NBA All-Star Weekend 2015: Last-Minute Preview, Predictions for All-Star Game
Regardless of how fans feel about every selection, the 2015 NBA All-Star Game will showcase incredible basketball players doing their thing inside Madison Square Garden.
The weeks leading up to the game are filled with more vitriol than joy. How was Damian Lillard originally left off the roster? When was the last time anyone who voted for Kobe Bryant watched a game? Have they heard of James Harden?
That's all in the past. Now that we've all tirelessly scrutinized and dissected every roster decision, it's time to relax and enjoy. This game (thankfully) does not count, but there's nothing wrong with watching amazing athletes mess around on the court for everyone's enjoyment.
Despite a slew of injuries, the rosters still feature a wide assortment of superstars set to dazzle in New York.
| John Wall | G | Washington Wizards |
| Kyle Lowry | G | Toronto Raptors |
| LeBron James | F | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Carmelo Anthony | F | New York Knicks |
| Pau Gasol | F | Chicago Bulls |
| Chris Bosh | Bench | Miami Heat |
| Jimmy Butler | Bench | Chicago Bulls |
| Al Horford | Bench | Atlanta Hawks |
| Kyrie Irving | Bench | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Kyle Korver | Bench | Atlanta Hawks |
| Paul Millsap | Bench | Atlanta Hawks |
| Jeff Teague | Bench | Atlanta Hawks |
| Dwyane Wade | Injured | Miami Heat |
| Stephen Curry | G | Golden State Warriors |
| Klay Thompson | G | Golden State Warriors |
| James Harden | G | Houston Rockets |
| LaMarcus Aldridge | F | Portland Trail Blazers |
| Marc Gasol | C | Memphis Grizzlies |
| DeMarcus Cousins | Bench | Sacramento Kings |
| Tim Duncan | Bench | San Antonio Spurs |
| Kevin Durant | Bench | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| Damian Lillard | Bench | Portland Trail Blazers |
| Dirk Nowitzki | Bench | Dallas Mavericks |
| Chris Paul | Bench | Los Angeles Clippers |
| Russell Westbrook | Bench | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| Kobe Bryant* | Injured | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Anthony Davis* | Injured | New Orleans Pelicans |
| Blake Griffin* | Injured | Los Angeles Clippers |
Preview
As always proves the case with any All-Star event, the original rosters are never the actual product. Four players, including three Western Conference starters, have already withdrawn for injury reasons.
Don't feel bad for the West, as Lillard, DeMarcus Cousins and Dirk Nowitzki will replace Kobe Bryant, Blake Griffin and Anthony Davis, per NBA.com. Bryant's season-ending shoulder injury rectified the fans' egregious error to stuff the ballots for someone with a 37.3 field-goal percentage.
Instead, the NBA's leader in scoring and win shares (Harden) gets the nod. For another spot, head coach Steve Kerr decided to bestow the honor to his Golden State Warriors star. Per NBA TV:
After injuring his shoulder last week, Davis also decided to skip the exhibition contest as a precaution. He explained his decision in a New Orleans Pelicans team press release:
"After careful thought and consideration, I’ve decided I will not be participating in this year’s NBA All-Star competitions. I want to thank the fans for voting me into the All-Star game and I am sorry I will not be able to play.
While I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to compete this weekend, I’m still very excited about the opportunity to be a part of the All-Star events in New York and celebrate our game with some of the NBA’s greatest figures.
More than anything, I am anxious to get healthy and back on the court with my teammates after the All-Star break.
"
Replacing Davis is a massive chore, as the 21-year-old sports a league-best 31.8 player efficiency rating (PER). How does one possibly fill the void of a viable MVP candidate? Well, they could always promote the defending MVP, which ESPN's Marc Stein cited as Kerr's plan early on Saturday afternoon:
Stein, however, quickly announced Kerr's amended decision, simply pointing to another option averaging 23.6 points and 10.3 rebounds per game for the Portland Trail Blazers:
As Davis sits out the All-Star Game in preparation for the real thing, Carmelo Anthony plans to play on Sunday amid rumors of him shutting his season down afterward.
“I can’t give you an answer how many minutes I’m going to play Sunday,’’ Anthony said earlier this week, per the New York Post's Marc Berman. “It’s a very special moment, very special day, weekend for me.’’
Expect him to pay his respects to the New York Knicks fans at Madison Square Garden and jog around for a few minutes before making way for a healthier reserve. It's not exactly on par with Willis Reed hobbling out for Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, but he sounds intent on playing the gracious host.
Prediction
Despite all of its injuries, the West still boasts brighter stars. When everyone gets serious near the end, Kerr's club can clinch a victory by exploiting a colossal size advantage.
Even without Davis and Griffin, Durant, Nowitzki, Cousins, Aldridge, Tim Duncan and Marc Gasol can pummel a small Eastern Conference crew with one true center in the 6'10" Al Horford.
Or their armada of killer point guards can decimate the opposition in a hyper-paced game with limited defense. Either way, the far superior conference comes out on top.
Prediction: West 154, East 142
All advanced statistics are courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.
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