possess a shared respect for each other, and in the not-so-distant past, they had numerous significant instances where they outperformed each other in the postseason, with Curry having a slight edge over LeBron if championships are the definitive measure of success. Therefore, it will be quite refreshing to witness them donning the same uniform for a change. Both the game and they are deserving of this.
LeBron and Giannis, teammates at last
They were team leaders last year, which is only one reason why this duo will be intriguing. Another reason is that Giannis clinched the previous two Kia MVP awards; his latest win was at LeBron’s expense. LeBron, who ended up as the runner-up, expressed dissatisfaction over the number of votes he received for the first place.
However, unlike Dame and PG, they won’t need a mediator, so that’s something.
The best two centers square off
Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic, being on different All-Star teams, should provide a formidable showdown in the center.
Isn’t it fantastic that instead of being on the same team, Nikola Jokic and Embiid are going head-to-head? This is exactly how it should be, particularly this season, as both towering players are chasing the MVP awards due to their outstanding performances.
Embiid’s dominance on both ends of the floor is unmatched by any center since Hakeem Olajuwon. On the other hand, Jokic is amassing triple-doubles at an almost unparalleled rate for a center, demonstrating that size doesn’t hinder one’s ability to run a team or be the focal point of the offense.
Therefore, those are just the minor attractions to the main event. LeBron is currently on a three-game victory spree as captain, and with KD not participating, he personally cannot do anything to halt that.
In essence, no one is expressing complaints about the game anymore. Furthermore, due to the game taking place in Atlanta, Historically Black Colleges and Universities will receive recognition and funding. Sunday, in turn, will be entirely dedicated to enjoyment.
Even the Jazz will enjoy it.
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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