What to Watch for - NBA All-Star Weekend 2018

It's that magical time of the year for the NBA season where the best and brightest of the league descend upon one city and pool together to create one of the most fantastic showcases of basketball talent the world over. With so much going on, it's easy to miss some of the more exciting players and events that the weekend has to offer. Here's what I think you should be on the lookout for during this year's All-Star Weekend!

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Donovan Mitchell Taking Over

Donovan Mitchell has been one of the most exciting rookies, nay, PLAYERS in the league this year. He has taken the league by storm after falling to the Utah Jazz in last year's draft and has the Jazz nearing a playoff spot after leading the team during their 11-game winning streak that included wins against quality Western Conference foes. Mitchell is the first rookie since Wilt Chamberlain to lead his team in scoring over a 10-game winning streak.

Over All-Star Weekend, Mitchell will compete in both the Rising Stars game for team USA and the dunk contest on Saturday night. I wouldn't be surprised if Mitchell dominates the Rising Stars game and leads the USA team to a convincing victory over the World team. My bet is that he will finish as the night's top scorer and will likely have at least four plays that make the LA crowd go wild. The dunk contest though is where I see Mitchell truly showing his greatness. While not the biggest of guys in the competition, Mitchell is an athletic freak and will stun the crowd with at least one other-worldly dunk. I don't know if he'll actually win the contest, but he'll have one dunk that will force me to reevaluate my life choices.

Devin Booker Gets Revenge on Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson is the heavy favorite to win the 3-Point contest on Saturday, and with good reason. Thompson is currently shooting a league-leading 45.4% from behind the arc, while Devin Booker is currently tied for 57th in the league with Trevor Ariza. But what many don't remember is that there is a history with these two in the 3-Point contest. Two years ago, Booker and Thompson (along with Steph Curry who is not participating this year) made the championship round. Booker put up a measly 16 points to Thompson's 27. This year, I believe Booker gets his revenge on Thompson and earns the crown of the best 3-Point shooter.

Plus, I don't see Steve Kerr helping Thompson as much as head coach Jay Triano has for Booker!

Jay Triano impersonating a rack to help Devin Booker prepare for the All-Star game pic.twitter.com/tjXmdsLdJc

- scott bordow (@sbordow) January 24, 2018

It's Booker Time!

Joel Embiid - The Most Interesting Man in the World

It wouldn't be an article about All-Star Weekend if I didn't mention Joel Embiid. He's the only player playing in both the Rising Stars game and the All-Star game, but I wouldn't expect a ton of minutes from Embiid when he suits up for the World team. Embiid isn't playing back to backs and he will certainly be on a hefty minutes restriction for the first game, just to keep him absolutely fresh and uninjured for the culmination game. But here's the hottest take, Embiid won't even make his biggest waves on the court. Embiid is known for his innate ability to throw shade over social media and being in LA with all the stars will certainly bump Embiid's social media game up a notch.

Expect at least two viral Instagram posts from Embiid over the weekend and maybe a couple side eye emojis on Twitter. Keep your eyes peeled and your feeds refreshed because at any moment Embiid could put someone on blast.

And Finally, Team LeBron vs. Team Steph

It's the entire reason for the weekend. The actual All-Star Game between team LeBron and Team Steph. Team LeBron has been hit with devastating injuries, but have been able to replace their fallen brothers with decent enough replacements. If I had to put money on one team or the other (and I don't HAVE to, but I will), I would pick team Steph simply because they have the shooting edge. The All-Star game contains no defense and thus being able to score three pointers while the other team goes for awe-inspiring dunks is simply a more mathematically viable strategy.

We've also heard rumblings that the All-Star game will actually have some competitiveness involved this year. The winning team's players will each receive $100,000, while the losing team's players will receive just $25,000. Is $75,000 enough to encourage defense from these guys? Probably not since they make that in a night's sleep, but who knows. The fact that it isn't East vs. West is enough of a change to potentially revitalize the game. I also wouldn't be surprised if the NBA announces a change for next year shortly after the game to continue to innovate and enhance the fan experience of All-Star Weekend.

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Overall, it will be an awesome and entertaining weekend to say the least. Being in LA gives the festivities the needed star power and don't be surprised if the narrative of the weekend is something along the lines of this being the home of LeBron next year. Keep your eyes open for the young guys this year and I think Donovan Mitchell has a long string of these weekends in his future. Thanks for reading and enjoy the show!

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