2021 NBA All-Star Draft: 5 key takeaways

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Since the NBA started allowing the two players with the most fan votes from the East and West to serve as All-Star Game captains and choose their teams, suspense and tension have been palpable. It seems as though everyone in the basketball world is eagerly waiting for this significant moment:

Who’s the last pick?

It appears that LeBron James and Kevin Durant don’t have much faith in the team currently leading the league in the best record. To elaborate, LeBron added a playful yet slightly mocking comment:

No disrespect is intended towards the Utah Jazz. Growing up, even when playing video games, we never chose to play as Utah. Despite the greatness of players like Karl Malone and John Stockton, they were never our choice in video games.

Thus, it is clear. The last two players to be selected in Thursday’s 2021 All-Star Draft were Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, respectively. This is akin to being the last ones left in the green room on draft night, only less intimidating.

The Jazz capitalized on a strong February to climb the Western standings, thanks in large part to their two All-Stars, and they now have new motivation to prove their critics wrong – if they choose to use it. Mitchell and Gobert have the opportunity to silence the doubters; however, Malone and Stockton can only observe from their couch.

The draft for LeBron-KD turned out to be relatively predictable. Giannis Antetokounmpo was the first pick among the starters for Team LeBron, while James Harden was Team Durant’s first pick among the reserves.

LeBron selected Paul George from the Clippers, but he included a caveat: “This will be the only time I’m cheering for this guy and his team.”

Regardless, the distribution of players has led to some intriguing scenarios, matchups, and collaborations for Sunday’s game, which we examine here:

Point guard advantage, Team LeBron

If point guards are the primary source of creativity in All-Star Games, which is logical since they control the ball and influence the subsequent play, Team LeBron is highly likely to earn the majority of style points. As you may be aware, in an All-Star format, style points are almost as significant as the actual points.

Team LeBron boasts five point guards, or six if you include LeBron himself, in contrast to Team Durant which only has one natural point guard, Kyrie Irving. However, Team Durant’s count could be two if you include Harden, though he won’t be recognized as a point guard in the Hall of Fame.

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 skillfully maintained the integrity of Brooklyn’s Notorious B.I.G. Three, a move that would have been even more advantageous if he could have actually participated in the game. At the very least, Durant made a wise decision to keep Irving and Harden united to further develop their chemistry within the Nets, even if it meant sacrificing the All-Star Game. Are Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid, potential playoff contenders against the revitalized Nets, aware that their All-Star captain is plotting against them?

Truce, or consequences

The most delicious subplot is the combination of Lillard and George, implying that someone from Team LeBron will have to play the role of mediator in what appears to be a precarious, if not uneasy situation.

Just to refresh your memory: In the previous fall during the bubble, George ridiculed Dame on social media for missing free throws towards the end of a game, sparking an exchange between the two celebrities. Dame responded coolly, reminding everyone of the time he “sent him home” from the playoffs years earlier with his famous 35-foot puppet-wave buzzer-beater. Later on, when George faced difficulties in the bubble, he was heavily criticized on social media by people who clearly supported Dame.

Time may heal or at least soothe most anger, but Dame, being one of the league’s more prideful players, believes he is not given the respect he deserves. He supports the conspiracy theory that he is being undervalued. It’s worth noting that it was Doncic, not Dame, who was chosen by fans to start the All-Star Game, adding another blow to Dame’s ego.

Four years back, Durant and Russell Westbrook, former teammates from Oklahoma City, played together in the All-Star Game. Their relationship had significantly deteriorated after Durant transferred to the Warriors and they were known to be quarreling during the midseason classic. They avoided conversation during All-Star team events and maintained a distance in the locker room as well as on the bench. Harden, who was amicable with both, acted as a mediator that weekend. Durant and Westbrook only acknowledged each other casually during the game.

So, who will be designated as the mediator for Dame-PG? The most apparent nominee is LeBron, as that’s the typical role of a captain, correct?

LeBron and Curry, teammates at last

Both have a mutual respect and have shared numerous significant moments in past postseasons where they outshone each other (with Curry leading if championships are the standard for comparison). It will be an interesting change to see them donning the same uniform for once, an experience both the game and they themselves rightfully deserve.

LeBron and Giannis, teammates at last

Last year, they served as captains, which is just one element that makes this pairing intriguing. The other factor is that Giannis secured the last two Kia MVP awards, with the previous season’s award won over LeBron, who ended up as runner-up and expressed dissatisfaction with his count of first-place votes.

However, unlike Dame and PG, they won’t need a mediator, so that’s a plus.

The best two centers square off

Isn’t it fantastic that Nikola Jokic and Embiid are going head to head, rather than playing on the same team? This is exactly how it should be, particularly this season when both towering players are vying for the MVP awards due to their stellar performances.

Embiid is exhibiting dominance on both ends of the court, unseen from a center since Hakeem Olajuwon. On the other hand, Jokic is amassing triple-doubles at a pace almost unheard of for a center, demonstrating that size doesn’t hinder a player from running a team or being the focal point of the offense.

So, those are just supplementary events to the main spectacle. LeBron is currently on a three-game victory roll as the team leader, and with KD not participating, he personally has no power to halt that streak.

To summarize, no one is criticizing the game anymore. Furthermore, playing the game in Atlanta will result in honor and funding for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Sunday will be entirely devoted 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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