NBA All-Star Best Bets: Team Shaq To Take The Crown
The NBA’s All-Star weekend is officially here, which means a slew of challenges and games. LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant will have the chance to run back their Olympics dominance when they suit up as teammates.
Check out this year’s new All-Star game format, along with best bets for the weekend.
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NBA All-Star Game Format
The headliner has traditionally been an exhibition between the Eastern and Western Conference All-Stars. NBA commissioner Adam Silver tweaked the format over the past few seasons by abandoning conferences and installing a schoolyard draft. Now, the event will feature four separate teams for the first time in history.
Team Shaq:
- Jaylen Brown
- Stephen Curry
- Kevin Durant
- James Harden
- Kyrie Irving
- LeBron James
- Damian Lillard
- Jayson Tatum
Team Charles:
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Nikola Jokic
- Alperen Sengun
- Pascal Siakam
- Karl-Anthony Towns
- Victor Wembanyama
- Trae Young
Team Kenny:
- Jalen Brunson
- Cade Cunningham
- Anthony Edwards
- Darius Garland
- Tyler Herro
- Jaren Jackson Jr.
- Evan Mobley
- Jalen Williams
Rising Stars Team C:
- Stephon Castle
- Ryan Dunn
- Zach Edey
- Keyonte George
- Trayce Jackson-Davis
- Dalton Knecht
- Jaylen Wells
Team Shaq takes on Rising Stars Team C in a single-elimination game to 40 points, while Team Charles battles Team Kenny. The winners of each contest then play another game to crown an overall champion.
NBA All-Star Best Bets
Here are a couple of bets to consider for All-Star weekend.
Victor Wembanyama 8+ Points (+106 FanDuel)
The All-Star game has lacked an ounce of effort in recent seasons and essentially became a light jogging session for the players. However, all it takes is one player embarrassing the competition to light a spark…and that player is Victor Wembanyama.
He’s stated his intentions to bring back competitive All-Star games by diving for loose balls and looking to embarrass opponents. I expect him to hustle and fight for boards, which will lead to easy points. Given that the game likely won’t feature traps and weak side shot-blockers collapsing on the rim threat, it should be nearly impossible to stop a determined Wemby.
Team Kenny also lacks a traditional center to throw at him. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Evan Mobley are elite defenders, but Wemby has the advantage here.
Team Shaq All-Star Winning Team (+100 FanDuel)
A team with James, Curry, and Durant? Count me in. Team Shaq faces the Rising Stars in the first round, which should be a comfortable win given the massive talent disparity. The old timers will also be motivated to put on a show, especially James. He needs one more All-Star MVP to tie with Kobe Bryant and Bob Pettit for the most in league history.
Team Shaq’s composition is perfect for the event, too. It features exceptional 3-point shooters and isolation scorers, along with a few all-around wings. The team does not have a center, but that will actually be a strength by allowing them to run the floor and initiate a 5-out offense.
Even money may be a touch too short, but it’s just about worth a bet to me.
