2021 NBA All-Star Draft: 5 key takeaways

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Since the NBA decided to allow the two players with the most fan votes in the East and West to serve as All-Star Game captains and select their teams, the suspense has been palpable and intense. It felt as though the entire basketball community was eagerly anticipating the significant moment:

Who’s the last pick?

LeBron James and Kevin Durant don’t seem to hold much faith in the team currently topping the league standings. LeBron, in his explanation, playfully twisted the knife a bit further, we should note.

The Utah Jazz isn’t being disrespected. We simply didn’t choose to play with them in video games during our childhood, even though they had great players like Karl Malone and John Stockton.

There you go. The last two players to be picked in Thursday’s 2021 All-Star Draft were Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, respectively. This situation is akin to remaining in the green room on the night of the draft, albeit on a significantly less intimidating scale.

The Jazz significantly improved their position in the West standings after a successful February, greatly assisted by their two All-Stars. They will undoubtedly have new motivation to prove doubters wrong if they choose to use it. While Mitchell and Gobert have the opportunity to defy critics, Malone and Stockton can only observe from their couch.

The draft for LeBron-KD otherwise unfolded predictably. Giannis Antetokounmpo was the first pick among starters, chosen by Team LeBron. The first pick among the reserves was James Harden, selected by Team Durant.

LeBron made a choice to support Paul George of the Clippers, but added a caveat: “This is the only time I’ll cheer for him and his team.”

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

Point guard advantage, Team LeBron

If point guards are primarily responsible for creativity in All-Star Games, which is logical since they control the ball and usually decide the next move, then Team LeBron is strongly favored to score the most style points. As we know, in an All-Star format, style points are nearly as important as the actual points.

Team LeBron boasts five point guards, and six if you consider LeBron himself as one, which he undoubtedly does. In contrast, Team Durant has just one natural point guard, Kyrie Irving, and two if you also count Harden, although he’s unlikely 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 shrewdly preserved 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 did well to maintain the partnership of Irving and Harden to further enhance their Nets chemistry, even if it meant sacrificing the All-Star Game. Are Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid, potential playoff rivals of the rejuvenated Nets, aware that they’re being maneuvered by their All-Star captain?

Truce, or consequences

The most delicious subplot involves the pairing of Lillard and George. This implies that a peacemaker from Team LeBron is required to mediate what appears to be a delicate and possibly uncomfortable situation.

Just to refresh your memory: During last fall’s bubble, George publicly ridiculed Dame on social media for his missed late-game free throws, causing a dispute between the two basketball stars. Dame responded coolly by reminding everyone of his unforgettable puppet-wave buzzer-beater from 35 feet which had eliminated George from the playoffs a few years prior. When George later underperformed in the bubble, he faced harsh criticism on social media from those who wholeheartedly supported Dame.

Despite the tendency of time to heal or at least soothe any anger, Dame, being one of the league’s most prideful players, believes in a conspiracy theory that he isn’t getting the respect he deserves. It’s important to note that it was Doncic, and not Dame, who fans voted to start in the All-Star Game, a fact that serves as the latest blow to Dame’s ego.

Durant and Russell Westbrook, former teammates from Oklahoma City, were part of the same All-Star Game team four years ago. However, it was far from a harmonious reunion. Their relationship had deteriorated significantly after Durant’s departure to the Warriors, culminating in a highly publicized feud. They maintained a noticeable distance at All-Star team events and even in the locker room and on the bench. Their interaction was limited to occasional acknowledgments during the match. Harden, who is friends with both, attempted to mediate the situation that weekend.

So, who will be selected as the peacemaker for Dame-PG? LeBron seems like the most likely choice, as that is typically the role of a captain, isn’t it?

LeBron and Curry, teammates at last

There exists a mutual respect between them, with numerous significant moments in the recent past where they outshined each other during the postseason (Curry slightly more than LeBron, if championships are considered the ultimate measure of success). Thus, it will be intriguing to witness them on the same team for a change. This game merits such a scenario, and so do they.

LeBron and Giannis, teammates at last

The interesting pairing is due to several reasons: they were both captains last year and Giannis has won the last two Kia MVP awards. The latter was particularly significant as it was won at the expense of LeBron, who ended up as the runner-up and voiced his dissatisfaction about his number 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 will be opponents instead of teammates? This is exactly how things should be, particularly this season, as both these talented players are vying for the MVP awards due to their outstanding performances.

Embiid is exhibiting a level of dominance on both ends of the court that hasn’t been seen from a center since Hakeem Olajuwon. On the other hand, Jokic is amassing triple-doubles almost unparalleled for a center, proving that size does not hinder one from leading a team or being the focus of the offense.

Therefore, these are just the minor events leading up to the main event. LeBron is currently enjoying a three-game winning streak as captain, and with KD not playing, he has no personal power to halt that.

This is the broader perspective: No one is criticizing the game anymore. As a result of the game taking place in Atlanta, Historically Black Colleges and Universities will receive recognition and funding. Sunday will be dedicated solely 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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