We are finally at the breakpoint of the 2019-20 NBA regular season. It’s February, and that means it is time for this year’s iteration of the NBA All-Star Game.
It was only a couple of seasons ago when the NBA decided to eliminate the East vs. West aspect of the game and turned it into a playground picking teams styles.
Team LeBron will be put up against team Giannis, with this game remembering and honoring the late Kobe Bryant for everything he has meant for the sport of basketball.
LeBron’s team will wear the number 2 to honor Kobe’s daughter Gianna, and Giannis’ team will wear the number 24 to honor Kobe.
There’s a lot to love in Chicago this weekend, but let’s see how the teams measure up against each other.
James Takes Teammate With Top Pick
It came as no surprise that the first pick off of the board for James was his teammate Anthony Davis.
This dynamic duo has been nothing but explosive since joining forces on the Lakers, and it was only three seasons ago that Davis had 52 points in his third All-Star appearance.
Along with Davis, LeBron selected Luka Doncic, James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. This starting five is the ultimate interchangeable unit, and we are basically throwing positions out the window for this one.
While I think they boast a better starting five, what I don’t love is the bench of Team LeBron. Guys like Russell Westbrook and Ben Simmons will probably thrive with no defense, but they are going to be shot hungry and can lead to some poor decision making.
The game is all in good fun, though, and you can’t really say there is a bad player on either roster.
Giannis Rolling With Young Guns
When drafting his lineup, Giannis decided to take a number of first-time All-Star players: Trae Young, Bam Adebayo, Brandon Ingram, and Pascal Siakam.
What this tells me about his team is that they are going to be hungry to win their first-ever All-Star game. These guys are sort of the little brothers of the NBA, and they can be ready to go out and prove they can hang with the big boys.
Of course, like team LeBron, there is not a bad player on this roster either, but I think the youth of this team with Giannis as the leader can be a distinct advantage.
Team Giannis Thrives On Youth And Energy
Coming into this matchup, it looks as if Team LeBron draws the favorite in Chicago at -4.5, with their money line set at -200. Team Giannis’ money line is +170.
I think there is great value in betting on Team Giannis, and not only that, I think they are going to win. Team LeBron has won both of the previous draft style All-Star games, but Team Giannis is ready to bring a new energy in this installment.
Bet on Team Giannis to win the game and tune into the fun in Chicago on Sunday!
