The Memphis Grizzlies sit above Lillard's Blazers, Stephen Curry's Warriors, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Thunder in the standings. NBA All-Star Game 2022: Picks and predictions for Slam Dunk Contest, 3-Point Contest and more | Sporting News NYK PHI 4:00p -7 pts PHO IND 4:00p -2 pts That level of facilitation is remarkable in a player whose own individual scoring, fueled by an NBA-high-tying 18.9 paint points per game, would by itself define him as one of the best offensive players in the league. Night to night, nobody plays with more effort or focus than Giannis. With a pair of MVPs already decorating his mantle and no indication he'll relinquish a spot in the discussion for that award this season, Giannis Antetokounmpo is a shoo-in to be on the floor for the opening tip of the All-Star Game. ET. For his performances, the Polish-American was selected to theRising Stars Challenge during the 2023 All-Star Weekend. Not that it necessarily sways voters, but Jrue Holiday remains one of the top defensive guards in the league. This isn't niche statistical cherry-picking. Only 28.2 percent of his twos and 49.1 percent of his threes have been created via assists from teammates. Find out in our free betting picks and predictions for the NBA All-Star Game, Team Durant vs. We're talking about a glorified pickup game that's supposed to be fun, but some players have incentives in their contracts for making an All-Star team. The presence of Damian Lillard on the court obviously gives them hope in a one-or-two-and-done scenario. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. Playing under two-time NBA All-Star Joakim Noah, Sochan recorded six points, an assist, and a steal in the teams first game. What does Miami have to do to even up this first-round series with the Bucks? Devin Booker (left) and LaMelo Ball were both popular All-Star reserve picks by our writers. Then, on the Feb. 9 trade deadline, sent starting center Jakob Poeltl to the Toronto Raptors. Then, of course, there is the legacy angle for LeBron. VanVleet has also grinded his way into All-Star recognition. The 13-time All-Star, who was dealt to Phoenix on Feb. 9, has not played in a game since Jan. 8 when he was with the Nets. LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo serve as But Golden State doesnt really merit three All-Stars this season, Draymond has missed a lot of games and the Andrew Wiggins thing skewed their representation. Now, lets look at our Blazers bold predictions for the rest of their season. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He shot 43.0 percent from the field and 30.0 percent from deep in November, and both of those numbers have dipped even lower in December. Returning home to Cleveland to put on a show in hopes of trying to get everyone to forget that the Lakers are 27-31 and sit in ninth place in the Western Conference. Sign Up Now, *replaces injured James Harden**replaces injured Kevin Durant***replaces injured Draymond Green. Press J to jump to the feed. VanVleet has become a capable replacement in Toronto for Kyle Lowry. Then its Allen, Butler and VanVleet. Butler has played in only 32 games, but is one of only six players averaging 20, 6 and 6, has been efficient, and also defends at a high level. Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Nikola Joki's statistical trailblazing requires deeper looks into history and what seem like weekly invocations of "He's the first to do Ridiculous Thing X since Wilt Chamberlain." Kings are my hometown team but the Suns are tied for my favorite team. In the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, James was one of McClure's top NBA DFS picks. He is making 44.8% of his field goals, 26.2% of his 3-pointers and 69.3% of his free-throw attempts. 2022/23Prizm Draft Picks Tari Eason RC Purple Ice Variation Prizm /149. Draymond Green Golden State Warriors. Choose seven players from the West, but select eight players from the East since its already expected Kevin Durant will not be playing. His presence on the floor coincides with gains in effective field-goal percentage and free-throw rate, along with a significant drop in turnover percentage. on This Clippers-Nets Trade Sends Kyrie Irving To L.A. All-Star starters and captains will be named, Five Key Predictions Ahead Of The NBA Trade Deadline. Accurate through Dec. 21. His poor defense coupled with the lack of clutch heroics that defined his 2021-22 season leaves him on the short end of a crowded race. The pick here is Mitchell, given that he ranks seventh in usage rate, leading what has been the leagues No. Prior to his new one-handed form, Sochan was hitting only 45.8% of his shots from the foul line. We're crediting him for that here, along with the way he's stepped up on the other end for a Bucks team that didn't have Khris Middleton in the lineup until Dec. 2. Zion Williamson's status as the only player averaging at least 25 points on better than 60 percent shooting might be enough to get him consideration for a starting spot all on its own. Plenty of things will drop your jaw this weekend, but for my money, this event is as good as it gets. Since you're here for an actual prediction, though, it has to be Green. Therefore, it is high time we voted for our favorite players to be a part of the All-Star game, taking place in Cleveland on February 20th. Hornets Land Timberwolves Karl-Anthony Towns In Bold Trade Scenario, Shocking Legal Details Emerge About Grizzlies Ja Morant, Paul George Gets Brutally Honest About His NBA Stardom, Pacers Land Thunders Luguentz Dort In Bold Trade Scenario, Rockets Land Warriors Andrew Wiggins In Bold Trade Scenario, on NBA All-Star Predictions; Final Look At Who Gets In, Who Gets Snubbed. Assuming good health, LeBron will enter the All-Star break as the NBAs all-time leading scorer (passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and the fourth-leading playmaker He mans that position while also serving as a primary facilitator. SOCHAN THE DESTROYER pic.twitter.com/kjdP2jlmjJ, San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 18, 2023. All-star Memphis Grizzlies player also allegedly involved in confrontation with mall The latter has proved trickier than you might think. Giannis Antetokounmpo's motor only has a top gear, the Cavs have their hometown fans behind them and the rookies are busy proving they belong. Writers' 2022-23 NBA All-Stars Predictions NBA Writers 2022-23 NBA All-Stars Predictions by Sheikh U. December 25, 2022 Were over 30 games into the season and its time we start looking at the potential All-Stars of this season. That's a more demanding role than Markkanen plays, and it's just barely enough to offset the Utah Jazz forward's massive advantage in scoring efficiency and minutes logged. Towns is putting up numbers nearly identical to his 2018-19 All-Star season, and Doncic has pretty much carried Dallas on its current hot streak. NBA 2K21 LIVE STREAM | NEXT GEN | METICULOUS MONDAY | Missing the playoffs may have a silver lining for the Portland Trail Blazers, particularly if the New York Knicks secure a playoff spot. Some nights, he does all of the above. He hasn't fared too well in the West voting the last couple of years so not sure how popular he is either. Did you know that if you parlayed todays NBA All-Star Game ATS and O/U picks, you could win $255.12 on a $10 bet? Good chance Harden is right there as well, even if he's not exactly deserving because of missed games. Sign Up Now, Canada: Bet $1, get $100 in free bets when you sign up with BetVictor! This could satisfy Lillards perpetual desire to have another All-Star on the roster. However, despite Lillards performance, the Blazers remain under .500 for the season. Realistically Trae will be the top vote getter in the East backcourt. Team LeBron: James Harden G (Out).Team Durant: Kevin Durant F (Out), Draymond Green PF (Out).Find our latest NBA injury reports. Towns is the most efficient center after Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic. LeBron James will return to Cleveland as an All-Star Game captain, and Ja Morant and Andrew Wiggins are headed there as 1st-time selections. on What does Miami have to do to even up this first-round series with the Bucks? The biggest question should be who'll get the MVP, since there is no shortage of capable candidates, but how do you not go with the King being crowned? EPM's rate stat, which is also noncumulative, slots him fifth behind only Luka Doni, Nikola Joki, Anthony Davis and Stephen Curry. After a lost 2021-22 season, Dame's numbers are eerily similar to the ones he produced two years ago when he was an All-NBA second-teamer and finished seventh in MVP voting (2020-21 stats in parentheses): 27.7 points (28.8), 7.1 assists (7.5) and 3.7 rebounds (4.2) on a 44.8/39.3/89.8 (45.1/39.1/92.8) shooting split. Team LeBron on February 20. I like the distribution of my East roster: The team on top, Chicago, gets two All-Stars in DeMar DeRozan and LaVine. The latest: Joki's preposterous 40-point, 27-rebound, 10-assist effort against the Charlotte Hornets on Dec. 18, the first of its kind since, yep, Chamberlain pulled it off in 1968. In fact, we believe those questions will linger well into the 2023 offseason. He's the same guy! West reserves: Devin Booker, Luka Doncic, Draymond Green, Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, Chris Paul, Karl-Anthony Towns. For now, Steph's case is just too strong to deny. The Hornets and Raptors may not even sniff the playoffs, if not for Ball and VanVleet. Here are the results of the Anunoby, Porzingis, DeRozan, Some notes -most of the notable exclusions are due to injury -DeRozan is considered front court -the Kings may not get two depending on their record in a couple months, but one of those two should still get in -the Jazz may not get any depending on what their record looks like -the Lakers aren't good but LeBron and AD are most assuredly getting in -Embiid not being a starter is tough but idk who of those three you would take out -Brunson for the East and Jerami Grant for the West were two last-minute cuts. East reserves: Jarrett Allen, LaMelo Ball, Jimmy Butler, James Harden, Zach LaVine, Khris Middleton, Jayson Tatum, Fred VanVleet. You're also in luck, since our purpose is breaking out our trusty crystal ball to form predictions for every major event. This is the first time since his rookie season that LeBron is posting a true shooting percentage worse than the league average. And once more, hell make a strong commitment to this organization, as he always has. 8. Salary info via Spotrac. As mentioned, the All-Star Game is always about narrative. The total, on the other hand, hit the board at 319.5 and has already been bet up to 320.5 at some shops. Obviously some of the leagues most elite talents like Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant and LeBron James will headline the event once again, but there are some very deserving talents in this league that could very well be this years first-timeNBA All-Stars. The trade deadline drama continues to headline what is happening in the NBA, along with teams jockeying for positions in both conference standings, but a key event that nobody seems to be paying attention to is the NBA All-Star Game that is right around the corner! That still seems like enough to give him the distinction of being listed before we get to the wild-card spots. LaVine has remained consistent, while still making room for DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso. ET. Team Durant for the second straight year, but once again, Durant won't be suiting up. $4.99. The problem is that Vassell suffered a knee injury in January, which has limited him to just 29 games this season. The 2022 NBA All-Star Game is set to take place on Feb. 20 in Cleveland and with it now being less than four weeks away, it is time to start talking about which Mitchell has missed seven games due to a concussion, and while there are whispers about his relationship deteriorating with Gobert as the team continues to slump, the former can flat out put on a show, and the latter is the lynchpin to Utahs success defensively. And its not like LeBron is having a down year. Injuries. The injury replacement spot came down to Ball, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton and Pascal Siakam. That's no small feat for someone with two All-NBA nods on his resum. Then again, when a player's "worst" month of the season includes averages of 24.0 points, 8.3 assists and 6.9 rebounds for a contender in the West (despite ugly efficiency numbers), he's set the bar pretty high. Slight regression on two-point jumpers won't be enough to cost him clear All-Star status. Team LeBron vs. The alarming edge in talent makes Team LeBron a surprisingly safe bet in the 2022 All-Star Game. Devin Booker's All-Star case is about more than scoring 58 points to drag his team out of a 24-point hole against a budding rival, all while leaving the experience somehow still unsatisfied. As of today, heres how this All-Star ballot looks. Team Durant is a battle of basketball powerhouses in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. Throw in SGA's late-game heroicshe leads the league in both total clutch points and free-throw attemptsand we have enough information to split hairs in his favor. The Western Conference backcourt is the most crowded position on the All-Star ballot, but Luka Doni's starting spot has been set in stone for a while now. Brown is shooting 57.9 percent from 10-16 feet and 53.3 percent from 16-23 feet, incredible accuracy well beyond his career rates that nobody but Kevin Durant should be expected to sustain. Brown has Ball on efficiency and defense, but Ball has the slight edge in per-game numbers and total games/minutes played. NBA All-Star voting officially opened on Dec. 20, and we've reached the one-third mark of the 2022-23 season. Although the record is not great, the team is showing some potential on the court. 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend: Predicting the Winners Our staff picks for the dunk contest, three-point shootout and All-Star Game. Since the start of 2023, Lillard has been the most effective scorer in the league. Giving these young players more minutes will not only help accelerate their development but also allow the Blazers to assess what they can do. The 2023 NBA All-Star Game arrives on Sunday, with the best of the best taking the floor in Salt Lake City. He last played on Jan. 2 before undergoing an arthroscopic procedure. Free shipping. A closing number around here would be the highest total in an All-Star Game since 2018's matchup between Team LeBron and Team Steph, which was an astronomical 334. With voting officially open, The Crossover staff weighs in on potential starters and first-time All-Stars in the East. Of course, take note that there are just 4.5 games separating the Wests third-seed (Sacramento Kings) from the Blazers. We aren't quite there yet, though. James is back in his home state, eager to enjoy the game after a frustration-filled first half for the Los Angeles Lakers and in position for another legacy lift, since a fourth All-Star Game MVP would match him with Kobe Bryant and Bob Pettit for the most all-time. He was a fan voting leader last season even though he didn't start playing until January. West reserves: Devin Booker, Luka Doncic, Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green, Donovan Mitchell, Chris Paul, Karl-Anthony Towns. The Phoenix Suns have been without multiple rotation players throughout the year. Plus, Poeltls departure at the trade deadline also affected the Spurs both on and off the court.