Get excited for the 2017 NBA All-Star Weekend!

New Orleans is gonna be lit. 

The 2017 NBA All-Star Weekend has started in the Big Easy, and as always, the atmosphere has been nothing short of electric. Sure, there's no Zach Lavine in the Slam Dunk Contest, no Kevin Love for the East All-Stars, and no Joel Embiid for Team World, but there are still so many things to love about this year's #ASW.

#BestDunkContestOfTheCentury: Relive LaVine X Gordon:

(image from the NBA)

Wholly muddy fudge and piece of sheep.

In the name of everything pristine, profane, and divine.

I think for a while there, His Airness and the Human Highlight Reel were shaking in their boots, worried that their slam dunk face-off in 1988 would be supplanted as the best in human history.

Well, Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon came pretty close. Dayum close.

And because this year’s Slam Dunk Contest was the best in nearly 30 years, let’s relive the amazing what-you-can-do-I-can-do-better duel of dunking 20s.

#NBA2016: All-Star Weekend Predictions

It will be a special occasion this coming February weekend. No, I am not talking about Valentine's Day on Sunday. I'm talking about lots of basketball love in the cold, Canadian city of Toronto (BTW, I am a proud Filipino-Canadian!).

The 2016 NBA All-Star weekend extravaganza is here and hoopnuts around the globe are surely excited for this gigantic event. If I was a betting man (Oops, I actually was a LONG time ago), I would evaluate each player in all of the contests so that I can decide (or guess) which player has the best chance of winning.  

Now, it's time to break down the participants and predict the winners for each event.

The future looks bright for the T'wolves
(Image from: nba.com)

Rising Stars Challenge 

U.S. Team

Player | Team | Pos. 

Jordan Clarkson | Lakers | G 

Rodney Hood | Jazz | G 

Zach LaVine | Timberwolves | G 

* Devin Booker | Suns | G 

Jahlil Okafor | 76ers | C 

Jabari Parker | Bucks | F 

Elfrid Payton | Magic | G 

D'Angelo Russell | Lakers | G 

Marcus Smart | Celtics | G 

Karl-Anthony Towns | Timberwolves | C 

* replaces Nerlens Noel (injured)

World Team

Player | Team | Pos. 

Bojan Bogdanovic | Nets | G/F 

Clint Capela | Rockets | F/C 

Mario Hezonja | Magic | G/F 

Nikola Jokic | Nuggets | C 

* Trey Lyles | Jazz | F 

Emmanuel Mudiay | Nuggets | G 

Raul Neto | Jazz | G 

Kristaps Porzingis | Knicks | F/C 

Dwight Powell | Mavericks | F/C 

Andrew Wiggins | Timberwolves | G/F 

* replaces Nikola Mirotic (injured)

The Rising Stars Challenge is a glorified pick-up game that uses ZERO defense. However, if you love unimpeded dunks and limitless alley-oops with no defenders around, then this game is for you. Aside from that, young players like Porzingis, Towns, Clarkson and Wiggins can definitely bring some excitement and highlights. The star of the night should be Canadian Andrew Wiggins and I hope he tries to go for the MVP. 

Prediction: World Team 

MVP: Andrew Wiggins

Steph Curry won this event last year
(Image from: nba.com)

Three-Point Shootout Participants
1. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
2. Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
3. James Harden, Houston Rockets
4. Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks
5. Chris Bosh, Miami Heat
6. JJ Redick, Los Angeles Clippers
7. Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
8. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns

This contest will have the defending champion (Curry) trying to win back-to-back shooting crowns. Curry has to be the favorite in this event. He leads the NBA in three-pointers made plus he is somewhat familiar with the rims of Air Canada Centre. He used to shoot-around in this building when his father, Dell Curry, played for the Raptors. The safe (and prudent) choice is Steph Curry, however, a couple of guys could possibly steal the title away from him. One of them is his backcourt mate, Klay Thompson, who is 2nd to Curry in threes made. Can you guess who is 3rd on the list? It's "the Beard", James Harden. Between Klay and Harden, the former has a better chance of usurping Curry because Klay is a better shooter (42% compared to 36%) and he is more of a set or spot-up shooter. On the other hand, Harden thrives more off the dribble jumpers. Now, the hometown favorite will be Kyle Lowry and he can make some noise (5th in threes made, 39%). Still, most people consider Lowry more of a rhythm shooter or a streaky one. If he starts missing shots, Lowry loses confidence quick and won't trust his jumpers. One more bonafide shooter in this group is JJ Redick. The former Duke Blue Devil can make threes in his sleep (7th in threes made). The dark horse is Khris Middleton (20th in threes made, 41%). He is not a household name but he can probably hold his own against the more popular players. Rounding up this lot is a former Raptor, Chris Bosh. CB1 is an improved three-point shooter and he has surpassed his career-high in threes made with still roughly a third of the season left. I'm not sure why Bosh joined the contest because he is not a volume three-point shooter. He would have a very difficult time winning this event. Lastly, rookie Devin Booker will try his luck in this event. Sure, he can make some threes but I doubt that Booker can realistically challenge the proven shooters and scorers in the NBA. 

Anyway, having back-to-back champions is somewhat frequent so Curry repeating should not be difficult to achieve especially if you are the best shooter in the world. 
  
Prediction: Steph Curry

LaVine will try to dazzle us again this year
(Image from: nba.com)

Slam Dunk Contest Participants
1. Zach LaVine, Minnesota Timberwolves
2. Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons
3. Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic
4. Will Barton, Denver Nuggets

The defending champion (LaVine) will be back this year and I am looking forward to seeing what he has prepared for us. In case you forgot what LaVine did last year, do yourself a favor and watch THIS. Now, can you honestly tell me that he won't repeat this year? His opponents will include Andre Drummond who knows how to throw down powerful dunks but his repertoire mostly covers follow-up jams or alley-oops. If the slam dunk contest allows others to challenge dunks, then Drummond would perform better when dunking over other people. Alas, that won't be part of the contest rules. Plus historically, centers have a tougher time winning this contest. The last and only center to win was Dwight Howard last 2008. Moving on, Aaron Gordon is a decent dunker but I haven't seen enough of him to say that he can beat LaVine in a dunk contest. Gordon definitely has the hops but does he have sufficient creativity to compete with LaVine? I'm not so sure about that. Next, Will Barton is a quick jumper and very agile on his feet. However, he is not a powerful dunker so his dunks may not elicit enough positive reaction from the crowd. I'm not convinced that Barton can excite a lot of people. 

Anyway, I am perplexed that Toronto has no contestant in this event. It is too bad that former winner, Terrence Ross (2013), or DeMar DeRozan, a former entrant, did not join again. AND the biggest disappointment: HOW COME ANDREW WIGGINS IS NOT PART OF THIS??? It would have been perfect if a Canadian was part of the slam dunk. Not just any Canadian, but the best active Canadian player. 

Prediction: Zach LaVine

Big Men are now part of the Skills Challenge

Skills Challenge Participants

1. Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors

2. Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans

3. Jordan Clarkson, Los Angeles Lakers

4. DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings

5. CJ McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers

6. Isaiah Thomas, Boston Celtics
7. Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
8. Patrick Beverley, Houston Rockets 

The format for the Skills Challenge has constantly changed and this year will be different once more because now BIG men are part of the contest. Their inclusion should put more pizzazz in a competition that is typically lackluster. Patrick Beverley is back to defend his title and he can become a repeat winner because guards might still have the best chance to win a timed event due to their speed. Unless the format or scoring is modified, bigger players would have a more difficult time to win but having them around is still a great idea and I'm sure fans will be curious as to how the bigs will perform. I know that I'm looking forward to seeing Davis and Cousins dribble the ball and make plays. This is a tough field to predict a winner from. The advantage should belong to speedy players who can dribble, pass and shoot with regularity and ease. The best player that fits those descriptors is Isaiah Thomas.    

Prediction: Isaiah Thomas

A gift for Valentine's Day from the NBA
(Image from: nba.com)

65th All-Star Game: East vs West

East All-Stars
Starters 
Carmelo Anthony, New York 
Paul George, Indiana 
LeBron James, Cleveland 
Kyle Lowry, Toronto 
Dwyane Wade, Miami

Reserves 
Jimmy Butler, Chicago (out-injured) 
John Wall, Washington 
Andre Drummond, Detroit 
Chris Bosh, Miami 
DeMar DeRozan, Toronto 
Paul Millsap, Atlanta 
Isaiah Thomas, Boston 
Pau Gasol, Chicago

Western Conference All-Stars
Starters 
Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers 
Stephen Curry, Golden State 
Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City 
Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio 
Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City

Reserves 
Draymond Green, Golden State 
Klay Thompson, Golden State 
Chris Paul, L.A. Clippers 
James Harden, Houston 
DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento 
LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio 

Anthony Davis, New Orleans

This will be Kobe Bryant's last ASG so expect him to shoot often and probably try to win the MVP. He last won the MVP on 2011. However, Kobe's recent injuries might prevent him from playing too many minutes and players on his team might supersede him (Curry, Westbrook, Durant, Harden, etc) with better statistics and more entertaining highlights. Of course, there is also the goal of winning the game first because the MVP is often chosen from the prevailing team. 

On paper, the  West has better players and they have a more complete team because their big men (Davis, Cousins, Aldridge) are more dominant and more explosive compared to the smaller Eastern team. The East will try to get payback for a disappointing loss last season so expect them to play more seriously from start to finish. 

So who will win? The West has won 4 of the last 5 All-Star games and they have last year's ASG MVP (Westbrook) and the regular season MVP (Curry). They also have two elite defenders on their team (Leonard and Green). Moreover, the West also has unstoppable scorers in Harden and Durant. However, I can see the East winning IF Kobe Bryant forces the issue by taking too many shots or if the other West players defer to him. Aside from that, the East might play Bosh, Wade and James along with Lowry and DeRozan. This unit will have 3 players from the Miami Heat (circa 2010-2014) and 2 from the hometown, Toronto Raptors. We know that small ball is the coolest thing in the NBA right now and this lineup might work wonders due to their familiarity with each other plus the home crowd cheering them on.   

Now, if the West decides to play the 3 guys from the Warriors and the 2 guys from San Antonio, then the West will win this game. Since Gregg Popovich will coach in this game, he might rest his guys from the Spurs. Thus, Westbrook and Durant will probably play more minutes. The West will have the advantage offensively over the East and that might be good enough for the win.   

I think the West will win because Kevin Durant is healthy and he wants to show people that he is truly back from his foot/leg injuries that slowed him down last season and early this season. 

Anyway, we are all hoping for an exciting and competitive game! 

Prediction: West All-Stars 
MVP: Kevin Durant

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#NBA2016: MY All-Star Team Picks and Notes

Toronto, Canada will host the 2016 All-Star Weekend
(Image from: NBA.com)

It is February already and Valentine's Day is less than a week away. February will always be the month of hearts, but more importantly for basketball fans, the second month of a new year signifies that the NBA All-Star Weekend is coming. The highlight of that weekend is the All-Star Game where superstars and celebrities mix and mingle.

The starters for both teams were released already and the reserves followed a week after that.

This gives me the opportunity to share my own picks for the 2016 All-Star Game.

West Starters voted by fans
(Image from: allstarweekendtoronto.com)

WEST

Starters 
G - Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
G - Russell Westbrook, OKC Thunder
F - Kevin Durant, OKC Thunder
F - DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings
F - Anthony Davis, New Orleans Hornets

Reserves
G - James Harden, Houston Rockets
G - Chris Paul, LA Clippers
F - Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies
F - Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
F - Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
WC - Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
WC - Damian Lillard, Portland Trailblazers

Notes: I know that Kobe Bryant will retire after this season, which is why fans voted him as a starter. However, if you evaluate his stats, number of missed games and factor in the win-loss record of the LA Lakers, Bryant should NOT be on the All-Star team. His inclusion on the team robbed other more deserving players of an opportunity to be on the All-Star team. Which other players should have been on the team? Damian Lillard of the Blazers has been amazing in leading his team who lost 4 of their 5 starters from last year. The Blazers are within striking range of the playoffs in large part because Dame is averaging 24 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds.

So, should the NBA leave Kobe off the All-Star team? Not necessarily. I think the NBA should explore expanding the ASG roster to 15 players which is the limit that each NBA team carries during the regular season. Adding 3 more players who are deserving All-Stars will prevent more and more snubs each season. If 3 more slots were added: Damian Lillard, Gordon Hayward and Marc Gasol would get the additional slots.

The NBA might be better served if they created a special "retirement tour" slot for the All-Star game. This spot will be created to honor the farewell tour of a popular and amazing ballplayer. This way, spots are not taken away from those deserving to be in the ASG due to their performance this season. When Tim Duncan decides to retire, he should be given the "retirement tour" slot.

East starters voted by fans
(Image from: allstarweekendtoronto.com)

EAST

Starters 
G - Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls
G - Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
F - LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
F - Paul George, Indiana Pacers
F - Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons

Reserves
G - John Wall, Washington Wizards
G - DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors
F - Chris Bosh, Miami Heat
F - Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks
F - Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks
WC - Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
WC - Isaiah Thomas, Boston Celtics

Notes:
My All-Star selections for the East matched the roster for this year which the fans and coaches voted upon. The major differences can be found on who should start or not. Initially, the fans voted for Dwyane Wade to start (BTW, Wade fan over here) and I disagreed with that. I felt that Jimmy Butler should have received the starter spot over Wade because Butler continues to play better than Wade. Furthermore, "Jimmy Buckets" is a much better defender than Wade at the moment. I'm not saying that Wade should not be in the All-Star game. I merely felt that Butler should have been a starter while Wade should be on the reserve list.

Aside from the Wade-Butler angle. I also hoped that Andre Drummond would start instead of Carmelo Anthony. Drummond's team is playing better than the Knicks and 'Dre continues to lead the NBA in double-doubles and rebounds. Anyway, Carmelo is somewhat hurting nowadays so there might be a slight chance that he skips playing in the All-Star game. If that's the case, a suitable replacement player that can fill his roster spot should be Pau Gasol. In addition, Butler might be a little gimpy from a knee sprain so he might skip the ASG too. Thus, a decent replacement should be Avery Bradley (playoff team) or Khris Middleton (non-playoff team). Moreover, if the NBA decides to increase the roster to 15 spots, the additional 3 spots for the East should go to Pau Gasol. Nik Vucevic and Kemba Walker, barring any injured player replacements.

Lastly, I don't like the chosen coaches for both teams. Coach Lue of the Cavs just inherited the team after Coach Blatt got fired even if the Cavs were tops in the East at that time. Lue should not be coaching the East and Blatt cannot perform that duty. So, why not give the coaching duties to the 2nd placed team in East, Coach Dwane Casey of the Toronto Raptors?! BTW, the All-Star game will be held in Toronto, so I'm sure the fans would love that decision. As for Coach Pop handling the duties for the West, I think it would have been better if Luke Walton was given the chance to coach. Last I checked, Walton was not even credited any of the wins that the Warriors accumulated (a lot of them)  when head coach Steve Kerr was unavailable. A decent consolation prize should be the chance to coach in the ASG.    

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My Top 2015 NBA All Star Weekend Moments

There were many things that made the 2015 NBA All-Star Weekend quite memorable, but, for me here are the top five:

Ariana Grande’s All-Star Game halftime performance
- Yes, it’s not basketball, but it was hella entertaining. And, frankly, Ariana Grande was pure eyecandy. Oh, and she sings, too. Here’s the best YouTube clip of the whole performance that I could find. Enjoy (I know you will)!

#NBA2015: All-Star Weekend Predictions

The state of New York will be the location for basketball crazy fans this Valentine weekend
(Image from: NBA.com)

It will be a special occasion this coming weekend. No, I am not talking about Valentine's Day. I'm talking about lots of basketball love!

The NBA All-Star weekend extravaganza is here and hoopnuts around the globe are surely excited for this gigantic event. It's time to breakdown the participants and predict the winners for each event.

It will be raining threes on Valentine's Day
(Image from: NBA.com)

Three-Point Shootout Participants
1. Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
2. James Harden, Houston Rockets
3. Marco Belinelli, San Antonio Spurs
4. Kyle Korver, Atlanta Hawks
5. JJ Redick, Los Angeles Clippers
6. Damian Lillard, Portland Trailblazers
7. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
8. Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers

adidas unveils J Wall 1 All-Star edition and DC Blue Colorways

John Wall has just been voted in as a starter in the All-Star Game, has his team paced to the conference’s second best record and continues to make highlight reels on a nightly basis.

J Wall 1 All Star Edition
adidas unveiled the J Wall 1 NYC All-Star edition shoe that Washington Wizards point guard John Wall will wear in his second consecutive NBA All-Star Game appearance and first-ever starting nod.

First time All-Star starter John Wall will be rocking these in NYC!

The versatile point guard’s impressive play, improved defense and league leading 10 assists per game has helped lead Washington to the Eastern Conference’s second best record. 

Our 2015 #NBABallot Picks

Voting for the 2015 NBA All-Star Game will end in a few days, and the starters will be announced next week. Who’s on your #NBABallot? 

Here are the guys on ours.

(image by Quentin Brehler.)

The NBA: All-Star Weekend 2014 Predictions

Happy Valentine's Day to all but more importantly, Happy NBA All-Star weekend to basketball fans!

Let's celebrate ASW at New Orleans, Louisiana with predictions on who will win each event.

Anthony Davis will be the hometown hero
(Image by: Getty Images)

BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge

TEAM HILL
Damian Lillard (Portland, Soph.)
Bradley Beal (Washington, Soph.)
Andre Drummond (Detroit, Soph.)
Harrison Barnes (Golden State, Soph.)
Terrence Jones (Houston, Soph.)
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee, Rookie)
Jonas Valanciunas (Toronto, Soph.)
Dion Waiters (Cleveland, Soph.)
Miles Plumlee** (Phoenix, Soph.)
** Plumlee replaces Atlanta's Pero Antic, who is injured

TEAM WEBBER
Anthony Davis (New Orleans, Soph.)
Michael Carter-Williams (Philadelphia, Rookie)
Tim Hardaway Jr. (New York, Rookie)
Trey Burke (Utah, Rookie)
Jared Sullinger (Boston, Soph.)
Mason Plumlee (Brooklyn, Rookie)
Victor Oladipo (Orlando, Rookie)
Steven Adams (OKC, Rookie)
Kelly Olynyk (Boston, Rookie)

For the Rising Stars Challenge, Chris Webber and Grant Hill acted as general managers as they drafted players into their teams. Anthony Davis was the 1st pick (Team Webber) while Damian Lillard was the 2nd pick (Team Hill).

MVP: Anthony Davis is the best player in this game and he will be the hometown favorite. If Team Webber wins and AD gets enough minutes, he should easily win the MVP. I am predicting 30-20 numbers.

The NBA: 2014 All-Star Snubs

At this time every year most of the deserving players are voted in by fans as starters. The final seven are chosen by the head coaches. It's uncanny to see how often the coaches manage to select the less "deserving" player for the All-Star game. Thus, the term "snub" was designated for those omitted by the coaches.

This year is no different from other years. There are snubs on both the East and West teams. Now, who are they?

Kyle Lowry has played so well that the Raptors are considering NOT trading him
(Image from: CBS Sports)

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
The Raptors are potentially the 3rd best team in the East primarily due to Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. DD made it to his first All-Star while KL was snubbed. Lowry has been playing the best ball of his career. He is doing it all for the Raps: score, rebound, pass and defend. Lowry has career-highs for points, assists, steals and three-point shooting. He is arguably the best all-around guard in the East who can defend PGs and smaller SGs.

They Be All-Stars: Our West All-Star Reserves

In our previous post, we detailed our picks for the seven All-Star Game reserves in the Eastern Conference. This time around, we will look at the players whom we’d like to see as 2014 All-Star Game reserves for the West.

What makes this a little bit more challenging is that there are so many deep rosters and gripping storylines in the West. Compared to the East, the West is a much stronger conference, with maybe 10-11 teams capable of getting winning records by the end of the season. Not surprisingly, there are also SO MANY players worthy of All-Star Game consideration. Obviously, not everyone will be picked. 

With so many deserving players, will both Damian Lillard
and LaMarcus Aldridge be named All-Stars?
(image from NBA.com)

Before you continue reading, take note of the following assumptions:

• Assumption #1: Kobe Bryant will play his two minutes.
• Assumption #2: Chris Paul will not play. He will rest for as long as he can so he can be as healthy as he can for the Clippers’ inevitable late-season run.
• Assumption #3: Again, one or more of YOUR own picks is/are bound to be left out. That’s just how deep the West is.

Now, here are our picks for the seven who should-be All-Star reserves in the Western Conference:

They Be All-Stars: Our East All-Star Reserves

The 2014 NBA All-Star Game promises to be another awesome multi-platform sports media and marketing spectacle, what with many of the world’s best athletes competing in several contests. Undoubtedly, the centerpiece event is the All-Star Game itself, mainly because participation in it is one significant form of star-status validation.

After this year’s All-Star starters were announced, I felt really excited simply because fresh up-and-coming talent seems to be the main driving force not only in the All-Star showcase but in the entire season itself. This year’s starters, in fact, have four first-timers — Steph Curry, Kevin Love, Paul George, and Kyrie Irving. 

So many guys have gone down with injuries, yes (D-Rose huhu), but so many have also stepped up to help their individual stock and/or teams rise to new heights. Guys like Andre Drummond, John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and Anthony Davis have really bloomed so far and have relished in the spotlight. 

John Wall should be an All-Star in 2014.
(image from Red Navy)

In light of all these, I’ve decided to give my own unsolicited take on who else should be named All-Stars. Yes, I probably won’t get all fourteen reserves right, but that’s not the point anyway. This is not a prediction, just a statement of opinion on who, I believe, are good enough to fill the seven reserve slots for the East and, likewise, seven for the West.

The NBA: Throwdown and Showdown in H-Town

Terrence Ross channels Vince Carter, Chris Paul leads the West, and Kobe Bryant took it to LeBron James as things got testy in the most recent NBA All-Star Weekend, which was held in the heart of Texas – Houston – these past several days.

Chris Paul wins his first All-Star Game MVP award.
(image by Eric Gay/AP)

A thing of beauty by Kobe.
(image by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Here are my five favorite moments from the 2013 NBA All-Star Weekend:

Kyrie crosses Knight

In the 1990s, Tim Hardaway was the King of the Crossover. Allen Iverson dethroned him in the early 2000s. After watching this over and over, however, it might be safe to say the crossover crown can finally be given to someone else. Sorry it had to be your ankles that got twisted, Brandon Knight.

Terrence Ross does Vinsanity

I think Ross’s between-the-legs-over-the-ball-boy jam was sick, but there’s nothing like a throwdown throwback to one of the greatest dunkers of all time. It also helped that the Toronto Raptors jersey Ross wore was the most stylish one the franchise ever sported.

The NBA: Midterm Marks Part One

Now that teams are a little past the 41-game mark of the 2012-2013 NBA regular season, I felt it would be good to take stock of how each team has performed and where they could be headed. I’ll also try to take a look at some important developments for the team and give them my own midterm mark, which, for those who bother to think if there’s any objective set of rubrics, is based on my own whimsy.

I shall look at the teams in alphabetical order:

- Part 1 will take a look at ATL until MEM.

Sadly, KG and the Celtics are the biggest losers
in the first half of the season.
(image by Charles Krupa/AP)

1. Atlanta Hawks: The post-Joe Johnson Hawks don’t look to shabby at 7^th spot in the East, though the winds of change might come in pretty soon if Josh Smith gets traded (and I think he will). Mark: B
2. Boston Celtics: Let’s see – Ray Allen left, Rajon Rondo tore his ACL, Jared Sullinger has a broken back, and Jason Terry has just not been the force Beantown wanted him to be. The Cs are at 9^th place in the East, and it’s hard to imagine this team nearly knocked the Heat out of the Playoffs last year. Mark: D 
3. Brooklyn Nets: The Nets continue to straddle the line between a Top 4 or Bottom 4 East Playoff team. Deron Williams and Joe Johnson haven’t played to their billing, though the emergence of Brook Lopez has been a pleasant surprise. Mark: B
4. Charlotte Bobcats: The Cats have lost 8 of their last 10 games and there’s really nothing to write home about, even if Kemba Walker is having a whale of a season. Mark: D
5. Chicago Bulls: The Bulls have overtaken the Nets as the third see in the East with lingering injuries to key players. Coach Tom Thibodeau continues to do wonders with his limited resources, and things should only look brighter when Rose returns. Mark: B+

The NBA: My 2013 NBA All-Star Reserves

The 2013 NBA All-Star voting has passed, and the starters have been named. In case you’ve been living under a rock, however, here are the ten starters for the February 18, 2013 (Manila Time) extravaganza:

Legend (The NBA did away with the 2 guards, 2 forwards, and 1 center set-up):

B – Backcourt

F – Frontcourt

WEST	EAST
B – Chris Paul (LAC)	B – Rajon Rondo (BOS)
B – Kobe Bryant (LAL)	B – Dwyane Wade (MIA)
F – Kevin Durant (OKC)	F – LeBron James (MIA)
F – Blake Griffin (LAC)	F – Carmelo Anthony (NYK)
F – Dwight Howard (LAL)	F – Kevin Garnett (BOS)

Even with Kevin Garnett not exactly putting up the kind of production that would land him in the top 10 (or 20… or even 30) of the league in terms of Player Efficiency, his spot is still understandable because the starters are determined by fan voting. These are the guys the fans want to see, whether they “deserve” to be there or not.

Carmelo Anthony joins a stellar list of players in the
NBA's All-Star Weekend from Feb. 15-17, 2013.
(image by Matt Dunham/AP)

Aside from KG, the other guys NOT in the league’s top 10 in overall player efficiency are Blake Griffin, Rajon Rondo, and Dwyane Wade. Still, the fans don’t care about stats as much as they do about star power, and these guys have that in spades.

I believe, however, that it should be a different story with the reserves. I believe that, whomever the coach is going to be, he should be mindful enough to prioritize player production over star power. Give the All-Star slot to those who have shown, through their on-court contributions, that they are, indeed, the best players in the NBA.

With that in mind, here are my picks for the 2013 NBA All-Star reserves (the NBA wants 2 backcourt players, 3 frontcourt players, and 2 others regardless of position for the reserves):

WEST	EAST
B – Russell Westbrook	B – Jrue Holiday
B – James Harden	B – Kyrie Irving
F – David Lee	F – Paul George
F – Tim Duncan	F – Chris Bosh
F – Al Jefferson	F – Joakim Noah
F – LaMarcus Aldridge	F – Al Horford
B – Steph Curry	F – Tyson Chandler

Look at the Player Rankings in terms of Player Efficiency on HoopsStats.com to see why these guys deserve their spots.

2012 PBA All-Star Weekend in Laoag, Ilocos Norte

Rico Maierhofer slams one home as Arwind Santos
stretches to defend.

3-Point Shootout, Obstacle Challenge, and the Slam Dunk Contest

Meralco sharpshooter Mark Macapagal, B-MEG court general Jonas Villanueva, and Ginebra’s KG Canaleta each won his respective third straight title in separate events in the All-Star Weekend in Laoag City.

Macapagal beat a crack field of the league’s elite three-point shooters for the third straight time. The competition was marked by red-hot shooting in the first round, with Canaleta shooting 19 points and Macapagal, B-MEG’s Josh Urbiztondo, and Petron’s Marcio Lassiter scoring 16 each to advance to the final round.

Canaleta and Urbiztondo, who was a late replacement for the ailing James Yap, went first in the finals, shooting 13 points each. Macapagal proved his mettle, shooting consistently en route to 15 points. Lassiter had the final say of the competition, but the rookie jump-shooter ran out of gas and finished with just seven points.

The 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend Sights & Sounds

(image from the NBA Facebook Page)

Okay, here are some thoughts on the just-concluded NBA All-Star Weekend:

- Props to Team Chuck for the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge win! Kyrie Irving is going to be so awesome in this league! Had Jeremy Lin not played a couple of games so close to the challenge, he probably would've been on the floor longer and would've made some great plays, too.

- Kevin Love won the Three-Point Shootout?! AWESOME! Will he be able to hit it just as consistently for the remainder of the season? Well, here's me calling it: The Wolves will NOT make the Playoffs this year, but they'll be close. 9th or 10th out West. If they were in the East, it'd be a different story.

- The Slam Dunk Contest was W E A K. Javale McGee's double dunk last year was better than the one Jeremy Evans threw down, but, considering the level of the competition, I guess he deserved the win (yes, even over Paul George). Here's the thing about this kind of event -- the STARS make it. The only time people will REALLY get excited about the Dunk Contest again is if the BEST DUNKERS join. No two ways about it. And there are SO MANY to choose from. Off the top of my head: Josh Smith, Blake Griffin, Rudy Gay, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Andre Iguodala, Nicolas Batum (he should heal up, though), Demar DeRozan, or John Wall. Of course, I'm sure the organizers tried their best to invite these guys, so I'm putting the blame on the stars themselves. It is called the ALL-STAR weekend after all, right?

- I rooted for D-Rose and the East players, but I'm still okay with the West winning since KD got the MVP. And I do have to give props to LBJ for engineering the East's comeback, BUT damn why did he have to pass up the shot TWICE in the waning moments? I know it's "just" an All-Star Exhibition, but come on, he HAS got to show the world he has the BALLS to shoot the ball when it counts the most, right? What good is coming back from 20+ down, if you don't have the guts to finish the job, right?

- This is another reason why Wade should be the endgame playmaker for Miami. Wade has the moxy to risk taking the big shot, and the possible blame, AND if Wade's actually the one starting the play, maybe he can find LBJ in an open spot and actually "force" James to take the potential game-winner.

After the JUMP: Mini-movies about the different 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend Events and some choice images!

The NBA: Stars Are Aligned

Meet the starters for the 2012 NBA All-Star Game.
(finished image by Hoop Nut; faces from Yahoo! Sports,
and jersey images from SB Nation)

*Unless otherwise specified, all images are by the Associated Press.

EAST All-Star Starters: Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Derrick Rose

WEST All-Star Starters: Andrew Bynum, Blake Griffin, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul

That’s 7 of my 10 picks right there. I voted for Josh Smith as an East forward, Pau Gasol as the West center, and Kevin Love as a West forward. I can live with the choices, though, since Melo, Bynum and Blake should provide some nice highlights that will make us flood YouTube.

Now for the reserves.

Here are, whom I believe, are some prime candidates for either team: (leaving out the injured guys)

EAST Centers: Joakim Noah, Tyson Chandler, and Greg Monroe

EAST Forwards: Josh Smith, Ryan Anderson, Chris Bosh, Danny Granger, Paul Pierce, Andre Iguodala, Kevin Garnett, Amar’e Stoudemire

EAST Guards: Brandon Jennings, Joe Johnson, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo, Deron Williams, Kyrie Irving

WEST Centers: Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, Al Jefferson, Tim Duncan

WEST Forwards: Kevin Love, Paul Millsap, Danilo Gallinari, LaMarcus Aldridge, Dirk Nowitzki, Rudy Gay

WEST Guards: Russell Westbrook, Kyle Lowry, Kevin Martin, Steph Curry, Ricky Rubio, Steve Nash, Jason Terry, Monta Ellis, Tyreke Evans

Based on the starters alone, I think the East will have a bit of an edge. They have the best center in the world, they have the reigning MVP, and they have, admittedly, the best all-around player on the planet (yes, that’s LBJ).

The East should win.

Oh, but they have Melo.

Oops.

After the JUMP, key stat-stuffers for today’s games: