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]
It was surprised to see 'bigs' (Simmons) lining up for the 3-point contest. This is not a skill set for just the guards anymore.
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