Dallas Mavericks: All-Star Weekend winners roundtable

Rising Stars

Team USA

“It’s almost impossible to vote against Luka in this one, but Team USA just has a lot of talent. Not saying Team World is short on talent, but I think USA is stacked from top to bottom. If I had to pick a player I think will win the MVP, I have to go with Donovan Mitchell.” –Kohl Rast

“If I felt Team World had any shot at winning this one, Luka Doncic would be my obvious pick, but Team USA will win this one convincingly. I expect Donovan Mitchell to continue on his high-scoring streak (27.2 points per game since Jan. 9). If we’re lucky, we might see him put his best friend, Ben Simmons, on a poster.” –Manny Dixon

Team World

“Luka Doncic. Luka loves competition and I expect him to put on a show in the Rising Stars game. He will carry a seemingly weaker Team World alongside Ben Simmons. Possibly with a buzzer beater.” –Badees Nouiouat

“As much as I believe Kyle Kuzma, Jayson Tatum, and Donovan Mitchell would lead Team USA to victory, I think World has more team depth to lead themselves to victory. It already feels like the potential duo of Luka and Ben Simmons would be unbeatable, but when you add in Shai, Lauri, and Bogdonovic to the mix, it seems like USA won’t have a chance.” –Arsal Hussain

“Kyle Kuzma will wi…..come on we all know I’m going with Luka Doncic. Luka is the best player on the court and let’s say I might have a little bit of bias when it comes to making a pick here. He is a man—or a kid rather—who lives for the big moments. He will be on display for the whole world to see and Doncic will be out to prove that he belongs more with the big kids in the All-Star Game than the youngins in the Rising Stars Game.” –Sean Bush

“Team World will win the Rising Stars challenge, and Doncic will be the MVP. This year just seems to be a coming out party for Doncic, and being the best player on Team World is the next part of the festivities. Maybe he’ll even put up a triple-double just for emphasis.” –Ben Zajdel