2021 NBA All-Star Draft: 5 key takeaways

• All-Star Draft results
• Complete All-Star coverage

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 pick their teams, the suspense has been palpable. Everyone seemingly involved in the basketball sphere anxiously awaited the crucial moment:

Who’s the last pick?

It appears that LeBron James and Kevin Durant don’t hold the team with the current best record in the league in high regard. LeBron further teased this notion, in a playful manner, it should be noted.

The Utah Jazz is not being slandered. Just like when we played video games as kids, we never chose Utah. Despite the greatness of Karl Malone and John Stockton, we never selected those guys in video games.

And there you have it. The last two picks in Thursday’s 2021 All-Star Draft were Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, respectively. The experience can be likened to being the last one in the green room on draft night, albeit on a less intimidating level.

The Jazz capitalized on a powerful February to climb the West standings, greatly assisted by their two All-Stars. They will clearly have new motivation and material to fuel their drive, if they choose to use it. Mitchell and Gobert have the opportunity to prove doubters wrong, while Malone and Stockton can only observe from their couches.

The draft for LeBron-KD turned out to be rather predictable. Giannis Antetokounmpo was the first starter picked for Team LeBron, while James Harden was the first reserve selected for Team Durant.

LeBron selected Paul George from the Clippers, but added a caveat: “This is the only time I’ll cheer for him and his team.”

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

Point guard advantage, Team LeBron

If point guards are primarily responsible for creating the creativity in All-Star Games —which is logical as they usually have ball possession and often determine the subsequent action— then Team LeBron is strongly favored to earn most of the style points. And, as you’re aware, in an All-Star format, style points are almost as significant as actual points.

Team LeBron has five point guards, and if you include LeBron himself, that number goes up to six. On the other hand, Team Durant only has one natural point guard in Kyrie Irving, or two if you count Harden, although he will not 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 maintained the integrity of Brooklyn’s Notorious B.I.G. Three, a move that would have been more advantageous had he been able to participate himself. At the very least, Durant succeeded in ensuring Irving and Harden stayed together to further develop their chemistry on the Nets, at the cost of the All-Star Game. Does it occur to Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid, potential playoff rivals of the resurgent Nets, that they’re being manipulated by their All-Star captain?

Truce, or consequences

The most delicious subplot involves the pairing of Lillard and George, implying that a member of Team LeBron must act as a mediator in what appears to be a potentially delicate and uneasy situation.

Just to jog your memory: During the bubble last fall, George ridiculed Dame on social media for failing to make free throws towards the end of a game, sparking a tit-for-tat between the two stars. In a composed manner, Dame reminded everyone of the memorable moment when he knocked George out of the playoffs with a legendary buzzer-beater puppet-wave from 35 feet away. Later, when George had a hard time performing in the bubble, he was taunted on social media by people who firmly supported Dame.

Time may heal or at least soothe anger, but Dame, as one of the more prideful players in the league, believes he’s not getting the respect he deserves. It’s important to note that it was Doncic, not Dame, who was chosen by fans to start in the All-Star Game, a blow to Dame’s pride.

Four years ago, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, former Oklahoma City teammates, played alongside each other in the All-Star Game. Their relationship had already soured, largely due to Durant’s controversial departure to the Warriors. Their feud was evident throughout the midseason tournament. They avoided interacting at team functions, kept apart in the locker room and on the bench, with James Harden, a friend to both, attempting to mediate. Their acknowledgement of each other during the game was merely casual.

So, who is going to be the peacemaker for Dame-PG? The most likely choice is LeBron, as that’s typically a captain’s role, correct?

LeBron and Curry, teammates at last

Both of them have a mutual respect for each other, and it wasn’t too long ago when they each had their victorious moments over the other in the postseason, with Curry having more success if we consider titles as the ultimate achievement. It will be an interesting change to see them wearing the same uniform for once. The game deserves this change, and they certainly deserve it too.

LeBron and Giannis, teammates at last

Last year, they served as captains, which is just one factor that makes this pairing intriguing. The additional twist? Giannis clinched the Kia MVP awards for the last two years, with his most recent win coming at the cost of LeBron, who ended up as the runner-up and voiced his dissatisfaction about the number of first-place votes he received.

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

The best two centers square off

Isn’t it fantastic that Nikola Jokic and Embiid are set to compete against each other rather than playing on the same team? That’s exactly how it should be, especially in this season where both these giants are vying for the MVP awards due to their exceptional performances.

Embiid’s dominance at both ends of the floor is a spectacle not seen from a center since Hakeem Olajuwon’s time. On the other hand, Jokic is amassing triple-doubles at an almost unrivaled speed for a center, demonstrating that size doesn’t hamper one’s ability to manage a team, or at the very least, be the focal point of the offense.

So, those are the side attractions to the main event. LeBron is currently on a three-game winning streak as captain, and with KD not participating, there’s nothing he can personally do to halt that.

Here’s the broader perspective: Nobody is grumbling about the game anymore. The game being held in Atlanta will result in honoring and funding the Historically Black Colleges and Universities. And Sunday will be entirely dedicated to enjoyment.

Even the Jazz will enjoy it.

* * *

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.

The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting.