2017 NBA All-Star Game Preview
Where: Smoothie King Center – New Orleans, LA
When: Sunday, February 19, 2017, 8:00 PM ET
Line: East vs. West – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: TNT
Writer’s Pick: West
NBA News & Predictions
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Betting on the Eastern Conference
There’s not much size in the East lineup. There is no center among their starters – LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jimmy Butler, DeMar DeRozan, and Kyrie Irving – and not even a full-time power forward. And as if they weren’t small enough, they also lost Kevin Love with a knee injury, who has been replaced by Carmelo Anthony.
Butler is far from 100 percent, and likely won’t play heavy minutes. James, who has been playing some big minutes this season, is also unlikely to take this game too seriously. However, they do have the second-leading scorer in the league in Isaiah Thomas, who could be eager to make yet another statement in what’s been a career year with a big ASG performance.
John Wall is another guard having a great year who could be looking to put his best foot forward in this game. He’ll need to, because there doesn’t seem to be many other players in the East who will take this game too seriously.
Betting on the Western Conference
The Western Conference has dominated this series, winning five of the last six All-Star Games. They look primed to make it six in seven thanks to an absolutely stacked lineup which features perhaps the top four MVP candidates in the league. James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Kevin Durant are all starters alongside two-time league MVP Stephen Curry and Anthony Davis.
Meanwhile, Russell Westbrook, he of the triple-double average, is relegated to the reserves, alongside a couple more Warriors in Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. And whereas the East lineup is littered with guards, the West has a trio of giants in DeMarcus Cousins, Marc Gasol, and DeAndre Jordan to throw at them, with Gordon Hayward rounding out their terrific lineup.
There’s so many ways the West can beat the East: down low with their bigs; a barrage of 3s with Steph, Klay, KD, and Kawhi; or through a million drives from Harden and Westbrook, the two-time defending All-Star Game MVP. Russ is always going to go 100 miles per hour every time he steps on the court, and he’ll have a bit more venom coursing through his veins with KD as his teammate once again.
Writer’s Prediction
The West strolls to yet another win over the East.
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