All-Star Saturday Night Breakdown

By TonyTheTiger - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29372049

All-Star Saturday Night is one of my most favorite nights of the year. It's entertainment at it's best. You have the dunk contest, three point contest, and the skills competition along with things in between for our amusement. I've decided to breakdown every event from All-Star Saturday Night so everybody can see how every player participated and what their outcome means.

First off, it just didn't feel right when we started off with the Skills competition. I was very disappointed that there was no Shooting Stars competition. That was such a fun event. I felt like, once the first half court was made, that is when All-Star Saturday Night officially began. In case you don't know what the Shooting Stars event was, there is a video on it below. Anyways, onto the Skills competition...

The Skills Challenge had a different format this year as the "bigs" went up against the "smalls", the smalls being guards and the bigs being F/Cs. I'll breakdown each participant's performance below.

• Jordan Clarkson had a tough time as he was out in the first round. He wasn't that fast dribbling and did absolutely horrible in the passing section of the competition missing all 3 passes. He let C.J. McCollum get the layup before him and Clarkson was out before he even got to put up a shot as sharpshooter C.J. made his first shot. Clarkson isn't the most talented guard as you could see in the competition even though he is a dynamic scorer.
• Emanuel Mudiay struggled in this competition as he went up against Isaiah Thomas. He ended up losing because he couldn't get the passing as he missed all 3 tries while Thomas got it on the first. Mudiay then came down and lost control of the ball. By the time Mudiay made it to the 3-point shot, Thomas had already made the shot on his second attempt. Mudiay might have had a better shot if he was able to make the pass on his first try, but considering how this guy averages quite a bit of turnovers per game, maybe that is why he struggled with the passing station.
• Draymond Green did pretty well in this contest, though he didn't make it past the first round. He zoomed through the dribbling course and made the pass on his first try. He then did the layup with ease but failed to make a three pointer as he clearly rushed the first one and it was flat. He then missed the second and Karl-Anthony Towns made his before Green could get up another shot. However, Green had given us a look at his guard like skills for a big man and they were impressive to say the least.
• Anthony Davis really took it easy in the contest going pretty slow throughout the whole thing. He couldn't seem to get the three point shot to fall either as DeMarcus Cousin got the shot before he could. Davis looked really tired and slow in the game and if you looked at his face, he looked like he had been a victim of fatigue.
• DeMarcus Cousins had a big disadvantage in this competition. He was probably the slowest one out their. He was no match for Karl-Anthony Towns' speed and Cousins isn't the best ball handler. While we didn't see that much skill from him in the passing as he really couldn't get on pass though, we did get to see Cousins' range as he did hit a clutch three against Davis.
• C.J. McCollum did great in the first round as he went through the competition with ease and hit his first 3. The second round was a different story. He lost the ball through the dribbling course to start it and couldn't catch up with Isaiah Thomas. It is clear that he may be a sharpshooter, but McCollum could work on his dribbling and passing a little more.
• Isaiah Thomas was amazing in this competition. He was so speedy through the dribbling course and he never missed a pass at the passing station. In the final he sped past Towns to get his layup first. In the other rounds, he hit the 3-pointer easily. Of course, when he went against Towns in the finale, he couldn't make the 3-pointer. Isaiah Thomas really showed the world just how talented he was though.
• Karl-Anthony Towns was a beast as he lead the bigs to the win. He showed off his speed dribbling and gave the most effort out of all of the contestants. Towns made it to the end and shot the 3 well enough to win. He is a really talented big man and like Green he shows guard like skills with his passing ability. It was a joy to see Towns in this competition.

The 3-point contest was cool to see as the Splash Brothers took on the rest of the contestants. Let's take a look at how they all did

• J.J. Redick started off great. He hit his first 5. Then he cooled off. Last year if you remember, Redick kept stepping on the line so they didn't count. Well this year, he made sure he was behind the line. Redick started to get tired and that is probably a result of how much jump he has on his shot. Redick tried to win in the tie breaker to get into the final round, but he was taken down by Devin Booker. He really isn't made for the contest because of the jump he has to his shot.
• James Harden just isn't made for this contest. He never seems to be able to just set up and hit shots. Honestly, he can't seem to make them consistently in this contest and he is more of an in game shooter. Nevertheless, I was surprised that Harden did as well as he did.
• Kris Middleton did horrible in this contest. He just couldn't make that many shots. If looked at his shot, it seemed really off center. I was disappointed that Bosh wasn't in the contest, instead we got Middleton who didn't perform well in the contest at all.
• Kyle Lowry shot the ball flat and strong in the contest. That is why he had such a hard time getting shots to fall. He kept hitting back rim. Towards the end, he got tired and started shooting short. It just wasn't that great of a contest for Lowry.
• Devin Booker came out with the jitters. He started off poorly but ended great. This kid is going to be the next Steph Curry in the league. He is a great shooter and he will win this contest sometime in his career. He was nothing short of amazing. I was really impressed with how he played.
• Stephen Curry played real well, hitting the clutch 3 to get him to qualify for the final. He did even better in the final, he just couldn't compete with Klay's 27. The thing I liked about Curry is he didn't really jump on his shot. It was a great set-shot.
• Klay Thompson lit it up just like Curry did last year. He had 27 in the final round. Klay is such a great shooter and if you think about it, it's kind of scary to think that both him and Curry are on the same team. Both of them are too good of shooter.

Now if you know all-star weekend, you know that the dunk contest is usually where it's at. And it was true for this year. The contest was thrilling. Let's take a look at how the players did.

• Will Barton was really disappointing. He just couldn't make the dunks that LaVine and Gordon could make. He just can seem to get enough air on his dunks.
• Andre Drummond was pretty disappointing too. I thought he was going to do great in the contest. When he brought Steve Nash onto the court, I was expecting something really special, but it wasn't that great of a dunk.
• Aaron Gordon was great. He had the style. He did great, especially for a two foot jumper. His under-the-legs dunk was the dunk of the night by far. What he did was beyond amazing. He really set the bar high. In fact, he might have set it a little too high as he ran out of dunks towards the end and couldn't find something really creative like his other dunks. But that is besides the point. Gordon put on a show, a great show for the whole NBA nation. Even though he didn't win, he did some amazing dunks that left my jaw dropping from a dunk contest that hasn't been that good for years.
• Zach LaVine was just as great as Gordon was. The two dueled it out with some amazing dunks. Just when you saw one of Gordon's spectacular dunks, LaVine would could out with something spectacular as well. He gave us an alley-oop, between the legs, and a windmill FT line dunks, dunks that have never been done in an NBA dunk contest before from that far out. While Gordon had the better dunk, Zach LaVine's performance was just as amazing as he came out to win the contest. When Zach was handed the award, he said that Gordon was the dunk contest too. Not to mention, after the dunk contest, LaVine said that the dunk contest win was a win for his old head coach that recently passed away, Flip Saunders. Flip was the won who drafted LaVine and LaVine said that "He's the one that always believed in me and drafted me!". LaVine and Gordon's performance was completely amazing and I'm still in awe about that contest.

As you can see, All-Star Saturday night is one of the best event of the year. It is sad though, that it is once a year, and we have to wait another year to see the next one. But that, it was makes it so amazing. It doesn't happen that often. And it doesn't happen that often when we get to see an All-Star Saturday night as great as this. As Kenny Smith always says, "it's over ladies and gentlemen, it's over". Now we wait, til next year.

Is Bradley Beal Worth Max Money?

"Bradley Beal Austin Rivers" by Keith Allison - Flickr: Bradley Beal. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons.

Bradley Beal is one of the best young guards in this league. He is merely 22 years old and is on the cusp of receiving a huge raise. He has the talent to be a top 5 Shooting Guard in this league. His shooting ability is on par with the best of shooters. He has the athleticism to beat a guy off the dribble. He has the clutch gene that makes you guard him in the 4th quarter. He has the intangibles to potentially be an All-Star. So what holds him back from being a star?

Injuries

 He is trying to do his best this season but he can't do that if he isn't on the floor.The biggest issue with Bradley Beal is his inability to stay on the court. His body is entirely made out of glass and is very fragile. I am not saying this in any rude tone whatsoever as its not his fault either. There is nothing he  can do except try to come back healthy and prepare himself more before games. 

He has not played a full season yet in his NBA career. In his first season, he played a total of 56 before getting hammered with ankle injury after ankle injury after ankle injury. The series of injuries started when he collided with his teammate, Nene, in a game vs 76ers on March 3rd, 2013. He was basically out for the season as he only played in 5 out of the next 24 games. He missed out on some key experience during that summer as the Wizards training staff didn't clear him to play in the Team USA camp or the Summer league. 

"Bradley Beal Amar'e Stoudemire" by Keith Allison - Flickr: Bradley Beal, Amar'e Stoudemire. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons

The following season, Beal missed nine games of the season due to a stress reaction. He returned vs New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden where he came up clutch and won the game for the Wizards, being called "Blue Magic" because of his performance. He played in limited role for a couple of months before being cleared to play full time. He was able to play through the season and the playoffs in his second season. 

In October of 2014, Beal underwent an MRI that showed a fracture of a bone in his left wrist, which would require surgery. That surgery would also cause him to miss the first 9 games of the season. After making his debut, he went on to play 42 consecutive games until February 5th where he hurt his big toe and, after going through multiple tests, he had another stress reaction in his right fibula.  Beal returned after missing 8 games and played the rest of the season injury-free!

In the 2015-16 NBA season, Beal got off to a fantastic start but the same old nemesis came to say hello as he went down with multiple injuries. He has missed 9 games already this season. Let's hope he can stay healthy for the rest of the season. 

So what makes him max money worthy?

His nickname fits because he is literally the Real Deal when it comes to on-court ability. He has always been a knock down shooter as he has shot over 38% from three in all of his seasons. His contribution in other aspects on the game is also improving at a rapid pace. He also seems to have a knack for showing up for big games. He turns it to another level when necessary. 

The 2015 playoffs alone proved his value as an elite Shooting Guard in the league. He was definitely a top 10 player in the playoffs because of his leadership of the team while John Wall was out. He had very solid numbers, too, as he averaged 23.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, along with 1.6 steals.

Conclusion

He has not proven enough to earn a max contract (especially when the cap rises) but that doesn't rule out the fact that he can still earn a max contract. The 2015-16 season is not yet over and there is still a lot of basketball to play. The Wizards held back on giving Beal a max extension last summer simply because they are a contender in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes.

The perfect scenario for Beal is if he gets traded to a solid playoff team. That would ease off the pressure a little bit and also give him a chance to regroup and come back stronger than ever. That would be the best case scenario but the worst case scenario seems to be in he gets traded in a deal for DeMarcus Cousins. He would be entering a situation of chaos where he would be the focal point of the team because Rondo sure isn't droppin' 20 a night. That pressure could ruin his career.

The Perfect Starting 5 For The Next 10 Years!

"Toyota Center prior to the 2013 NBA All Star Game" by Victor Araiza - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Commons.

Oh boy, here is a post nobody will ever agree on! What is the future of the NBA? This generates a great deal of conversation, doesn't it? The young guys seem to be promising and are ready to prove that, but that promising future isn't always guaranteed. That's why I wanted to make a starting 5 of the future of the NBA. Seems easy right?

The Obvious Ones:

Point Guard: Stephen Curry - He has an outstanding game that can't be rivaled by anybody. His game is like some fine wine and will age well. He doesn't rely on athleticism as heavily as his competition. Even at age 37, I feel as if Curry can score 15 per game for you. He is 27 and just entering his prime.

Shooting Guard: Andrew Wiggins - He is really a SG in a SF's body. He has terrific athletic ability that just won't let you down. His potential is scary. He has the size and speed to be able to guard multiple positions if he decided to hit the weight room. He is only 20 years old and has a lot to offer in the long term.

Small Forward: Kawhi Leonard- This shouldn't be too hard to agree on. Imagine if Curry was disqualified of the MVP race, who is your leading MVP candidate? I know Kawhi is right up there! We have all heard about his defense but his offense is on a whole another level this season.

Power Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo - The hype with this guy is unreal. It is too much to even take in for me! I am just in awe when watching him as he is just amazing to say the least. He doesn't have the numbers, he doesn't seem to be that great but just look at him, you know he has great potential by looking at him! He also just turned 21 so there is going to be no shortage of his best abilities in the future!

Center: Anthony Davis - Do I even need to explain?

Leaving it like that is the chicken's way out. I ain't no chick'n so I will provide an alternate version of MY future starting 5 all based on personal opinion. Keep in mind this is for the next 10 years. This is a really young team and, well, there isn't much else to say!

Point Guard: D'Angelo Russell - This guy is a crazy off  the charts type of player that just hasn't found the perfect role in LA yet. He has had some recent success in scoring the ball but that isn't even the most impressive thing about this guy! His passing and ball handling ability hasn't even come to light so far! He was drafted number two because the Lakers saw him as the next floor general! 

Shooting Guard: Bradley Beal - Now here is a pick I know I'm going to regret making. He is the perfect fit for this team as all this team really needs in a good sized wing shooter. That's exactly what Beal serves to be. One down fall for Beal, though, is his health. He has missed a combined 54 games in the last 3 seasons.

Small Forward: Jabari Parker - Do you remember when there was a three way tie for the number 1 player in the 2014 draft? It was Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Joel Embiid. Andrew Wiggins obviously seems to be the best out of those three but Jabari isn't far behind. He had a season ending injury last year but he seems to be back to normal now!

Power Forward: Kristaps Porzingis - This pick is only for the flashiness of it. I know Towns is the better prospect out of the two. I know that I am caught up in all of this hype but it is what it is. He has great tools to be a defensive monster in the paint. He can shoot(streaky at best for now) and he can (possibly) play out of the post. He needs to add some extra muscle to be able to bang down low , though.

Center: Anthony Davis - Again, do I need to justify?

Players that barely missed the cut:

John Wall

Julius Randle

Klay Thompson

DeMarcus Cousins

James Harden

Paul George

Andre Drummond

Blake Griffin
Jahlil Okafor
Karl-Anthony Towns
Russell Westbrook
Kevin Durant
Emmanuel Mudiay

What do you think? Am I crazy or do you agree?

Sprite Slam Dunk Contest on Monday night!

Monday night was what could be a future dunk contest next year in Toronto at the all-star weekend. Andrew Wiggins had four monster Dunks (two on Rudy Gobert) last night at the Wolves vs Jazz games. His teammate Zach LaVine also had a great dunk. Everyone was saying, wow, these are amazing dunks! Nobody can top that! But the whole NBA was dunking last night. DeMar DeRozan had a great dunk. One of my favorites though, was the Jeff Green dunk. It was a night of Dunking last night. Everyone was throwing it down.