2012 NBA All-Star Weekend Preview/Predictions

Ok, I'm not going to lie. This is probably the least interested in an All-Star weekend that I've ever been. For one, with the lock-out-shortened season, it just doesn't even feel like there should be an All-Star Weekend at all. Add in the lack of big names involved with the Saturday events, and the "I'd rather be resting than playing today" attitude that most of the players will have when the 'big game' actually tips off on Sunday, and I just don't feel like this is going to be something any of us looks back on as a true 'classic' five years from now.

But, as is the great thing about sports, you never really know what's going to happen, and low expectations can always be greatly exceeded. So, I'm going to try and not let these preconceived notions ruin any potential enjoyment I might otherwise have been able to have.

And it's with that in mind that I give you my list of Picks and Predictions for this year's various events.


BBVA Rising Stars Challenge
Friday Feb. 24, 7pm MT

If you think the All-Star Game is bad for being nothing but turnovers, 3 point shots and alley oop dunks, then you really need to sit down and watch one of these. Formally known as the Rookie/Sophomore Game, it has undergone a few tweaks and changes over the past few years. All of which have been improvements, in my opinion. In it's current form, rather than the best Eastern Conference Rookies vs the best Western Conference Rookies (1994-1998) or Rookies vs Sophomores (2000-2011) it is now done in a school yard pick up style fashion, where the eleven best rookies and eleven best sophomores were all put on a list, and then Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal took turns selecting players until everyone had been selected.

This should result in more evenly matched teams, although, I still fully expect the game itself to degrade into a high turnover, low shooting percentage, missed alley oop barrage based disgrace just as quickly as it has in years past.

The rosters are:

Team Shaq	Team Chuck
Blake Griffin Jeremy Lin Ricky Rubio Markieff Morris Kemba Walker Landry Fields Norris Cole Brandon Knight Tristan Thompson Greg Monroe	Kyrie Irving DeMarcus Cousins Derrick Williams Paul George MarShon Brooks John Wall Evan Turner Gordon Hayward Kawhi Leonard Derrick Favors

My prediction: Team Shaq (135) over Team Chuck (120)

Haier Shooting Stars
Saturday Feb. 25, 6:30pm MT

I won't spend too much time on this, since it's the worst event of them all. But, if you're interested, it's a current NBA Player, a current WNBA player and a former NBA 'great' teamed together in a timed shooting competition.

The rosters are:

Team Orlando	Team Atlanta
Jameer Nelson Marie Ferdinand-Harris Dennis Scott	Jerry Stackhouse Lindsey Harding Steve Smith

Team New York	Team Texas
Landry Fields Cappie Pondexter Allan Houston	Chandler Parsons Sophia Young Kenny Smith

My prediction: Team New York

Taco Bell Skills Challenge
Saturday Feb. 25, second event

This one is pretty fun. It's a obstacle course that tests a good variety of guard skills - from dribbling and passing, to quickness and shooting.

The contestants are:

Kyrie Irving
Tony Parker
John Wall
Russell Westbrook
Deron Williams
Rajon Rondo

My prediction: Tony Parker

Foot Locker Three-Point Contest 

Saturday Feb. 25, third event

I've always really liked the 3-point contest. I tend to lean towards guys that are taller and don't actually leave their feet to shoot as they seem to have the advantage of not getting as tired, but I've seen the smaller jump shooters get it done too. Anyone can get hot at any time, and therefore it's always anyone's game.

The contestants are:

James Jones

Kevin Love

Ryan Anderson

Anthony Morrow

Mario Chalmers

Kevin Durant

My prediction: Ryan Anderson

Sprite Slam Dunk Contest

Saturday Feb. 25, final event

This is the one that everyone waits for on Saturday night. Everyone complains that there are no new dunks to be seen these days, but I would argue that we saw 3 or 4 dunks last year that had never been attempted before. The problem is the excessive attempts some dunks require, as well as the theatrics that some players try to incorporate, that really just grind the event even further to a halt. If they could sort that out, I think we could see some good stuff. Of course, they haven't, but they are continuing to tweak the rules, and this year is no different. For the first time ever, there will be only one round, and all the voting will be done by the fans. We'll see if it results in a better contest or not. (I predict: not)

The contestants are:

Chase Budinger

Paul George

Jeremy Evans

Derrick Williams

My prediction: Paul George

NBA All-Star Game presented by Kia Motors

Sunday Feb. 26, 5:30pm MT

The main event. I tend to agree with Bill Simmons that an All-Star Game is only as good as it's point guards, and we actually have a pretty good batch this year. Hopefully this results in a decent game. Although, who knows, maybe the players will be completely checked out, knowing that they could use the rest for the remainder of the crazy regular season schedule more than they could use a few extra highlights on ESPN. Could be interesting to see who ends up taking it seriously...

The rosters are:

Eastern Conference	Western Conference
Carmelo Anthony LeBron James Derrick Rose Dwyane Wade Dwight Howard Chris Bosh Luol Deng Roy Hibbert Andre Iguodala Paul Pierce Rajon Rondo Deron Williams	Kevin Durant Blake Griffin Kobe Bryant Chris Paul Andrew Bynum LaMarcus Aldridge Marc Gasol Kevin Love Steve Nash Dirk Nowitzki Tony Parker Russell Westbrook

My prediction: West (142) over East (127) [MVP: Kevin Durant]

Top 10 Favourite Motorcycles (Streetfighters)

Now we're talking. The pièce de résistance.

I love naked bikes. Especially streetfighters. Similar to the Cafe Racer's of the 50's and 60's, in essence, these started out as a subculture in the 80's and 90's where guys would race their sportbikes, but couldn't afford to replace the non-essential body fairings when they laid down or crashed their bikes. So, they would just strip it all off and ride without. They evolved over the years, to where guys would add custom headlights and taller, motocross-style handlebars to make it so you didn't have to hunch over the bike as much (and also so you could more easily pull wheelies). Eventually manufacturers took notice and started offering them right from the factory, starting with the iconic Triumph Speed Triple in 1994.

And it is with this underground heritage that the spirit of the bikes remain in their current factory offerings to this day: powerful engines, with minimal bodywork, and an upright, comfortable riding position.

The thing I don't get though, is here in North America they just don't sell. In fact, so poor are our naked purchasing numbers, that often bike companies don't even bother sending them over here, as the sales often don't outweigh the cost of getting the bike approved for safety and emission's regulations. In Europe these are the most popular style of bike by far. I just don't get it. No one really ever rides their supersport at the track, so why wouldn't they want similar performance only with way more comfort and often a list price thousands of dollars less than the equivalent supersport? Society confuses me sometimes…

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10. Suzuki SFV 650 Gladius

Engine: 645cc V-Twin
Power: 66.6 hp
Torque: 46.5 ft lbs
Weight: 446 lbs (wet)
MSRP: $8299

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9. Aprilia Shiver 750

Engine: 749.9cc V-Twin
Power: 95 hp
Torque: 59.7 ft lbs
Weight: 416.7 lbs (wet)
MSRP: $9995

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8. Aprilia Tuono V4 R

Engine: 999.6cc V4
Power: 164.9 hp
Torque: 82.2 ft lbs
Weight: 403 lbs (dry)
MSRP: $15,695

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7. Ducati Monster 1100 Evo

Engine: 1078cc L-Twin
Power: 100 hp
Torque: 76 ft lbs
Weight: 373 lbs (dry)
MSRP: $13,495

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6. KTM 990 Super Duke R

Engine: 999cc V-Twin
Power: 123 hp
Torque: 75.2 ft lbs
Weight: 410.1 lbs (dry)
MSRP: $14,398

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5. Honda CB1000R

Engine: 998cc Inline Four
Power: 123 hp
Torque: 73 ft lbs
Weight: 489 lbs (wet)
MSRP: $13,999

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4. BMW F800R

Engine: 798cc Parallel Twin
Power: 87 hp
Torque: 63.4 ft lbs
Weight:390 lbs (dry)
MSRP: $10,150

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3. Triumph Speed Triple

Engine: 1050cc Inline Triple
Power: 133 hp
Torque: 81.9 ft lbs
Weight: 471 lbs (wet)
MSRP: $13,495

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2. Ducati Streetfighter 848

Engine: 849cc L-Twin
Power: 132 hp
Torque: 69 ft lbs
Weight: 373 lbs (dry)
MSRP: $13,995

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1. MV Agusta Brutale 1090 R

Engine: 1078cc Inline Four
Power: 144.2 hp
Torque: 82.6 ft lbs
Weight: 418.9 lbs (dry)
MSRP: $15,995

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It was a tough decision to leave the Kawasaki Z1000 off this list. I mean, by all accounts, it's a really great bike - one of the best - but I just can't get over the styling. Much like the KTM Adventure a few weeks back, it's just too big of a issue for me to get past. Looks matter, and the Z1000 just isn't for me.

Speaking of looks, I definitely miss the iconic twin headlights that used to be on the Speed Triple. The new ones aren't horrible, but it will take me a while to get used to them. It's like seeing a moustache on the Mona Lisa. But, it is the original factory streetfighter - and without it, we might not be seeing any of the bikes on this list - so I suppose it can do whatever the hell it damn well pleases.

That said, in terms of an actual streetfighter, only the Aprilia Tuono and Ducati Streetfighter (go figure) really stay true to the original theory, as the Tuono is really just a RSV4 with the fairings taken off, and the Streetfighter is essentially the same as the 848 supersport. All the other bikes on the list aren't really based on anything else, and were created from the ground up, which definitely isn't how the subculture was started.

So of course this makes the die-hard purists cry foul - claiming that really that means none of these bikes are actually streetfighters (even the Aprilia and Ducati have their engines tweeked slightly from their supersport brothers). In their minds, nothing stock from the factory can be considered a real streetfighter, since, in it's essence, a streetfighter must be altered from something else to truly bare that title. Sort of like if Chevrolet released a car and simply called it the Chevrolet Hotrod, when really, a hotrod by definition is an alteration of a pre-existing car.

I personally don't care one way or the other. Call 'em what ever you like: 'streetfighter' , 'naked' or even 'performance standard'. All I know is that they are easily my favourite bikes on the planet. And with very few exceptions, I would take them over a pure sportbike any day of the week.

Top 10 Favourite Motorcycles (Sportbikes)

There is no other bike in the world quite like a Supersport.  Comfort?  Nope.  Value?  Nah.  Luggage capacity?  Forget about it.  These bikes are all made with one sole focus in mind: to go as fast as possible.  And while that can make for a rough ride on the street - and a hefty price tag - at least you know what you're getting every time you throw a leg over one.  Some bikes can be used to go fast and carry luggage, some are fun off-road while still being street legal.  Some do all those things and more.  Not the sportbike though.  It is not two bikes in one, and it's certainly not three bikes in one.  But when you're on one, there's nothing else quite like it on the planet, either.

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10. KTM 1190 RC8 R

Engine: 1195cc V-Twin
Power: 173 hp
Torque: 93.7 ft lbs
Weight: 449 lbs (wet)
MSRP: $16,499 (US)

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9. Honda CBR1000RR

Engine: 999cc Inline Four
Power: 178 hp
Torque: 82.6 ft lbs
Weight: 465 lbs (wet)
MSRP: $15,599

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8. Aprilia RSV4 R

Engine: 999.6cc V4
Power: 182.5 hp
Torque: 84.8 ft lbs
Weight: 395 lbs (dry)
MSRP: $19,495

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7. Yamaha YZF-R6

Engine: 599.4cc Inline Four
Power: 122 hp
Torque: 47.7 ft lbs
Weight: 417 lbs (wet)
MSRP: $11,999

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6. Suzuki GX-R750

Engine: 750cc Inline Four
Power: 150 hp
Torque: 64 ft lbs
Weight: 419 lbs (wet)
MSRP: $13,199

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5. Ducati 848 Evo

Engine: 849.4cc L-Twin
Power: 140 hp
Torque: 72.3 ft lbs
Weight: 370 lbs (dry)
MSRP: $15,495

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4. MV Agusta F4

Engine: 998cc Inline Four
Power: 186 hp
Torque: 84 ft lbs
Weight: 423 lbs (dry)
MSRP: $19,995

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3. BMW S 1000 RR

Engine: 999cc Inline Four
Power: 193 hp
Torque: 83 ft lbs
Weight: 451 lbs (wet)
MSRP: $17,750

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2. Triumph Daytona 675

Engine: 675cc Inline Triple
Power: 124 hp
Torque: 53 ft lbs
Weight: 407 lbs (wet)
MSRP: $12,599

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1. Ducati 1199 Panigale

Engine: 1198cc L-Twin
Power: 195 hp
Torque: 98.1 ft lbs
Weight: 414.5 lbs (wet)
MSRP: $19,995

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Ok, let's get into it,  I know that if you went solely by magazine articles and comparison tests, Yamaha's middleweight must seem like a real pig compared to the other bikes in it's class (Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, etc…) And if that's all you'd ever seen, then you'd probably think I'm crazy for having it listed here over any of those other bikes.  But I've always been a Yamaha guy, and once again, this is a list of favourites, not of the bikes that are scientifically proven to be the very best.  Plus, those bikes are honestly all within a tiny fraction of each other.  So yes, the Yammy often comes last in shootouts and comparison tests, but really, all of the bikes in that class are so close to each other, that the magazines are pretty much just splitting hairs when it comes down to ranking them.  I think the R6 looks the best, and I was always told that on the street, you'll never actually notice the difference in performance, so really you should just get the one you think looks best.  And that's why I bought an R6 back in 2005.

In terms of the Suzuki, yes, it's not the best looking bike (in my opinion) but I still don't understand why it's not a more popular platform.  Sure, it doesn't qualify for any official racing championships, but does that really matter to the everyday rider?  I mean, for only $900 more than the 600cc, you get 21 more hp and 10 more ft lbs of torque?  That's the deal of the century.  And while 1000cc bikes are often complete overkill for almost any rider, the 750cc is damn near perfect.  Light and agile like a 600, but with that extra power you get from a 1000.  I can't believe Suzuki is the only company that still makes one.

Normally I wouldn't put such similar bikes on the same list, like I did with the Ducati 848 and 1199 here.  Normally I would pick one or the other.  And if Ducati hadn't replaced the 1198 with this year's 1199, then that would ring true here as well (since the 1198 and 848 were essentially the same bike, just with different engines).  But since the 1199 is all new, and quite frankly, all ridiculous, I couldn't help but consider them as different bikes.  The BMW has held court as the craziest bike on the track for the past two years, but Ducati certainly looks poised to usurp that crown this year.  Of course, no one has actually gotten their hands on it yet, and what looks great on paper, doesn't always translate to the street.  So time will tell.  But just looking at the thing, I would take it over the odd-looking Beemer any day of the week.