What To Expect In The 2019 NBA All Star Game

What+To+Expect+In+The+2019+NBA+All+Star+Game

Avery Carter, Author

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.