Team LeBron vs Team Giannis
LeBron James has been the King of the NBA All-Star Game. Since the game’s format change which featured team captains in 2018, Team LeBron has gone a perfect 5-0 in the ASG.
And James – the newly crowned NBA all-time scoring leader – will be gunning for his sixth straight ASG victory in Salt Lake City, Utah.
There will be a few NBA superstars who will miss this year’s All-Star Game due to injury, including reigning All-Star MVP Stephen Curry. However, there are a couple of exciting young stars who have replaced them on the roster and will be keen to make their marks on this big stage.
Talking Points
Format changes to this year’s All-Star Game
There are big changes to the selection process in this year’s NBA All-Star Game. Unlike in previous years when the All-Star captains drafted their respective teams weeks in advance, this year’s captains – LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo – will pick just minutes before the start of the game.
That means both teams will not have much time to prepare with their respective team-mates before playing the actual game.
But if history is anything to go by, the team that features LeBron James is a good indicator of who will win the All-Star Game. Team LeBron has won each of the last five All-Star Games since the change in format.
Aside from the time of the draft, another big change in this year’s format is that the two captains will first select reserves, and the last eight players picked will be the starters. That change was made to save players the embarrassment of being picked last in the draft.
Big stars set to miss out
Unfortunately, this year’s All-Star Game will not feature two of the league’s biggest superstars. Reigning ASG MVP Stephen Curry will miss the game due to his leg injury. Meanwhile, new Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant is still recovering from his knee sprain.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, who was voted in as a starter, will also miss the game after he suffered a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury.
Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant and Utah Jazz star Lauri Markannen have both been picked to start in place of Curry and Williamson, while Joel Embiid will start for Durant.
Meanwhile, young guards De’Aaron Fox and Anthony Edwards both received their first All-Star nods after the injuries to Curry and Zion, and they will be keen to produce some NBA 2023 highlights on their All-Star debuts.
And there could yet be more late scratches to this year’s game. Embiid is unsure if he will play after he admitted he was not healthy due to a foot injury. Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown, who has missed the team’s last four games due to a facial injury, is also a doubt, while team captain Antetokounmpo recently suffered a wrist injury that saw him sit out the Skills Challenge.
History
As mentioned earlier, LeBron James has been unbeatable since the All-Star Game instituted team captains. His teams have won each of the last five All-Star Games.
Last season, James had a star-studded team that featured that season’s MVP, Nikola Jokic, as well as two other two-time MVPs in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry.
Curry, who has historically underwhelmed in All-Star Games, had a brilliant game as he had 50 points and 16 3-pointers to lead Team LeBron to a narrow 163-160 win.
What are the odds?
Unsurprisingly, the SBOTOP NBA 2023 odds for the All-Star Game have Team LeBron installed as 1.72 favourites to beat Team Giannis, who are priced at 2.16. Moreover, Team LeBron are also -2.50 at 1.89 on the Asian Handicap, while Team Giannis are +2.50 at 1.97.
Even without knowing any of his team-mates, LeBron James just somehow manages to win on All-Star Weekend, so he seems like a safe bet. Add the uncertain status of Giannis on the other side, and things are trending toward yet another LeBron All-Star win.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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