What To Expect In The 2019 NBA All Star Game
February 12, 2019
With the NBA All Star Game coming up on Feb. 17, we expect to see a lot from Team Giannis and Team Lebron. On Feb. 8, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo created their all-star team. Here are the starting lineups.
Team Lebron
Coach: Mike Budenholzer – Milwaukee Bucks
Starters:
Lebron James – Los Angeles Lakers
Kevin Durant – Golden State Warriors
James Harden – Houston Rockets
Kyrie Irving – PG Boston Celtics
Kawhi Leonard – Toronto Raptors
Reserves/Bench:
LaMarcus Aldridge – San Antonio Spurs
Bradley Beal – Washington Wizards
Anthony Davis – New Orleans Pelicans
Damian Lillard – Portland Trail Blazers
Ben Simmons – Philadelphia 76ers
Klay Thompson – Golden State Warriors
Karl-Anthony Towns – Minnesota TimberWolves
Dwyane Wade – Miami Heat
Team Giannis
Coach: Michael Malone – Denver Nuggets
Starters:
Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks
Stephen Curry – Golden State Warriors
Joel Embiid – Philadelphia 76ers
Paul George – Oklahoma City Thunder
Kemba Walker – Charlotte Hornets
Reserves/Bench:
Blake Griffin – Detroit Pistons
Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets
Kyle Lowry – Toronto Raptors
Khris Middleton – Milwaukee Bucks
Dirk Nowitzki – Dallas Mavericks
Victor Oladipo – Indiana Pacers
D’Angelo Russell – Brooklyn Nets
Nikola Vucevic – Orlando Magic
Russell Westbrook – Oklahoma City Thunder
There is a lot of debate of whether Team LeBron will win in this matchup because they say that he is the G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time). Many others say that Team Giannis will win because his starters are better. The chemistry with Team LeBron is better because James Harden and Kevin Durant are former teammates who played for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2011-12 season, along with Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge, who recently played together for the San Antonio Spurs in the 2017 season.
According to CBS Sports, “The Philadelphia 76ers big man and Oklahoma City Thunder star have a history of getting under each other’s skin, and their latest powwow had Westbrook emphatically telling reporters that he isn’t ‘cool’ with Embiid after the Sixers All-Star landed on top of him in a January game. Embiid chirped back, saying Westbrook is ‘always in his feelings,’ then stared down his nemesis after a dunk in a game later that month.”
While Embiid and Westbrook aren’t friends, Giannis chose them to be on the same team to try to help the situation. Giannis had chosen Embiid for his second pick but ended up trading Ben Simmons, his seventh pick for Westbrook, LeBron’s eighth pick. According to Sixers Wire, Joel Embiid says, “I’m willing to work it out.” However, when Westbrook was asked whether he would be willing to set the past aside with Embiid for at least one game, he answered, “Next question.”
My prediction on this matchup is that Team LeBron will win because their starting lineup has better overall players than Team Giannis with Joel Embiid and Russell Westbrook, who have a lot a tension between them.