10 Bold Predictions for Tonight's NBA All-Star Game

The NBA All-Star Game is known for its bold displays of talent and this year should prove to be no different.

With the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard and others gracing the court at the same time, amazing things are bound to happen.

The West and East are each hungry to prove which conference is superior, and that should make for a contest laden with accolades, both as a team and individually. 

Dwight Howard Will Break Record for Most Blocked Shots

The Western Conference roster boasts a plethora of scorers who love to take the ball to the rack, a strategy that will prove to be Dwight Howard's bread and butter.

Howard is a shot-blocking connoisseur and after failing to block a single field goal in last year's festivities, he is going to come out of the gate hungry this time around.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds the record with six blocks in the 1980 All-Star game. Howard has swatted away three shots on two separate occasions, so it will take some extra effort on his part.

That said, this could be one of the last opportunities Howard has to play in Orlando as a hometown hero, so expect him to make the most of it. 

Steve Nash Hops on Lob City Bandwagon

Blake Griffin and Chris Paul have torn opposing defenses apart with their offensive accolades this season, but expect Steve Nash to make a cameo in their Lob City act tonight.

Nash, like Paul, is one of the greatest orchestrators the game has ever seen. Griffin is bound to give him an opportunity to lob one up for him, and it's unlikely Nash passes up the opportunity.

Paul to Griffin has become an NBA staple, but the All-Star game presents a rare opportunity to see what Nash can do alongside the highest-flying forward in the game.

LeBron James Dishes Out the Most Assists

Although this year's All-Star game is filled with more than its fair share of prolific point guards, LeBron James will prove to be tonight's greatest facilitator.

James has developed a second-nature like chemistry with teammate and fellow All-Star starter Dwyane Wade, and will thrive off drive-and-kicks to outside experts like Carmelo Anthony, Paul Pierce and Deron Williams.

The record for most assists in a single game is 22, held by Magic Johnson. Is James going to break it?

Probably not, but dropping 10 dimes is not out of the question.

Halftime Show Reaches a New Level of Embarrassment

Many expect the All-Star game's halftime show to be lame, but they are mistaken. It will be embarrassing.

Let's be honest—when we think NBA, we don't exactly think Pitbull. There are a number of other acts the league would have been better off featuring, but that's neither here nor there.

The Super Bowl halftime show didn't exactly set the bar very high, but somehow, it's unlikely Pitbull fairs any better.

Expect the crowd to boo harder than it did for Jeremy Evans' first-round dunk on Saturday night after Pitbull exits stage left. 

Kobe Bryant Leads All Scorers

Most would not be surprised if Kobe Bryant leads all scorers, but his 18 points per All-Star appearance average is second to LeBron James' 24.3.

That said, Bryant is having one of the best seasons of his career from the field. He is averaging 28.4 points per game and hoisting up over 23 shots per game.

Try not to look surprised if he puts up a similar stat line tonight.

Bryant has scored 30 or more points in the All-Star game twice and has the most experience at this event than anyone else on the floor.

All signs point to him lighting it up. Again.

East and West Combine for 40-Plus Turnovers

Jeremy Lin will not be making an appearance in this year's All-Star game, yet there is sure to be an above average number of turnovers tonight nonetheless.

Some of the game's best facilitators will take to the court tonight, but many of them are unfamiliar with one another's in-game tendencies. While that makes for exciting basketball, it also makes for sloppy basketball.

Combine the former with the reality that players typically attempt to make sure every score is a highlight reel, and you have a formula for an excessive amount of mistakes.

So much so that Lin would have felt right at home.

Shaq Refrains from Using On-Air Profanity

Shaquille O'Neal is no stranger to letting profanity slip on the air, but something tells me that he'll refrain from using any profanity while the cameras are rolling this time around.

You never know with Shaq, but with more viewers than normal watching, he's likely to be on his best behavior. For the most part.

If you're involved in a prop bet regarding Shaq's use of profanity, take the under.

Each Team Scores 150

Defense wins championships, but offense wins All-Star games.

Never before, in the 60-plus year history of the NBA All-Star Game, have both the East and West topped a score of 150. That all changes this year.

With so many experienced All-Star performers and natural scorers on the docket, the scoreboard is going to run up like it never has before during this one.

Defensive enthusiasts, consider yourselves warned.

Derrick Rose Wins MVP

Derrick Rose is playing in his third consecutive All-Star game, and as much as a cliche as it may be, the third time is a charm.

Rose has only recently returned from a nagging back injury, but the extra rest he has received as of late should give an edge over many of the other athletes appearing in tonight's game.

It also doesn't hurt that the 23-year-old Rose is fresh off league MVP honors and looking to distinguish himself even more than he already has.

Kobe Bryant is appearing in his record-tying 14th consecutive All-Star game, but it will be Rose who steals the show in the end.

East Narrowly Beats West

After falling to the West in last year's game, the East will take this one, but don't expect them to cover the set four-point spread very easily.

With so much talent on one floor, the game can rapidly become a blowout on either end, but this year, the two sides are as evenly matched as they have been in recent memory.

That said, LeBron James and Derrick Rose will lead the charge for the East, preventing Kobe Bryant and the West from winning their second straight contest.

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