NBA Dish ‘N Swish All Star Weekend Preview

Welcome to the dish today. We are officially at the All Star break. Today is my All Star weekend preview. So let’s get started.

 

The rookie-sophomore game is first up. This is actually one of my favorite events. Why? Well it gives the young players something to strive for in the first two years of their career and it gives them a taste of the All Star weekend. Since they started the game back up the rookies have won twice, 2000 and 2002. The sophomores have won six straight. But there is a lot of hype around this draft class. Some are saying it’s the best ever. I disagree with that. (a) It is too early to tell that and (b) They are still young. I think this class has a chance to be one of the best though. Here is a blog by my friend and basketball cohort talking about why it’s ludicrous to say the rooks are already the best class.  Here are the rosters for the game on Friday night.

 

 

Rookies

Michael Beasley- Miami

Rudy Fernandez- Portland

Marc Gasol- Memphis

Eric Gordon- LA Clippers

Brook Lopez- New Jersey

OJ Mayo- Memphis

Greg Oden- Portland

Derrick Rose- Chicago

Russell Westbrook- The team that shall not be spoke of.

 

Sophomores:

Aaron Brooks- Houston

Wilson Chandler- New York

Kevin Durant- The team that shall not be spoke of.

Jeff Green- The team that shall not be spoke of.

Al Horford- Atlanta

Luis Scola- Houston

Al Thornton- LA Clippers

Rodney Stuckey- Detroit

Thaddeus Young- Philadelphia

 

Prediction:

I’m taking the rookies. I think they are better. Especially up in the front court where I imagine the rooks will start Beasley, Lopez and Oden with Rose and Mayo in the backcourt. The sophs should roll out Stuckey, Chandler, Durant, Scola and Horford.

Two things other than Horford and Durant none of the other Sophs could be on the Rookie roster and the sophs are going to get killed at the guard position. Gordon, Mayo, Rose and Westbrook.?  Unstoppable with the roster the Sophs have. I think the Rookies win 132-107. Game MVP OJ Mayo with a stat  line that looks something like this 25-30 points, 3-7 assists , 0-5 rebounds and 2 -4 steals. It should be a fun game to watch

 

 

H.O.R.S.E competition

 

OJ Mayo- Memphis

Kevin Durant- The team that shall not be spoke of.

Joe Johnson- Atlanta

 

I am absolutely pumped for this contest. Now I wish they had it during the actual All Star Saturday night broadcast but it is early starting at 5pm Eastern. I am picking Joe Johnson. Why? Well both Mayo and Durant are playing the night before in the Rookie-Sophomore game. Then probably go party afterwards. They will be tired. It’s starting around 2 pm on the west coast. Joe Johnson has the natural advantage here. OJ Mayo will be the most creative I think, while Durant I think will pull the toughest shots something really only someone his size can make and Johnson is a good mix of the two anyway he will hit some shots that look impossible. I’m calling it now!

 

 

Shooting Stars Competition

 

Team San Antonio- Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Becky Hammon

Team Detroit- Arron Afflalo, Bill Lambeer, Katie Smith

Team Lakers- Derek Fisher, Michael Cooper, Lisa Leslie

Team Phoenix- Leandro Barbosa, Dan Majerle, Tangela Smith

 

San Antonio is the defending champs. They are the odds on favorite. The key in this is usually for the WNBA player to hit her shot.  That’s where San Antonio won last year. Hammon hit her shots and one of the half court shots. I like Team Phoenix’s shot to challenge San Antonio in the finals. Any team with “Thunder” Dan Majerle gets a rooting interest from me. Having Barbosa helps too. I don’t know about Phoenix’s WNBA player never heard of her before. But my pick is San Antonio. Duncan has range, so does Robinson. But the key is Hammon’s, if she hits her two shots its over.

 

 

Skills Challenge Competition

 

Devin Harris- New Jersey

Tony Parker- San Antonio

Derrick Rose- Chicago

Mo Williams- Cleveland

 

I have loved the addition of this event, since they started it in 2003. It seems like all the top guards usually want to be in it. The four guys in it this year are all having good years. I think Tony Parker maybe people’s favorite. But he has struggle with the passing in this event. Rose may win it as a rookie and he would be the first rookie to win it. Mo Williams is filling in for Jameer Nelson. I think Williams finishes last. He is the slowest of the 4 and the worst passer. I am taking Devin Harris. I have a man crush on him. He is the best passer, can hit every shot on the court, he maybe the fastest and he has the best handles of all of them too. I say a Harris- Rose Finals. With Harris winning because Rose’s outside shot is shaky.

 

 

3 Point Shootout

 

Mike Bibby- Atlanta

Daequen Cook- Miami

Danny Granger- Indiana

Jason Kapono- Toronto

Rashard Lewis- Orlando

Roger Mason Jr- San Antonio

 

Kapono is made for this event; he is by far the hands down favorite.  He has a quick release and a great pure shooter. But karma is going to play a factor in this event. Kapono said this week he is the greatest shooter ever on The Dan Patrick Show. He isn’t even in the top 10, heck top 20 or even maybe 30. I’m taking Roger Mason. The kid is on fire this year. He is shooting 45% on 229 shots attempted this year. That’s a great percentage. Bibby is shooting 40% this year but so is Portland’s Steve Blake. Bibby doesn’t belong there. I’m not sure Cook does either. A Mason- Kapono finals and I have Mason winning but 2 points.

 

 

Slam Dunk Contest

 

Dwight Howard- Orlando

Nate Robinson- New York

J.R. Smith- Denver

Rudy Fernandez- Portland

 

Howard is the favorite. But he is going to have to top the “Superman” dunk which maybe to hard to impossible to do. People are expecting something they have never seen before with Howard, that’s a huge disadvantage. Before Gay got injured Robinson was my pick. He was the champion of the worst dunk contest championship round ever between him and Chris “Birdman” Anderson. I think Robinson learned from that. He had some great dunks in the prior rounds in that contest. But the addition of JR Smith is dangerous. Smith is my new pick, he is so creative, athletic, agile and he can jump out of the gym.  Fernandez doesn’t belong here. See the fans screwed something else up. I wanted Russell Westbrook here. He is nasty. But that is my pick the late entry JR Smith

 

 

The All Star Game

 

East All Stars

 

Starters

G- Allen Iverson- Detroit

G- Dwayne Wade- Miami

F- LeBron James- Cleveland

F- Kevin Garnett- Boston

C- Dwight Howard- Orlando

 

Bench

Joe Johnson- Atlanta

Ray Allen- Boston – Filled in for Jameer Nelson

Danny Granger- Indiana

Paul Pierce- Boston

Mo Williams- Cleveland- Filled in for Chris Bosh

Devin Harris- New Jersey

Rashard Lewis- Orlando

 

 

West All Stars

 

Starters

G- Chris Paul- New Orleans

G- Kobe Bryant- LA Lakers

F- Amare Stoudemire- Phoenix

F- Tim Duncan- San Antonio

C- Yao Ming- Houston

 

Bench

Dirk Nowitzki- Dallas

Brandon Roy- Portland

Chauncey Billups- Denver

Pau Gasol- LA Lakers

David West- New Orleans

Tony Parker- San Antonio

 

This game will be very interest due to one thing. The East has no backup bigs. Garnett and Howard are the only two true bigs  on the East and the West doesn’t have a true small forward on the roster. David West should be taken off and put Carmelo Anthony in there.  But I think the West wins for the big man mismatch all game. I think it will be a close game but I am taking the West. Any team with Kobe should be the favorite. He gets real competitive in these games. He is my favorite for Game MVP. Either Kobe or Chris Paul, if the West wins. If the East wins it will be on the shoulders of Wade and Lebron expect them to either one to get MVP.

 

So that is my 2009 All Star weekend Preview and Predictions. The NBA by far has the best All Star event out of all the sports. This weekend should be a great one and a great way to start the stretch run of the season. What is great about this All Star event is all the stars want to be here. They want to play in the game.  The league showcases its younger talent in a great way too. Monday I will have my thoughts and video links to my favorite dunks and moments of the weekend. Next week I will also address the trade deadline and all the rumor. There maybe up to five posts just for rumors and potential trade ideas next week. Enjoy the festivities and have a great weekend, that is today’s dish.

Tags: 2003 draft, 2009 All Star game, 3 point contest, All Star game, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Bobcats, Chicago Bulls, Chris Paul, Cleveland Cavilers, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Derrick Rose, Detroit Pistons, dunk contest, Dwight howard, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Indiana pacers, Kobe Bryant, LA Clippers, LA Lakers, Lebron James, Miami Heat, Michael, Michael Jordan, Milwaukee Bucks, nate robinson, NBA, NBA Draft 2008, NBA rookies, NBA trade rumors, New Jersey Nets, new Orleans Hornets, New York Knicks, OJ Mayo, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Blazers, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards