Love is in the air! But, we’re not referring to the John Paul Young tune nor Valentine’s Day.
For all you lovebirds out there, what we’re really talking about is the NBA All-Star Game 2016 which is being played on Sunday, February 14th in Toronto. Keep reading for a preview and the NBA All-Star Game Predictions…
Barring any injuries, the team rosters for Team East and Team West have been set. Most of the expected players are getting their time on court and below you can get the lowdown on who they are.
First, let’s take a look of which seems to be the better team.
Team West
Since it’s being played in Toronto, Team West is the road team in this game. Coached by San Antonio Spur, Gregg Popovich, West appears to be the better team on paper.
Sporting the reigning MVP, Golden State’s Stephen Curry, as well as Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook, the West certainly packs a punch that’s hard to ignore.
But, they’re not the only talent on the team, as they also have the abilities of Sacramento King’s DeMarcus Cousins, arguably the NBA’s best man on center, as well as the Pelican’s Anthony Davis (among the best in the game right now). And, we can’t really leave out the legendary Kobe Bryant who also got the nod and Kevin Durant who plays with Westbrook in OKC.
Team East
If you believe Team West is the better team, you might want to give it a second thought because East is nothing to sneeze at.
Whenever you have King James on your side, you cannot count a team out. He’s joined by the Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade and the Bull’s Jimmy Butler, who undoubtedly is one of the best point guards in the league.
NBA All-Star Game Picks: As you can see, both teams have heavyweights on their side. And, it’s hard to predict a winner when that’s the case. However, the All-Star Game is where shooters usually shine; and, in that regards the West seems to have the upper hand. With Curry and Thompson on the roster, we’ll all be treated to a fair share of three-pointers for the night which means Team West will probably jump into the early lead and win the game at the buzzer.
Who Will Win the MVP?
There are no shortage of MVP recipients playing in this year’s game. Four of the past five All-Star MVPs will be taking the court on Sunday. Kobe Bryant himself has won four awards, while LeBron has amassed two.
Now, we don’t really see Kobe snatching up this year’s MVP. That leaves Westbrook, George, Curry, and possibly DeRozan.
Westbrook is a beast at the point guard position, driving to the basket like a bulldog on steroids. While George has fully recovered from his leg injury to give the Pacers an incredible 23.3 points per game, along with 7.1 rebounds and four assists this year. DeRozan is another man who can make a run for this award, along with Kyle Lowry, they’ve taken the Toronto Raptors to No. 2 in the Eastern Conference and fifth overall.
But, without a doubt it’s Curry that takes the cake for anyone who’s watched him play this year. He’s been dubbed “the best shooter of all time,” and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration considering he’s leading Golden State to 70+ wins this season. Like we mentioned above, he’ll be taking the lion’s share of threes and he’s our candidate for the award.
Full Team Roster
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Source: NBA
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