My Picks for NBA’s All-Star Saturday (Part 1)
It seems like the NBA season just started (that’s because it did), and here we are already talking about the All-Star Game. The starters were announced last Thursday and the reserves will be announced later tonight on TNT. The game is Feb. 26, just two months from the start of the season.
But who cares about the All-Star Game! The highlight of All-Star Weekend is Saturday night anyway!
The contestants for these events have yet to be chosen, but that’s why I’m here. Here’s a look at who I think should compete in each of the contests:
Haier Shooting Stars (If you need a refresher on the rules, click here)
We will lead off with the forgotten event of Saturday night. I enjoy this competition because I love watching basketball players shoot from half-court and clank shot after shot after shot off the rim. There is almost no skill required to win this competition. It’s all about who can get lucky and bank in a half court shot before the other teams. As I digress, here’s my list of contestants:
Team Orlando/Washington: Hedo Turkoglu, Penny Hardaway and Monique Curry. The host city (in this year’s case, Orlando) always has a team so I had to put Hedo and Penny on the team because they are good 3-point shooters. What I didn’t realize, was that the state of Florida does not have a WNBA team! This was shocking to me, so I had to go with Monique Currie of the Washington Mystics.
Team Atlanta: Joe Johnson, Steve Smith and Coco Miller. The champions from last year have to get invited back. Unfortunately, Al Horford is injured, so I put Joe Johnson in his place. Which, probably makes them a stronger team and an even greater favorite.
Team New York: Jeremy Lin, Allan Houston and Cappie Pondexter. It is time for Lin-sanity to reach All-Star Weekend.
Team Phoenix: Grant Hill, Charles Barkley and Diana Taurasi. My favorite team by far. Although I like Chuck’s commentary on the dunk contest, and his occasional race against 67-year-old Dick Bevetta, we all need more Chuck in our lives. Especially on All-Star Weekend. If Chuck can still make a 15-footer (a big “if” at this point) Team Phoenix could be a sleeper.
My Pick: Team Atlanta.
Taco Bell Skills Challenge
A very underrated part of All-Star Saturday night, the Taco Bell Skills Challenge has always been a favorite of mine. It’s an “obstacle course” with shooting, passing and dribbling stations. Whoever finishes the quickest wins. There always seems to be one, or two, contestants that just mosey around the course, so my challenge is to find four guys with motivation to win. Here’s my list:
Mo Williams, LA Clippers. Mo always thinks he’s being disrespected. Whether it’s LeBron leaving him to go the Heat, or Chris Paul taking his starting job in LA, Mo plays with a chip on his shoulder. That’s what I want in a Skills Challenge contestant. He’s also a veteran of this competition, taking third in 2009.
Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves. This was an easy pick. He’s flashy, a great passer and he doesn’t know any better so he will try to win.
Ty Lawson, Denver Nuggets. He’s so quick and he’s really a fantastic player even though he’s not that well-known. The Skills Challenge would be a great stage for Lawson to host his coming-out party. Lawson wants more respect from the NBA and he can get it with a solid performance in the Skills Challenge.
Jeremy Lin, NY Knicks. I mean, you guys saw what he did to John Wall last night, right?? He’s a natural! (He does need to figure out that Band-Aid, though)
My Pick: Ty Lawson. But if I’m the NBA, I rig it so that we have a Lin vs. Rubio final.
Come back tomorrow for Part 2 of my picks for All-Star Saturday! We’ll look at the 3-point contest and the dunk contest!
Kale's Korner 