By Pasha Ho
It’s that time of year again in the NBA. The all-star break has just begun, and it will run from Friday, February 18 to Wednesday, February 23. The weekend gives the league’s players a brief rest from playing and provides fans with an entertaining lineup of events featuring the most talented players. Tune in for the Celebrity Game, Rising Stars Tournament, Skills Challenge, Three Point Contest, Dunk Contest and of course, the All-Star Game.
The All-Star Game, which is happening on Sunday, February 20, will follow a similar format as previous years. The “Elam Ending” established in 2020 will still be in effect, where the timer is shut-off in the fourth quarter and teams attempt to reach a target score to end the game. The draft format is also being kept, and the two team captains, LeBron James and Kevin Durant, have already broadcast their draft choices on television. Taking injury replacements into account, here are the rosters for this year’s All-Star game:
Team LeBron
Starters:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Stephen Curry
- DeMar DeRozan
- LeBron James
- Nikola Jokic
Reserves:
- Jarrett Allen
- Jimmy Butler
- Luka Doncic
- Darius Garland
- Donovan Mitchell
- Chris Paul
- Fred VanVleet
Team Durant
Starters:
- Joel Embiid
- Ja Morant
- Jayson Tatum
- Andrew Wiggins
- Trae Young
Reserves:
- LaMelo Ball
- Devin Booker
- Rudy Gobert
- Zach LaVine
- Khris Middleton
- Dejounte Murray
- Karl-Anthony Towns
While both rosters are loaded with talent, I do think one team’s lineup has a clear advantage. Comparing the starting lineups, Team LeBron’s is full of proven, experienced veterans. All of these players have over 5 years of playing experience, have been starters before in the All-Star game, and have 9 MVP awards among themselves. In contrast, Team Durant’s team has a younger, less experienced lineup. Durant, their most experienced All-Star, is injured, and has been replaced by a rookie, LaMelo Ball. Additionally, only Embiid has over 5 years of playing experience, and Morant and Wiggins have never even played in an All-Star Game before.
Overall, I think Team Durant’s inexperienced core of players puts them at a disadvantage, especially since as starters, they will play the majority of minutes in the game. Team LeBron’s starting five looks like a fantasy team, so therefore my prediction for this year’s NBA All-Star Game is that Team Lebron will win, again. In fact, Team LeBron has won every All-Star Game since the draft format was introduced in 2018. Can Team Durant break LeBron’s streak? Only time will tell.