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 began appointing the two players with the most fan votes from the East and West as All-Star Game captains, allowing them to select their teams, the intrigue has intensified. It appeared as if everyone in the basketball world was eagerly awaiting the big moment with bated breath.
Who’s the last pick?
Apparently, LeBron James and Kevin Durant don’t have much faith in the team that currently holds the best record in the league. LeBron, in his remarks, even added a bit of playful teasing to further illustrate his point.
The Utah Jazz isn’t being disparaged. In our childhood video games, we simply never chose to play as Utah. Regardless of how exceptional Karl Malone and John Stockton were, they were never our chosen characters in these games.
In conclusion, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert were the last two players to be selected in the 2021 All-Star Draft on Thursday, in that sequence. This situation is akin to being the last one left in the green room on draft night, albeit less intimidating.
With a standout performance in February, the Jazz managed to ascend significantly in the West standings, aided significantly by their two All-Stars. They have the advantage of new material for motivation, assuming they deem it worthwhile. Mitchell and Gobert have the opportunity to disprove doubters, while Malone and Stockton can only spectate from their living rooms.
The draft for LeBron-KD was largely predictable aside from a few exceptions. Giannis Antetokounmpo was the first starter to be selected by Team LeBron, while James Harden was Team Durant’s first choice among the reserves.
LeBron selected Paul George from the Clippers, but added a caveat: “This is the only occasion I’ll support this guy and his team.”
Regardless, the distribution of players has led to some intriguing scenarios, matchups, and team-ups for Sunday’s game, which we will analyze here:
Point guard advantage, Team LeBron
Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic, lead guards, share a laugh as the Warriors and Mavs face each other.
If point guards are primarily responsible for creativity in All-Star Games —which is logical as they have control of the ball and usually determine the next move— then Team LeBron is likely to win the majority of style points. As is well known, in an All-Star format, style points are nearly as valuable as actual points.
Team LeBron boasts five point guards, and six including LeBron himself, in contrast to Team Durant which only has one natural point guard, Kyrie Irving. Team Durant could have two point guards if you consider Harden as one, although he is unlikely to be recognized as such in the Hall of Fame one day.
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 ensured Brooklyn’s Notorious B.I.G. Three remained together, a move that would have been even more advantageous if Durant himself could play. Regardless, Durant’s action enabled Irving and Harden to further develop their chemistry in the Nets, this time during the All-Star Game. Are Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid aware that they might be being manipulated by their All-Star captain, especially considering they could face the rejuvenated Nets in the playoffs?
Truce, or consequences
After years of intense and sometimes personal competition, Clippers swingman Paul George and Blazers guard Damian Lillard will join forces this Sunday.
The most delicious subplot involves the pairing of Lillard and George, implying that someone from Team LeBron must step in as a mediator in what appears to be a potentially unstable or awkward situation.
As a reminder: During the bubble last fall, George poked fun at Dame on social media for his late-game free throws miss, sparking a heated exchange between the two basketball stars. In response, Dame coolly recalled the time he eliminated George from the playoffs with his famous 35-foot puppet-wave buzzer-beater. Following George’s later struggles in the bubble, he was heavily criticized on social media by those firmly supporting Dame.
Time may ease, if not alleviate, all anger, but Dame, known for his pride, is among the league’s players. He also believes in a conspiracy theory that he’s not getting the respect he deserves. It’s worth noting that it was Doncic, not Dame, who was chosen by fans to start in the All-Star Game, a recent blow to Dame’s self-esteem.
Four years prior, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were colleagues in the All-Star Game, but it was far from harmonious. Their bonds as ex-teammates from Oklahoma City shattered when Durant departed for the Warriors, sparking a notorious feud that persisted throughout the midseason classic. They refrained from communicating at All-Star team events, maintaining distance in both the locker room and on the bench. Although James Harden, who is on good terms with both, attempted to mediate during that weekend, they barely acknowledged each other during the game.
So, who will be designated as the peacemaker for Dame-PG? The most apparent nominee is LeBron since that’s a captain’s role, correct?
LeBron and Curry, teammates at last
They have a deep-seated mutual respect for each other, underscored by numerous significant instances in the past where they each outshone the other during postseason games – with Curry leading if we measure by titles. Therefore, it will be a refreshing change to see them wearing the same uniform for a change. This game warrants such a scenario, as do they.
LeBron and Giannis, teammates at last
They served as captains last year, making this a fascinating duo for more than one reason. The second reason relates to Giannis, the recipient of the last two Kia MVP awards. The latest award was won at LeBron’s expense, who ended up as the runner-up and expressed dissatisfaction with his number of first-place votes.
However, they won’t need a mediator as Dame and PG will, so that’s a plus.
The best two centers square off
Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic, being on different All-Star teams, should create a formidable showdown in the center.
Isn’t it fantastic that Nikola Jokic and Embiid are going to compete against each other rather than playing on the same team? This is exactly how it should be, particularly this season, where both these towering players are vying for the MVP awards due to their exceptional performances.
Embiid demonstrates dominance at both ends of the court, a feat not witnessed from a center since Hakeem Olajuwon. Simultaneously, Jokic is amassing triple-doubles at a rate almost unparalleled for a center, proving that size doesn’t hinder the ability to run a team, or be the focal point of the offense.
So those are just the minor events surrounding the main event. LeBron is currently enjoying a three-game winning streak as the captain, and with KD not playing, there’s no direct action he can take to halt this.
The broader context is as follows: No one is complaining 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 will be dedicated entirely 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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