5 Last-Second Predictions for 1st Annual Rising Stars Draft

All eyes will be on TNT's Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal tonight when they put on their general manager hats and get ready to draft the first annual teams for the first Rising Stars Game to be held Friday, Feb. 24 in Orlando, Fla. as part of the 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend.

Neither Barkley or O'Neal should be confused for an NBA general manager, but the two of them should add a great deal of entertainment to the event and should make tonight's draft very fun to watch.

Here are some last-minute predictions for tonight's draft.

Whoever Lands the No. 1 Pick Wins the Game

Both Barkley and O'Neal would be foolish not to take the Los Angeles Clippers' Blake Griffin. Not only would they land the best player available in the player pool, but they also get to follow Griffin by selecting either Kyrie Irving, Ricky Rubio or John Wall.

That's a solid one-two punch for a game like this. One the other team won't be able to match up with.

Ricky Rubio Will Be the No. 2 Pick

After Griffin is off the board, the next general manager will likely have to build his team beginning with a point guard.

Irving, Wall and Rubio are all candidates to be that pick, but both Barkley and O'Neal won't pass on the flash and brilliance that Rubio brings to the table.

Expect a Run on Big Men

With both Barkley and O'Neal being two of the best big men in NBA history, they will have a tendency to favor the big bodies.

DeMarcus Cousins, Greg Monroe, Tiago Splitter, Tristian Thompson, Derrick Williams and Markieff Morris could all end up going very high in tonight's draft.

There Could Be a Trade

You typically wouldn't see trades in a made-for-television-type draft such as the event tonight, but one of these teams could end up getting out of hand.

Barkley and O'Neal might feel the pressure and might have to swing some type of deal to keep the teams competitive.

If anything the entertainment value will go up.

Mr. Irrelevant Will Be Gordon Hayward

Someone has to be the last pick in the draft, and that honor will go to Utah's Hayward. That's just the way the cookie crumbles, and Hayward, while a good player, could be one of the last options on the board.