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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Since the NBA started assigning the two players with the highest fan votes in the East and West as All-Star Game captains, allowing them to pick their teams, the suspense has been intense and captivating. It seemed as if everyone in the basketball universe was eagerly awaiting the big moment:
Who’s the last pick?
LeBron James and Kevin Durant don’t seem to have much faith in the team currently boasting the best record in the league. To add to that, LeBron playfully twisted the knife a little further with his explanation.
The Utah Jazz are not being slandered. Growing up, we never chose to play as Utah in video games. Despite the greatness of players like Karl Malone and John Stockton, we never selected them in video games.
In conclusion, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, respectively, were the last two players to be chosen in Thursday’s 2021 All-Star Draft. This situation can be likened to being the last ones left in the green room on draft night, albeit less intimidating.
The Jazz capitalized on a solid performance in February to climb up the standings in the West, largely due to the contributions of their two All-Stars. They now have fresh motivation, should they choose to use it. Mitchell and Gobert have the opportunity to defy expectations, while Malone and Stockton can merely observe from their couches.
The draft for Team LeBron and Team Durant turned out to be somewhat predictable, aside from the LeBron-KD pick. Giannis Antetokounmpo was the first starter chosen for Team LeBron, while James Harden was the first reserve picked for Team Durant.
LeBron selected Paul George from the Clippers, albeit with a caveat: “This is the sole occasion I’ll support this guy and his team.”
Nonetheless, the distribution of players has resulted in intriguing scenarios, confrontations and collaborations for Sunday’s game, which we examine here:
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 – which is logical as they usually have control of the ball and dictate subsequent plays – then Team LeBron is likely to win a majority of the style points. As you’re probably aware, in an All-Star game format, style points are almost as important as the actual points.
Team LeBron boasts of five point guards, which becomes six if you consider LeBron himself (as he definitely does), compared to Team Durant which only has one natural point guard in the form of Kyrie Irving (two if Harden is included, even though he won’t be listed as a point guard in the Hall of Fame someday).
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 shrewdly maintained the cohesion of Brooklyn’s Notorious B.I.G. Three, a move that would have been even more advantageous had Durant been fit to play. At the very least, Durant’s decision to keep Irving and Harden together serves to further foster their Nets chemistry, albeit at the cost of the All-Star Game. Do Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid, potential opponents of the rejuvenated Nets in the playoffs, realize they’re being maneuvered by their All-Star captain?
Truce, or consequences
After years of intense rivalry, often personal, Clippers swingman, Paul George and Blazers guard, Damian Lillard, will be teaming up on Sunday.
The most delectable subplot involves the duo of Lillard and George, implying that a member of Team LeBron has to play the role of a peacemaker in what appears to be a delicate, if not awkward situation.
Just to remind you: During the bubble last fall, George made fun of Dame on social media for not making free throws towards the end of a game, sparking a feud between the two basketball stars. In response, Dame coolly brought up the time he famously knocked George out of the playoffs with an unforgettable 35-foot buzzer-beater, accompanied by a puppet-wave gesture. Later, when George faced difficulties in the bubble, he was heavily criticized on social media by those who clearly supported Dame.
Time often heals, or at least soothes anger, yet Dame, one of the league’s most prideful players, believes he is not getting the respect he deserves. He supports a conspiracy theory suggesting he is being overlooked. It’s crucial to remember that fans voted for Doncic, not Dame, to start in the All-Star Game, which was another blow to Dame’s ego.
Four years ago, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, former teammates from Oklahoma City, were on the same team during the All-Star Game. Their relationship had fractured when Durant left for the Golden State Warriors, and the tension was evident during the midseason game. They avoided interacting at team functions, kept their distance in the locker room and bench, and only casually acknowledged one another during the game. James Harden, who is friends with both, attempted to mediate the tension that weekend.
So, who will be assigned as the peacemaker for Dame-PG? The most likely choice is LeBron, since that’s typically a role for captains, correct?
LeBron and Curry, teammates at last
They both have a shared respect for one another, and not too long ago, they had numerous significant moments battling each other in the playoffs, with Curry gaining the upper hand more often than LeBron, if championships are considered the ultimate measure of success. Therefore, it’ll be a refreshing change to see them donning the same uniform for once. This game warrants that, and they both deserve it.
LeBron and Giannis, teammates at last
Last year, they served as captains, which is one factor making this pairing intriguing. The other key point? Giannis secured the Kia MVP awards for the last two seasons, with the most recent one won at LeBron’s expense. He ended up as the runner-up and voiced his dissatisfaction about the number of first-place votes he received.
However, they won’t need a mediator as Dame and PG will, so there’s that advantage.
The best two centers square off
Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic, being on opposing All-Star teams, should create a formidable face-off in the center.
Doesn’t it feel great that Nikola Jokic and Embiid will be on opposite sides rather than sharing the same team? This is as it should be, especially in this season when both of these prominent players are vying for the MVP awards due to their outstanding performances.
Embiid displays a dominance on both sides of the court that hasn’t been seen from a center since Hakeem Olajuwon. On the other hand, Jokic is gathering triple-doubles at an almost unparalleled speed for a center, demonstrating that size doesn’t hinder one’s ability to lead a team or at least be the focal point of the offense.
Thus, those are just the peripheral events to the main event. LeBron is currently experiencing a three-game winning streak as a captain, and KD, by not participating, personally has no way to halt that.
To sum it up, no one is complaining about the game anymore. The game being played in Atlanta will result in recognition and funding for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities. And Sunday is going to be all about enjoyment and fun.
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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