2021 NBA All-Star Draft: 5 key takeaways
Kevin Durant and LeBron James provide an overview of their teams for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game.
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From the point the NBA decided to appoint the two players with the highest fan votes from the East and West as All-Star Game captains, letting them pick their teams, the suspense became electrifying and high-strung. It appeared as though everyone in the basketball community was holding their breath for the significant moment:
Who’s the last pick?
Well, it appears LeBron James and Kevin Durant aren’t exactly confident about the team currently boasting the best record in the league. Further, LeBron playfully added a bit more sting to his comments in his explanation.
No one is disparaging the Utah Jazz. It’s like when we were kids playing video games, we never chose to play as Utah. Despite the greatness of Karl Malone and John Stockton, we never chose them in the video games.
In conclusion, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert were the last two players to be selected in the 2021 All-Star Draft, with Mitchell being chosen first, on Thursday. This situation can be likened to the experience of being left in the green room on draft night, albeit much less daunting.
The Jazz capitalized on a successful February to climb the West standings, largely thanks to their two All-Stars. They now possess new motivational fodder, if they choose to use it. While Mitchell and Gobert have the chance to disprove naysayers, Malone and Stockton can merely observe from their living room.
The draft between Team LeBron and Team KD unfolded rather predictably, with few surprises. The first pick among the starters was Giannis Antetokounmpo for Team LeBron, while James Harden was the first pick among the reserves for Team Durant.
LeBron chose Paul George from the Clippers, but he made it clear: “This will be the only time I’ll cheer for him and his team.”
Regardless, the distribution of players has led to some intriguing scenarios, matchups, and team pairings for Sunday’s game, which we examine in this article:
Point guard advantage, Team LeBron
As the Warriors and Mavs face each other, lead guards Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic share a laugh.
If point guards are primarily responsible for creativity in All-Star Games – a logical assumption since they possess the ball and generally determine upcoming plays – then Team LeBron is highly likely to secure the majority of style points. It’s worth noting that in an All-Star format, style points are nearly as significant as actual points.
Team LeBron boasts five point guards, or six if you include LeBron himself, in contrast to Team Durant which only has one true point guard, Kyrie Irving. The count for Team Durant could go up to two if you consider Harden, though he won’t be recognized as a point guard in the Hall of Fame in the future.
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 cleverly managed to preserve Brooklyn’s Notorious B.I.G. Three, a decision that would have been even more advantageous if he had been physically able to participate. Regardless, it was a smart move by Durant to keep Irving and Harden together for the sake of enhancing their chemistry within the Nets, even if it meant sacrificing the All-Star Game. Have Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid, potential playoff rivals, realized that they might be walking into a trap set by their All-Star captain?
Truce, or consequences
Paul George of the Clippers and Damian Lillard of the Blazers, who have had a heated and sometimes personal rivalry for years, will join forces this Sunday.
The most intriguing subplot is the pairing of Lillard and George, implying that a peacemaker from Team LeBron is needed to mediate what appears to be a potentially delicate or awkward situation.
In case you forgot, last fall while in the bubble, George taunted Dame on social media because he missed some late-game free throws. This instigated an exchange between the two stars. Dame coolly reminded everyone about the time he eliminated George from the playoffs a few years ago with a memorable 35-foot buzzer-beater, accompanied by a puppet-wave. Later, when George had his own struggles in the bubble, he was heavily criticized on social media by people who were firmly on Dame’s side.
Time often heals or at least soothes anger, but Dame, as one of the more prideful players in the league, still holds onto the belief that he’s not getting the respect he deserves. It’s important to recall that it was Doncic, not Dame, who was selected by fans to start in the All-Star Game – another blow to Dame’s ego.
Four years ago, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were on the same All-Star Game team, but their interaction was far from harmonious. Their friendship, formed while both were at Oklahoma City, was severely strained when Durant moved to the Golden State Warriors. This tension was clearly visible during the midseason All-Star Game where they were known to be at odds with each other. They maintained their distance during team functions, in the locker room, and on the bench. Their mutual friend, James Harden, tried to mediate between them. Their acknowledgment of each other during the game was nothing more than casual.
So, who will be assigned the role of peacemaker for Dame-PG? The most likely choice is LeBron, as that’s typically a responsibility of the captain, isn’t it?
LeBron and Curry, teammates at last
They have a mutual respect for one another and have had many significant past encounters in the postseason, where each has outshined the other at times, with Curry more so than LeBron if championship titles are considered the ultimate measure of success. Therefore, it will be exciting to see them play on the same team for a change. They are deserving of this experience, as does the game itself.
LeBron and Giannis, teammates at last
Last year, they served as captains which already makes their pairing intriguing. However, there’s another reason – Giannis has bagged the last two Kia MVP awards. Notably, last season’s award came at LeBron’s expense, who ended up as the runner-up and expressed dissatisfaction with his number of first-place votes.
However, unlike Dame and PG, they won’t require a mediator, so that’s something to consider.
The best two centers square off
Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic, who are on different All-Star teams, should create a formidable contest in the center.
Isn’t it wonderful that Nikola Jokic and Embiid will be competing against each other rather than playing as teammates? It’s particularly suitable for this season, given that both towering players are vying for the MVP awards due to their outstanding performances.
Embiid exhibits dominance on both ends of the court, a trait not witnessed from a center since Hakeem Olajuwon. On the other hand, Jokic is racking up triple-doubles at a rate nearly unheard of for a center, demonstrating that size doesn’t hinder one from effectively leading a team, or at least being the focal point of the offense.
Thus, those are the peripheral events to the main event. LeBron is currently on a three-game victory run as a captain, and with KD not participating, he can’t directly intervene to halt this streak.
In broader terms, no one is making complaints about the game anymore. As a result of the game taking place in Atlanta, Historically Black Colleges and Universities will receive recognition and funding. Furthermore, Sunday is set to be a day of 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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