2018 NBA All-Star Saturday Night

I figure we might as well have an open thread if anyone is going to be watching The Skills Challenge, Three-Point Contest, and the Slam Dunk Competition tonight.

With KP injured, the Knicks won’t have anyone involved in any of the competitions tonight, but honestly, it’s been a long time since we ever expected to see Knicks in these things, right? Even back in the day, John Starks never participated in the three-point shooting contest and Allan Houston only did it once. In fact, very few Knicks have ever participated in any of the major events. KP, Kenny Walker and Nate are the only Knicks to ever win any of the major All-Star Game competitions.

But hey, it’s still fun!

The dunk contest should be a good one this year. Larry Nance Jr. trying to become the first father/son dunk contest champions!

11 replies on “2018 NBA All-Star Saturday Night”

Just watched the 4th quarter of the amazing 2001 NBA All-Star Game. Wow.

The close-out lineup for the East was:

Marbury 1
Iverson 2
Carter 3
McGrady 4
Mutombo 5

The West’s was:

Kidd 1
Kobe 2
Webber 3
Garnett 4
Duncan 5

Look at that West lineup!!!

And yet Steph and Iverson beat them. Insane game.

The hilarious part of that game is that the East’s starters included Alonzo Mourning and Grant Hill, who were both injured, so Antonio Davis and Anthony Mason got the start in their places. Yes, in 2001, Antonio Davis and Anthony Mason both started in an NBA All-Star Game. Insane.

Chris Webber at the 3 must’ve been something to see huh

It was weird. The faster East forwards really didn’t seem to use the speed advantages that you’d think that they would have much. And on the other end, Webber didn’t post up a whole lot.

Since 1990, I believe that these are the worst All-Star starters (I’m not counting super famous guys who kept getting voted in late in their career, as who can really blame people for that?)…

1 BJ Armstrong (1994)
2 Eddie Jones (2000)
3 Anthony Mason (2001)
4 AC Green (1990)
5 Antonio Davis (2001)

If you want to only count people who got voted in (so no Davis or Mason), I think Antoine Walker and either (Chicago era) Pau Gasol or Andrew Bynum would be the picks for the worst voted-in forwards and centers to start.

I wish Curry would take a few more stabs at the 3 point contest. It may be that there are players a little better than him in the contest format that couldn’t touch him in game action taking tough ones with defenders in their face, but it doesn’t feel right if he’s not there.

That Dennis Smith Jr. dunk was one of the best in recent memory. Insane degree of difficulty.

Donovan Mitchell and Smith Jr are in the slam dunk contest. Frank is not. That is all the evidence you need that we made the wrong pick.

Oh and also Frank’s mediocre performance in the rookie game. Disgraceful.

Tim Duncan/Kevin Garnett is probably the best defensive frontcourt pairing in NBA history which makes it even funnier.

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