Team LeBron vs Team Durant
As much as LeBron James gets the flak for being a pseudo-general manager for all the teams that he’s been on throughout his entire 19-year career, you can’t argue that he’s done a great job here in the NBA All-Star Game in these past few seasons.
Team LeBron is now 4-0 since the league decided to change the All-Star teams format, and he can get his fifth straight here at his hometown in Cleveland.
LeBron James will face a team led by Kevin Durant again since the Nets superstar gained the second highest amount of votes behind him. This will mark the second time that Durant will get to manage his All-Star group.
The pre-game NBA 2022 odds are favouring Team LeBron because of their unbeaten streak. But overall, we expect this to be a slightly closer matchup compared to last year’s edition.
Check out our preview of the showpiece event of the NBA All-Star weekend by continuing to read down below.
Talking Points
Team LeBron boasts multiple MVP candidates
LeBron James was the top vote-getter for the All-Star Game and he was entitled to pick first in the draft.
From the moment he put his GM hat on, The King wasted no time in picking former league MVPs Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steph Curry, and Nikola Jokic into his starting five, as well as DeMar DeRozan – who has been putting up ridiculous scoring numbers recently.
On the bench, they have Luka Doncic, Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler, Donovan Mitchell, Fred VanVleet, and Cavs stars Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen. Allen will replace James Harden since he’s unavailable due to an injury.
Team LeBron won’t be short of playmakers for this game especially with LeBron James and Nikola Jokic leading the way. Meanwhile, Steph Curry, DeMar DeRozan, and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s various skillsets should complement each other.
Curry’s outside shooting will stretch Team Durant’s defense that will open up midrange and inside opportunities for DeRozan and Antetokounmpo, and you can expect James and Jokic to find them for dimes.
Paul, Garland, and Doncic will be the reserves’ primary playmakers, while Mitchell and Butler provide scoring from the wings and VanVleet is another effective ball handler and outside shooter. Allen, on the other hand, adds length and he’ll be a lob threat too.
First time All-Stars looking to prove themselves for Team Durant
As expected, the injured Kevin Durant is going to be replaced by Jayson Tatum in the starting lineup and he’ll be joined by Joel Embiid, Trae Young, Ja Morant, and Andrew Wiggins in the starting five.
While playmaking is Team LeBron’s strongest suit, Team Durant’s specialty is going to be their athleticism given their younger legs – especially with first time All-Stars LaMelo Ball, Dejounte Murray, and Andrew Wiggins present.
Look for Morant, Wiggins, and LaVine to jump high for dunks and alley-oops with the likes of Young, Ball, and Murray feeding them up top.
Meanwhile, Middleton, Booker, and Tatum provide the scoring firepower, and Embiid, Towns, and Gobert will give Team Durant the size advantage.
History
Prior to 2018, the NBA All-Star Game has always been an East vs. West matchup where the former has won in 37 while the latter has won 29 times.
In 2018, Team LeBron won against Team Steph, 148-145. After that, Team LeBron won back-to-back against Team Giannis with scorelines of 178-164 and 157-155. Last season, Team LeBron routed Team Durant, 170-150.
The festitivies are to be held in Cleveland, which may give LeBron James and co. some type of home advantage since he’s originally from there. This is the first time in 25 years that Cleveland will get to host the All-Star weekend.
What are the odds?
The SBOTOP odds are picking Team LeBron to get the victory for the fifth consecutive year. They are priced at 1.45 to win, while Team Durant aren’t that far behind as they’re pegged at 2.69 in the 1X2 market. In the Asian Handicap market, Team LeBron is pegged at -5.50 @ 1.91.
On paper, LeBron James has the superior team, which is an advantage that is further emphasized by Kevin Durant’s absence from his team.
But when it comes to which team is likely to produce the exciting NBA 2022 highlights, Team Durant may have the edge given the playstyles of the young stars present in their lineup. We wouldn’t be surprised if the result goes either way since both teams aren’t willing to concede some bragging rights. At the end of the day, the biggest winners here are going to be the NBA fans all over the world.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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