Saturday Slam: Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo has solidified himself as an all-time great

 

                                             (Credit: Getty Images) 

Before I shift my focus to the 2021-22 season, free agency, and all that good stuff, I want to stop and smell the flowers a bit by reflecting more on what Giannis Antetokounmpo has accomplished this past season. The young Milwaukee Bucks star brought back an NBA championship to Milwaukee for the first time in 50 years by taking out the Chris Paul/Devin Booker led Phoenix Suns in six games. In those six games, Antetokounmpo averaged a jaw-dropping 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game en route to an NBA Finals MVP trophy. 

Immediately after securing the championship, Antetokounmpo was overcome with emotion. Tears were flowing down his face. You could tell that he was still processing everything that was happening around him. After he was able to compose himself and do an interview, he remarked that even if he never wins another NBA championship in Milwaukee, at least he got one. He accomplished the mission that he set out to accomplish. 

I would like to take Antetokounmpo's comment a step further. By winning this one championship in Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo has solidified himself as an all-time great. I don't know where he ranks among the greatest of the greats and quite honestly, it's too early to say where he ranks given that his career is far from over. But regardless of where he stacks up, it's safe to say that he is now one of the games' greatest all-time players. 

In this NBA Finals, we saw it all come together for "The Greek Freak." He was basically score at will inside, he was making huge defensive plays, he was crashing the boards, and was the most dominant player all series long. The only real weak spot for him was the foul shooting and 3-point shooting, but he was able to overcome those weaknesses by being such a dominant force inside the 3-point line and around the basket. When you got the physical gifts that he has and are able to put it together like he did inside, foul shooting and 3-point shooting don't become a huge concern. 

What makes this all the more impressive is this was his first trip to the NBA Finals. It would have been easy for him to choke and cave under the pressure given this was his first time on this big of a stage. Many of the all-time greats have done it themselves. Instead, he rose to the challenge and delivered a sublime performance that few have rivaled. 

Perhaps the best part of this whole story is how this all began for Antetokounmpo: Far away in Greece, first discovered as an intriguing yet raw talent picked 15th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft. Nobody saw him becoming the all-time great that he is today. I'm not even sure if he saw it coming. Yet with hard work, humility, and a commitment to keep getting better each and every day, Antetokounmpo has seen the fruits of his labors deliver the goods in a big-time way. 

While I have no doubt that this is only the beginning for Antetokounmpo and that he has the potential to win several more championships, I think it's important to reiterate that regardless of what happens from here on out, Antetokounmpo has emerged as one the greatest players to ever play the game. He brought an NBA championship back to a city that was long thirsting for one and he did so with humility, class, and pure greatness. 

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2021 NBA Finals Preview: Phoenix Suns vs. Milwaukee Bucks

                                                (Credit: clutchpoints.com) 

The 2021 NBA Finals begins on Tuesday and will feature a matchup that nobody on earth predicted at the start of the season: Phoenix Suns vs. Milwaukee Bucks. It's been a crazy journey for both of these teams to reach this point. Starting with the Suns, they took out the Lakers, Nuggets, and then Clippers to win the Western Conference crown. The Lakers were hobbled due to Anthony Davis not being at full strength, making them a vulnerable opponent. The Nuggets were without their star Jamal Murray, but they did have 2021 NBA MVP Nikola Jokic on their side. Jokic just wasn't able to do it all on his own in the end. As for the Clippers, Paul George and co. put up a real fight, but the absence of Kawhi Leonard also proved to be too much. 

As for the Bucks, they went through the Heat, Nets, and Hawks. The Heat were led by Jimmy Butler like last year, but they weren't able to recapture the magic they had in the bubble a year ago. The Nets had injury issues of their own with Kyrie Irving and James Harden missing some time. Kevin Durant played incredible basketball, but once again, it's a team sport and one man can't do it all on his own. As for the Hawks, they played really well as a team and had Trae Young not gotten injured, they might have reached the NBA Finals. 

The commonality in both the Western Conference and Eastern Conference brackets is that injuries played a big role in how things turned out. However, that isn't to say that the Suns and Bucks didn't have injury issues of their own. The Suns had to deal with Chris Paul missing action due to COVID protocols and Devin Booker had a busted nose. As for the Bucks, they've been without Giannis Antetokounmpo for the last two games due to a hyperextended knee and while there is no structural damage to his knee, it is unclear when he'll be back. Hopefully for Tuesday's Game 1. 

Ultimately, when looking at this upcoming Suns/Bucks series, a lot hinges on the health of Antetokounmpo. If he's healthy, the Bucks have a real shot to knock off the Suns due to their depth, length, and 3-point shooting. Khris Middleton has been a really nice number two option for them, shooting it well from the perimeter and giving Giannis the help that he needs. On top of that, veteran big man Brook Lopez and veteran guard Jrue Holiday have been playing well. The pieces around Antetokounmpo are definitely there. But he has to be present. 

As for the Suns, they appear to be pretty healthy right now. Paul is back from his COVID hiatus and while having a busted nose isn't fun, Booker hasn't been affected much by it. He also seems to pretty much be back from the injury anyways. Big man Deandre Ayton is getting it done inside (E.g. Valley-oop) and is giving the Suns the interior presence that they need. 

At this point, I do have to give the Suns the edge to win this series. They're the healthier team at the moment and they do have home court advantage. The NBA championship goes through Phoenix and not Milwaukee. Plus, it just feels like it's Chris Paul's time. He's paid his dues and he has the entire Suns team playing really good basketball. Everyone is feeding off his energy and I think everyone is extra fueled by the possibility of helping the great CP3 finally get a ring. 

In regard to how many games this series goes, I think if Giannis is able to go for the entire series, Suns win in 7. If he misses multiple games, then we could be looking at Suns in 5 or 6 games. After seeing such an injury ridden NBA playoffs, it would be nice to at least have an NBA Finals that features the best players of both teams. Hopefully the basketball world gets what they want. 

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Saturday Slam: Where things sit at the 2021 NBA All-Star Break

 

2021 NBA All-Star Weekend is here, which means we are at the unofficial halfway mark of the 2020-21 NBA season. I have never done this particular blog post before, but here's to new beginnings! In case you have been out of the loop up until this point, below is a quick breakdown of where things sit in the NBA at the All-Star break. 

Out East, the Philadelphia 76ers are the top ranked team with an impressive 24-12 record. Joel Embiid is getting MVP consideration for the way he's guiding the Sixers and deservedly so. The Brooklyn Nets led by Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving are in the #2 spot at 24-13, just a half game back. The #3 Milwaukee Bucks led by Giannis Antetokounmpo are at 22-14, just 1.5 games back of the Nets and 2.0 games back of the Sixers. Those three teams are leading the charge out East and honestly, it is anyone's guess of as to which of those three teams will get the top seed in the conference. 

Seeds #4-10 are really close: Boston Celtics (19-17), New York Knicks (19-18), Miami Heat (18-18), Charlotte Hornets (17-18), Toronto Raptors (17-19), Chicago Bulls (16-18), and Indiana Pacers (16-19). This grouping is key because the top six seeds overall in each conference will clinch an automatic berth to the playoffs while seeds 7-10 will play in a wildcard tournament of sorts to determine the final two seeds. 

The rest of the East #11-15 goes as follows: Atlanta Hawks (16-20), Washington Wizards (14-20), Cleveland Cavaliers (14-22), Orlando Magic (13-23), and Detroit Pistons (10-26). Honestly, all of those teams still have a pulse to perhaps get the #10 spot. So, it's going to be interesting to see who out East gets that #10 spot and gives themselves a shot at making the playoffs. 

Out West, it's also looking pretty interesting. The Utah Jazz occupy the top seed and best record in the NBA at 27-9. Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, and Mike Conley are the three All-Stars from that team. Conley being an injury replacement for Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker. There was a bit of a controversy this week with Mitchell and Gobert being the last two picks of the All-Star draft despite being on the best team in the league. Personally, I think this will just give those guys more of a reason to be motivated in the second half of the season. 

The #2 seed belongs to the Phoenix Suns at 24-11. I wrote about the Suns earlier this year on here and felt they could be serious contenders, so I'm not at all surprised about them being this high. In addition to Devin Booker, Chris Paul has been a major part of their success. 

The #3 team is the Los Angeles Lakers at 24-13. Many have them as the favorites to come out of the West because of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. If those two guys stay healthy, it's tough to pick against them. 

Seeds #4-6 aren't far behind: Los Angeles Clippers (24-14), Portland Trail Blazers (21-14), and Denver Nuggets (21-15). Honestly, I feel a little bad putting them in a different group. They're right there and certainly could come out of the West. Once again, as a I said above, seeds 7-10 are battling for those two wild card spots if you will. So being #6 is key as it guarantees a playoff spot. 

Seeds #7-10 seem to be in a pretty comfortable spot in terms of at least securing a spot in that wild card tournament: San Antonio Spurs (18-14), Dallas Mavericks (18-16), Golden State Warriors (19-18), and Memphis Grizzlies (16-16). It's even possible one of them or two of them jumps up to the #5/6 spot and avoids the play-in tournament. 

Seeds #11-15 are a bit removed from the rest: New Orleans Pelicans (15-21), Oklahoma City Thunder (15-21), Sacramento Kings (14-22), Houston Rockets (11-23), and Minnesota Timberwolves (7-29). 

In terms of what to watch for and how to make sense of all of this, I think with the East, it's going to be really interesting to see who gets that top seed in the conference. The 76ers, Nets, and Bucks could all get it and whichever team secures that spot will have the inside track to reaching the NBA Finals. 

Many people are picking the Nets to go the distance, but I have some reservations based on the fact that it's tough to elevate yourself into contender status in one season. Let alone win the whole thing. A team that has been gelling more over the last couple of seasons like the Bucks or 76ers is probably a more safe bet at this point, but hey, maybe the Nets will surprise me and get it done. 

Out West, it's all about the Jazz right now and whether or not they can hang onto that top seed and go the distance. A lot of people see them as a great regular season team but are skeptical of their chances to win it all. For the Jazz, it's paramount that they finish with the best record in the league if they want to win the championship. Just because of how tough of a place Salt Lake City is to play in. 

If the Jazz can lock up that home court advantage, they're going to be a really tough out. On top of that, they wouldn't have to see the Lakers until the conference finals in all likelihood. So that's another benefit. Perhaps the Suns knock out the Lakers and they don't see them at all? A lot of what happens out West hinges on whether or not the Jazz can hang onto that top spot. If they do, look out. If not, they're still dangerous, but I wouldn't call them the favorites. 

The wildcard in all this is the Clippers. We know the Lakers are going to be right there and I think the Suns are showing what they can do and are playing up to their max potential. But the Clippers are kinda flying under the radar and not playing as well as they could. If they get their act together, maybe they're a team that can go the distance. 

One other thing to keep an eye on is where Blake Griffin ends up now that the Pistons have released him and bought out his contract. If he indeed ends up with the Nets, that could shake things up even further. You know I'll do a blog post about that if that indeed comes to fruition. 

On that note, enjoy NBA All-Star Weekend and enjoy the second half of the season. It's shaping up to be a wild ride! Lots to look for and get excited about! 

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Tomahawk Tuesday: The Chris Paul era in Phoenix is off to a good start

                                           (Credit: AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) 

One of the big offseason moves was Chris Paul going to the Phoenix Suns. By making the move to get CP3, the Suns showed a commitment to their fans and to their franchise player Devin Booker that they are committed to winning now. So far, the move appears to be paying off as the Suns are off to a 7-4 start, tied for 2nd place in the Western Conference with the Los Angeles Clippers and 1 game back of the 8-3 Los Angeles Lakers. 

As is expected, Booker is leading the team in scoring, averaging 23.0 points, 4.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game on 48.6% shooting from the field, 34.8% shooting from 3-point range, and 81.3% shooting from the foul line (we can expect the foul shooting to improve as he is an 86.9% career shooter). Mikal Bridges is doing his thing, averaging 15.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game; Deandre Ayton  is averaging a double-double with 12.5 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 1.0 block per game; Cameron Johnson is getting 12.4 points per game;  Dario Saric is chipping in 10.6 points per game; and Jae Crowder is nearly averaging double figures with his 9.9 points per game. 

As for Chris Paul, the big off-season acquisition, he's averaging 13.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game, still performing at an elite level. Paul is doing exactly what he was brought to Phoenix to do. He's providing some scoring, a little rebounding, solid defense (0.7 steals per game), and fantastic facilitating.      

Of course, it's not just CP3 that is responsible for the Suns' emergence as a contender in the Western Conference. Devin Booker is an elite shooting guard and they have some other really solid complementary pieces in Bridges, Ayton, and the other players mentioned above. They are a very deep and balanced team with six players scoring in double figures on average and one other player who is 0.1 points per game shy of being the seventh. That's some real depth.  

While we are still early on in the season, the Suns have to be happy with how this season is starting. CP3 is making an immediate impact and making everyone around him better, Booker is continuing to show why he's one of the top shooting guards in the NBA, and the rest of the supporting cast is doing what they need to do. I look forward to seeing how this Suns team continues to gel over the course of the season. They could be poised for an NBA Finals run. 

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Tomahawk Tuesday: The Phoenix Suns are making the most of the Orlando bubble

                                                   (Credit: Kevin C. Cox-Pool photo via AP)

Earlier today, Devin Booker hit a clutch game winner over Paul George and Kawhi Leonard to give the Phoenix Suns a 117-115 win over the Los Angeles Clippers (Click here to check it out). With the win, the Suns are now 3-0 in the Orlando bubble and only three games back of the 8th seeded Memphis Grizzlies. The Suns still have a lot of work to do, but so far are making the most of the restart season as they continue their push for a playoff spot.

Booker has been the catalyst of the Suns' playoff push, averaging 30.7 points per game in their 3-0 restart. Their most recent win over the Clippers was Booker's best game in the bubble, as he had 35 points to go along with his game winner. Regardless of whether or not they make the playoffs, Booker is showing why he's the highest paid player in Suns history and why they have a bright future with him at the helm.

As for whether or not they'll make the playoffs, the Suns' remaining schedule is against the following teams: Indiana Pacers (42-26; 3-0 in the bubble), Miami Heat (43-25; 2-1), Oklahoma City Thunder (41-25; 1-1), Philadelphia 76ers (40-27; 1-1), and Dallas Mavericks (41-29; 1-2). Like the Suns, the Pacers are perfect in the bubble and the Heat earlier today escaped with a win over the Celtics. So, those are two teams that will not be easy to knock off. The rest of the schedule isn't too bad, but at this point of the season, everyone is fighting for their lives and there are no bad teams in the bubble. That's why they're all there.

Personally, I think it's likely that the Suns will cool off a bit and miss the cut, but with Devin Booker running the show, anything is possible. Wins like the one they had over the Clippers build tremendous confidence and momentum. And at this point of an NBA season, this is the right time to get hot. It'll be fun to see if the Suns can keep this going and have a playoff run for the ages.

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Tomahawk Tuesday: The Phoenix Suns are starting to find their groove

Currently sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference standings with a 16-52 record, not a lot has gone right for the Phoenix Suns this season. T.J. Warren (18.0 points per game) went down with a right ankle injury and has missed 25 games and counting. On top of that, Devin Booker (25.1 points per game) has missed 15 games due to a hamstring injury. When you combine youth with injury, you have a recipe for a lot of losses.

Despite this adversity, this Suns team has found a way to stay together and it's starting to show in their most recent outings. In their last 10 games, the Suns are 5-5. Even more recently, they've won four of their last five games defeating the Lakers, Bucks, Knicks, and Warriors. That's right, they've defeated the top team in the Eastern Conference (Bucks) and the top team in the Western Conference (Warriors) in their last five games. If that isn't finding a groove, I don't know what it is.

What seems to be making the difference is Devin Booker going off and Kelly Oubre, Jr. starting to find his footing with his new team. In their 114-105 win over the Bucks, Oubre finished with 27 points and 13 rebounds. In their win over the Warriors, Oubre had 22 points and 5 rebounds while Booker finished with 37 points, 8 rebounds, and 11 assists. Against the lousy Knicks, Booker scored 41 points while Oubre chipped in 18.

While not having as explosive of outings, Deandre Ayton has done a good job of being the brick of this team. He's missed hardly any time (6 games) while averaging 16.6 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. He's always hovering right around his scoring average, providing the Suns with a lot of consistency.

If I'm a Suns fan, I would be feeling optimistic about the future. Booker, Oubre, Ayton, and Warren form a really talented core that is starting to figure out how to win basketball games. What's been particularly impressive about the Suns' recent hot streak is the fact that they've been doing this without Warren. Once he gets back, it should be really interesting to see what this team does.

The bottom line is that this year is all about growth and development with wins not being the main focus. What you want to see is improvement and the Suns are definitely showing that. Provided they keep this core together and everyone stays healthy, there's no reason to doubt this team's ability to become a force in the Western Conference.

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Tomahawk Tuesday: Recapping 2018 All-Star Weekend

Over this past weekend was NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles. It was an exciting weekend that brought the All-Star Game back to its roots, where defense was played for a least a good portion of the game. I will spare you of any commentary on Fergie's national anthem, though let me say that was the weirdest rendition of the anthem that I've ever heard. The rest of the weekend I thought was actually pretty good.


All-Star Saturday Night 

All-Star Saturday Night consisted of three events: the Taco Bell Skills Challenge, JBL Three-Point Contest, and Verizon Slam Dunk Contest. Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie won the skills challenge, Suns guard Devin Booker won the three-point contest with a record 28 points, and Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell won the dunk contest.

What made the skills challenge fun is it once again was a format of bigs versus guards. Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen was the top performer of the big men but was unable to outdo Dinwiddie, who was sort of a dark horse to win the whole thing. Clippers guard Lou Williams came in as the favorite given the home court advantage, but he wasn't able to deliver the goods. There was a little bit of controversy surrounding 76ers center Joel Embiid's performance since it looked like he may have cheated by skipping the part where you pass the ball through the hoop. However, what he did was perfectly legal.  If you miss both passes you have to continue on anyways, so after missing the first pass, Embiid just wanted to get the ball out as quickly as possible. I just wanted to set the record straight on that.

In the three-point shootout, Devin Booker was lights out, especially in the championship round, finishing with 28 points. Booker really heated up in his last couple of racks, making nine of his final 10 shots. His money ball rack was the last rack and he made four of those five shots, so he did a good job of placing his money ball rack in the right place. Booker defeated Rockets guard Eric Gordon, Clippers forward Tobias Harris, and Warriors guard Klay Thompson in the final round. Thompson finished with 25 points, but was mathematically eliminated when he got to the final rack, so it wasn't really as close as the final score indicates.

In the dunk contest, Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell and Cavaliers forward Larry Nance, Jr. were the top two performers, squaring off in the championship round. Mitchell stole the show with his tributes to Jazz legend Darrell Griffith and Raptors legend Vince Carter, though Nance had a really nice tribute dunk to his father and also a really impressive dunk in which he tapped the ball to himself twice off the glass. Mavericks guard Dennis Smith, Jr. also deserves some love for a through the legs dunk he did. The dunk contest wasn't as good as some contests in the past, but the guys who participated still did a nice job.

                                         (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)       
All-Star Game 

On Sunday, Team LeBron defeated Team Steph 148-145 in the All-Star Game. LeBron James led the way for his team with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists, taking home the MVP honors. While every all-star game is an offensive clinic predicated on alley-oop dunks and highlight reel moves, what made this game fun was the defense that was actually played. Guys were blocking shots, guys were forcing steals, etc. This actually felt like a basketball game because of the defensive effort that was present. Fans want to see highlight dunks and incredible shots, but they want to see some effort on the defensive end as well. The effort on defense was really good for an all-star game and as a result, the fans got their money's worth in the end. I think the format where LeBron James and Stephen Curry drafted their own teams deserves some credit for making this happen. It made the guys feel a bit more invested in the event.

Overall, I was pleased with the NBA's All-Star Weekend. Everyone seemed to have a good time and did a good job putting on a show for the fans. It lived up to what it was supposed to be, which is fun entertainment that the whole family can enjoy. That is all that we can really ask for.

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Saturday Slam: How big of a blow is Brandon Knight's ACL injury to the Phoenix Suns?

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Phoenix Suns point guard Brandon Knight suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during a pro-am game. Due to the nature of the injury, it is anticipated that Knight will miss the 2017-18 season after undergoing surgery.

On the surface, this appears to be a pretty significant blow to the Suns. Knight's name has been frequently mentioned as one of the rising stars in the league. He averaged 19.6 points and 5.1 assists per game for the Suns in the 2015-16 season and was billed as a cornerstone piece of the franchise when he was acquired from the Milwaukee Bucks.

                                          (Yahoo! Sports) 

After having what appeared to be a breakout season in his 2015-16 campaign, Knight has since struggled to replicate that same type of success, largely due to injury. Last season, he played in only 54 games and averaged 11.0 points and 2.4 assists per game. He only saw 21.1 minutes of action per game and never was able to get into a rhythm. Now that Knight has suffered a torn ACL on top of the struggles he had last season, it's fair to question whether or not he'll ever return to his former self.

As far as what this means for the Suns, this is a significant blow in the sense that they acquired Knight with the hopes of becoming one of their franchise players and he is clearly not living up to the hype. What also is unfortunate for them is that Knight is scheduled to make $13.6M in the 2017-18 season, $14.6M in the 2018-19 season, and $15.6M in the 2019-20 season before hitting unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2020. It'll be hard for them to move a guy whose contract requires teams to pay him more with each season.

On the flip side, it's not like the Suns are holding their breath on Knight being their franchise player for the future. Guards Devin Booker and Eric Bledsoe, both of whom scored over 20 points per game last season, are viewed as the franchise centerpieces for the future along with rookie small forward Josh Jackson. The Suns can continue to build around those guys and focus their attention on getting them the pieces that they need to succeed.

Ultimately, the loss of Brandon Knight is significant for the Suns because they've invested a lot of money into him and have him under contract for the next three seasons. When you acquire a guy with the hopes of him being a franchise centerpiece and he doesn't deliver, that always stings. The good new for the Suns is that they have Devin Booker and Eric Bledsoe to build around in the backcourt instead. They're already used to playing without Knight and appear to already be preparing for the future with him not in the picture. What would soften the blow even more is if the Suns could find a team willing to roll the dice on him, but at this point, the odds of that happening appear to be pretty low.

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Fadeaway Friday: What to look for in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge

Tonight at 9:00 PM EST on TNT, the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge will tip off to begin the 2017 NBA All-Star Weekend in New Orleans. Here are some things to look for in this game.

Rosters: 

Team USA: Devin Booker (Suns), Malcolm Brogdon (Bucks), Marquese Chriss (Suns), Brandon Ingram (Lakers), Frank Kaminsky (Hornets), Jahlil Okafor (76ers), D'Angelo Russell (Lakers), Jonathon Simmons (Spurs), Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves), and Myles Turner (Pacers).

Team World: Alex Abrines (Thunder)*, Danté Exum (Jazz), Buddy Hield (Pelicans), Nikola Jokic (Nuggets), Trey Lyles (Jazz), Willy Hernangomez (Knicks)**, Jamal Murray (Nuggets), Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks), Domantas Sabonis (Thunder), and Dario Saric (76ers).

*Injury replacement for Joel Embiid (76ers). **Injury replacement for Emmanuel Mudiay (Nuggets)

What to watch for: The first thing to note about this game is that it is a USA vs. World format. They've done this for a couple of years now, but nonetheless it is a shakeup from the classic East vs. West format. What is most interesting is to see how such a format is actually competitive. Years ago, there wouldn't have been enough international players to form a competitive roster against the United States, but now there absolutely is, which is exciting for the game of basketball.

The second thing to look for are the guys who don't get as much national spotlight. Guys like Devin Booker, Malcolm Brogdon, and Nikola Jokic are having fine seasons, but they are flying under the radar due to playing for small market teams. It will be interesting to see how these guys do playing on a national stage. I'm sure they will relish the moment and do their very to put on a show.

The third thing to look for will be who steps up should this game get close. All of these guys are either in their first or second seasons in the NBA, so they are still getting used to having to take over a game at the NBA level. A lot of these guys have veterans to look to when the game gets close. Some of these guys are in situations where they have to be that guy for their teams already. I think it will be fascinating to see which of these young bucks decides to be the go-to guy in the clutch should this game get competitive. It could provide a window of sorts into which one has the best potential to be the next superstar of the NBA.

Predictions: I'm going to pick the United States to win this game. Even with the world catching up rapidly, the United States still has the better roster. Of course, this game is an exhibition, so anything can happen, but I do think the United States will come out on top. They have the more talented team. I'm going to say the United States wins 130-118.

                                              (Credit: Basket Streaming. Click here for source) 
                                               
In regards to an MVP, I've got my money on Karl-Anthony Towns of the Timberwolves. He is averaging 23.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game this season. He's the best player on the floor in this game and I expect him to play like it. Look for him to be the main guy that leads the United States to victory.



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